Read Ebook: Pilgrim Guide Book to Plymouth Massachusetts With a Brief Outline of the Pilgrim Migration and Settlement at Plymouth by Atwood William Franklin

Font size: 10 px 15 px 20 px 25 px 30 px 35 px

Background color: BlackWhiteGrayLight GrayDark GrayDim Gray

Text color: BlackWhiteGrayLight GrayDark GrayDim Gray

Apply/Save settings

Ebook has 290 lines and 20366 words, and 6 pages

"Let the right hand of the Lord awake."

Descendants of Governor William Bradford are buried in the immediate vicinity.

No. 33--Major William Bradford, Dep. Gov. of Plymouth Colony, and a son of Gov. Bradford. The inscription on this stone is as follows:

Here lyes ye body of ye honorable Major William Bradford who expired Feb' ye 20th. 1703-4 aged 79 years.

He lived long, but still was doing good, And in his country's service lost much blood, And a life well spent, he's now at rest, His very name and memory is blest.

At the grave of Joseph Bradford, another son, the inscription on the stone reads as follows:

Here lyes ye body of Joseph Bradford, son of the late Honorable William Bradford, Esq., Governor of Plymouth Colony, who departed this life July the 10th, in the eighty-fifth year of his age.

No. 35--Stone over the grave of John Howland, the last of the Mayflower passengers who lived in Plymouth. The inscription on this stone reads as follows:

Here ended the Pilgrimage of John Howland, who died February 23, 1672-3 aged above 80 years. He married Elizabeth, daughter of John Tilley, who came with him in the Mayflower Dec. 1620. From them are descended a numerous posterity.

"He was a godly man and an ancient professor in the wayes of Christ. Hee was one of the first comers into this land and was the last man that was left of those that came over in the Shipp called the Mayflower that lived in Plymouth."

No. 44--Stone at grave of William Crowe bearing dates 1683-84.

For complete story of Burial Hill and detailed guide map showing name and location of all the graves the reader is referred to The Pilgrim Guide to Burial Hill and Its Epitaphs, available at most Plymouth stores. The map is indispensable in locating the graves.

No. 40--Stone to Thomas Clark 1697. Stone to Hannah Clark 1697.

Near the stone of Thomas Clark is stone to Nathaniel Clark, his son. The latter was a councilor to Sir Edward Andros, Governor of New England.

No. 38--Stone to John Cotton 1699.

Graves of the Cottons. Three sons of Rev. John Cotton and seven sons of Josiah Cotton.

The Cushman gravestone 1691. This noted gravestone is one of the six bearing date in the seventeenth century. This ancient landmark was removed by the descendants of Elder Thomas Cushman to make room as they say "for a more enduring memorial."

The Cushman monument on the north side of the hill was erected in 1858 in memory of Robert Cushman, his wife Mary, and Thomas Cushman, the latter for many years a ruling elder in the First Church.

The foregoing are the oldest stones on the hill.

Others are: No. 31--Thomas Faunce 1646-1745. Elder First Church 1699-1745. Town Clerk 1685-1723.

No. 36 is the grave of Nathaniel Jackson. The stone is the oldest Masonic stone on the hill. It is dated 1743.

No. 37--Stone over the grave of Francis LeBaron 1704. The "Nameless Nobleman."

No. 41--Grave of sailors from brig Gen. Arnold who perished in Plymouth Harbor. James Magee of Boston was the unfortunate commander of this ill-fated ship. The site is marked by a monument erected through the generosity of Stephen Gale of Portland, Maine. This is on the west side of the hill.

No. 42--Tabitha Plasket, June 10, 1807. .

No. 43--Gen. James Warren lot. Patriot and Soldier.

No. 45--Site of fort built in 1622; the lower part was used for a church; also fort built in 1675--100 ft. square with palisades 10 1/2 ft. high.

There are many peculiar epitaphs, some in prose and some in verse, and expressive of about every shade and degree of sentiment. A few of these follow:

"He listen'd for a while to hear Our mortal griefs then turned his ear To angel harps and songs and cried To join their notes celestial sigh'd and dyed."

. In memory of Frederic, son of Mr. Thomas Jackson and Mrs. Lucy, his wife who died March 15, 1788, aged 1 year and 5 days.

O! happy Probationer! accepted, without being exercised!--It was thy peculiar Privilege not to feel the slightest of these Evils, which oppress thy surviving kindred.

Fanny Crombie, daughter of Mr. Calvin Crombie and Mrs. Naomi, his wife. Departed this life June 25th, 1804, in the 8th year of her age.

As young as beautiful and soft as young And gay as soft and innocent as gay.

Note: In quoting these epitaphs the writer has referred to book compiled in 1894 by the late Benjamin Drew of Plymouth.

To the memory of ISAAC COAL, son of Mr. Isaac Coal and Mrs. Sarah, his wife, who died Aug. 28, 1825, in the 17th year of his age.

Friends and Physicians could not save His mortal body from the grave Nor can the grave confine him here When CHRIST shall call him to appear.

In memory of Mrs. Tabitha Plasket, who died June 10, 1807, aged 64 years.

Adieu vain world I have seen enough of thee And I am careless what thou say'st of me Thy smiles I wish not; Nor the frowns I fear I am now at rest my head lies quiet here.

The memory of the Just is Blessed.

Here lyes the Body of Mr. John Atwood who died on the 6th of August A D 1754 AEtatis 70 years. He was a Man of Piety & Religion Adorned with every Christian grace & virtue & therefore well qualified for ye office of a Deacon which he discharged in ye first Church of Christ in this Town for about 40 Years with Honesty & uprightness and in the Course of his Life adorned the Doctrine of His Saviour by a well ordered Conversation.

Some are truly inspirational as shown by the following:

Patience C. Holmes, Daug. of Nathan and Ruth Holmes. Died April 1, 1845, in her 24 y'r.

"Shed not for her the bitter tear Nor give the heart to vain regret, 'Tis but the casket that lies here; The gem that fill'd it sparkles yet."

Monument

In memory of Seventy two seamen who perished in Plymouth harbour on the 26 and 27 days of December 1778, on board the private armed Brig, Gen. Arnold, of twenty guns, James Magee of Boston, Commander, sixty of whom were buried on this spot.

Capt. James Magee died in Roxbury, February 4, 1801; aged 51 years.

Note: This monument was erected by Stephen Gale of Portland, Maine, a stranger to them, as a memorial to their sufferings and death.

One of the most recent burials here was that of Judge Thomas Russell who was buried here at his special request.

Judge Russell was a native of Plymouth, the son of Thomas and Mary Ann Russell. He was a noted jurist, was appointed by President Grant United States Minister to Venezuela and was President of the Pilgrim Society on the occasion of General Grant's visit to Plymouth. His stone of native granite bears the inscription: Thomas Russell, born Sept. 26, 1825, Died Feb. 9, 1887.

The brass cannons shown above are on the east side of Burial Hill near the site of the old fort. They were presented to the Town of Plymouth by the British Government as an expression of Good Will during the Tercentenary period and were transmitted through the Ancient and Honourable Artillery Company of London to the Ancient and Honorable Artillery Company of Massachusetts. On the right is a "Minion." On the left a "Sakeret," both of the mid-16th century era. They were formerly in the collection of the British National Artillery Museum and are similar to the cannons mounted on the first fort to protect the colony from attack of Indians.

TOWN SQUARE AND CHURCHES

Leaving the hill at the southeast slope and following down the terraced brick and granite walk, we step into Town Square. This is the logical center of the town and it may well be said, for generations the seat of government with the Town House on the south side, bearing its descriptive tablet. Just ahead is the first street leading to the water and reaching to the north is Main Street.

Share on: WhatsApp @Hash Facebook Tweet