Colonial Graveyards

Colonial Graveyards Photos from my visits to primarily colonial-era graveyards in Massachusetts, New Hampshire. This is not a political or social-justice page, just history.

Michael Brigden died 317 years ago, on June12, 1709.He is buried at Phipps Street, Charlestown, Ma.Michael Brigden, son ...
06/13/2026

Michael Brigden died 317 years ago, on June12, 1709.
He is buried at Phipps Street, Charlestown, Ma.

Michael Brigden, son of Thomas and Mildred (Carthrick) Brigden, was born in Charlestown, Massachusetts, on June 2, 1664, and baptized there five days later on June 5. By trade, he was a blacksmith.

He married Joanna Wilson on January 11, 1687/8 (modern dating: January 1688). Joanna was the daughter of Edward and Mary (Hale) Wilson. She owned the covenant in Charlestown on February 17, 1688.

Michael died in Charlestown on June 12, 1709, at the age of 45.

Issue of Michael and Joanna Brigden:
•Timothy — b. Jan. 12, 1688/9; bapt. five days later.
•Joanna — b. Feb. 14, 1690/1; m. John Call in 1711.
•Michael — b. Sep. 3, 1693; bapt. about a week later. He died two years later (around 1695).
•Mary — b. Jan. 7, 1695/6; bapt. five days later.
•Michael — b. Jul. 11, 1698; bapt. October 30, 1698. (He became a blacksmith like his father.)
•Sarah — b. Dec. 9, 1700; bapt. six days later.
•Thomas — b. Sep. 16 (?) bapt. Sept. 12, 1703 [sic].

Robert Merriam.The Old Burying Ground, Lexington, MaRobert Merriam (Joseph³, Joseph², William¹) was born in Concord, Mas...
06/12/2026

Robert Merriam.
The Old Burying Ground, Lexington, Ma

Robert Merriam (Joseph³, Joseph², William¹) was born in Concord, Massachusetts, on 17 February 1667. He married Abigail Cutler, daughter of Lieut. Thomas Cutler of Lexington. (This marriage is referenced in a deed recorded in Middlesex Deeds, Vol. 39, p. 328.)
Around 1692, Robert moved from Concord to Lexington. He subscribed toward the construction of the meeting-house and was admitted to the church there with his wife in 1698. He later served as an assessor in 1711.

Abigail died on 16 June 1717. Robert died the following year on 20 February 1717/8, also in Lexington. He left no will. His estate was administered by his eldest son, Joseph, who paid the appropriate shares to his brothers and sisters in 1737, once the youngest sibling had reached adulthood.

Administration of the estate of Robert Meriam, late of Lexington, intestate, was granted (with the advice of his uncle John Meriam) to Joseph, the deceased’s eldest son, on 17 March 1717[/8]. The inventory of the estate began with:

Apparel: £8 8s
Arms & horse furniture: £3 8s

It included a large stock of farming utensils, household goods, cattle, and other livestock, along with many acres of land and substantial buildings on the homestead. The total value of the estate was £587 5s 11d.
[Middlesex Probate Records, Vol. 15, pp. 84, 5.]

Issue of Rober & Abigail:
1. Joseph, b. March 3, 1696-7.
2. Abigail, b. Oct. 3, bapt. Nov. 6, 1698; m. Nathan Stow.
3. Hannah, b. April 16, bapt. July, 1701; m. Oct. 9, 1718, John
Bruer (Brewer) of Weston.
4. Robert, b. July 28, 1703; d. same year.
5. Jonathan, b. July 25, 1705.
6. Hezekiah, . March 30, 1707; bapt. April 16, 1708.
7. Sarah, b. July 25, bapt. July 30, 1710; d. July 7, 1713.
8. Mary, b. Dec. 1I, bapt. Dec. 14, 1712; m. Jesse Taylor, of
Marlborough.
9.Sarah, bapt. July 8, 1716; m. Jan. 24, 1739-40, Isaac Allen,
of Weston.

Source: Merriam genealogy in England and America, by Charles H. Pope.

Anne Fessenden died 312 years ago this day, June 6, 1714.Her mortal remains are buried here at the Old Burying Ground, C...
06/06/2026

Anne Fessenden died 312 years ago this day, June 6, 1714.
Her mortal remains are buried here at the Old Burying Ground, Cambridge, Massachusetts.

Anne the Daugᵗʳ.
of Mr Nicholas
and Mrs. Sarah
Fessenden Died
June 6th 1714: Aged
2 Yeaʳˢ 3 Weᵏˢ 5 Dˢ.

Anne was baptized May 11, 1712 — she died June 6, 1714. Her father was Nicholas Fessenden, Harvard class of 1701, and well-respected master of Cambridge grammar school. On August 8, 1706, Mr. Fesenden married the widow Sarah Coolidge, daughter of innholder Josiah Parker and his wife Elizabeth. Sarah, born in Groton on May 1, 1683, had married Stephen Coolidge April 30, 1702.

Wee William Stevens, one day old.He is buried at Phipps Street Burying Ground, Charlestown, Ma.WILLIAM STEVENSYe SON OFW...
06/06/2026

Wee William Stevens, one day old.
He is buried at Phipps Street Burying Ground, Charlestown, Ma.

WILLIAM STEVENS
Ye SON OF
WILLIAM & ANNA
STEVENS
BORN & DIED
JUNE Ye 5. 1702

The infant William, who was both born and died 324 years ago on June 5 1702, was the second of six children born to William Stevens from Bristol, England, and the widow Anna Newcomb, whom he married in Charlestown on Jan 18, 1699/1700.

Hannah (Hunting) Frothingham died 318 years ago this day, June 4, 1708. She lies interred at Phipps Street Burying Groun...
06/05/2026

Hannah (Hunting) Frothingham died 318 years ago this day, June 4, 1708. She lies interred at Phipps Street Burying Ground, Charlestown, Ma.

Unknown Charlestown carver.

Hannah was born in Charlestown on November 29th and baptized on the 3rd of December in 1682. Her parents were Captain Samuel Hunting, a prominent officer in King Philip’s War, and his wife Hannah Hackburne. Her father has a very storied history on the frontier and was a leader of Christian Indians. He was shot and killed accidentally with his own gun August 19, 1701.

Hannah married Capt. Samuel Frothingham on March 24th, 1704 and they had 4 children before Hannah died on April 4th of 1708. Hannah had been Samuel’s second wife, he was first married to Hephzibah Eaton who died on October 24th, 1703. After Hannah’s death, Samuel remarried the following month to Abigail Oldham, and they had six children.

Issue of Hannah and Samuel —
i. Hannah, b. Feb. 9 (bapt. 11) 1704/5; d. July 30, 1705, ae. 5 mo. 21 ds., g. s. • ii. Hephzibah, b. and d. Jan. 17, 1705/6. • iii. Samuel, Dec. 20 (22) 1706; d. July 7, 1707, ae. 6 mo. 17 ds., g.s. • iv. Hannah, Dec. 1 (7) 1707; d. Aug. 8, 1719, ae. 11 yrs. 8 mo.

Capt. William Smith died 296 years ago.He is interred at Phipps Street Burying Ground, Charlestown, Ma,Here Lyes Buriedy...
06/03/2026

Capt. William Smith died 296 years ago.
He is interred at Phipps Street Burying Ground, Charlestown, Ma,

Here Lyes Buried
ye Body of Capt.
WILLIAM SMITH
Who Died June 3d
Anno Domini: 1730
Aged 63 Years

William, son of a butcher Thomas Smith and his wife Sarah Boylston, was born in Charlestown March 24, 1666/7. He was a sea-captain and a merchant who married Abigail Fowle, the daughter of Isaac and Beriah Fowle.

Issue of William and Abigail:
i. Abigail, b. Jan. 6, 1700-1; bapt. Apr. 20, 1701; m. Simon Tufts.
ii. William, 1702.
iii. Sarah, b. Jan. 29 (bapt. 30) 1703-4; m. Samuel Edwards.
iv. William, b. Jan. 29 (bapt. Feb. 2) 1706-7.
v. Anna, b. May 7 (bapt. 9) 1708 ; m. Eben Kent.
vi. Mary, b. Dec. 19 (bapt. 24) 1710; m. Eben Austin.
vii. Thomas, Aug. 3 (10) 1712.
viii. Beriah, April 22 (22) 1716.
ix. Isaac, July 24 (26) 1719.

William Grimes died 307 years ago, June 1, 1719.At the Old Burying Ground, Lexington, Ma.According to Hudson’s History o...
06/01/2026

William Grimes died 307 years ago, June 1, 1719.
At the Old Burying Ground, Lexington, Ma.

According to Hudson’s History of Lexington, vol II, William Grimes, son of George Grimes & Elizabeth Blanchard, was born at Billerica Massachusetts November 11, 1677, and he died June 1, 1719, and in his 43rd year according to his gravestone. If Hudson is correct, then William would have been in his 41st year.

He married Mary Simonds, who was born December 15, 1684, and was the daughter of Joseph and Mary (Tidd) Simonds.

Issue of William and Mary;
1. William.
2. Sarah, d. at Bedford 22 Jan. 1749-50, in her 40th y.
3. Jonathan, bapt. 28 June 1713.
4. Joseph, bapt. 31 July 1715.
5. Mary, bapt. 26 Aug. 1716.
6. Elizabeth, bapt. 30 June 1717.
7. Ruth, bapt. 23Aug. 1719.

Thomas Greenwood, at Newton's East Parish Burying Ground, Newton, Ma.This quite interesting palimpsest (reused) stone er...
05/29/2026

Thomas Greenwood, at Newton's East Parish Burying Ground, Newton, Ma.

This quite interesting palimpsest (reused) stone erected in 1693 for Thomas Greenwood, when seen under-lit the erasures make this stone stick out from across the yard.

Thomas Greenwood, a weaver, aged 22, came from England to Boston (or possibly Weymouth) in 1665, and two years later settled in the Southeast part of Cambridge known as Cambridge Village, now Newton. Thomas Greenwood was baptized on June 4, 1643, in Heptonstall, Yorkshire, England, the son of Thomas and Elizabeth (Hurd) Greenwood, and the great-great-grandson of the separatist Rev. John Greenwood, the Congregational martyr, and founder of the Puritan faith who was executed for heresy at Tyburn, England on April 6th, 1593.

Thomas learned his trade in his native town of Heptonstall, where the establishment of woolen manufacture took place at a very early period. Members of the Sutcliffe family were manufacturers of cloth in the vicinity of Heptonstall as early as 1311. The old Heptonstall Cloth Hall, which stood on the North side of the church yard at Heptonstall, was long a marketplace for the sale of the product of the clothiers of the vicinity.

On June 8, 1670, he married Hannah Ward, daughter of John Ward. They had several children together before Hannah died prior to 1687. He married secondly around 1687–1689 to Abigail (surname possibly Spring, though uncertain). They had at least two sons: James (b. 1687) and William (b. 1689).

Even while still part of Cambridge, Thomas became active in community affairs. In May 1678 he was one of the key signers of the petition to the General Court requesting that Cambridge Village be set off as a separate town. He became a freeman in 1681 and continued serving the community in various roles.

His efforts helped lead to success: on December 8, 1688, Cambridge Village was incorporated as New Town (later renamed Newton). Thomas served as selectman (multiple terms), constable, justice of the peace, and as one of the town’s first officials after incorporation.

Thomas died intestate, possibly at Weymouth, Ma., Tuesday September 1st, 1693, aged 50 and was interred in the Old Burying Ground (aka East Parish B.G.) in Newton. He left an estate appraised at £481-13-6.

Sources
Greenwood genealogies, 1154-1914 : the ancestry and descendants of Thomas Greenwood, of Newton [...]
https://archive.org/details/greenwoodgenealo00gree/page/53/mode/1up
Wikipedia: John Greenwood (divine)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Greenwood_(divine)
The lives of the Puritans: containing a biographical account of those divines who distinguished themselves in the cause of religious liberty, from the reformation under Queen Elizabeth, to the Act of uniformity in 1662
https://archive.org/details/livesofpuritansc02broo/page/23/mode/1up?q=Greenwood

Little Marcy Bucknam died 320 years ago today — May 27, 1706.She lies interred at Bell Rock Cemetery, Malden, Ma.The Far...
05/27/2026

Little Marcy Bucknam died 320 years ago today — May 27, 1706.
She lies interred at Bell Rock Cemetery, Malden, Ma.

The Farber collection attributes this stone to the catchall name "Cornish's Unidentified Charlestown Carver". I believe it is Lamson as that style of skull does appear on sones identified as Lamson. It features two little Imps of Death tormenting th skull with their darts of death, reminiscent of the Zechariah Long and Elias Rowe stones carved about 20 years earlier.

MARCY BUCKNAM
DAUGHTER OF
JOSSES & HANNAH
BUCKNAM AGED
7 MO & 21 DAYS
DIED MAY 27
1706

Born October 5, 1705, she lived just 7 months and 21 days. She was the seventh of twelve children of Joses Bucknam (3rd generation) and Hannah Peabody (of Boxford), who had married in Charlestown on February 24, 1690–91.

Joses was a landowner in the Malden/Charlestown area, acquiring marshland and property over the years.

President Calvin Coolidge visits graves of earliest ancestors in America.Athe the Old Burying Place, Arlington Street, W...
05/26/2026

President Calvin Coolidge visits graves of earliest ancestors in America.
Athe the Old Burying Place, Arlington Street, Watertown, Ma,

In late June 1925, during the national Sesquicentennial celebrations marking 150 years since the American Revolution, President Calvin Coolidge visited Watertown, Massachusetts. The famously reserved “Silent Cal” stopped at the Old Burying Place on Arlington Street to honor his earliest American ancestors.

John Coolidge (baptized 16 September 1604 in Cottenham, Cambridgeshire, England) and his wife Mary (Ravens) Coolidge (baptized 14 November 1602 in Wattisfield, Suffolk) arrived in New England in 1635 and settled in Watertown. John quickly became a respected leader in the young town:

He was admitted as a freeman on 25 May 1636.
Served multiple terms as Watertown selectman (1639–1679), constable, hogreeve, and deputy to the Massachusetts Bay General Court.

He received significant land grants, including a homestall, great dividends, meadows, and a 119-acre farm.

John died in Watertown on 7 May 1691 at age 88; Mary followed on 22 August 1691.

Besides the two original stones there ia a large stone for both John and Mary erected in 1944, carved in the style of the Lamsons

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