Monthly Archives: June 2005

Lakenham Cemetery, Carver, MA

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The oldest stone from Lakenham Cemetery is 1718. Although Carver is right next to Plymouth, it was not widely settled into later years of Plymouth Colony. Very marshy, it now serves as a vast harvest of cranberry bogs. Back then, its marshes were appreciated, enough so to be purchased in large plots by Plymouth families, but for the most part they kept their live-in residences within Plymouth limits.

Being bordered closely to Plympton, Lakenham Cemetery also contains a large number of stones carved by Ebenezer Soule (of Plympton) and his sons in the 1700s. The Medusa heads in various forms are found frequently in Lakenham’s rows of graves. Here are several examples:


There is also a good genealogy site with some pictures from the cemetery.

Munroe Cemetery, Hanson, MA

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After trekking to the Stetson Cemetery down by the Hanson airport, I made my way down a long graveled driveway to a group of houses, set back from Route 27, near the Great Cedar Swamp. Sitting in the “front yard” of these houses rests Hanson’s oldest cemetery, the Munroe cemetery.

The cemetery was first made on the land of Henry Munroe Sr. for his wife Hannah, and two of his children, Bennett and Mercy, all who died in December of 1759 of smallpox.

Hannah, dau. of Henry Josselyn and wife of Henry Monroe, died of Small Pox, Dec. 20, 1759, 41st yr.
Mercy, dau. of Henry and Hannah, died Dec. 17, 1759, 14 yrs. [of Small Pox]
Bennett, son of Henry and Hannah, died Dec. 23, 1759, in 4th yr. [of Small Pox]

Over the years the little cemetery grew to accomodate more of the Munroe family, and others connected with them.

It is well preserved to this day, which is understandable considering it can be viewed quite prevalently from the homes near it (unlike the Stetson cemetery, which has been forgotten and neglected).

Stetson Cemetery, Hanson, MA

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No longer found upon modern-day maps, this forgotten cemetery on the border of Hanson, Pembroke, and Halifax had become my Holy Grail during the past year. I came upon a document from the late 1800s detailing it’s location and also found a map from 1879 which had it’s location marked.

For photographs and more info, see my USGenWeb Hanson cemeteries page.

Armed with lots of bug-spray and long sleeves, my mother (an avid supporter of these graveyard wanderings, one of the blesssed few to be enthusiastic about such ventures!) and I trekked down past the railroad tracks, cranberry bogs and airport, searching in hopes of stumbling across the cemetery. Eventually a piece of broken slate was spotted amongst the underbrush, and further exploration revealed a decent spread of stones, terribly overgrown, neglected – a dismal sight to see.

I recorded with paper and pencil as well as camera all of the stones I could find, although I know for certain that there are a number of stones which I missed – either lost in the brush or stolen along the years.

Update:
It seems that many years back my grandmother had also done some research here, and recorded what stones she could, including one that I did not see in my journey there. The epitaph (for Soviah, widow of Bethuel White, who died 12 MAR 1859, aged 81 years, 5 months, and 22 days) creepily reads:
My children dear, I pray draw near
A mother’s grave to see
Not long ago I was with you
And soon you’ll be with me.

Interesting to see that epitaph in 1859, echoing the oft-quoted older version:
Remember me as you pass by
As you are now so once was I
As I am now so you will be
Prepare for death and follow me