Am on a mission to find the burial location of the Ramsdells of Middleboro, circa late 1700-1800s. I know one set (John and Sarah Ramsdell) are buried in Lakeville (a field trip for another day!) but thus far finding John’s parents Seth and Soviah, as well as John and Sarah’s children has been a difficult task. Middleboro records do not seem to list the burial location of John and Sarah’s son (another John), who married Maria Jones of Virginia. John and Maria had a large family, with several children who died in middle childhood – old enough, I hypothesize, for their own gravestones, thus warranting a family plot.

Thus has begun a quest to wander through Middleboro cemeteries in hopes of finding them. John and Maria lived on Plain Street, in North Middleboro Street, called the “Lowlands” off of Thompson Street. (Hoping to find some records that the Ramsdell kiddos attended the East Middleboro school house, which was probably the closest school house to their home – the thought that they went to the tiny schoolhouse to learn, and now more than one hundred years later used by us every year for the East Middleboro Fair and countless 4H events is lovely! )

So I began today with the Warrentown Cemetery, as that seems to be the closest to their home. No luck though! But Thomas, Tucker, Vaughn, Washburn, Clap, Cushman surnames were aplenty, although the cemetery itself is not very large. A surprisingly low number of old Warrens, however, considering the neighborhood name! Set right along the road across from a cranberry bog, it was easy to access.

A view from the road:

A view from the graveyard looking to the bog:

Many veteran flags adorned the stones, which were mostly white granite and some slate. An interesting stone was set in the far back left corner though, beyond the marker for the yard. A tall polished granite monument, its shape was of a square tilted on a point, and it read :
IN MEMORY OF CHARLES ANDREW DRAFTS
DROWNED IN THE NEMASKET RIVER, MIDDLEBORO MA
APRIL 21, 1894

Here is the stone:

The Ramsdell quest continues…