Category: Cemeteries

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Suffragettes Buried in Mount Pleasant Cemetery, Seattle

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In the spring of 2016, the mayor of Rochester, New York placed a poster with the following statement on it beside the gravestone of suffragette Susan B. Anthony: Dear Susan B., We thought you might like to know that for the first time in history, a woman is running for President representing a major party. 144 years ago your illegal vote got you arrested. It took another 48 years for women to finally gain the right to vote. Thank you for paving the way. Lovely Warren, The first female mayor of Rochester. Following the primary, word spread as numerous social … Continue reading Suffragettes Buried in Mount Pleasant Cemetery, Seattle

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Tombstone Tuesday: Lake View Cemetery, Seattle, Washington

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  Incorporated on October 16, 1872 as the Seattle Masonic Cemetery, it later changed its name to Lake View Cemetery in 1890. The cemetery is located on the top of Capitol Hill with stunning views of the Cascade and Olympic Mountains, and Lake Union and Lake Washington. Although the cemetery was incorporated in 1872, it soon became the home of several reburial projects from smaller earlier cemeteries throughout the city. One of the earliest stones located here is the following curious marker: Members of the Denny Party had moved from Alki Beach [today’s West Seattle] to the western shore of … Continue reading Tombstone Tuesday: Lake View Cemetery, Seattle, Washington

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Travel Tuesday: Saxon Cross in Follifoot, Yorkshire, England

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  Several years ago, while visiting family in Knaresborough, we briefly stayed in the small and beautiful village of Follifoot.  Follifoot is believed to derive from a Norse phrase meaning “Place of a Horse Fight” which was popular in the medieval era. The village is believed to have been a place where horses were trained and fights were staged. The village was not listed in the Doomsday Book of 1086. The earliest written record of Follifoot referred to it as “Pholifet” in the twelfth century. According to a conservation appraisal of the town, several Saxon remains have been unearthed in Rudding Park and in 1964 … Continue reading Travel Tuesday: Saxon Cross in Follifoot, Yorkshire, England

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Military Monday: 2nd Lieutenant Roy Edwards of the Rifle Brigade, 10th Battalion

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After writing a post the other week about Sydney Henry Payne’s service in World War I, I found myself wondering what happened to Syd’s commander, 2nd Lt. Roy Edwards [no relation to Syd’s brother in law, William James Stephen Edwards, the husband of Syd’s sister Ida Edith (Payne) Edwards, who also served in WWI]. You may recall that he sent Syd’s mother, Edith Jane (Scarrott) Payne Burns Hart the following letter, assuring her of Syd’s safety: “Oct. 26 1917.  Dear Mrs. Payne, No doubt your son has told you he is servant to me in France and as I have … Continue reading Military Monday: 2nd Lieutenant Roy Edwards of the Rifle Brigade, 10th Battalion

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Tombstone Tuesday: “Chief Seattle’s Grave” and Suquamish Cemetery, Suquamish, Wa.

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We recently visited Suquamish Cemetery beside St. Peter’s Catholic Mission in Suquamish, Kitsap County, Washington on a cold and rainy day. The cemetery is well-known as the burial site of “Chief Seattle” [so-called by Midwestern settlers who founded the city of Seattle and named it in his honor in the 1850s, the title “Chief” was an American title, he was named si?al in Lushootseed]. It is also the burial site of numerous Catholic Suquamish tribe members and related families. In the early 19th century, Catholic French Canadian trappers were working along the waters and forests of Puget Sound, and several … Continue reading Tombstone Tuesday: “Chief Seattle’s Grave” and Suquamish Cemetery, Suquamish, Wa.

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Tombstone Tuesday: WWI Rifleman Sidney Henry Payne

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Sidney Henry PAYNE was born on 21 July 1898 in 125 Blackfriars Rd., Southwark, London, England, the son of Thomas Samuel Henry Payne and Edith Jane Scarrott. His name was also spelled as “Sydney”. He was the brother of Ida Edith (Payne) Edwards and the half-brother of Lucy Lilian Burns. He was baptized on 16 December 1900 in St. Mary’s, Lambeth, London, England. At the age of 18, he enlisted for World War I at Southwark on 7 September 1916, and was assigned service number S/25413. From then until August 1917, he was stationed at Minster West, North Sheerness, where … Continue reading Tombstone Tuesday: WWI Rifleman Sidney Henry Payne

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Wordless Wednesday: The Gravestone of the Children of Andrew Neal, Granary Burying Ground, Boston, Mass.

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The gravestone reads: The children of Andrew & Melicen Neal TEMPUS EDAX RERUM (Time, devourer of all things) Elizabeth Neal Elizabeth Neal Andrew Neal Aged 3 Dayes Dec’d 1666 Aged 2 weeks Dec’d June ye 12 1671 Aged 18 months Dec’d As Also ye body of Hannah Neal is here inter’d The carver of this stone has been identified as the “Old Stone Cutter” in the Farber Collection. This is one of the more memorable and dramatic stones in the graveyard, I often stop by it when I am passing by. Continue reading Wordless Wednesday: The Gravestone of the Children of Andrew Neal, Granary Burying Ground, Boston, Mass.

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All Saints Church and Churchyard, Ripley, North Yorkshire, England

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While visiting my brother-in-law in Yorkshire, we made a day trip to the town of Ripley in North Yorkshire. We wandered around the castle for a bit, grabbed a delicious ice cream cone, and afterwards made our way to the All Saints Church and its surrounding graveyard. The church dates to the 14th century, and features a very old “weeping cross” where pilgrims and penitents kneeled in prayer. The cross has been lost to time, replaced by stones at the base of the cross. There are only two weeping crosses known in Britain, it is believed that this cross was … Continue reading All Saints Church and Churchyard, Ripley, North Yorkshire, England

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Orcas Island Historical Museum and Woodlawn Cemetery, Eastsound, Washington

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For our fifth wedding anniversary, we went to a B&B on Orcas Island in the San Juan Islands. We practically had the islands to ourselves, since it was the Thanksgiving weekend – and pouring! The inn where we stayed was also a working farm with a lovely view of Turtleback Mountain, and was located along the historic Crow Valley. As we drove to the inn, we passed a tiny old schoolhouse called the Crow Valley School with a sign for the Orcas Island Historical Museum. My wonderful husband, who had a list of some must-dos for the trip such as … Continue reading Orcas Island Historical Museum and Woodlawn Cemetery, Eastsound, Washington

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Old City Cemetery, Raleigh, North Carolina

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Back in 2009, I worked a booth at NGS, which was held in Raleigh and was a fantastic conference. After helping to set up the booth the day before the conference officially began, I attended the wonderful African-American Genealogy Forum, which was held at the North Carolina Museum of History, and then wandered around the city with a colleague, searching for historical sites.   We made our way to the City Cemetery of Raleigh, aka Old City Cemetery, which was recognized in 1798 as Raleigh’s first cemetery. Originally 4 acres, it was laid out into quarters, “with the northern two … Continue reading Old City Cemetery, Raleigh, North Carolina

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Lakeville, Massachusetts Gravestone Inscriptions, 1711-2003

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Jean A. Douillette recently published Lakeville, Massachusetts Gravestone Inscriptions, 1711-2003. I have eagerly awaited this book for several years, after reading an article about Jean’s work on Lakeville gravestone transcription work for their 150th anniversary in 2003. Transcription is a time-consuming process – but when they are compiled into books such as this, they serve as invaluable tools for genealogists and those interesting in family history! Earlier postings in this blog documented a few unsuccessful (but enjoyable!) trips to Lakeville and Middleborough to locate Ramsdell ancestors (Ammon-Booth, Richmond Cemetery). This book listed John and Sarah (Robbins) Ramsdell’s gravestones, as well … Continue reading Lakeville, Massachusetts Gravestone Inscriptions, 1711-2003

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Joshua Thomas, died 9 April 1833, Bolton, NY

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I came across a poignant epitaph today from the Bolton Rural Cemetery, Bolton Landing, Warren County, New York. Joshua Thomas of Bolton, NY predeceased his wife, Molly (Streeter) Thomas by over 20 years. She was the one who handled his funeral arrangements, including his gravestone. His gravestone reads: Joshua Thomas(husband of Molly Streeter)died April 9th 1833AE 67 years 3 mos. & 27 days “I loved him.” Continue reading Joshua Thomas, died 9 April 1833, Bolton, NY