Tombstone Tuesday: Graves with Personality

More shots from Stevensville Cemetery on Kent Island in Maryland. I’m all for tradition when it comes to graves, but these stones let their owner’s personalities shine through:

I can only assume that the above was a custom design. Obviously, the deceased was an avid fisherman. There’s another clue too — notice the bulldozer in the background. Just above that is a bit of familial graffiti.

Last year, I saw my first big rig on a grave. No surprise then that you can also have your camper engraved on tombstone:

The next memorial is quite different from your usual tombstone:

Here is the plaque at the base of the above figure:

Connor Persons died at the age of 12 according to his memorial on FindaGrave. This is confirmed by his obituary, which can be found at this link.

Tombstone Tuesday: Stevensville Cemetery

Nearly a year ago, I did a post about this cemetery after I got stuck on Route 50, which borders it. I finally got a chance to visit the grounds last Friday.

There is an interesting small plot at the front of the cemetery. Its plaque reads:

“In memory of Marian Price Steuart this area has been reserved for monuments removed from many family cemeteries that have existed on Kent Island. Dedicated to Kent Island Heritage Society.”

Here is a selection of photos from the plot:

There’s quite a variety of different headstones in the rest of the cemetery, dating from the early 1800s to today. I’ll have more posts about what I found there in coming days and weeks.

Tombstone Tuesday: Thomas Webb

Here lies deposited the Remains
of Mr. Thomas Webb
who Died Very suddenly much
lamented y 8th July 1769
Aged 33 Years

He was born in the City of
Gloucester in England.

You can read more about him and the rest of the inscription on his tombstone on FindaGrave. Photo taken last summer at Granary Burial Ground in Boston, Mass.

More Friends Album Graves

For this Tombstone Tuesday, I give you still more graves associated with the Friends Album. As I mentioned in my post earlier today, I’ve found several memorials on FindaGrave associated with the Youngs, Morrises and Morrells. A kind volunteer in Connecticut even posted some photos for me minutes after I requested them this weekend. Here are the links:

Mary Morris (Photo in Friends Album)
Cornelia Morris Young (Photo in album)
Their parents, Roswell and Laura.

Henry B. Young (Cornelia’s husband)
Stanley M. Young (Henry’s brother (I mentioned him last week, along with brother-in-law William Morrell; no photo available on FindaGrave, unfortunately)

Tombstone Tuesday: Friends Album Graves

For Tombstone Tuesday, I did some more searching on FindaGrave for the known subjects and the photographers associated with the Friends Album. In an earlier post, I mentioned that I had already found the memorial for subject Ellis B. Wilson.

Friend No. 18 aka William Morrell

I found a memorial for Friend No. 18, William Morrill. His tombstone also lists his parents. William’s photo in the Friends Album lists him as the brother of Mrs. Stanley M. Young. William is buried at what is now South Cemetery in Bridgewater, Conn. FindaGrave notes that this cemetery was once known as Old Bridgewater Burying Place.

Headstone for William A. Morrill and his parents (FindaGrave)

This find is helpful because it gives me his exact date of death, which may help me track down an obituary for him. Alas, this was the only additional tombstone photo I could find related to the Friends Album so far.

I did find memorials for Stanley M. Young and his wife, Mary. They are buried at Bridgewater Center Cemetery in Litchfield County, Connecticut. There are no tombstone photos for them though. I may request them.

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FindaGrave Memorial 49155163, Stanley M. Young; FindaGrave.com (www.findagrave.com : accessed 25 March 2011).

FindaGrave Memorial 49155164, Mary L. (Morrill) Young; FindaGrave.com (www.findagrave.com : accessed 25 March 2011).

FindaGrave Memorial 56846606, William A. Morrill; FindaGrave.com (www.findagrave.com : accessed 25 March 2011).

One Tomb, 83 Years of Archbalds

Back to the Granary Burial Ground in Boston, where this tombstone can be found (click the picture for a larger version):

Here’s the FindaGrave record for (the Rev.) Dr. (Mather) Byles, who starts off the list (be sure to check out the note left by a visitor to this page; also note who created this record). Here’s the record for Azor Archbald, whose tomb is pictured.

Tombstone Tuesday: Laurel Hill Cemetery

Recently, I discovered that I had many relatives buried at Laurel Hill Cemetery in Philadelphia. I contacted the cemetery after I learned that, for a fee, they will send you a packet about the gravesite of your ancestors, including a photo of the grave, related paperwork, a map of its location, and more. It was well worth the cost! The photo very clearly shows all the names on the gravestone and the burial certificates that I received contain a wealth of information.

Equally as impressive are Laurel Hill’s marketing efforts. Now that I’m on their contact list, I get invitations to their events, and they are numerous. This past Saturday, they held an event about “The Victorian Celebration of Death.” A variety of tours centering around different themes are offered throughout the year. Example: “From Able-Bodied to Disembodied: The Athletes at Rest in Laurel Hill (Tour & Watch Phillies Game).” They even have their own Boneyard Bookclub. Philadelphia’s not too far from me and I hope to make it to the cemetery to see my ancestors’ gravesite and to attend one of the events someday.

By the way, 2011 marks the 175th anniversary of the cemetery and they’ll be holding a birthday gala later this month.

Tombstone Tuesday: Nathaniel Shannon

Here is a rather striking tombstone found in the Granary Burial Ground in the heart of downtown Boston:

Here Lyes the Body of
Mr. NATHANIEL SHANNON
AGED 68 YEARS
DIED AUGUST
THE 27TH
1723

HE WAS BORN IN 1655 – SETTLED IN BOSTON IN 1687 – WAS NAVAL OFFICER OF THE PORT OF BOSTON FROM 1701 TO 1723 – BECAME A MEMBER OF THE OLD SOUTH CHURCH IN 1701.

Nathaniel already can be found on Find A Grave.

Tombstone Tuesday: The GULIKER Children

I found this gravestone at Copps Hill Burying Ground in Boston, Mass. When I looked up the surname in the FindaGrave database, I found their father, but in a different cemetery. I think I found a sister who survived into adulthood in another cemetery, but the first initial of the last name is different (which I’m attributing to the ‘G’ possibly looking like a ‘C’). Interesting how the first children who died were both John Jrs.

In Memory of Four Culiker Children

The stone reads:

In Memory of 4 Children of
Capt. John & Mrs. Jane Guliker
who are here Interr’d Viz
John Guliker Junr. who died
23d. Aug. 1770. Aged 13 Days.
John Gulliker Junr. who died
7th Aug. 1781. Aged 14 Months
Thomas Guliker died
29 June 1783. Aged 10 Days
Mary Guliker died
2?d Dec. 1784. Aged 6 Years

Tombstone Tuesday: Ebenezer Wild (No Relation)

Here’s another photo I snapped at Copps Hill Burying Ground in Boston, mostly because of the Wild surname, though I’m relatively certain he’s not an ancestor of mine (my Wilds are German, not English, in origin).

The stone reads:

In Memory of
Mr. EBENEZER WILD
who departed this Life
Decr. 4th 1794
in the 37th Year
of his Age
He was a kind Husband,
tender Parent & Sincere friend

I added a photo to this individual’s FindaGrave page and requested that the page owner update the birth/death year information.