Tuesday, December 21, 2010

Tombstone Tuesday - Shubael and Hannah (Wilson) Seaver in Roxbury

I ran out of tombstone pictures several months ago, but found some photos taken by a distant Seaver cousin many years ago in my drawer.  I scanned them at the last Scanfest, and want to share them today:

My cousin, Jack Beierle, sent me a letter, dated 1995, with a map of the "Eliot Burial Ground" cemetery location in Roxbury, Massachusetts (now within Boston city limits).  The cemetery is on the northeast corner of Washington and Eustis Streets:
Jack's directions from downtown Boston say:

" Take (3) south, take exit 18 "Roxbury." After exit, bear to the left avoiding Mass. ave. and following sign to "Melnea Cass Blvd."  Turn left on Harrison (light, left turn lane).  Turn right at next corner on Eustis.  Turn right on Washington going north - you will find legal parking on the right (two-three spaces).  To arrange to have the cemetery unlocked, call Elizabeth Shepard at (617) 635-4505, extension 6516.  There's voice mail and she's most likely to be at her desk mid-afternoon."

Here are the two photos that Jack took and shared with me:




The stone on the left is Hannah Sever's (1647-1722).  Only some of the words can be read since the stone has weathered over time:

"Here lyes yt body of
Mrs. Hannah Sever
ye wife of Mr. Shubael
Sever she died Febr
ye ..."

The stone in the middle is Shubael Sever's (1640-1730).  Only some of the words are readable due to weathering:

"Here lyes buried
ye body of Mr Shu
bael sever He died
ye ..."

Obviously, Jack's information is over 15 years old, so the person at the phone number, and even the phone number, may be non-responsive. 

My thanks to Jack for the photos, and I hope he doesn't mind my posting them on this blog post.  I have lost contact with him over the years... Jack, if you're reading this, having done a Google search for yourself, please contact me at rjseaver@cox.net.

2 comments:

Heather Wilkinson Rojo said...

The new link for the Historic Burial Grounds of Boston is http://www.cityofboston.gov/Parks/HBGI/ The three big cemeteries are run by the parks department and are open during daylight hours, smaller, historic cemeteries like the Eliot are locked and under the Cemetery Division at Mt Hope Cemetery, tel. (617) 635-7361. You must give 24 hour notice (says the website)for a gate to be unlocked but in my experience, a week ahead is better. Call to confirm, too. I once drove to the Hawes Burial Ground in Southie from NH only to find it hadn't been unlocked and no one answered my pleas to the phone number.

Martin said...

I've always found that climbing over the fences is more time efficient than calling and making an appointment.