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Saturday, May 05, 2012

HUNTING ANCESTORS ALONG ROUTE 58

I'm really lucky: I have ancestors buried in cemeteries nearby here in
Plymouth County, Ma. Not only that, many of the cemeteries are beautiful
and I've gotten some great photographs. This past two weeks I've visited
eight local burial grounds; five of them were located on Rte58 in the
towns of Plympton and Carver. I was hoping to locate members of my
Dunham, Ellis, Griffith and Barrows families.

The first place I visited was Hillcrest Cemetery in Plympton:
Hillcrest Cemetery looking across Rte 58 to the First Congregational Church.   
According to Find A Grave there are two Barrows buried there but I only found one,
George Barrows, died 31Dec 1862:
 Next I went across the street to the cemetery behind the First Congregational
Church where I found only one monument with a group of possible Ellis relatives
 listed on it:


The next day I drove back further down Rte 58 to the next town, Carver, and the
Lakenham Cemetery where I had my first big discovery of the week, the markers
for my 6x great grandparents George Barrows and Patience Simmons Barrows:

Patience Simmons Barrow 1676-1723

George Barrows 1670-1758

At the Center Cemetery there were several Barrows graves right by the entrance,
including this one:
Capt. Lothrop Barrows
The Union Cemetery in Carver was the highpoint of my explorations along Rte 58.
I found quite a few cousins interred there, and the cemetery is one of the prettiest
I've ever visited:
There are three family plots enclosed with wrought iron fences next to that
white wooden gazebo, and in one I found the headstone for my 6x great
grandparents Ephraim Griffith and Mary Ellis:


So it was a very productive week and I still have  many other cemeteries in the
area I've yet to visit!

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

I love Hillcrest Cemetery. I have many ancestors, both paternal (Wood) and maternal (Haley) interred there, and just behind the Congregational Church (specifically Edward Marshall Haley and his wife, Clarissa Barrett).

Also, all the old names, especially Soule? Oh yes, plenty of ancestors there. It's one of my favorite places to visit when I go home, especially since the men who keep up the cemetery (I don't know if they still work there) knew my grandpa and great-grandpa. Chatting with them was always such a pleasure.

Anonymous said...

Wow, what a great day! And your pictures are lovely.

Heather Wilkinson Rojo said...

I living near my ancestors, too, Bill. I can't imagine moving to another part of the country. I think I'd feel lost!

Dorene from Ohio said...

The top picture is especially beautiful! Sounds like you had a good New England day!

Anna Matthews said...

Gorgeous cemeteries and wonderful headstones, too. I can't imaging finding the grave of a 6th great - grandparent - this is very inspirational!