Cemeteries: Relocation of Remains in Hollingsworth Family Burial Ground: Cecil County, MD Contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by Cyndie Enfinger, < cyndiee@tampabay.rr.com > ************************************************************************ USGENWEB ARCHIVES NOTICE: These electronic pages may NOT be reproduced in any format for profit or presentation by any other organization or persons. Persons or organizations desiring to use this material, must obtain the written consent of the contributor, or the legal representative of the submitter, and contact the listed USGenWeb archivist with proof of this consent. The submitter has given permission to the USGenWeb Archives to store the file permanently for free access. http://www.usgwarchives.net *********************************************************************** These are articles from the Cecil Whig newspaper detailing the relocation of remains in the Hollingsworth Family Burial Ground, including names and inscriptions on stones. *****Saturday, March 31, 1883***** Removing the Dead. Upon the ground needed for the new wharf and pulp mills, of Mr. W. T. Singerly, is located just on the brow of the hill, the old family burial ground of the Hollingsworth and Partaidge families, containing about fifty graves. In digging away the hill, it was found necessary to remove the remains of the persons interred there, and Mr. Singerly having secured the consent of the relatives of the deceased occupants of the ground, on Thursday began the work of removal. The matter is in the hands of Mr. Henry Wood who directs the operations. Mr. Singerly has purchased two lots in the Elkton Cemetery of size sufficient to accommodate all the remains now resting in the old ground, and surrounding grounds. In one lot will be interred all the remains take from within the Hollingsworth lot, and in the other, the remains found outside the enclosure, and which are being daily taken out as the work of excavation progresses. On Thursday, the remains of eight persons were taken out, placed in strong boxes, and re-interred in the cemetery. Upon the head stone of one of these graves, was cut, “H. M. Robertson died, April 9th 1864, aged 14 years and 2 months.” On another, “Wm. Gray died Feb. 4th 1779, aged 50 years.” Three other remains supposed to be members of the Robertson or Mitchell family, but without mark, were taken out and three other’s entirely unknown, all of these were re-burried in the Cemetery. The remains gathered from the excavation, will be placed in boxes, just as the others are, only that it will be impossible to box them separately, as they are found scattered throughout the bank. The removal was suspended on Thursday, until next week, when it will be again resumed and continued until completed. *****Saturday, April 7, 1883***** REMOVAL OF THE DEAD. The Hollingsworth Family Burial Ground Being Vacated. We last week made mention of the fact that in making the improvements upon the wharf property of Mr. W. M. Singerly, adjoining the wharves of the Messrs. Scott & Bros., the removal of the remains of those interred in the Hollingsworth family burial ground, which is located upon this land, was found necessary, and that the consent thereto of the relatives of the deceased persons had been obtained, and the work commenced. The graves are carefully opened by experienced workmen under the direction of Mr. Henry Wood, and as much of the remains of each individual as is possible, secured, and placed in strong, neatly made boxes, and re-interred in the Elkton Cemetery, upon lots purchased by Mr. Singerly. Two large lots have been secured by him, large enough to accommodate all of the seventy or eighty occupants of the old ground. Each grave is neatly sodded and the head and foot stones, if there be any, are put up again. This latter work is done by Mr. D. Sloan. Outside of the enclosure of the old Hollingsworth ground, a large number of persons have been buried, without stone or slab, to tell who they are or when they were placed there. These, also, are removed and re-interred with the same care. To bring the lot north of the wharf to a level with the same, the embankment, fifteen or twenty feet in height is being cut away, for a distance of several hundred feet back, towards Main street. In the process of removing this bank, the remains of numerous bodies have been disclosed. These are collected and placed in boxes for burial, the only distinction made between these and the inmates of the burial ground being that separate boxes are not given them, but a number are put in one box. On Tuesday the coffin of an infant, in a fair state of preservation, was taken out in this way. On the first day (Thursday, the 29th ult.) the remains of seven or eight were taken out. Among these were Wm. Gray, H. H. Robertson and several unknown persons. The work was then suspended until Monday morning last, when it was resumed. Since that time the following have been taken up and re-buried in the cemetery: [We give the names in the order in which they lie as re-buried in the cemetery, and name, etc., as inscribed on the stones.] Alsey Harding, who died November 21, 1781; aged 41 years. Zebulon Hollingsworth, died August 8, 1763; aged 67 years. Zebulon Hollingsworth, died March 21, 1812; aged 77 years. Mary Hollingsworth, died August 4, 1807; aged 85 years. Ruth, wife of Jacob Hollingsworth, died April 15, 1817; aged 72 years. An unknown grown person. Stephen H., son of Zebulon and Ann Hollingsworth, died November 8, 1740; aged 10 years. A. H. Deceased November 13, 1740. D. H., son of Z. and M. H., departed this life July 18, 1775; aged 20 years, 11 months and 6 days. Six unknown persons. Jane, relict of Colonel Henry Hollingsworth, departed this life September 22, A. D. 1836; aged 87 years. William Hollingsworth, departed this life April 19, 1817; aged 44 years. Sarah, wife of Henry Hollingsworth, departed this life, with her infant, December 27, 1775; aged 27 years. Upon this stone, which is gray and faded by age, is inscribed the following verse: When pains alarmed, the Lord removed My dangers and my fears; When death approached, the Lord secured My soul, and dryed my tears. Colonel Henry Hollingsworth departed this life September 29, 1803; aged 66 years. This makes up one row upon this lot. In the second are buried Colonel Henry Partridge, son of James and Hannah H. Partridge, born January 19, 1813, died February 22, 1871. On the top of this slab is inscribed “Our Brother.” Hannah H. Partridge, wife of James Partridge, and daughter of Henry and Jane Hollingsworth, born March 22, 1782, died January 20, 1844. On the top of this is cut, “Our Mother.” At the end of this row have been placed two brick tombs, covered with large marble slabs. On the first is inscribed: Samuel Hollingsworth, died May 20, 1855, in the 67th year of his age. On the other – Ellen M., wife of Samuel Hollingsworth, born August 6, 1797, died February 10, 1861, in the 64th year of her age. Between these tombs is the grave of an unknown person, supposed to be a child or the two last named. Next adjoining the tomb of Ellen Hollingsworth is the grave of Jacob, son of Samuel and Ellen Hollingsworth, departed this life 28th of May, 1825: aged 1 year and 21 days. An unknown, thought to be a child of Jacob and Mary Hollingsworth. Susan, daughter of Samuel and Ellen M. Hollingsworth. Jacob Hollingsworth, who departed March 1, 1803, in the 60th year of his age. Mary Hollingsworth, departed this life April 18, 1814; aged 77 years. The remains of the young lady, Ann Price, a daughter of the late James B. Price, of this town, were re-interred in the cemetery, by the side of her father. The remains of the members of the Rudulph family, reposing in this ground, were taken to the Presbyterian Cemetery for re-burial. The inscriptions upon the stones were as follow: Tobias Rudulph, son of Tobias and Martha, born 8th of December, 1787, and departed this life the 11th of September, 1828, in the 41st year of his age. This was the father of the present Tobias Rudulph. By the side of the last named grave was one supposed to contain the remains of the grandfather of the present Tobias, and father of the one removed, but this was not positively known to be a fact, as no inscription was found upon the stone marking the grave. In the old graveyard are to be seen many things of interest. The old, time- marked stones, very different from those of the present time; the quaint lettering upon the slabs, and many other things indicative of the manners of a hundred years ago. On the large slab at the head of one grave is the following inscription: “Rebecca G. May, wife of Robert May, died July 30, A. D. 1789; aged 29 years,” followed by the following verse: While O’er this Tomb, Connubial sorrows flow; And love maternal melts in deep felt woe; The happy spirit, freed from bonds of clay, Mounts the confines of eternal day. The charities which soothed woe’s weary head; And wip’d in love the tears affection shed; The patient sweetness which endearing strove; To bless in offices of kindred love. The faith which taught her hopes to rest on high; In the bright views of Immortality. These rise: memorials of the path, She trod; And gained the applauding Fiat of her God. The remains of Charles Sewell, a son of James M. Sewell, deceased, and grandson of the late General Sewell, which repose in these grounds, will be removed to the Sewell family vault at Holly Hall. The oldest grave in the ground, with any mark to designate its occupant, is that of Stephen Hollingsworth, who died November 8, 1740, aged 10 years. In the grave of a woman removed, was found but slight remains of the skeleton, while her hair and back-comb were well preserved. A coffin which had been in the ground for one hundred and two years was in a good state of preservation, and was taken out entire. In another was found the skeleton of a young girl, clothed as it was laid out, the material of the dress being well preserved. The shoes upon the fleshless feet were in a remarkably good condition. On Thursday the following were taken up and re-interred: Elizabeth Catherine, daughter of Jacob and Sarah Ash, departed this life April 19, 1817; aged 6 months and 8 days. Martha, daughter of Jacob and Sarah Ash, died August 23, 1815; aged 9 months. Nicholas Ash, departed this life January 27, 1810, aged 52 years. Archibald McConkle Moore, son of Thomas and Elizabeth Moore, died August 6, 1813; aged 2 months. Mary, wife of Jonathan Booth, died November 19, 1805, aged 59 years. Jonathan Booth, died August 20, 1796; aged 66 years. Thomas Booth, son of Jonathan and Mary, died 1783; aged 7 years. Teddy Sweetapple. Upon this grave there was nothing by which the date of his death and proper name could be ascertained. An infant child of the Swetapples, with out mark. William, son of James McClean, of Kent county, Md., departed this life June 6, 1772; aged 18 years. Robert Broome, departed this life February 2, 1761; aged 31 years. Beside the above, four unknown persons were removed. Yesterday (Friday), there was left for removal – Rebecca G. May, daughter of Robert and Rebecca G. May, died October 8, 1790; aged 14 months. Rebecca G. May, wife of Robert May, departed this life 30th July, 1789; aged 29 yers. John Murray, departed this life September 16, 1790; aged 53 years. Elizabeth Murray, wife of John Murray, departed this life March 16, 1788; aged 50 years. The two above named were grandfather and grandmother of Rev. James O. Murray, of Princeton college, who will take part in the semi-centennial of the Presbyterian Church, of this town on Thursday, May 3, next. David Ricketts, son of Thomas, born June 20, 1735; died March 2, 1778. Charles R. Sewell, son of James and Anne Maria Sewell, departed this life December 1851; aged 2 years and 3 months. Samuel Hewitt, departed this life May 10, 1799, in the 48th year of his age. Frances Bunting, wife of Charles S. Bunting, who departed this life, in child- bed, March 7, 1793; aged 16 years and 10 months. Several unknown bodies were to have been removed, which, with a grave said to be that of Amor T. Forward, who was shot on Main street, about forty years ago, will close up the work on all known graves upon this ground. Considerable interest has been manifested in the operation of removing the dead from this ground, and a number of persons were constantly present. Much speculation was indulged in relation to Amor T. Forward’s grave, some persons even going to far as to express a determination to search for the bullet that ended his life. There is, however, no certainty that the grave fixed on is his, and their search will probably be in vain. Amor T. Forward died August 30, 1843, at Samuel DeHaven’s Hotel, at 9.05 P. M.; was buried with Masonic honors by Union Lodge, No. 48, on Friday, September 1. The work of finishing up the graves in the cemetery, will probably consume the greater part of next week.