BURIAL INSCRIPTIONS And other Data of Burials in Berwick, York County, Maine To the Year 1922 WILBUR D. SPENCER Clerk of the Town. THE AVERILL PRESS, PRINTERS, SANFORD, MAINE 1822 INTRODUCTION An attempt to preserve burial records is a serious and far from satisfactory undertaking. Such data are often wrong or incomplete. In some cases, where there are no markers, the cemetery or town records furnished the facts required. This was only possible, with accuracy, since 1892, when the law made imperative the registration of vital statistics, and when the situation of the grave was still known. Many burial grounds are entirely lost. Ancient burial inscriptions, for a period of many years in the town's history, provide the only information of many early residents. The names of some of them will never be found hereafter except in these lists, as they were transcribed long ago and the tablets themselves are defaced or entirely gone. The most interesting, perhaps, and at least one of the oldest inscriptions in the town, is that of Captain Roger Plaisted. It has been copied and published many times. This memorial was erected about the year 1731, after the death of Captain Samuel Plaisted, his grandson. The inscription on this monument was recut several years ago by a patriotic society of South Berwick. In renewing it the old lettering was changed in form and some words were omitted. There are two mistakes in the dates as now shown. Roger Plaisted died October 17, 1675, according to historians of the period, and Samuel Plaisted, his grandson, died in 1731. The original wording was as follows: Near this place lies Buried the body of Roger Plaisted who was killed by the Indians Oct. 16, 1675, aged 48 Also the body of his son Roger Plaisted who was killed at the same time. Here lies interred the body of Samuel Plaisted, Esq., who departed this life March 20,1721, ae. 36 The graves of the Plaisteds lie in the southwestern corner of Berwick; in the northeastern corner of the town is that of Captain William Gerrish. A slate stone marked "W. G." is all that indicates the spot. Yet William Gerrish commanded Berwick companies in 1755, 1756 and 1757, which were engaged in active scouting service on the Indian frontier; he was a man of great influence during the Revolution and represented the town in the colonial legislature of that uncertain period. Of the many hundreds who participated in the great struggle for American independence, only the final resting places of a few can now be ascertained as follows: Samuel Brackett, who died in 1801, and his wife, Mehitable. Aaron Chick, who died in 1812, and his wife, Mary. Eleazer Clark, who died in 1831, and his wife, Sarah. Joshua Downs, who died in 1802. John Dunnells, or (Donnell), who died in 1836. Sarah, wife of Adam Goodwin. Joshua Grant, who died in 1831, and his wife, Juda. Nathaniel Guptill, who died in 1841, and his wives, Mary and Sarah. William Guptill, who died in 1812, and his wife, Dorcas. David Hersom, who died in 1839, and his wife, Lydia, Jonathan Hersom, who died in 1844, and his wife, Martha. Moses Hodsdon, Jr., who died in 1810, and his wife, Dorcas. Thomas Hodsdon, who died in 1818, and his wife, Margaret. William Hooper, who died in 1809, and his wife, Elizabeth. Joseph Hubbard, who died in 1830, and his wives, Honour and Mary. Jonathan Knox, who died in 1840, and his wife, Elizabeth. Elizabeth, wife of Jeremiah Libby. Samuel Lord, who died in 18.55 and his wife, Mary. Samuel Roberts, who died in 1821, and his wife, Lydia. John Scates, who died in 1822, and his wife, Sarah. Benjamin Sullivan, who died in 1846, and his wife, Priscilla. Ebenezer Tibbetts, who died in 1798, and his wife, Sarah I. Ephraim Tibbetts, who died in 1850. Timothy Wentworth, who died in 1842, and his wife, Amy. Sarah, wife of Samuel Worster. Undoubtedly, as much of the ashes of the Sullivans will always remain in the original lot on Winslow Street, as was removed to Durham, N. H. where the original inscription still reads as follows: Here are buried the Bodies of John Sullivan & Margery his wife. He was born in Limeric in Ireland in the year 1692, & died in the year 1796. She was born in Cork in Ireland in the year 1714 & died in 1801. This marble is placed to their memory by their son James Sullivan. As James Sullivan died in 1808, while serving as governor of Massachusetts, which then included Maine, this stone must have been set in the yard at Berwick before that date. Some local patriotic society, in conjunction with the Berwick schools, should endeavor to perpetuate these locations. The scheme of the four alphabetical lists which follow is simple. The first section includes outlying burial grounds. The numbers in parentheses give the situations of the graves. The other three sections cover the other three public cemeteries. The whole is complete to the year 1923. W. D. S. courtesy of Harry Tasker htasker@concentric.net Feb. 1998 ************************************************************* * * * * NOTICE * * * * Printing the files within by non-commercial individuals and libraries is encouraged, as long as all notices and submitter information is included. Any other use, including copying files to other sites requires permission from the submitters PRIOR to uploading to any other sites. We encourage links to the state and county table of contents. * * * * The USGenWeb Project makes no claims or estimates of the validity of the information submitted and reminds you that each new piece of information must be researched and proved or disproved by weight of evidence. It is always best to consult the original material for verification.