Time is hungry

"Here lies the Body
of Mrs Ruth Storer
wife of Mr Benjamin
Storer of Halifax
Deceased who Departed
this life Nov 27 1776 AE 6(?)"

Old Burying Ground

Gravestone of James Cary, 1681, at Phipps Street Burying Ground in the Charlestown neighborhood in Boston. Carved by the so-called Old Stonecutter, who may have been Elias Grice.

Hot take: academic paywalls should be abolished, in order to encourage academics to return to more traditional forms of gatekeeping like writing in Latin or using ciphers

Rev Benjamin Tappan (1720-1790) - Find a Grave... *********************************** His parents were on of Samuel Tappan and Abigail Wigglesworth. Rev. Benjamin Tappan and Mrs. Elezebeth March, marriage intention [Manchester], Oct. 5, 1746. He died...

Photographed at Old Burial Ground, Manchester-by-the-Sea, Massachusetts, in March of 2024.

According to findagrave, he had an older brother whose first name was Wigglesworth.

www.findagrave.com/memorial/531...

O ever honor’d, ever dear, adieu;
How many tender names are loſt in you;
Keep safe, O Tomb, thy precious ſacred truſt,
Till life divine awake his ſleeping duſt.

A rather large grey gravestone surrounded by brown pine needles, pinecones, fallen branches, and other gravestones. Carved on the stone are an angel with childlike features and a lengthy epitaph in roman letters. Trees, houses, and blue sky are visible in the background.

In Memory of
OF BENJAMIN TAPPAN A.M.
Late Paſtor of the Church in Mancheſter,
Who expired May 6. 1790.
in the 70ᵗʰ Year of his age,
and the 45ᵗʰ of his Miniſtry.
He was a ſincere & exemplary Chriſtian,
a tender Huſband & Parent,
a judicious & ſound Divine,
a Prudent & faithful Miniſter.

Mary Hutchinson Aldrich (1752-1789) - Find a Grave... Daughter of the Revd Aaron Hutchinson.

Photographed during an insect-filled morning in June 2024, at Cushing Cemetery in Woodstock, Vermont.

The “t” in “Æt.” looks kind of like an “r”?

www.findagrave.com/memorial/613...

Top of a dark grey gravestone showing a tree bent into an arch over a crescent moon. Green grass, other gravestones, and trees are visible in the background.

IN

Memory of Mary Aldrich
Daughʳ of the Rev’d Aaron
Hutchinson died June 7ᵗʰ
AD 1789 Æt. : 37

Death calls, nor age is free
Nor Sex, all muſt obey.

Corp Binney Cobb (1737-1817) - Find a Grave...

Some close relatives’ names, according to findagrave: Gaius, Silvanus, Elkanah, Thankful.

www.findagrave.com/memorial/536...
www.findagrave.com/memorial/958...

A grey gravestone with patches of pale green lichen and brown-black blotches. A small American flag is planted in the ground to its left. Green grass, leafy trees, and other gravestones are visible in the background.

Photographed Hendee Cemetery in Woodstock, Vermont, in September 2025. I don’t tend to post anything this late (1818!) but I was charmed by the two hearts and their stitch-like lines — they look like they’re appliqué motifs on a quilt.

Detail of gravestone showing two hearts carved stitch-like lines inside. The stone is grey with patches of pale green lichen and brown-black blotches.

Mr Benney Cobb
Died June 28th 1817.
In his 81st year.

Mrs Azubah Cobb
wife of Mr Benney
Cobb died Sept 30th
1818 in her 85th
Year

Detail of roman lettering cut into grey-black stone spotted with lichens.

Photographed in Old Cemetery, Bernardston, Massachusetts, on sunny November day in 2025. The inscriptions in this graveyard seem, on the whole, to be rather long and detailed.

www.findagrave.com/memorial/583...

Detail of masonic symbol and roman lettering cut into grey-black stone spotted with lichens.

I haven’t been able to find a unicode character that approximates the inverted right single quotation mark that’s used on this stone.

As a Man he was Honeſt & Induſtrious;
as a huſband, kind & affectionate;
as a parent, tender fond,
& inſtructive:
a Neighbour, familiour & oblidgeing,
and as a friend, he was
faithful & true.

A tall, rectangular, grey-black gravestone surrounded by dry grass. Other gravestones, autumnal trees, hills, and blue sky are visible in the background.

Dr’
SAMUEL FLAGG
was born
of welthy & reſpectable parents
at Hartford Con’
Apr’ 2’ 1766.
Died in this Town
July 29’ 1804.
Æt’ 38.

A tall, white gravestone lying flat on the ground, its head perpendicular to the edge of an upright stone. It is nestled in, and partially covered by, lush green grass, clover, and violet leaves, as well as dry brown leaves fallen from trees.

Detail of gravestone, showing a stylized human face surrounded by vines, leaves, and flowers, as well as roman letters. The stone is uneven shades of white, with subtle, attractive diagonal streaks.

Photographed on a dank October morning in 2025, at Fairmount Cemetery in Lee, Massachusetts.

Sarah & Jonathan Foot’s children included Sarah, Jonathan, Fenner, Martha Freelove, David, Louisa, Solomon, and Asahel.

www.findagrave.com/memorial/105...

The top part of a white gravestone lying flat on the ground, its head perpendicular to the edge of an upright stone. It is nestled in, and partially covered by, lush green grass, clover, and violet leaves, as well as dry brown leaves fallen from trees.

Iɴ Memory of Mrs.
Sarah late Conſort of Mr.
Jonathan FOOT who
died Sepᵗ 27ᵗʰ 1791, in the
62d year of her age.

Behold and see as you paſs bʸ
As you are no ſo once was I
As I am now ſoon you muſt b[e]
Prepare to die and follow me

Detail of the top of a gravestone, showing a frowning, circular face over an urn, trees, and a coffin. These are framed by additional plant-like ornaments. The stone is grey and spotted with lichens. Other gravestones, green grass, trees, a stone fence, and hills are visible in the background.

Photographed at Cushing Cemetery in Woodstock, Vermont, on a mosquito-filled morning in June 2024.

A grey gravestone, carved with images and roman letters, surrounded by green grass. Trees and other gravestones are visible in the background.

www.findagrave.com/memorial/115...

The top of a grey gravestone surrounded by unmowed, bright green grass. Other gravestones, trees, a stone fence, and hills are visible in the background.

In Memory of
William Perry,
Esqʳ died April
18ᵗʰ AD 1801 Æt.52

ye living ſtop a while & mourn
on view of this, my mouldring urn
here you may drop a tear for me
& recollect what you muſt be

The top of a blackish-grey gravestone with whitish highlights and patches of lichen, casting a long shadow on frozen ground. A fence, other gravestones, shrubbery, and a structure with bricks and metal siding are visible in the background.

A blackish-grey gravestone with whitish highlights and patches of lichen, casting a long shadow on frozen ground. A fence, other gravestones, shrubbery, and a structure with bricks and metal siding are visible in the background.

Photographed on a sunny afternoon in March 2024, at Old Deerfield Burying Ground, in Deerfield, Massachusetts.

www.findagrave.com/memorial/555...

Detail of inscription on blackish-grey stone with whitish highlights and patches of lichen, showing roman letters in two sizes, framed by branch-like vertical ornaments.

Here lies the
Remains of Mʳ
Moſes Steb
bins Junʳ
who died Decʳ
14ᵗʰ 1800, in the
39ᵗʰ Year of
his Age.

And when the laſt
Trumpet ſounds,
Ariſe come forth ye
Dead, The call shall
be to them & all, That
sleep in dusty beds.

I’m at the prayer chapel. I’m at the Dunkin Donuts. I’m at the combination prayer chapel and Dunkin Donuts. #aarsbl25

Detail of the top part of a gravestone showing a face with curled hair and weary eyes, wreathed in laurels. Trees and gravestones are visible in the background.

Detail of roman letters carved into grey-black stone, framed by architectural ornaments.

Detail of roman and italic letters carved into grey-black stone, framed by architectural ornaments.

Photographed in Old Cemetery, Bernardston, Massachusetts, on sunny November day in 2025.

If you visit, please drive carefully: you may encounter dogs and/or goats on the dirt road leading here.

A grey-black gravestone surrounded by dry grass and fallen leaves. Green grass, other graves, trees, and a fence are visible in the background.

MR
Aʀᴀᴅ Sʜᴇʟᴅᴏɴ,
died March 26.
1813.
Æt, 59.

My flesh shall slumber in the ground,
Till the last trumpets joyful sound,
Then burst the grave with sweet surpr−ⁱˢᵉ
And in mySaviours image rise.

www.findagrave.com/memorial/317...

Detail of roman lettering carved into grey stone. Distinguishing features include curved serifs on capital S.

Detail of roman lettering carved into grey stone. Distinguishing features include a curved stroke at the top of lowercase t and curved serifs on capital S.

Anyway, look at these jaunty serifs

Jabez Smith House - Wikipedia

I cannot determine what relationship, if any, this Jabez Smith had with the Jabez Smith that the Jabez Smith House in Groton is named for: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jabez_S...

But I did see that the Jabez Smith buried here in Boston has a cenotaph in Groton: www.findagrave.com/memorial/128...

Detail of a ship, carved into the upper part of a gravestone, with three masts and an American flag. Brick buildings are visible in the background.

Photographed in the last bit of bright sunlight creeping into Granary Burying Ground on a November afternoon in 2025.

A grey gravestone in front of a stone path. Green grass, fallen leaves, fences, trees, other graves, and brick buildings are all visible in the background.

Anchor’d in the haven of Reſt.

In Memory of
JABEZ SMITH Junʳ
Lieuᵗ of Marines
on board the Continental
Ship Trumbull;
born in Groton,
State of Connecticutt,
Auguſt 31, 1751,
departed this Life in Boſton,
June 28. 1780.
Aged 29 Years.

www.findagrave.com/memorial/676...