Marker Types:
Box tomb: Not sure who was buried here because the tomb is in such bad shape.
Ledger: Mrs. Edward Courtenay was buried here. She was born in 1769 and died in 1852.
Headstone: This Col. Francis Dickinson and his wife Rachel were buried here. Francis Dickinson died at the age of 63 on December 30, 1835. One thing that really stands out is that the headstone says that he was a “kind Master”. Rachel died at the age of 87 on July 21, 1869.
Obelisk: This grave marker provided very little information on who was buried here. Their last name is Taggart and they died in 1854.
Fancy Die, Base, and Cap: The resting place of Rev. Dr. Samuel Gilman and his wife Caroline Howard Gilman. Samuel was born on February 16, 1791, and died on February 9, 1858. Caroline was born on October 8, 1794, and died on September 15, 1888.
Fancy Die on Base: This grave marks the final resting place of Ann Eliza Graves. She was born on April 8, 1820, and died March 20, 1858.
Bedstead: This is Sydney Smith’s grave. She was born on October 23, 1800, and died in 1830
Most Common Marker Type:
The most common type of marker would have to be the classic headstone.
Oldest Markers:
Here are some examples of 3 of the oldest gravestones
The first one I can read that the gravestone is from 1807, one of the oldest ones I could find. I couldn't read the name of the person but I can see that they were 22 years old when they died.
The second gravestone is in memory of Hannah Jordan who died in 1808, making it one of the oldest gravestones in the cemetery.
The third gravestone is almost illegible with moss, but what I read is that it is in memory of Captain Jeremiah and that he died in September of 1792, making his gravestone the oldest one I could find in the cemetery, that was still legible of course.
Impressive/ Interesting Marker Type:
One of the most interesting gravestones is also one of the oldest ones in the cemetery. The gravestone of Hannah Jordan says she was the youngest daughter of Dr. John (N) Ogelthorp of Camden, South Carolina. It also states that she was the consort (that means wife) of James Jordan from St. Mary’s Georgia and that she passed in the 15th year of her age. I thought it was a little weird that she was already a consort at the young age of 15.
Another interesting Gravestone is that of Mrs. Sarah Hutchenson. It is most interesting because of the age the woman lived too. It says she was born in 1754 and died in the year 1839, making her 85 years old at the time of her death. For someone born in the mid-1700’s, that is an extremely long life to live as survival rates from that era are extremely low, especially for a married woman who I'm presuming had to go through the highly dangerous ordeal of childbirth.
One last marker we thought was pretty is that of Mrs. Mary R Horton, Wife of Thomas Horton. The intricately carved pillow with tassels on the lavish headstone, with the craving of a rose resting on the pillow, is one we thought was very pretty.
Sad/ Poignant Markers:
This grave marks the final resting place of Mary Rebecca Colburn. She was born on March 9th 1860 and died on September 17th of that year. The headstone includes a quote that says, “Suffer little children come unto me and forbid them not”. We found this marker sad because the child buried here wasn’t even a year old when she died.
This gravestone is one that we sadly cannot read very well due to erosion. We can, however, still can tell what it’s about. A sleeping lamb was usually used for children who died under the age of 1, which was quite common at that time.
Unique Epitaphs:
One that we thought was unique that could still be read is the gravestone for Reverend Samuel Gilman D.D. We thought it was interesting how it says “Beneath this monument rests the mortal remains of the [Rev. Samuel Gilman D.D]. The way it is worded so dramatically we thought was interesting, and possibly references to a gothic book or some kind of gothic literature
We thought this epitaph was particularly interesting because of how long it was. It says “With a mind strong, comprehensive and aspiring, he united those traits of character which adorned the husband, father, and friend. In his death, Science and Literature have cause to mourn. & pure & liberal Christianity to deplore the loss of an able Advocate.”
Another one we thought was interesting was that of Ephraim Seabrook Mikell. It says that he “died after a short illness May 5. 1896” and that he was “A favorite with all who knew him” We liked it because it doesn't just say the straight numbers and years of his life and death, it makes it more personal, like this person was an individual who others cared about.
Group Photo:
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