Submitted by Boats_are_fun t3_1258dap in newhampshire
Comments
BlackJesus420 t1_je3bweg wrote
So much more interesting than modern headstones.
broknkittn t1_je5cfxe wrote
If I get a headstone I'm definitely getting one of those old style skulls on it.
thread100 t1_je3c9rq wrote
Took our kids through an old cemetery when they were 8-10. When they realized how many were for children back then, it freaked them out.
beyond_hatred t1_je3u5ao wrote
Good opportunity for a lesson on the value of vaccines. The risk of infant mortality was so high that children sometimes didn't even get a name until their first birthday.
There's cruel irony in the fact that vaccines are victims of their own success. Most people alive today have never seen firsthand the damage caused by smallpox, polio, and other vaccine-preventable diseases, so they think it isn't real.
occasional_cynic t1_je4vbw8 wrote
Modern sanitation has been even more important than vaccines. It had to have been terrifying not knowing whether your family would die from one winter to the next.
Double-Abalone7052 t1_je4lxwx wrote
Yeah there’s a baby section in the cemetery where my family plot is located. It’s sad
beyond_hatred t1_je4m7n8 wrote
Do all the infant headstones have names? I think I remember seeing some that only say, "baby".
raptorjesus2 t1_je4swwp wrote
Anecdotal but I grew up in in Hingham, MA that has one of the oldest cemeteries in the country. I used to walk through quite a bit and there was lots of what I am assuming was family plots that would have smaller headstones that would say "baby", and or "son/daughter", etc. Seemed so odd to me. I could only assume these families died at the same time from something tragic. But there was lots of plots that were like that.
philandere_scarlet t1_jedcxgk wrote
stillbirths and babies that were obviously not going to live often weren't named. among my family i've seen an "our darling" lastname.
beyond_hatred t1_jedwj1p wrote
That's so sad.
[deleted] t1_je5cun9 wrote
These days the tragedy is that people aren't taking -any- vaccine because big companies & governments thought it was a good idea to lie so blatantly about the effectiveness and safety of the covid vaccine.
PophamSP t1_je4vs6v wrote
Lots of women of child bearing age, too.
thread100 t1_je56cwy wrote
Add to this the number of pregnancies needed to result in 3 adult children was sad.
Glucose12 t1_je3bnsw wrote
Looks like she died soon after giving birth to her son, also named George, on 11/22/1682.
TrafficAppropriate41 t1_je3856x wrote
Are those boobs?
Bobtom42 t1_je4hz2w wrote
Probably grapes. Grapes were often symbols of new life. So you start at the top with the "death head" and as you read down the symbology changes to reflect resurrection.
Boats_are_fun OP t1_je3asrq wrote
Had to do a double take. Not sure
Greenthumbgeek t1_je5b1iv wrote
TrafficAppropriate41 t1_je5bbd0 wrote
Amazing, thank you!
ZacPetkanas t1_je4ph9k wrote
> Are those boobs?
There's a triple set down further. So unless they predicted "Total Recall" I doubt it.
dyfhid t1_je362w8 wrote
Not as old, but some super interesting carvings...
https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/chester-village-cemetery
PlasticineRobot t1_je4dbh0 wrote
I love old cemeteries. I've visited a few in Portsmouth, and anywhere I see old stones. It feels like a connection to the past.
Crusty_Shart t1_je37ke3 wrote
I went to the First Settlers cemetery in Dover but all of the 17th century gravestones are no longer there. Had a handful of 18th century.
GoblinShark603 t1_je36r83 wrote
Dang... that sword as the "1"... wonder what the "2" would be nowadays?! A snake perhaps?
plz1 t1_je39e6z wrote
I think that's actually a candle, not a sword. Really cool surger way.
GoblinShark603 t1_je3aoxe wrote
What of the hilt? And what's a surger?
plz1 t1_je3ghgb wrote
"either", spell check fail
I'm assuming we're talking about the "1" in "1682". It looks like one of those old timey candle holders to me.
Double-Abalone7052 t1_je4lw4p wrote
That’s the cemetery next to Prescott Park right? It’s allegedly haunted. I love that cemetery
Boats_are_fun OP t1_je4r41i wrote
Yes
pink-peonies_ t1_je5jsb5 wrote
Such a cool cemetery
Valriete t1_je4z5n5 wrote
The Jaffrey family name lives on through a town where George (presumably Junior) apparently never visited.
WikiSummarizerBot t1_je4z78r wrote
>Jaffrey is a town in Cheshire County, New Hampshire, United States. The population was 5,320 at the 2020 census. The main village in town, where 3,058 people resided at the 2020 census, is defined as the Jaffrey census-designated place (CDP) and is located along the Contoocook River at the junction of U.S. Route 202 and New Hampshire routes 124 and 137.
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Boats_are_fun OP t1_je58iab wrote
https://collections.mfa.org/objects/149918
I believe this is a portrait of George junior
froststomper t1_je3gp2a wrote
At first I thought this was South but with the guard rails I think is this by Prescott Park?
metaph0rs t1_je3o6j0 wrote
Yep! It’s right by there on Mechanic St. It’s called ‘Point of Graves Burial Ground’ (Wikipedia link). When you walk through the old gate entrance, the grave in OP’s picture is towards the far back-left corner.
Fun fact: That turnstile gate there is hella old and was used to keep grazing animals out back in the day
Dismal_Assignment684 t1_je4qt3d wrote
I've checked out that cemetery before there are some very old head stones in there, Close to Prescott Park by chance?
Boats_are_fun OP t1_je4r3b0 wrote
Yes
Winnipesaukee t1_je5cqin wrote
An ancestor of mine had a similar tombstone where he was buried. I say had because the original is in storage in some historical society and a modern one is in its place.
broknkittn t1_je5d4b3 wrote
If you're out deep in the woods hiking/jeeping (for sure places surrounding Henniker/Hillsborough) there's lots of small cemetaries. Mostly just of the family who homesteaded in that area. It's pretty cool.
I don't know if I've seen anything older than late 1700s, for sure nothing this old.
FreelanceNinjaM t1_je75mvb wrote
This is so interesting! And very metal 😀 ha! Inspired by that skull and crossbones lol. Thank you for posting. I thought it was a trip visiting Paris on Google maps... It started me inside a building with stained glass windows that were labeled with dates this old. You could virtually walk around the entire building. This is the oldest tombstone, or oldest anything for that matter, I've seen in NE. Very cool!
gweased_pig t1_je79bt7 wrote
Memento mori Think I'll get one of those on my headstone
[deleted] t1_je4yf55 wrote
[deleted]
tech1010 t1_je359pd wrote
The old artistic styles they used to use are so cool