Quaint Epitaphs by Various (best e reader for epub TXT) 📖

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Submit, submitted to her heavenly King
Being a flower of the etheral Spring—
Near three years old she died—In Heaven to wait
The year was sixteen hundred forty eight.

Rowley

.

Ezekiel Rogers, Minister
Died in 1660.

With the youth he took great pains, and was a tree of knowledge laden with fruit which the children could reach.

Epitaph of Rev. Jonathan Mitchel, pastor of the first church in Cambridge. Died July 9, 1668.

Here lies the darling of his time
Mitchel expired in his prime.
Who four years short of forty seven
Was found full ripe and plucked for Heaven.

South Dennis

.

Of seven sons the Lord his father gave,
He was the fourth who found a watery grave.
Fifteen days had passed since the circumstance occurred,
When his body was found and decently interred.

Vineyard Haven

.

John and Lydia, that blooming pair,
A whale killed him and her body lies here.

Chatham

.

There were three brothers went to sea
Who were never known to wrangle
Holmes Hole—cedar pole
Crinkle, crinkle crangle.

Three brothers started for Holmes Hole in an open boat for cedar poles, and on the passage were killed by lightning, represented by the crinkle, crinkle, crangle.

Time was I stood as thou doest now
And viewed the dead as thou doest me.
E'er long thou'l lie as low as I
And others stand to look on thee.

Norton

.

A blacksmith's epitaph composed by himself.

My sledge and hammer lie reclined,
My bellows too have lost their wind,
My fire's extinct, my forge decayed,
And in the dust my vice is laid.
My iron spent, my coal is gone,
My nails are drove—my work is done.

Brockton

.

Indulgent world I bid adieu.
Farewell, dear friends, farewell to you.
No more kindness can I show,
To any creature here below.
I am invited to my tomb,
To sleep awhile till Jesus come.

Wayland

.

Here lies the body of Dr Hayward,
A man who never voted.
Of such is the kingdom of Heaven.

Chelsea

.

Agreeable to the memory of
Mrs Alinda Tewksbury.
She was not a beleiver in the Christian idolitry.

East Wareham

.

Erected by the creditors of a bachelor Irishman.

Hibernia's son himself exiled,
Without an inmate, wife or child,

He lived alone.

And when he died, his purse, though small,
Contained enough to pay us all,

And buy this stone.

Rebecca Nourse
Yarmouth Eng 1621
Salem Mass 1692

Accused of witchcraft she declared "I am innocent and God will clear my innocency." Once acquitted yet falsely condemned she suffered death July 19th, 1692.

O Christian Martyr who for truth could die,
When all about thee owned the hideous lie
The world redeemed from superstition's sway,
Is breathing freer for thy sake to-day.

CONNECTICUT.

New Haven.

Composed by the deceased.
Partridge Thacher.

Rest here, my body, till the Archangel's voice more sonorous far than nine fold thunder, wakes the sleeping dead; then rise to thy just sphere and be my house immortal.

On a babe four days old.

Since I so very soon was done for
I wonder what I was begun for.

Here lies the body of Obadiah Wilkinson

And Ruth, his wife.

Their warfare is accomplished.

Franklin White.

Here lies Frank a shining light
Whose name, life, actions all were white.

Reader pass on. Don't waste your time
On bad biography and bitter rhyme.
For what I am this crumbling clay assures,
And what I was is no affair of yours.

God works a wonder now and then,
He though a lawyer was an honest man.

Dr. Somerby.

At length a grave spots for him provided,
Where all through him so many of us died did.

Early, bright, chaste as morning dew,
She sparkled, was exalted and went to heaven.

Norfolk.

Lieut. Nathan Davis.
Died in 1781.

Death is a debt that's justly due,
That I have paid and so must you.

Elizabeth, wife of Nathan Davis.
Died 1786.

This debt I owe is justly due,
And I am come to sleep with you.

NEW YORK.

Skaneateles.

Underneath this pile of stones
Lie's all thats left of Sally Jones.
Her name was Lord it was not Jones.
But Jones was used to ryme with stones.

Mary Drummond Smith.

Neuralgia worked on Mrs. Smith
'Till neath the sod it laid her.
She was a worthy Methodist
And served as a crusader.

Wyoming County.

She was in health at 11.30 a. m.
And left for Heaven at 3.30 p. m.

East Thompson.

Here lies one who never sacrificed his reason to superstitious God, nor ever believed that Jonah swallowed the whale.

New York City.

Trinity Churchyard.
1767.

Tho' Boreas' blasts and boisterous waves
Have tossed me to and fro,
In spite of both by God's decree
I harbor here below;
Where I do now at anchor ride
With many of our fleet,
Yet once again I must set sail,
My Admiral Christ to meet.

Alden White.

Grim death took me without any warning,
I was well one day, and stone dead next morning.

Madeline White.

God takes the good too good on earth to stay,
God leaves the bad too bad to take away.

Sarah Thomas is dead and that's enough
The candle is out and so is the snuff
Her soul is in Heaven you need not fear
And all that's left is buried here.

Ithaca.

The pale consumption gave the mortal blow.
The fate was certain although the event was slow.

While on earth my knee was lame,
I had to nurse and heed it.
But now I'm at a better place,
Where I don't even need it.

Her blooming cheeks were no defence
Against the scarlet fever.
In five day's time she was cut down,
To dwell with Christ forever.

Moses White.

His grand excellence was that he was genuine.

Father and Mother and I
Choose to be buried asunder.
Father and Mother here,
And I buried yonder.

Julia King.

I go to meet my brother.

John Dale
and his two wives.

A period's come to all their toilsome lives,
The good man's quiet—still are both his wives.

Greenwood.

Grieve not for me my Harriet dear
For I am better off,
You know what were my sufferings
And what a dreadful cough.

David Stuart

A loving father and companion,
Follow me as I have—Jesus.

Orange County.

Underneath this stone doeth lie
As much virtue as could die;