Stories from the Old Burying Ground
Wakefield’s Old Burying Ground is like an outdoor museum, filled with ‘artifacts’ reaching back to the town’s beginnings. Visitors can find the truest testament to those brave pioneers who first settled here, and their only monuments left standing.
In one way or another, the Old Burying Ground tells stories of those early settlers — their joys as well as their sorrows; their lives as well as their deaths. Through studies of the files of the Wakefield Historical Society and the Wakefield Historical Commission, it was possible to ‘resurrect’ some of their stories and, with the help of the Wakefield Item, to share them.
By NANCY BERTRAND
On this, the last day of October, we will introduce you to the gravestone of the Reverend Jonathan Pierpont, who died at 1709 at the age of 44 years after serving as the minister of the Church for twenty years.
He was very esteemed as a minister, earning praise from even Cotton Mather, the renowned Puritan minister.
This is a very special gravestone. In fact, it is widely regarded by scholars and art historians as the epitome of Puritan Gravestone Art. It was carved by Joseph Lamson, born in Ipswich, but brought up here after his father died and his mother married a Hartshorne.
Lamson first tried his luck at shoemaking, but then became a mariner before eventually turning his hand to stone carving, where he became a master of his craft!
The heavily ornamented stone shows many symbolic themes, like the imps of death and effigies of a preacher-like figure. *This is not to be thought of as a portrait of Mr. Pierpont, though — you see that face again and again at local cemeteries lucky enough to have a Lamson stone. Joseph Lamson’s two sons followed him in the trade, and did much to advance the art and craft of gravestone carving.
It is widely rumored that the Smithsonian Institution at one point wanted to take this stone for their museum, and leaving us with a copy, but the town — and the church — said no. (Remember, though, that these early graveyards belonged to the town or city, and not to the church!)
It has been our honor to walk you through the Old Burying Ground and feature the old stones, the stories behind them and the honor that cast a lasting light behind.
We have had to leave some out because the list has grown as the years have gone along. Those who would like to exercise with us can walk the gravestones through the years as we lead you metaphorically upon the path with a Gravestone Tour of the Old Burying Ground, found on our website and recorded five years ago. But remember, the walk is long and the graves are deep and you never know what gravestone we will find next, on our tour of the Old Burying Ground.