Graveyard of the Parish Church of St. James, Avebury

Probably for superstitious reasons, a church was built in the Middle Ages right in the center of the prehistoric stone circle of Avebury. Parts of the church today date from Saxon and Norman times. When you go inside, you see what archaeology looks like when it's above ground. You can see all the different threads woven into the fabric of the Parish Church of St. James.

I wish now that I had gotten more pictures of the cemetery, but when you're in Avebury, the stone circle is pretty much the main event, and for good reason. It really is incredible, several times more vast than Stonehenge and (to me) infinitely more beautiful. Then there is the chance to see these ancient features juxtaposed with the medieval. People have been sticking stones upright in the ground for thousands of years. The motivations may have been different at different times, but at its core the gesture has to do with memory.

St. Giles' Churchyard, Oxford, UK

I thought I'd share some pictures of St. Giles' Churchyard, a beautiful place that I used to pass every day during the year I studied in England. It was always full of those huge wood pigeons, which I ultimately ended up calling cemetery chickens. As you can see, the grave markers really look nothing like their contemporaries across the Atlantic. The English and American styles in grave carving diverged radically beginning very early in the colonies' history.

African Burial Ground

This is a different type of cemetery than what I usually feature on this blog. It's the African Burial Ground in Lower Manhattan, which I visited today as part of a project I'm currently working on. Between 1690 and 1794, fifteen thousand people were buried in this spot. Some were slaves, and some were free black people. Then, in the nineteenth century, the site was buried under landfill and forgotten until 1991, when the construction of a federal building unearthed human remains.

The memorial, which is located just around the corner from the visitors' center (which features exhibits and a documentary film), is quite moving and beautiful. The ramp takes you down to the level in which the people were originally buried.

Satellite Images of the Cemetery

I took a look at the satellite images of the cemetery on Google Maps to see if I could see the outline of the two churches that stood on the site. The image above was taken directly from Google Maps. I thought I could see some things, but I decided to fiddle around with the contrast and definition to see if I could make them stand out more.

I made this image:

 

And then I put it in black and white: 



They're not excellent images, and not high definition, but even so I could make a guess as to where the churches were. The first church (late 18th century) is on the right and the second (mid-19th century) is on the left.

There is also an obvious pathway through the middle of the cemetery.

And whatever that is:

Bones Unearthed in Episcopal Cemetery, 1960

In 1960, work was begun to straighten the road in front of the cemetery in order to eliminate a dangerous curve that had resulted in multiple car accidents, some fatal. Shortly into the process, workers cut into a grave, revealing bones and two coffin handles. This area was supposedly where Revolutionary War soldiers who died in the makeshift hospital at St. George's Church were buried. In the photo above, Rocco and Sam Amuso of Amuso Mason Contractors hold up the coffin handles, while historian Oliver Knapp (right) stands by. Knapp had vehemently opposed the alteration of the cemetery.

In the background, I've used a red arrow to indicate the Haines family monument and a green arrow to indicate the Williamson family monument. 

Update: Philander G. Purdy and Sarah Carpenter

Graves of Deborah and Jacob Purdy

Update #1 (scroll to bottom for Update #2). I found this tiny snippet about Philander Purdy in an article from the North Westchester Times, August 11, 1911: "New Castle Corners History of Interest: Reminiscent Paragraphs by A. J. Q. tell about the Early History, Settlers and Business Places": "Now I mention Philander Purdy, who kept the wheelwright shop. He made wagons and ox carts, used locust hubs and hickory spokes. Some of his wagons are still in use today, with wooden axle-tree and iron linch pin."

Philander G. Purdy was the son of Jacob and Deborah Purdy. Sarah Carpenter was the daughter of Willet Carpenter and Mary Ann Miller. Philander and Sarah were married in the early 1840s and had three children.

Smith Reynolds

Grave of Smith and Matilda Reynolds

The following biographical sketch was taken from a report on the cemetery held at the historical society.

Smith Reynolds was born in 1809 and was a blacksmith by trade. He had a shop on the Bedford Road, just east of New Castle Corners, for many years. He was a jolly and good natured man, always fond of a joke; and cheery in his relations with his fellow men. He was a strong Methodist, and always took a deep interest in the church, and was active in its work. He was the class leader for a long time.

He and his wife, the former Matilda Knapp (his first wife Marietta died in 1846) removed to Brooklyn ca. 1889. Their children were: Theodore of Fordham, Mrs. LeGrand Washburn of Chappaqua, Mrs. George Nye (Etta) of Brooklyn, with whom he lived.

Grave of Marietta Reynolds

In the North Westchester Times of August 11, 1911, the following was written of Smith Reynolds in the article "New Castle Corners History of Interest: Reminiscent Paragraphs by A. J. Q. tell about hte Early History, Settlers, and Business Places."

And there was Smith Reynolds. He was the blacksmith and he was an artist in his line. He often said there never was but one blacksmith that went to h--- and he went for hammering cold iron.

Finally, here is Matilda H. Knapp Reynolds's obituary from 1899:

Mrs. Matilda H., widow of the late Smith Reynolds, an old resident of the village, died at the home of her son-in-law, Mr. C. LeGrand Washburne, at Chappaqua, last week Thursday, Sept. 28th, 1899. She was in her 81st year.

She leaves two daughters - Mrs. (Hessie) C. LeGrand Washburne, of Chappaqua; and Mrs. Ettie Nye, of Brooklyn. Two stepsons also survive her - Theodore Reynolds, in the Home for Incurables at Fordham; and Cyrus, in New York city.

She has for several years made her home with her daughter, Mrs. Nye, in Brooklyn, but came up to Chappaqua during the summer to visit her daughter Mrs. Washburne, and became so weakened by illness as to be unable to return to the city.

The funeral services were held in the Methodist Church, on Monday afternoon, Oct. 2nd, at 3:45. A large number of out of town people attended the funeral services. Rev. William E. Ketcham, of Yonkers, who was a former pastor of the church here, and highly thought of by the deceased, officiated; assisted by Rev. A. T. Civill. Interment in the family plot in the old Methodist burial ground.

1. Smith Reynolds (1809-1897) m. (1) Marietta (1833-1846); (2) Matilda H. Knapp (1819-1899)
1. Cyrus Reynolds (1837-)
2. Henry F. Reynolds (1839-1884) m. Anna T. (1839-1883)
3. Theodore Reynolds (1842-)
4. Hester Reynolds (1851-1920) m. C. LeGrand Washburn (1847-1929)
1. Frank H. Washburn (1881-)
2. Amy V. Washburn (1883-)
3. C. LeGrand Washburn (1891-)
5. Marietta Reynolds (1856-) m. George Nye