Major John Bradford

Gravestone of Major John Bradford
Gravestone of Major John Bradford, taken by Emily Fuller Drew circa 1925

Today marks the 281st anniversary of the death of Major John Bradford, as he died December 8, 1736.

The inscription on his gravestone reads:

Here lyes y body
of Mayjear John
Bradford who dec
Decbr y 8th
1736 in
y 84th year
of his age
he lived near 62
years with his wife
Gravestone of Major John Bradford
Gravestone of Major John Bradford, taken by Emily Fuller Drew circa 1925

Major John Bradford, born February 20, 1652, was the grandson of Governor William Bradford of Plymouth Colony.  He married Mercy Warren in 1674, with whom he had ten children. Major Bradford likely earned his title during  King Philip’s War (1675-76).

Major John Bradford is also remembered as a benefactor of the town, as he gave 14 acres of land to the North or Jones River Precinct of Plymouth (now Kingston) in 1717 for the purposes of a “Burying Place,” a “Training Field,” and a “Meeting House” — now the land on which the Old Burying Ground, Training Green, First Parish Church, and old Town House sit.

Major John Bradford House, in snow
Major John Bradford House, taken by Emily Fuller Drew circa 1925

The Jones River Village Club (now the Jones River Village Historical Society) purchased and restored his homestead at 50 Landing Road in 1921 before opening it to the public in August of the same year. It is now open on select days during the summer.

 

Source: Images from the Emily Fuller Drew Collection (MC16).

Exhibit: Kingston Gravestones & Their Carvers

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For the entire month of October, the lobby display case will feature a selection of photographs of eighteenth- and nineteenth-century Kingston gravestones, but rather than focusing on those interred in the Old Burying Ground, this exhibit will examine the men who carved these markers. Stop by to check it out!

 

Source: Image from the Emily Fuller Drew Collection (MC16). 

Kingston Gravestones & Their Carvers

Rand Family Stones in the Old Burying Ground, around 1925

For the entire month of October, the lobby display case will feature a selection of photographs of eighteenth- and nineteenth-century Kingston gravestones, but rather than focusing on those interred in the Old Burying Ground, this exhibit will examine the men who carved these markers. Stop by to check it out!

 

Source: Image from the Emily Fuller Drew Collection (MC16). 

New exhibit: Carved in Stone

Kingston has grave stones that predate the town.  Photos of some of them are in the display case this month.

Charles Little July 25, 1724
Charles Little July 25, 1724
Sarah B. Loring July 12, 1851
Sarah B. Loring July 12, 1851
Henry Davis May 10, 1802
Henry Davis May 10, 1802
Peleg Wadsworth Feb. 24, 1790
Peleg Wadsworth Feb. 24, 1790
William Drew May 10,1795
William Drew May 10,1795
Sarah Sever Aug. 25, 1756
Sarah Sever Aug. 25, 1756
Lydia Drew Dec. 27, 1800
Lydia Drew Dec. 27, 1800
Priscilla Wiswall June 3, 1724
Priscilla Wiswall June 3, 1724

 

 

Source: Jones River Village Historical Society Lantern Slides IC4

For more, visit the Kingston Public Library, and the Local History Room, and the full blog at piqueoftheweek.wordpress.com

Somber Little Valentine

 

Gravestone of Charles Little, 1925
Gravestone of Charles Little, 1925

From Emily Drew’s photos of the Old Burying Ground, here’s the marker for Charles Little, son to Charles and Sarah Little who passed away, aged 4 month and 5 days, on February 14, 1717.

Source: Emily Fuller Drew Collection MC16. Negative scanned by the Boston Public Library, under a grant from the LSTA via MBLC.  More on that here.