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Old East Parish Burying Ground
Newton, Middlesex County, Massachusetts

Contributed by Paul E. Truesdell, Jr [petjr@nirai.ne.jp].

1st Settlers Monument

North Side: "Dea. John Jackson gave one acre of land for this Burial Place and First Chirch, which was erected upon this spot.", "Abraham Jackson son of Dea. John gave one acre which two acres form the old part of This Cemetery." "Edward Jackson gave 20 acres for the Parsonage in 1660, and 31 acres for the Ministensal Wood Lot in 1681."

West Side:
s. = settled
d. = died

Druce, Vincent, s. 1650, d. 1678
Eliot, John, s. 1664, d. 1668, 33y
Fuller, John, s. 1644, d. 1698, 87y
Hammond, Thomas, s. 1650, d. 1675
Hyde, Jonathan, s. 1657, d. 1711, 85y
Hyde, Samuel, s. 1640, d. 1689, 79y
Jackson, Edward, s. 1643, d. 1681, 79y
Jackson, John, s. 1639, d. 1674
Kenrick, John, s. 1658, d. 1686, 82y
Park, Richard, s. 1647, d. 1665
Parker, John, s. 1650, d. 1686, 71y
Prentice, James, s. 1650, d. 1710, 81y
Prentice, Thomas 2nd, s. 1650, d. no date
Prentice, Thomas, s. 1649, d. 1710, 89y
Spring, John, s. 1664, d. 1717, 87y
Trowbridge, James, s. 1664, d. 1717, 81y
Ward, John, s. 1650, d. 1708, 82y
Williams, Abraham, s. 1662, d. 1712, 84y
Williams, Isaac, s. 1661, d. 1708, 69y
Wiswall, Thomas, s. 1654, d. 1683

South Side: "Thomas Wiswall ordained ruling elder Jul 20 1664. His sons Enoch of Dorchester died Nov 28, 1706 age 73", "Rev. Ichabod Minister of Duxbury 30 y. Agent of Plymouth Colony in England 1690. Died Jul 23, 1700 age 63.", "Capt. Noah, of Newton an officer in the expedition against Canada killed in Battle with the French and Indians July 6, 1690 age 50. Leaving a son Thomas."

East Side: "Rev. John Eliot Jr. first Pastor of the first Church Ordained July 20, 1664", "His widow married Edmond Quincy of Braintree died in 1700.", "His only daughter married John Bowles Esq. of Roxbury and died Jun 28, 1740 AET 75, "His only son John settled in Windsor Connecticut When he died in 1733. leaving a son John a student in Yale College.

On Base: "First settlers of Newton. Erected Sep 1, 1852 Times of their settlement by descendents of the first settlers."

Memorial Tablets

Tablet 1522 "Rev. Joseph Grafton, d. Erected by his congregation as a grateful tribute to the many virtues of a devoted pastor who Watched over them with tender interest, christian, dilegence and parental affection more than sixty years. Also to his worthy companion who exhibited in unusual perfection all the graces of the christian."

Tablet 232 "Nehemiah Hobart, d. In this tomb are deposited the remains of the Reverend and very learned teacher of divinity, Nehemias Hobart, an estimable fellow of H.C., a highly faithful and watchful Pastor of the ch. of Newton, for forty years. His singular gravity, humility, piety, and learning, rendered him the object of deep verneration, and ardent esteem, to men of science and religion. He was born Nov 21, 1648, and d. Aug 25, 1712, in the 64th year of his age. (Original Inscription in Latin...badly deteriorated)"

Tablet 1527 "A memorial of unsurpassed Ministerial fidelity hallowed affections, social virtues and holy perseverance, d. erected by many friends."

Tablet 1150 "Hic depositum mori quod potuit Rev. Verig Venerandi Johannis Cotton ecclesiae Newtoniensis fidelissimi prudentissimi doctissimig nuxes Pastoris concionandi tam precandi facultate celiberrimi pictate specatis simi moribus Sanctissimi undequaq et Suavissimi ab omnibus bene meriti deploratiq. Anditoribu praecipue quibus vel mortuus concionari non, d. desimi Famal onge latiq. Vacalius et diuttus marmore durantissimo nomen perdulce proclamabit Morbo non Senecta tractus e viat decessit Maii 17 A.D 1757 ÆT. Suae 64 Offici ministratis"

Tablet 43 "Here lie interred the remains of Madam Mary Cotton consort of ye late Rev. Mr. John Cotton who died lamented Sept. 28, 1761 age 63.", "Here lie intered the remains of Dr. John Cotton A.M. Son of ye late Rev. Mr. John Cotton who died much lamented Sept. 6, 1758 age 29. And died March 28, 1833. Virtus superavit annos"

"Squire Kenrick's" Epitaph on Marble Slab in Old City Cemetery, Newton, MA.
Fast becoming obliterated and decipherable only with great difficulty"

John Kebrick, Esq. Aet. 77 years "He was laborious, honest and frugal
Though possessed of wealth
He loved not money but loved his fellow men.
Sparing in self, d. indulgence and hospitable to all
He was a benefactor to the needy and unfortunate. To the funds
For the poor of his native land
And to benevolent societies and Christian charities every(where?)
To the temperance reformation he was an efficient and devoted friend.
Early impressed with the un......and inhumanity of slavery
And its peculiar incompatability with republican institutions
He strove alone and unassisted to awaken his fellow man
To this subject."

"He wrote often and persuasively for this cause.
He republished gratuitously the writings of others.
If there had been ten like him in the (country??)
The stain of slavery would not have darkened the (stars??)
In the North American Constellation.
A forerunner of Abolition, a liberal contributor
To the first Society formed for that object in this country
And died in holding office.
He believed that goodness consists in doing good
And that the truest homage to Almighty God
Is in reverent imitation of His blessed word.
He was born Nov 6, 1755"