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Old Methodist Burying Ground
Bloomfield, Essex County, New Jersey

GPS: 40.82604 -74.18928

9 Parsons Ct
Bloomfield, NJ 07003

Published: April 16, 2023
Total records: 48

Old Methodist Burying Ground no longer exists today. It had been located along the west side of Broad St. at the intersection with Yantecaw Ave., sandwiched between Yantecaw Ave. and Parsons Ct.

It's believed the cemetery started as a private burial ground for the Cockefair and Van Gieson (Van Gesen) families, both of which owned adjacent lands. Ownership of the cemetery grounds fell to Thomas and John Cockefair. Upon their deaths, ownership of the land was granted to Stone House Plains Church.

The name, "Old Methodist" came about because John Cockefair, mentioned above, was associated with the Methodist Episcopal Church of Bloomfield, and the name seemed to have stuck among locals.

More information about this cemetery can be found in a document entitled, "Bloomfield And Montclair Cemetery Inscriptions Before 1800", written by David R. Anderson in 1979, for the New Jersey Historical Society.

Cemetery Records

Records listed below were transcribed from "The Genealogical Magazine of New Jersey", Vol. II, No. 3, Jan, 1927, pp. 109 - 111. An excerpt from this magazine describes the transcription as follows...

"From a copy made in Dec., 1923 by Chester N. Jones and Russell B. Rankin, and checked July 19, 1925 by Sylvester H. M. Agens and Russell B. Rankin.

Note: This cemetery is located on the west side of Broad Street in the section of Bloomfield Township known as Brookdale, and formerly as Stone House Plains. It is in a strip of woods, and is entirely grown over with vines and brush.

The persons mentioned in the following gravestone records are grouped into families so far as the information on the stones themselves will permit, and arranged alphabetically according to heads of families when practicable.

The asterisk (*) indicates that no stone was found for the individual so designated, his name and relationship appearing on the stone of a member of his family."

Ackerman, Henry, d. Aug 11, 1854, aged 66.11.25; w. Jane, d. Mar 29, 1846, aged 55.6.24; s. David, d. May 12, 1842, aged 19.7.2
Ackerman, Jacob J.*, w. Christy A.*; s. Charles M., d. Oct 7, 1851, aged 12.7.0
Ackerman, James*, w. Jane, d. Jan 20, 1847, aged 24.7.17
Baldwin, James A.*, w. nancy, d. Apr 21, 1839, aged 22.4.20
Bauer, Frederick E., b. Nov 4, 1799, d. Nov 8, 1848, aged 49 years
Cockefair, Alexander*, w. Phoebe, d. Jan 9, 1809, aged 81.2.2
Cockefair, Ephraim, b. Mar 26, 1772, "He was instantly killed by a refractory horse" Jun 22, 1831, aged 59,2.27; w. Elcy, d. Oct 1, 1851, aged 75.7.0
Cockefair, Isaac M.*, w. Catharine*; dg. Elizabeth, d. ___ 25, 1846, aged 0.9.4 (stone broken); dg. Mary, d. Jul 29, 1839, aged 0.3.22
Cockefair, John*, w. Jane*; dg. Electta, d. Jan 11, 1825, aged 1.1.29
Cockefair, Thomas*, w. Mary, d. Jan 9, 1808, in 41st year; dg. Sarah, d. Aug 10, ___ (stone broken); s. John, d. Aug 8, 1788, aged 1.1.14; dg. Mary, d. Jan 19, 1808, aged 0.0.11; s. Peter, "drowned" Jul 24, 1833, aged 27.3.8
Cueman, John J., d. Mar 2, 1848, aged 50.2.6; w. Catharine*; dg. Mary Ann, d. Oct 4, 1821, aged 0.1.15; dg. Leah, d. Dec 14, 1827, aged 0.3.2; dg. Rachel Ann, d. Aug 27, 1828, aged 5.7.15; dg. Martha, d. Mar 22, 1841, aged 6 wks., 3 days (Latter stone not found 1925)
Garabrant, Garabrant A., d. Feb 23, 1826, in 68th year; w. Sophiah, d. Oct 1, 1820, in 65th year
Garrabrant, Abraham, d. Dec 12, 1846, in 26th year
Garrabrant, David*, w. Mary M., d. Mar 17, 1838, in 42nd year; s. William Clinton, d. May 19, 1832, aged 1.10.21; dg. Belinda, d. Apr 27, 1833, aged 7.4.9; "Also two infant sons"
Garrabrant, Enoch*, w. Anne*; dg. Catherine Anne, Oct 5, 1819, aged 6.11.3
Garrabrant, Garret N.*, w. Elizabeth*; s. Calvin, d. Mar 22, 1817, aged 1.3.0
Garrabrant, Jacob, d. Sep 6, 1835, aged 77.3.0; w. Elizabeth, d. Dec 6, 1840, aged 68 years
Garrabrant, John G., d. Aug 14, 1842, in 57th year
Garrabrant, Nicholas P., d. Mar 23, 1817, aged 76,4,11; w. Mary, d. Jul 19, 1816, aged 76.11.19
Garrabrant, Peter A., d. Nov 30, 1818, aged 67.7.28; w. Hannah, d. Jul 17, 1812, aged 44.2.25
Garrabrant, Peter, d. Jul 12, 1846, in 28th year
Garrabrant, Stephen, d. Oct 21, 1819, aged 32.6.6
Garrison, Hassel, d. Mar 15, 1852, aged 74 years
Intrest, Christopher, d. Sep 29, 1823, aged 80.4.21
Jenkens, Frederick*, w. Ellen, d. Aug 11, 1846, aged 49.11.7
Kieslar, John*, Catharine Ann (dau. of Henry Ackerman), d. Feb 4, 1856, aged 28.1.27; s. George, d. Oct 19, 1852, aged 1.3.21
Killam, Lyman S., "a native of Preston, Conn." d. Sep 18, 1821, aged 50 years
Lawrence, Alexander, d. Oct 2, 1820, aged 50.8.7
Lawrence, Horatio N., d. Apr 15, 1832, aged 20.8.0
Lawrence, John*, w. Judith, d. Oct 13, 1820, aged 88.7.4
Lyons, William*, w. Margaret Ellen*; s. James Francis, d. Jul 22, 1857, aged 0.11.11
Mandeville, Christopher*, w. Elsey, d. Jul 12, 1850, aged 52.1.27
Messler, Abraham C.*, w. Gertrude, d. Mar 26, 18561, aged 50.6.0
Moor, Jane, b. Nov 6, 1764, d. Apr 22, 1846
Parsons, Walter*, w. Harriet*; s. Radcliff, d. Apr 7, 1846, aged 0.3.7; dau. Elizabeth, d. Nov 19, 1847, aged 3.1.11 (Latter stone not standing 1925)
Post, Adrian H., d. Apr 21, 1855, aged 79.2.26; w. Sarah, d. Nov 21, 1851, aged 71.3.18
Post, Edward*, w. Ann Garrabrant, d. Jun 9, 1861, aged 22.5.0
Reybert, Nelson, "Co. E, 1st N.Y. Eng's."
Sigler, Isaac D., d. Nov 8, 1873, aged 78.7.26; w. Sophia, d. Apr 19, 1863, aged 68.4.15; dau. Lucy, d. Jun 18, 1847, aged 20.6.9; dau. Eunice, d. May 26, 1834, aged 3.2.8; dau. Eunice, d. Sep 26, 1821, aged 3.1.7
Simonson, Anthony*, w. Rhoda*; dau. Lucy Frances, d. Sep 17, 1858, aged 13.10.28
Stager, Peter, d. May 6, 1860, aged 66.6.13
Van Gesen, Ephraim*, w. Abigail*; dau. Lydia, d. Jul 22, 1804, aged 4.4.6; s. Joseph, d. Mar 14, 1814, aged 23.0.1; dau. Margaret, d. Mar 11, 1826, aged 31.9.0; dau. Lydia, d. Mar 6, 1798, aged 0.4.24
Van Gesen, Joseph*, w. Lydia*; s. Joseph, d. Jul 15, 1827, aged 13.5.20
Van Giesen, Isaac, d. May 23, 1804, in 69th year; w. Mary, d. Mar 3, 1830, in 83d year
Van Giesen, Peter, son of Abraham and Jane (Sandford) Van Giesen, d. Jun 11, 1845, in 84th year
Walde, James, d. May 23, 1818, in 22nd year
Weltmer, John*, w. Catharine M.*; dau. Margaret E., d. Jun 10, 1856, aged 8.7.12
White, John B., d. Apr 2, 1838, aged 34 years