35G History of Hingham. 



served as a more forcible reminder of the noble men and women 

 who first settled here, and overcame the difficulties and hardships 

 which the early planters of the Colony were obliged to encounter, 

 than can any written record, however carefully preserved, which 

 is rarely seen or brought to the notice of the people. 



Occasional interments were probably made in this ground after 

 the sale of burial-lots bad been commenced elsewhere ; but just 

 when they were discontinued is uncertain. Tradition says that 

 one of the Acadians (French Neutrals) was the last person buried 

 here. This would have occurred from 17G0 to 1763 : but Hinsr- 

 ham Records furnish nothing by which to verify this statement. 



After the locality had been abandoned as a burial-place, several 

 buildings were erected on its northerly margin. One of these was 

 owned successively by Joseph Loring and Solomon Blake, and used 

 as a cooper's shop. Later it was rented for various purposes. 

 At one time it was the residence of John Murphy and his wife 

 Jane. Next west was the district schoolhouse : and beyond this 

 stood a shop, the easterly part of which was last occupied by 

 Thomas Loud for the manufacture of hats, and the westerly end 

 by Samuel Norton, Jr., a repairer of watches and silverware. 



The hill was lowered to its present condition by a vote of the 

 town in 1831, and the remains which were unearthed at that time 

 were by the same vote reinterred in the Hingham Cemetery. The 

 shop of Messrs. Norton and Loud was taken to South Street, near 

 Magoon's Bridge, where it was rented to different tenants for 

 several years. It was afterwards removed again, and is now 

 occupied as a dwelling-house on Thayer Street. 



The schoolhouse was taken to the west part of the town and 

 there used for some time as it had been. It has since undergone 

 another change, and at the present writing is located as a dwell- 

 ing-house on Thaxter Street. 



Human remains were found in this locality, in front of the 

 estates of Caleb B. Marsh and John Siders, as late as 1877, when 

 the drain leading to Broad Bridge was constructed. They were 

 placed with those previously reburied. 



BEECHWOOD CEMETERY. 



In 1737 Aaron Pratt and Isaac Bates, " yeomen," both of Hing- 

 ham, second precinct, in consideration of X7, current money, . . . 

 conveyed to Jonathan Pratt, Israel Whitcomb, Stephen Stoddard, 

 Jr., Prince Joy, Ebenezer Kent, and Joshua Bates, Jr., all of 

 Hingham, ... a tract of land containing eighteen rods, . . . 

 situated " in front of our house lots where we now dwell in the 

 Township of Hingham," and bounded as follows : S. by the way 

 or road ; E. with the land of Isaac Bates ; N. partly with the land 

 of said Bates and partly with the land of Aaron Pratt ; and W 

 with said Pratt " as the same is now staked out." The deed of 



