Burial-grounds. 



367 



No. 15. Josiah Lane . 



" 16. Lieut. Thos. Andrews 



" 17. Thomas Joy . . 



" 18. John Langlee . 



" 19. John Lewis . 



" 20. Caleb Beal . . 



" 21. John Beal, Jun. 



" 22. Nehemiah Lincoln 



rod. 



1 No. 23. Isaac, and Jonathan 



Lane 



" 24. Heirs of John Mans- 

 field, dec d . . . 

 " 25. Benjamin Lincoln . . 

 " 26. Heirs of Jacob Beal, 

 dec d 



rod. 



1 



>1 



I 



The six-acre lot of land mentioned in the foregoing deeds, was 

 originally granted to Thomas Gill, one of the early settlers of 

 this town. 



During the last and the early part of the present century the 

 successive owners of this ground sold grave-lots to various in- 

 dividuals for what would now be considered a very trifling sum. 

 These sales were usually recorded in the private account-books of 

 the proprietors. They were made not only by Joshua Tucker, 

 but also by Elisha Leavitt, Colonel Nathan Rice, and other suc- 

 cessive owners, Thomas Loud being the last person who sold 

 grave-lots here in this way. As an illustration of the small com- 

 pensation received from these sales before the present century, I 

 copy from the day-book of Col. Rice the following : " Jan. 7, 

 1793. Rufus Lane, Dr. To half a rod of land for a burying- 

 ground, 8 shillings " ($1.33). It should be remembered in this 

 connection, however, that these grounds were in a rough, unkept 

 condition, without avenues, paths, or shrubbery, and that they 

 were frequently used as common pasturage for cattle, and also as 

 a playground by children who resided in the vicinity. 



In 1832 an article appeared in the Hingham Gazette, suggesting 

 " that some measures be taken to render the north burial-grounds 

 more respectable in the eyes of strangers, more worthy of our 

 own character as citizens, and more creditable to the feelings of 

 respect entertained for those who have left the stage of human 

 action forever." 



On the 9th of March, 1837, Adam W. Thaxter, of Boston, who 

 was a native of Hingham, purchased of Thomas Loud the bury- 

 ing-ground lot in the rear of the old meeting-house, and adjoining 

 the estate of Rev. Charles Brooks on the east. By act of the 

 Legislature the Hingham Cemetery was incorporated Feb. 28, 

 1838, and by gift of Mr. Thaxter, dated Jan. 1, 1839, his purchase 

 became the property of certain persons named in the act of in- 

 corporation, and of all who should afterwards purchase lots and 

 thereby become proprietors. Mr. Thaxter made a second gift to 

 the proprietors of a lot of land which he purchased May 21, 

 1838, of Jacob H. Loud. This adjoined a part of his first pur- 

 chase, and extended to the mill-pond. Nov. 15, 1848, he bought 

 of Atherton Tilden a tract of land which soon became the third 

 gift of Mr. Thaxter to the cemetery corporation. 



