Burial-grounds. 375 



Further along on the right, or southeast side of Jerusalem 

 Road, near the little stream known as " Rattle Snake Run," is 

 a small, uncared-for burial-place, which probably belonged to 

 the Nichols family. It contains some ten or twelve ancient 

 gravestones which mark the last resting-place principally of the 

 children of parents who early settled in this locality. The old- 

 est stone bears the following inscription : — 



HERE LYETH Y? BODY 



of SOLOMON NICHOLS 



Son of M r ISRAEL 



NICHOLS Who Dyed 



March y e 2 d in 1697 



Aged 2 Years. 



LIBERTY PLAIN CEMETERY. 



On the 28th of February, 1755, David Garnett, in consideration 

 of XI 12s. conveyed to " Samuel Garnett, Samuel Dunbar, Samuel 

 Garnett, Jr., Enoch Whiton, Benjamin Garnett, Jr., Stephen 

 Garnett, Thomas Garnett, Solomon Loring, Jr., David Garnett, 

 Jr., Nathaniel Garnett, Samuel Wyton, Jr., Daniel Wyton, Jere- 

 miah Chubbuck, Nehemiah Sprague, Robert Dunbar, Hannah 

 Dunbar, and David Farrow, all of Hingham, in the County of 

 Suffolk, and Benjamin Dunbar, Hezekiah Stodder, Benjamin 

 Tower, John Corthell, and Jacob Whiton, of Scituate, in the 

 County of Plymouth, and Robert Corthell and Benjamin Whiting, 

 of Abington, one quarter acre of land in the Great Plain, so 

 called, now used and appropriated for a burying-place." 



Although the foregoing conveyance was not made until 1755, 

 yet for sixteen years previously the land had been used for burial 

 purposes as will be seen by the following : — 



" August the 29th 1739 Seth Cushings Dafter Deborah Died at 10 

 months old — and was the fust that was Buryed in the new Burying- 

 plafe wich was purched of Dauid Garnet by the pepell at the Sout End of 

 the town." — Extract from Samuel Garnet's Diary. 



The original ground contained twenty-five lots, with a walk the 

 entire length on the north side. Within these lots lie the remains 

 of the earlier settlers of " ye Great Plain," so called ; and the 

 surnames Whiton, Garnett or Garnet, and Dunbar are the more 

 numerous ones upon the ancient gravestones. With but few ex- 

 ceptions, there were not many early residents of Liberty Plain 

 who reached their " three score years and ten," a large percentage 

 having passed away between the ages of forty-five and sixty, as is 

 shown by the inscriptions upon some of the ancient gravestones. 



The oldest person buried in this cemetery was Mrs. Sarah Pratt. 

 The inscription upon her gravestone reads thus : — 



