Ancient West Parish Cemetery on Carleton St.:
A clean up has begun of this burial ground, through the weekend supervisor at the Haverhill Historical Society, Tom Spitalere. My understanding is that so far it has been all volunteer work; however I visited there last weekend and it is obvious that it needs a lot of attention, work and expertise. Many stones missing, down, broken, etc. Lots of tree work still to be done. This is an effort taken on by Tom but he will need help and I would urge anyone with a genealogical connection to this cemetery to contact the Haverhill Historical Society to find out how you can be of help. If funds need to be raised (which I am sure they do) I feel that there are enough descendants of these families out there that a few bucks put together from each of us could really add up to something. Please contact Tom to inquire as to how you could donate time or money to this cause:
Haverhill Historical Society:
http://www.haverhillhistory.org/html/contact_us.htmI've been working on compiling as much information available of all names buried there. There are many HAYNES family burials at this cemetery, which is the family I connect to. Please feel free to contact me if you'd like more information on the people buried in the cemetery and I will try to help you out. Here is a listing of most visible stones (other than HAYNES) still left at the cemetery; and known burials there:
Cornet Edwoord [Edward] Carleton, & wife Hannah Carelton
Lt. Timothy Emerson
Jonathan Emerson
Lt. Jonathan Webster & wife Abigail (Dustin)
Peter Ayer & wife Abigail (Eaton)
Dea. Peter Ayer & (I think) wife Lydia
Lucie Merriel (Merrill), d. of Nathaniel & Ruth [this stone very bad]
Mr. ???? Merriel [this stone also very bad]
Selah Jarsey
Col. Evan Merrill, h. of Anna HAYNES
Capt. James Mitchell
James Mitchell, s. of Lt. James & Martha
Nathan Perley
Richard Ayer
Richard G. Ayer
Ensign Daniel Ladd & wife Susannah (Hartshorn)
James Batton (stone is there, cannot find in VR's)
Samuel Ayer
Samuel Ayer, s. of Dr. William & Abigail Ayer
Thomas Bayley
Miss Betsey Kimball
Allen W. Sargent
Dea. William Webster & wife Muriel (can't find in VR's)
John Lad, s. of John & Mary
Ensign John Lad[d]
Sarah (Smith) Emery, w. of Joshua
Thomas Harris & wife [Jo]hanna
Jonathan Harris
Samuel Barber & wife Rebecca
Hannah How[e], widow; s. of Sam. & Reb. Barber
Joseph Runels, s. of Samuel & Hannah Runels
THE FOLLOWING NAMES ARE BURIED AT ANCIENT WEST Parish PER HAVERHILL VR'S; BUT NO STONE IS VISIBLE:
Eunice Bayley, w. of Thomas
Mrs. Sarah Bayley
Robert Frank, Jr.
Samuel Hassaltine
Richard Kimbal
Susannah Ladd
Andrew Mitchell
Sarah Mitchell, w. of Ebenezer
Hew Smeith [Smith]
Dea. Nathan Webster
Sarah (Low) Webster, w. of Dea. Nathan
It would be very exciting if this cemetery could receive the attention it needs, as a good portion of Haverhill's history lies buried there.
Now comparing visible stones to a 1953 Transcription of the stones there done by the DAR. This record is found in the Manuscript Library at NEHGS, call # MS 70 HAV 6.
Correction:
James Batton is error:
Stone read James Eatton; d. 18 Mar 1773, age 76; according to the DAR trancscription done 1953.
8 Whittier burials at Ancient West Parish for which I saw no stones [DAR recorded them as "some distance up the back of the homestead"]:
Thomas Whittier 1620-1696
Ruth Green Whittier [Blank] - 1710
Joseph Whittier 1669-1739
Mary Peasley Whittier 1676- [blank]
Joseph Whittier 2nd 1717-1796
Sarah Greenleaf Whittier 1721-1807
John Whittier 1760-1830
Abigail Hussey Whittier 1780-1857
[John and Abigail were the parents of the poet John Greenleaf Whittier, the others apparently ancestors of the poet's father].
I've seen reference on this board to graves being moved to the Whittier homestead cemetery; but there were obviously stones in 1953 at Ancient West Parish. I am wondering if anyone knows whether these graves could have been moved or if the stones are just gone.
Lisa Munn-Haynes
lhaynes9722 at yahoo dot com.