Essex County, Massachusetts Cemeteries The Old Burying Ground Lynn, Mass [Source: Inscriptions from the Old Burying Ground, copied by John T. Moulton of Lynn, Salem, Mass.: Printed for the Essex Institute, 1886] [Transcribed by K. Torp, ©2006] This Burying Ground is in the westerly part of the city which was originally the centre of the town. It is bounded northerly by Market Square, easterly by Elm Street, southerly by Ash street and westerly partly by South street and partly by the estate of the late Jonathan Bacheller. It is opposite the southerly front of the old Lynn Hotel and is said to have originally constituted the westerly end of Lynn Common; the land between it and the present Common, now covered by the Boscobel Hotel and Taylor's Building also having been once a portion of the common land. It was the only one in use by the whole town from its commencement till about 1720, the town then including besides the territory of the present city, the entire limits of the towns of Lynnfield, Saugus, Swampscott and Nahant. No other place of burial, public or private, is known to have been used till the formation of the second and third parishes, Lynnfield and Saugus, churches having been established in those parishes in 1720 and 1732, respectively. The burying grounds there were probably set apart at about the time the churches were gathered, the oldest inscription at Lynnfield Centre bearing date of 1723 and the oldest at Saugus Centre, that of 1741. There was another burying ground established a few years previous to 1800, at what is now called south Lynnfield, a short distance southerly from the junction of the Newburyport Turnpike and the road to Lynn. The reason for selecting this spot at the end of the Common for a burying place is not known. It could not have been on account of its proximity to the church, as is the case in some instances, for the first church edifice was erected some distance away, near the present intersection of Shepard and Summer streets. Very likely the spot had been used by the Indians for the same purpose. A few years ago, the bones of a human skeleton were exhumed on the adjoining estate of the late Jonathan Bacheller; they were found quite near the surface of the ground and were supposed to be the remains of an Indian. The nature of the soil itself being light and sandy, or the situation in regard to the then prospective town, may have had weight in the minds of the early settlers; or it may have been from accident, as the burying of the first dead here,—and yet all these causes may have had something to do with deciding the matter. At all events, the spot was well adapted to the purpose and it is a cause of deep regret that no more ancient stones are found. The town was settled in 1629, but the oldest stone now standing bears the date of June 17, 1698. Probably many have been destroyed and more have perished through neglect. All the inscriptions have been copied, amounting to more than eight hundred, and the list is here presented entire; some of these include the names of several persons. There are nine tombs on the side adjoining Elm street— probably all built since 1800; these were owned by the following persons, Joel and Lucy Newhall, Dr. James Gardner, James Robinson, Benjamin Johnson, 1800, Aaron Breed, Esq., Col. Frederick Breed, William Newhall, Dr. Aaron Lummus, Henry A. Breed. On the side of the entrance from South street there are four others. They were owned by the following: Hezekiah Chase, Nehemiah Berry, Thomas Raddin and the Town. No complete record of deaths was kept by any of the town clerks—an occasional death entry only is found upon the records. No list of interments, if made, is now known to exist, excepting that of the last sexton Benj. H. Jacobs. He kept an account from his commencement in 1827 till about 1845, or until a return was made to the town clerk of all interments according to law. From the latter date they have been recorded by the town and city clerks. The other burying grounds in Lynn are the Eastern on Union street, commenced in 1813; the Friends' on Broad street, near Washington square, opened in 1723, the land for which was given to the Society that year by Richard Estes ; the free burying ground, adjoining the Friends', opened in 1825 ; a small one at the Almshouse on Tower Hill; the Pine Grove cemetery on Boston street begun July 24, 1850, by a corporation and conveyed by them to the city January 2, 1854; and two Catholic cemeteries, St. Mary's on Lynnfield street, consecrated Nov 4, 1858, and St. Joseph's on Boston street, consecrated Oct. 16, 1879. All interments are now made in the last three, with the exception perhaps, in regard to some aged persons, who by permission are allowed to be laid beside their friends in the old yards. Pine Grove cemetery is under the charge of ten commissioners, elected by the City Council, two of whom are chosen each year, to serve for five years. List of Burials ©2006 K. Torp Genealogy Trails