by JoAnn C.
Member since:
June 23, 2007

The Burying Point - Salem MA

October 25, 2009 11:34 AM EDT
views: 176 | comments: 31

Yesterday I visited Salem MA.  The Burying Point is the oldest cemetary in Salem which includes the grave of a Mayflower pilgram and John Hathorne of the Salem Witch Trials.

John Hathorne's grave

Richard More from the Mayflower

Richard More's wife

Various graves in the cemetary

 
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Comments: 31

I have been there, but it was night time before we stumbled across it, so we didn't get a good look. I went to Boston to visit a friend when I was 18, and we made a point to go to Salem for a day. I loved it there, and want to go back. So much history!
Kim M. Oct 25, 2009, 12:02pm EDT
nice photo essay
Monica H. Oct 25, 2009, 12:45pm EDT
Ewwww. Sort of creepy just in time for Halloween. Thanks for the photos.
Sherrie H. Oct 25, 2009, 1:06pm EDT
Wow - Iowa didn't even exist at this point in time.
JoAnne D. Oct 25, 2009, 1:24pm EDT
Awesome, the oldest grave I've ever seen was from the 1700's. I can't even remember the exact year.
Gul Dixon Oct 25, 2009, 1:57pm EDT
Very interesting essay. Thank you.
C C. Oct 25, 2009, 2:30pm EDT
beautiful old tombstones, thanks for showing us them
Larry H. Oct 25, 2009, 2:42pm EDT
old grave yard thanks for sharing.
vickey w Oct 25, 2009, 6:52pm EDT
WOW!!!! I love this kind of History and thanks so much... We have an old Civil War grave yard , a few miles from here.. It is in Harper's Ferry, where John Brown attacked the Arsenal, then was captured and buried in Charles town...
norman chambers Oct 26, 2009, 12:11am EDT
I have spent very little time in that part of the country,but I'd love to stroll some of those old graveyards,just to read the inscriptions. I did,however,get to spend seven years in Europe (five in England),and got to wander through some of the ancient Cathedrals where some of the rich and famous of the middle ages have their family crypts. Even though I never got to meet Queen Elizabeth I,or Shakespeare,I at least got to see where they decomposed.-Norman
JoAnn C. Oct 27, 2009, 10:33pm EDT
I have visited a couple of cemetaries in Europe. They are amazing. There are so many graves I would love to see.
Kat W. Oct 25, 2009, 8:39pm EDT
Great shots of a very old cemetery. Hopefully one day I can get up to Salem and see it in person.

Thank you for posting your photo at Sculpture, Statues and Headstones.
JoAnn C. Oct 25, 2009, 8:48pm EDT
If you do make it to Salem, let me know. I only live 2 1/2 hours away.
lynn a. Oct 25, 2009, 9:39pm EDT
I really like those unique headstones. This is so cool, and so perfect since we are so close to Halloween, although cemeteries do not frighten me.
KittyMommy2u W. Oct 25, 2009, 9:49pm EDT
Interesting history essay.
Cindy B. Oct 25, 2009, 11:09pm EDT
I would love to visit Salem =)
sunil m. Oct 26, 2009, 1:10am EDT
Thanks so much for showing us these old graves dating back to 1686...so much have happened in each of their lives....its History now !

A thought came to mind...........HISTORY gave us today..and our today..gives us tomorrows HISTORY.
Its our responsibility to ensure that it is GOOD HISTORY that we give the future generations to see..
sunil m. Oct 26, 2009, 1:13am EDT
Always like to use a name so return To Say Thanks so much JoAnne for.......
colleen m. Oct 26, 2009, 11:54am EDT
Thanks for sharing!
Randall C. Oct 26, 2009, 2:57pm EDT
Wow, that's great stuff JoAnn. Its too bad that the really old ones, are losing thier inscriptions.
Digital Diva S. Oct 27, 2009, 8:41am EDT
I 'd like to go back to Salem again. It was such a fun city/town to visit.

Richard More was a kid sent to America by his dad who could not take care of Richard and 2 or three other siblings. Richard was the only one in his family that made it to America. Can't even imagine how traumatic that would be for a child.
Talea J. Oct 28, 2009, 4:49am EDT
Fantastic old cemetery! A haven for genealogical research. I wonder if anyone has done a transcription survey?

Interesting note....I would assume that the John Hathorne mentioned is the great-great grandfather of Nathaniel Hawthorne, who changed his name by adding the W. This was purportedly done out of embarrassment due to John's participation in the Salem Witch Trials. Hathorne is depicted in not so pleasant a light in Arthur Miller's "The Crucible" and Benet's "The Devil and Daniel Webster." He is supposedly the only one who did not publicly repent his involvement in The Trials.
Alison H. Oct 28, 2009, 8:36pm EDT
A fascinating place! Thanks for sharing your pics.
Nurse Nancy S. Oct 28, 2009, 9:43pm EDT
I love old cemeteries. Years ago, we took the Girl Scouts to a local, old cemetery. They had a scavenger hunt with the graves. They had to find graves such as...a name of a local street, a drave over 100 years old, a grave of someone who was over 100 years when they dies, etc. It was quite an interesting venture.
Amanda "middle of nowhere" C. Oct 29, 2009, 8:55pm EDT
I wish I had been in your girl scout troop. We worked hard to earn the embroidery badge...
JoAnn C. Oct 29, 2009, 8:59pm EDT
We didn't do anything cool like that when I was in girl scouts.
Amanda "middle of nowhere" C. Oct 29, 2009, 8:54pm EDT
I'm so glad you got to go to Salem....especially this time of the year. I hope you had a wonderful time and wonderful weather. I look forward to hearing more about it. I love Salem.
Kimber L. Oct 31, 2009, 8:50pm EDT
This is a very interesting photo essay!
Roberta G. Oct 31, 2009, 9:20pm EDT
Great shots of the graveyard. Love those old headstones with their untold stories. Gotta get to Salem sometime soon - we live close as well.
Beth - Doing God's work Daily J. Nov 14, 2009, 5:35pm EST
Those are some great shots
Brian .. Nov 29, 2009, 1:35am EST
neat pictures. That would be an interesting place to go.

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