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From: "Joan Slaughter" <>
Subject: [GM-L] Old Rehoboth Cemetery Inscriptions: WEST, PAYSON, COLVIN, HORTON, GIBBS, BOWEN
Date: Sat, 12 Aug 2000 22:50:38 -0400


While looking for my great-grandmother Alice CUNLIFFE and some missing ROCKCLIFFE and WEST relatives in Rehoboth Historical Cemetery #44 (Horton) in Rehoboth, MA, earlier this year, I came across the following headstone inscriptions. After seeing some recent HORTON inquiries on the list, it finally dawned on me (sometimes I can be a little slow...) to post these inscriptions to the list in case they can be of help to anyone. Except for putting commas at the end of each line of carving and quotation marks around the verse (if any) at the bottom of the stone, I've left the spelling, capitalization and punctuation as is.
BENJAMIN WEST, Born Sept. 30, 1807, Died Feb 5, 1887, Aged 79 years, 4 months & 5 days "Thou art gone, dear father, Thy toils and cares are o'er, And sorrow, pain and suffering [illegible] , Shall ne'er distress thee more."

LUCINDA PAYSON, Wife of Benjamin West, Born April 11, 1804, Died June 15, 1884, Aged 80 years, 2 mos & 1 day "A precious one from us is gone, A voice we loved is stilled, A place is vacant in our home, Which never can be filled."

J.D. COLVIN, 1842-1882, his wife ANN ELIZA WEST, 1845-1924, their son BENJAMIN W. COLVIN, 1866-____

LYDIA, wife of CROMWELL HORTON, died May 9, 1861 Aged 70 years. "Fold her, O Father, in thine arms And let her thenceforth be A messenger of love between Our human hearts and thee."

ELIZA WEST, Born April 29, 1803, Died March 1, 1899, Aged 95 years, 10 months. "Aunty has gone from her home In the spirit land to dwell But says God's will be done He doeth all things well."

MARTHA GIBBS, Wife of Benjamin West, Born June 23, 1780. Died Jan. 9, 1866. "Friends nor physicians could not save Her mortal body from the grave Nor can the grave contain her here When Christ doth call her to appear."

-- and off by itself, in a corner toward the back of the cemetery:

FREELOVE, Wife of Benjamin Bowen, Died Nov. 17, 1875, Aged 25 years & 7 months. "Dear wife, thou art gone but not forgotten." Also carved on the same stone: "BENJAMIN BOWEN, Died _______ Aged ________ years"

This cemetery also contains several known unmarked graves (and possibly unknown unmarked graves), as well as about a dozen small stones, about a foot high. Don't know if these are children or older graves. Will examine closely when next visiting.



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