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Subject: [GM-L] Mystery Death at Groton, Mass - WHO WAS SHE?
Date: Sat, 9 Feb 2002 20:49:05 EST

Subject: Groton Woman Shot, Accidentally, Sept, 1723

Here is the item which appeared in The Boston News Letter Oct 3, 1723:

"We are informed from Groton, [Mass.] that a man, his wife and two children
died there of
a fever in one week" [see 1723 graveststones below]

The article goes on to say

"And, that a woman of that Place went to one of her neighbors for something
in a chest
there, on whch lay two pistols, loaded. The woman of the house took them off
and gave
them to the other, while she opened the chest; and stooping down to take out
what she
wanted, one of the pistols went off in the woman's hand, and shot her
neighbor through
the head, of which she died in a few days."

There are only 4 tombstones for 1723 at the Old Burying Ground, Groton, Mass.
and they
are as follows:

Tombstone
Death's Head
"Here lyes ye Body of Hannah Stone Who Deceasedd Sept ye 27th, 1723 in ye
25th Year
of Her Age."

Adjoining tombstones

Death's Head
Here Lyes ye Body of Isaac Stone Who Deceased Sept ye 30th 1723 in ye 27th
Year of His
Age.

Next to it is:

Tombstone
Death's Head
"Here Lyes ye Body of Lydia Stone Who Dec'd Sept. ye 30th 1723 in ye 16th
year of her
Age.
Dr. Green notes that these 3 young people were children of Deacon Simon and
Sarah
[Farnsworth} Stone.
The only other tombstone at the Old Buring Ground at Groton for the year 1723
is:

Tombstone
Death's Head
"Here Lyes Buried the Body of Jonas Prescott Esq., Who deceased December ye
31st
1723 Aged 76 Years"

[The son of John Prescott & Mary Platts, born at Lancaster in June, 1648]

Now who could the woman shot by accident be?????
Transcribed by Janice Farnsworth

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