This week I thought I would concentrate on an entire cemetery instead of just one Ancestor who was buried there. Of course, it helps that almost everyone buried there is related! The Denison family appears to have been a prominent one in the town of Mystic Connecticut. Their land has become a 250-acre nature center and the family home has been placed on the National Register of Historic Places. The family cemetery, however, is hard to find, abandoned, and alone in the woods. Most of the markers are so badly worn that they are illegible, and many others are knocked over and broken.
Captain John Borrodell Denison was the first of his family to be born in Colonial America. Born on June 14, 1646, in Roxbury, Suffolk County, Massachusetts to George and Ann (Borrodell) Denison. John married Phoebe Lay on November 26, 1667. He died on April 26,1698. He was the first person buried on these grounds. Over 100 Denisons joined him here until the cemetery closed in the mid-1800s.
Inscription
Capt.
John Denison
Died 1698 Age 52
His Wife
Phebe Lay
Died 1699 Age 49
Brother of Capt. John Denison
Inscription
Inscription:
Here lies ye body
Of Lt. William
Denison who died
March ye 26, 1714
Aged 59 years.
This is the resting place of George Denison, grandson of Captain George and Ann.
Inscription
In Memory of
Capt. George Denison
who departed
this life
Oct.19,1777
in the 86th year of his age
There were so many Headstones to choose from I had a hard time deciding which ones to post. Each one is unique and worth remembering.
I am a professional genealogist, writer, photographer, wife, mother, and grandma. I have two books available on Amazon.com: Your Family History: Doing It Right the First Time and Planning Your Genealogy Research Trip. You can also connect with me via Facebook or Twitter.
Genealogy With Valerie 