East Parish Burying Ground, Newton, MA (Centre Street Cemetery)

First Settlers Monument

The following quote from the 1854 Jackson(1) Book tells some History of the monument:

Page 73: “In September, 1852, a marble monument [First Settlers Monument] was erected near the centre of the first acre of land, given by John Jackson, Senior, upon the spot where the first Meeting house was erected, in 1660. Upon one side of the monument the names of the earliest settlers of the town are

inscribed, with the date of their settlement, time of their decease, and their  ages; upon the other sides of the monument are inscriptions to the memory of the first Minister, the first ruling Elder, and the donors of the burying place. It was erected by forty-three of the descendants of those whose settlement and memory it commemorates.”

“At its foundation were deposited some historical facts, in a printed pamphlet, sufficient to illustrate three historical\epochs of the town, namely: its first settlement, in 1639; the ordination of its first Minister, in 1664; its separation from Cambridge, and organization as an independent town, in 1679.”

 

(1) Francis Jackson, History of the Early Settlement of Newton, County of Middlesex, Massachusetts: From 1639 to 1800 – With a Genealogical of its Inhabitants prior to 1800, “of Boston, a Native of Newton”, Boston: Printed by Stacy And Richardson, 1854

 

The Inscription on the Monument:

North Side

Dea. John Jackson
gave one acre of land
for this Burial Place
and First Church,
which was erected
upon this spot in 1660.

———————

Abraham Jackson,
son of Dea. John,
gave one acre,
which two acres form the
old part of this Cemetery.
Died June 29, 1740
Æ 75.

———————

Edward Jackson
gave 20 acres
for the Parsonage, in 1660,
and 31 acres for the
Ministerial Wood Lot,
in 1681.
His widow Elizabeth
Died Sept. 1709 Æ 92.”

East Side

Rev. John Eliot Jr.,
first Pastor of
the First Church
ordained July 20, 1664.

————–

His widow married
Edmond Quincy
of Braintree died in 1700.

————–

His only daughter
married John Bowles Esq.
of Roxbury
and died May 23, 1687.

————–

His only son John
settled in Windsor,
Connecticut, when he
died in 1733,
leaving a son John
a student in Yale College.

East Base:

Erected Sep 1, 1852
BY DESCENDENTS OF THE FIRST SETTLERS.

South Side

“Thomas Wiswall
ordained Ruling Elder
Jul 20, 1664
His sons
Enoch of Dorchester,
died Nov 28, 1706 Æ 73.

——————-

Rev. Ichabod,
Minister of Duxbury
30 years
Agent of Plymouth
Colony in England 1690,
died Jul 23, 1700 Æ 63.

——————–

Capt. Noah, of Newton,
an Officer in the
expedition against Canada.
Killed in Battle with the
French and Indians
July 6, 1690 Æ 50,
leaving a son Thomas.

———————-

Ebenezer, of Newton,
died June 21, 1691 Æ 45.

South Base:

J.B. JEPSON, Newton Corner, Maker.

West Side
[settled date in Newton, died, Æ]

John Jackson
1639 1674
Samuel Hyde
1640 1689 79
Edward Jackson
1643 1681 79
John Fuller
1644 1698 87
John Parker
1650 1686 71
Richard Park
1647 1665
Jonathan Hyde
1647 1711 85
Thomas Prentice
1649 1710 89
Vincent Druce
1650 1678
Thomas Hammond
1650 1675
John Ward
1650 1708 82
Thomas Wiswall
1654 1683
Thomas Prentice, 2nd
1650
James Prentice
1650 1710 81
John Kenrick
1658 1686 82
Isaac Williams
1661 1708 69
Abraham Williams
1662 1712 84
James Trowbridge
1664 1717 81
John Spring
1664 1717 87
John Eliot
1664 166833

West Base:

First settlers of Newton,
Times of their Settlement and
Deaths, with their ages.