Beth and I recently made a trip to Bridgewater, MA, just west of Plymouth. We visited the First Cemetery in Bridgewater and, with some looking, found the graves of my 6th-great-grandparents, Mary (Bowden) Washburn (1669-1747) and James Washburn (1672-1749).
Mary and James were married in 1693. James' father John Washburn emigrated to Plymouth from Bengeworth, England in about 1635. James' mother was Elizabeth Mitchell Washburn, a granddaughter of Mayflower passenger Francis Cooke. So there are two cool immigration stories. I have much more on the early Washburns at my other blog, paulstroble.wordpress.com
The 350th anniversary of James' birth was three years ago! May 15, 2022. So I'm glad I found his grave somewhat close in time to that occasion.
Mary and James' great-grandson David Washburn settled in Fayette County, IL in the 1830s, and with his wife Esther Griffith established the family there, yay. (I was born and raised in Vandalia and Fayette County.) My mom's maternal grandmother was a granddaughter of David and Esther.
This next picture is kind of spooky. The inscription reads, "REBECCA wife of John Washburn died about 1717. Her age is unknown. She was the first person buried in this yard." Find-a-Grave gives her birth date as 1645. Her husband John (1649-1719)--a brother of my ancestor James--is buried beside her. He was the one who donated the land for this graveyard. The interesting stone to the left, however, is another brother, Sgt. Samuel Washburn (1652-1720). Brothers John and Samuel fought in the King Philip's War.
Here are an unsorted variety of other stones--Washburns and others---in the cemetery.
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