Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1860-07-13
lQortcstet DalIp spp.
QUINCY CHURCH AND CHURCHYARD.
BY REV. A. ID. FULLER.

IN arms VINO trlumphd, arts eNcelled
Chiefs sraced with scars and prodigal OF blood:
Stern patriots who for sacred freedom stood;
Just men, by whom impartial laws were given
And saints who taught and led the way to Heaven"
The call of duty led us to spend one of the
sweet Sabbaths of May in the venerable town
OF Quincy. This town formed originally a
ysoftion OF Braintree, and had early been call.
ed by by popular usage "Mount Wollaston,"
in honor OF Captain Woaston, one of the first
settlers in 1925. Braintree was incorporated
Ill I64O, and in 1892, this part of Old Braintree
was set off by the General Court, and called
Quincy, in just reverence for the name and
fame OF a patriotic family, who first settled
there, and whose name is yet preserved un.
dimmed by the venerable eX-president of
Harvard University, Josiah Quincy, and his
son, who make this town their country resi-
dence, during the summer months.
At an early hour we wendell our way to the
ancient churchyard, which contains the hon.
ored dust of some whose names are iustrious
IN the annals OF our country. This church
is better kept, its memorials in better preser
walton than any other bural-place with which
we are familiar in this commonwealth
bold, substantial, but plain granite shaft,
first attracted our notice, and should indeed,
first be mentioned here as erected to one of
the first patriots in the American cause, and
who contributed not little to its success
lutionary struggle. Yes, on this shaft is the
name OF Josiah Quincy, in honor of whom the
town was named. He died in 1775 His wife,
Abigail Quincy, lies by his side, having de-
ceased in 1898. The monument commence
rates them both, and has this eloquent nscrp-
ton which struck our mind most torcby, aye,
and touched the heart, too, in reading.
Stranger -
In contemplating this monument as the frail
twill hut, ,,,fG ioI H., al a.
''Glows thy bold breast with patriotic flame
Let his example point the path of fame;
Or seeks thy heart, averse from public STRIFE
The milder graces of domestic life?
Her kindred virtues let the soul revere
And DER the BEST OF MOTHERS drop tearn
Could there be nobler, more touching in
scription than this 1t has rung our brain
and thrilled our art-strings every day since
we read it.
In the same churchyard, we found also the
ministerial tomb of the First Congregational
(Unitaran) Church, and in this sleeps the ven
Grated dust of John Hancock, father of the
lllustrlous patriot OF the same name and also
the remains of several others of the ministers
of this ancient society. Quincy has indeed
been the birth place of some most world noted,
and world honored men-Hancock was born
here in 1884, Josiah Quincy in IVA, John
Adams in 1857. What constellation OF pa
triots, whose light yet shines though all but
one Of them have seen "the last of the earth"
One Or two other monuments here, deserve
mention.
In this burial ground are four monuments,
erected by president John Adams, in honor of
his ancestors. They arr solid, simple struc
lures of granite. We copy one inscription,
very characteristic of the times and of its wri-
ter -
I'm MEMORY OF
HENRY ADAMS,
Who took his flight from the Dragon persecution in
DevOnshire i'll England. and alighted, with eight
sons, near Mount Wollaston. One of the sons re-
turned to England; and after taking time to explore
the Country, four removed to Medfeld and the
neighboring towns; two to Chelmsford. One only,
Joseph, who lies here at his left hand, remained
here, who was an original proprietor in the town.
ship of Braintree, incorporated in the year 1893.
This stone and several others have been placed in
this yard by great-great-grandson, from venera-
ton of the pety, humility, simplicity, prudence pa
thence, temperance, trugality, industry, and peIse
verance of his ancestors in hopes of recommending
an imitation of their virtues to their posterity."
A lofty granite shaft bears also the simple
memento OF true and useful man, recently
gone to the better land, in these words =
sFREEMAN HUNT,
Born in Quincy, March 81, 1904,
Died in Brooklyn, n. Y, March 3 1852
Of different character, much, from any of
these, and telling sad, mournful, and warn.
ing story of delusion and folly, is plain head.
stone to the memory of two young persons,
who committed suicide in Quincy under the
fanaticism of this era. The story was a 70.
mantle one, and excited much commiseration
at the time. The inscription reads substan.
TALLY thus: =
Erected to the memory
of
John Il. Grieve died Nov. 70, 1858,
aged y;
and
Hannah Banks, his wife, died Nov. u, 1858,
aged Is,
both of GAINESVILLE, Ohon
But by this time the noble bell of the Uni
tartan Church pealed forth its invitation to the
house Of prayer, and We were not slow IN
needing its summons. This bell can be dis
tinctly heard a distance OF seven miles. 1t
weighs 3012 pounds, The church itself, or
temple, as it is usually called, is, to our mind,
the most satisfactory specimen Of church ar
chitecture with which we are acquainted in
New England, out OF Boston. 1t is built of
solid Quincy granite, has a noble porch and
columns, vaulted roof, and all in harmonious
proportion. Substantial in fabric, it yet is not
gloomy, and inspires soemnity unmingled
with sadness.
One great attraction to us to enter this
church, in addition to the usual service of the
day was, that beneath ii, sleeps the dust of
John Adams, John Quincy Adams, and Rev.
William p. Lunt, the two first so well known
to fame, and the latter, a clergyman, poet
and orator of no mean repute. Yes,
" Here lie the statesman and the man of God
And therein silence till the judgment day
The orator whose allpersuasiye tongue
Had moved the nation with resistless sway.n
The remains of President John Adams and
of Abigail his wife, lie entombed under the
portcO of this church. In a letter addressed
in 1926, by Mr.. j. Q. Adams to Thomas
Greenleaf and Others, supervisors of the tenn
pie and school fund, given by John Adams to
the town Of Quincy, is this proposal IL pro-
pose that when the Congregational society in
this town shall determine to commence the
erection of the temple, they should adopt
resolution authorizing you to conclude with
me an agreement, whereby at my expense, a
vault or tomb may be constructed, under the
temple, wherein may be deposited the mortal
remains of John Adams, and of Abigail his
beloved and only wife" In accordance with
this request OF Mr.. Adams there was con.
veyed to him by indenture, "portoH of the
soil in the cellar, situated under the porch at
the entrance Of the said temple, and partition
ed off by walls, being the central division Of
said cellar under the porch, and containing
fourteen feet in length and fourteen i'll
breadth" BY the same indenture liberty
was granted to affix to any part of the walls
OF inc temple, tablets with obituary inscrip.
lions Accordingly, on the east end of the
ediilce, at the side OF the pulpit, a mural Alon.
ument was erected, surmounted by bust of
John Adams, sculptured by Greenough.
On the tablets, beneath the bust, are inscrip
tionS 10 the memory of the elder President
Adams, aud his wife. We copy the closing
portion.
Married 25th Oct 1894
during an union of more than half n
century,
They survived, in harmony of sentiment
principle, and affection,
The tempests of civil commotion.