The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1899-09-06
IS CON YENING In THIS CITY


4 mp 40 tiiS hliillu WILLIE q SOltlliliisy w
coming the repository of the dead.
Heretofore interments had been made
in rows indiscriminately, regardless OF
families, on the principle of first come
first served"
In 1877 a charter of incorporation was
obtained from the general assembly of
the state of Connecticut, under the
corporate name of THE Proprietors of
the New Burial Ground in New Ha-
ven," but in after years the corporate
name was changed to THE Proprietors
of the New Haven City Burial
Ground, as it stands to-day.
The provisions of it's charter author
| lie the corporation to elect one member
Of it's number, the City of New Haven
to select another, and the third to be
| the clerk, ex-officio, as sits standing
committee" who have the charge of it's
funds and the whole care of the
grounds, and to so continue in office UNI
til their successors are elected.
To me this is a very interesting coin
cidence, covering as it does just the Pc
Rod of century, and during all that
| period there have been only five clerks,
the speaker being chosen to that office
| at its close. Our predecessors all did
we'll their part may our successors be
able to say the same of our admnistra-
ton.
| In the planning and laying out of the
| grounds, the corporation gratuitously
gave each religious denomination and
its clergyman burial plot, also gave
one TO the president and fellows of Yale
college. 1t also set apart about an
| 1o,+ nf 1o,, tA I,o
field, place of burial for strangers and
for people of color, there being quite
| goodly number of the latter at that
time, and you may be surprised to
know that here in old Connecticut some
| were slaves.
From time to time additions Of land
were made, so that the present area Is
now eighteen acres. Family plots were
| laid out, 1Sx30 feet, and sold from four
| to ten dollars each. This corporation
never was a money making affair, but
was laid out pure and simple as a fam
lily burial place
In the year 1921 the monuments and
| stones of the old burial ground were
transferred to Grove street cemetery,
and a public service concentrating
| the act was held, June Goth, of that year
| in the Center church, before great
| concourse assembled. Owners of burial
| plots then placed their family memorial
! stones in their respective plots the re-
mafnder are arranged alphabetically
around its northern and western walls.
The interest which our citizens took
in this enterprise never tagged, and the
amount of money raised was commen-
surate with the times The year 1S41
witnessed the completion of an eight
foot stone wall, with towers, erected on
three sides, at an expense of $1,000; an
iron palisade fence on the front at
cost of $4,000. In the year 1916 an
Egyptian gateway, costing $1,000 was
erected, thus concentrating the entire
work, the corner stone Of which was
laid with appropriate ceremonies in
July of that year.
In 1870, by special act of the general
assembly of the state, the proprietors
were empowered to contract with the
owners of burial plots for their perpet-
ual care, and herewith we beg leave to
submit such form as the standing COM
mittee have adopted and in use at the
present time
In 1872 a chapel building was erected
at the entrance of the grounds, not as
ornamental as it is useful.
In the early days, in fact down to
1915 and even later, biers were in use
to carry the dead to place of sepul-
chre. After this period hearse was
brought into requisition and sexton
and hearse driver were appointed.
which practice was in vogue up to 1866
when the standing committee We're au-
thorized, by a special act of the general
assembly, to appoint grave diggers and
sections, or hearse drivers, as occasion
should require, and to fix their compen-
sation. Any HInterlopers" attempting
an interference We're subjected to a fine
of ten dollars, or Imprisonment in the
New Haven jail for term not exceed
ing sixty days. The association prob
ably owned their own hearse, and were
by these acts protecting their own in
terests. Whether this law still remains
on the statute books or not, l do not
know. but 1t is a dead letter if it does
In funeral professions | have myself |
seen the od-fashioned post stage |
coaches in line, public carriages then |
being very limited.
In speaking of the introduction Of the |
hearse, we are indebted to our former |
esteemed fellow citizen Amos Bos-
twick, Esq, (now of New York city,
who has been connected with Woodlawn
Cemetery associa ton over q quarter of
a century, for the following informa-
ton. He tells us the first hearse was a
crude, improvised affair, being simply
a set of wheels with platform Ono top)
wide enough to support coffin; black
pail was thrown over 1t; then 1t was
on to the vehicle, and in a
funeral cortege the horse was lead by
the sexton, Immediately followed by the
pall-bearers, the clergy and sometimes
the family physician on foot, wearing
emblems of mourning consisting of a
white linen plated scarf (the rule being
of sufficient quantity for two shirt pat
terns), The scarf was worn over the
right shoulder, crossing the breast and
back and at point just below the left
knee the two ends We're fastened with
a black ribbon or rosette. This scarf
was considered as a perquste Gf we
may so use the expression) for linen
in those days was worth
In many instances the GUS
tom of providing liberal libations Of
toddy" was not forgotten. Mr.. Bos- .
twick well remembers the procession in
the instance of the funeral of Ell Whit |