Smyrna times., 1926-11-17
CENTURY OLD GRAVES OPENED
Potter Family Remains Moved From
Private Burrying Ground to Mil
ford; Long Rested Potter Home

One hundred years ago it was Gus
tomary for families to inter their
dead in the shadow of the home. gen
orally in the yard about the front or
rear of the dwelling, says the Milford
Chronicle. This was especially usual
when the church cemeteries were far
distant, and in most of the old estates
on the peninsula this was generally
practiced. With the coming of incor-
porated cemeteries and improved
roads and automobiles, there has been
a slow but steady abandonment of the
private graveyards, and removal of
graves and tomb-markers from about
the homes, to the modern cemetery.
The property at the west side of
North Milford, now owned by George
II. Draper, Sr., and which was known
| as the "Parson Thorne" Mansion
tract, during the 18th Century, but
| during the last century as the "Ben-
Jamin Potter Home" and in more re-
cent years as the Henry B. Fiddeman
Farm, was the site of burial places
by some of the well-known families
of Delaware.
In stone-walled enclosure, near
the old residence on this farm, the
Claytons inferred several of their
family, but the State of Delaware
many years ago had the remains of
several of these removed to Dover,
where imposing monuments were
erected over them.
Nearer the back yard of the resi-
dence in the early part of 1914 the
family of Benjamin Potter, the crea-
tor of the Potter Estate in Kent coun-
ty, which was intended to be used to
help the INDECENT poor outside the
almshouse of Kent county, started to
inter their dead. The stones marking
the graves were not protected from
damaged for many years, other than
that afforded by a wooden fence, and
the changing time had relegated their |
burial place to obscurity from public
view or interest.
The Chancellor of Delaware is |
charged with the management of this |
particular estate and the condition of |
affairs having been brought to his at
tention, he directed the Superinten-
dent, James Harry Latchum, the |
State Senator-elect from Milford, in |
Kent county, to purchase burial lot |
in Odd Fellows Cemetery, in Milford,
and remove the graves, five in all, to |
that place.
This Senator Latchum has done, by |
carefully taking down the slabs and |
grave markers and what remains that |
could be found, and replacing them as
near like their former conditions, in |
the new site.
The graves removed by direction of
the Chancellor are as follows:
Colonel Benjamin Potter, who died |
October 21, 1845, aged about "a years.
Mrs. Elizabeth Potter, his wife, died
January 10, 1858, aged rs years.
Mrs. Maria Hall Williams, daugh-
ter of Colonel and Elizabeth Potter,
died May Is, 1914.
Edmond S. Potter, son of Colonel
and Elizabeth Potter, died February
8, 1888.
Dr. Benjamin Potter, nephew of
Colonel and Elizabeth Potter, died
May 8, 1858, aged 25 years.
III Replacing Lne graves, dIIenpL |
was made to have them present the
same appearance in every way and it
was well accomplished. The original
slabs, bricks, so far as possible, were
used, and the ideas as expressed by
the chancellor to keep the ancient ap-
pearance was the result.
The oldest property in Milford and
one that is landmark in the history
IF this part of Delaware, has under
gone the rehabilitation since it came
INTO the hands of Mr.. Draper, and
1ow that the graveyard at the back
ioor has been changed to more suit
lble place with citations to show the
acts; both will be far more valuable
% the public as well as individuals.