Featured Gravestone – Jane Wendell

Section:  Dutch Reformed

Material:  Brown sandstone

A small stone with a heavy amount of lichen on the surface.  Carving is partly obscured by the lichen, but otherwise legible.  Bottom of stone was broken, possibly at time of transfer.

Inscription:  In memory of Jane Wendell daughter of John and Cathalina Wendell who departed this life November 24, 1795 aged 1 year, 9 months and 21 days.

She was the daughter of John H. Wendell

Featured Gravestone – Mary and Pamelia Pells

Section:  Garretson Methodist Episcopal Church

Material:  White marbl

A double stone, there is a complete diagonal break beginning at the top between the two halves and continuing downward through Mary’s half of the stone.   Upper part of Mary’s section is also partly embedded in the earth.  Stone has darkening from exposure, but text is generally legible.

Inscription:  In Memory of Pamelia C. Pells who died Sept. 30 1831 aged 2 years 2 months.  In Memory of Mary J. Pells who died Oct 1, 1831 aged 9 months.  Gone is the flowers sweet buds of early spring Thy ruthless Death cold finger rudely press’d Yet ah grim tyrant pointless is thy sting They fading fell to ripen with the blest.  Parents to you this cheering hope is given They sank to Earth to freshly bloom in Heaven.

The stone makes no mention of the parents’ names, however, burial records show an Ebenezer Pells, age twenty-six, also buried in this lot.  He died approximately seven months after these two little girls and the epitaph from his widow is written in a similar tone to that of these children making it possible that he was the father of Pamelia and Mary.

Featured Gravestone – Martha J. Ross Tuger

Section:  Lutheran Ebenezer Church

Material:  White marble

Stone lies at the end of a row and at a slight angle to it.  Edges are partially embedded in the earth with usual darkening and some chipping.  Inscription is legible, though the first line of smaller text is somewhat faint.  Very stylized willow and urn motif.

Inscription:  To the memory of Martha J. Ross wife of John F. Tuger born in the city of Banbridge, County Down Ireland March 20, 1825 died April 3, 1850.  Frederick Richard their son died Aug 7 1850 aged 4 months & 14 days.

Martha’s husband, John F. Tuger, was a native of Germany who worked as a cabinetmaker in Massachusetts and Albany.  Following the death of his wife and son, John Tuger relocated to Michigan and, later, to St. Louis where he was later described as “one who stood high in the esteem of all, not only as a business man, but as an energetic, progressive citizen.”  He remarried while in Michigan; his second wife, Christina Wagner, was born in Bavaria.  By his second wife, he had three children. John F. Tuger died on November 4, 1900.

Featured Gravestone – Thomas Martin

Section:  Garretson Methodist Episcopal

Material:  White marble

Plain stone with darkening, only minor wear to edges and generally legible inscription.  Some spotting from lichen near top edge.

Inscription:  In memory of Thomas Martin who died July 23, 1844, aged 49 years.

City directories show a Thomas Martin, a laborer residing at 11 Liberty Street around the time of his death.

Featured Gravestone – Thomas B. Heermans

Section:  First Presbyterian

Material:  White marble

Bottom edge of stone is embedded in the ground below the last line of the inscription.  Inscription is deeply carved and very legible.  Upper portion of the stone features an open book (likely the Bible) with a saw-tooth border above and fan-shaped insets in the upper corners.  Some darkening, but decorative carving is generally intact.

Inscription:  In memory of Thomas B. Heermans who died April 4 A.D. 1830 aged 33 years 6 months

Heermance was, along with Erastus Corning, Joel Rathbone, and John T. Norton, a partner in a firm which offered hardware and cutlery, as well as stoves and iron sheet work to order.  About a month before his death, a notice appeared in the Albany Argus which announced the dissolution of the firm Rathbone, Heermans, & Company by “mutual consent.”  The company retained the same name for some time after under the sole leadership of Rathbone.

Featured Gravestone – John Alden

Section:  First Universalist

Material:  White marble

Rectangular stone with incised border.  Some chipping around edges, including upper corners.  Darkened surface, but inscriptions is legible.

Inscription:  John Alden Born at Claremont N.H. Dec 20, 1809 Died at Albany June 16, 1845 An Honest Man

City directories published shortly before his death list one John Alden as a brickmaker residing at 383 Lydius Street (now Madison Avenue).

Featured Gravestone – Ruth Mead

Section:  Garrstson Methodist Episcopal Church

Material:  White marble

A small stone, probably truncated during its transfer.  Darkened surface and some wear to inscription.

Inscription:  Ruth Mead died 1843

This plain stone gives very little information on the deceased;  her age and date of death are not provided.  The surname Mead was fairly common in Albany at the time and this woman appears several times on newspaper lists of individuals with letters or other mail awaiting them at the Albany post office.

Featured Gravestone – Augustus Winfield Thayer

Section:  Baptist

Material:  White marble

A very simple rectangular slab with the upper left corner broken and darkening of surface.   Inscription is legible.

Inscription:   Died July 14th, 1840 Augustus Winfield Son of Isaac & Mary Thayer aged 7 years 8 months & 12 days. When blooming youth is snatched away By death’s relentless hand Our hearts the mournful tribute pay Which pity must demand.

The Albany Argus carried the sad details of the boy’s accidental death:

Shocking Accident – A child of 6 or 7 years of age, the son of Mr. Isaac Thayer, deputy sheriff, was killed almost instantly yesterday afternoon at the turner’s shop of Mr. Stevens, in Howard Street.  The lad was at play in the shop, when by some means he removed the support to some heavy timber, which fell and crushed him in a most shocking manner.  He was taken up alive, but died in a few minutes.

A subsequent death notice also mentions that he was the Thayer’s youngest son and that the timber fell from a lathe.  His funeral was held at his parents’ house at 64 Howard Street.  The site of his death was the shop of Peter D. Stevens at 50 Howard Street.

 

Featured Gravestone – Henry Cuyler

Section:  St. Peter’s Episcopal

Material:  Sandstone

Heavily discolored stone with large lichen patches.  Most edges are embedded in the soil.  Inscription is generally legible despite the darkened and lichen.

Inscription:  This Tomb is erected over the remains and in memory of Henry Cuyler, Esq.  Late of Green Bush Who departed this life Feby. 5th 1803 Aged 67 years 5 months & 10 days

Henry Cuyler, Esq., a merchant and British sympathizer during the Revolution, is profiled by the Colonial Albany project.  His biography can be found here.

 

Featured Gravestone – Gerret Roseboom

Section:  Dutch Reformed

Material:  Sandstone

Stone has some chipping along edges, surface is darkened, and there is some lichen.  Soul effigy is in very good shape compared to similar stones and inscription is very legible.  Distinctive soul effigy features a full-faced cherub with detailed hair, large wings, and ruffled collar.

Inscription:  In Memory of Garret Roseboom who died July 7, 1787 Aged 54 years and 3 months.

Gerret Roseboom, born in January 1732, is identified in various records as an Indian trader and constable in Albany.  In 1767, he married Elsje Roseboom.  They had no children.  He was buried in the Dutch Reformed burial ground on July 12, 1787.   Elsje survived him by at least a year as she appears on subsequent census records.