During the month of March there were seven recorded deaths and burials at the Presumpscot/Grand Trunk Cemetery. The oldest recorded death, 214 years ago is that of Simon Davis, born in Paxton, Massachusetts on September 2, 1765, and died at the age of 44 years, in East Deering Village on March 17, 1810. Simon Davis was a veteran of the Revolutionary War and the grandfather of a Massachusetts Governor.
Over the course of this project to retain the memory of men, women and children who lived and died in this area of Portland, only 47 names survive in record of the nearly 200 burials that took place.
Today we raise up these individuals to be remembered for adding, by their lives, to the history of a place and long ago time.
Two hundred years ago, two young people died this month. Warren Small, born April 21, 1804, died at the age of 19 years, shortly before his 20th birthday on March 1, 1824. On March 25, 1824, 23 years old Nancy Merrill died. Unfortunately, very little is known about how or why this young man and woman died, at what some would regard, as the prime of their lives.
Two hundred and six years ago. Lieut. Crispus Graves, a veteran of the Revolutionary War, who was born c, 1742, died at the age of 76 on March 14, 1818. Two other members of his family also died in the month of March.
Abigail Graves Sawyer, Lieut. Graves oldest daughter was born on August 13, 1765, and died at the age of 88 years on March 10, 1848. His namesake, and grandson, Crispus Graves was born c. 1816 and died at the age of 63 years old on March 15, 1879.
Finally, one hundred and thirty-four years ago, Elizabeth Ann Sawyer Frank died on March 14, 1890 at the age of 70 years old.
It is my hope that readers will search through the posted pages of this blog to read more about these individuals. The post from March 2023 contains additional information about these seven men and women.
.JPG)
