Tombstone Tuesday ~ One stone for seven children

This tombstone was photographed at the Old Bedford Cemetery, Bedford, New Hampshire

Memento mori

ERECTED

In memory of Seven

Children 2 sons and 4

Daughters of Mr. John

Bell & Mrs Sarah his wife

Mary Died Febr. 26th, 1756

Aged one year 9 months & 8 days

David died Decr. 29th 1756

Rebekah died Octr 6th 1758, Aged 

A few days

James Born & died Sept 1st 1759

Isaac died Sept 8th 1763 Aged

three years

Sarah died April 29th 1766

Aged one year 6 months & 7 days

Rachel Died August 30th 1777

Aged 15 years & 10 days

from The History of Bedford, New Hampshire, page 291

"BELL, John Bell, born in Ireland, came to Bedford, about 1736.  In 1739 he was followed by his wife, with four children, - John, Joseph, Mary and Susanna.  They lived for some time in a log house, in what is now called the "Old Orchard", and then moved to the "Thirds", so called...
     John, son of the above, born in Ireland, 1732; came with his mother to this town when seven years old.  He married Jane Carr, who soon died, without children.  He then married Sarah Bell, of Londonderry, and had eleven children- Joseph, John, Rachel, Susanna and Mary, the rest dying in infancy." 

On the tombstone the six children who died in infancy are listed, along with Rachel, who lived only to age fifteen, leaving only four who lived to adulthood.


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Heather Wilkinson Rojo, " Tombstone Tuesday ~ One stone for seven children", Nutfield Genealogy, posted August 4, 2015  ( http://nutfieldgenealogy.blogspot.com/2015/07/tombstone-tuesday-one-stone-for-seven.html:  accessed [access date]).