Thursday, November 21, 2013

Where was he and is he?

One never knows what one will run across while browsing, and reading, at the NEHGS, or any like, site. I just ran across a map (The Essex Antiquarian - available via Google, pg 149) showing land owned by two cousins, Samuel Gardner and Abel Gardner, while looking at material for an entirely different search. The article was by Sidney Perley who was writing about Salem in 1700. Of course, Sidney is writing in 1900 or so, about 200 years after the fact.

---

We, earlier, had looked at a couple of topics: Where is Thomas? and Where was Thomas? In answer to the first, we can say that he's interned somewhere near the Peabody boarder in the Harmony Grove cemetery. In answer to the second, we'll have to say it depends. But, we know that he spent some time in the area near where the Essex Institute is now.

---

Lower part of Peabody,
Google (left), Perley (right)
The image shows a Perley map and a Google map side by side (somewhat oriented the same). I have marked three places on the maps for reference (Mill Pond, Burial Place, Gardner's Hill). It is about 3 miles (crow distance) from the Gardner's Hill to Mill Pond.

The Perley map is quite nice and would overlay very well if I could get a precise rotation (too, there have been a lot of changes in 100 years). Perley's writeup is based upon records and is the 9th in a series that ought to be part of the bibliography (right now, the only Perley document that we have sourced is based at The University of Virginia).

Both Samuel and Abel are grandsons (as such, they were first cousins) of Thomas and Margaret. Samuel is George's son. Abel is Samuel's son. Abel, and his wife, Sarah Porter, were buried near Thomas and were moved. The part owned by Abel had been owned by Thomas, originally.

Remarks:      Modified: 05/16/2019

03/28/2014 -- See Vol. IV, No. 1 for a discussion of the movement from Cape Ann to Salem.

03/12/2015 -- Dr. Frank's 1933 book (pg. 22) does not mention the move.

08/17/2015 -- Response to Wikipedia change that questions the move(?).

11/13/2018 -- With a new twist, as bodies and stones were also moved to the Trask site. Add in Sidney Perley's map of Gardner Hill.

05/16/2019 -- The map that compares Sidney's walk-about with Google is way off. That is because I was looking at landmarks and not paying attention to details, like distance. So, see this update: How close is close ? II. Here is the updated graphics.
Oh yes, we are now honing into the area. 

No comments:

Post a Comment