Clifton Burying Ground

Clifton Burying Ground

Sign on Golden Hill Street
Details
Established 1675
Location Newport, Rhode Island
Country United States
Type Denominational (Quaker)
Owned by Private
Number of graves 168
Find a Grave http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=cr&GRid=9424693&CRid=810829&

The Clifton Burying Ground is an early colonial cemetery located in Newport, Rhode Island. It is a Quaker cemetery, and has the graves of four Rhode Island colonial governors.

Description

The Clifton Burying Ground is located in Newport, Rhode Island where Golden Hill Street bends and becomes Thomas Street. The cemetery is named for Thomas Clifton, who gave the land to the Society of Friends for a burial ground in 1675, though some who are presumably buried here died much earlier than that.[1] The cemetery has 168 known interments, including four colonial Rhode Island governors: Jeremy Clarke, Walter Clarke, William Wanton and Joseph Wanton.[1] There is an inscription in this cemetery for Governor John Wanton as well, but he has a marker in the Coddington Cemetery on Farewell Street, and that is where he is likely buried. Neither cemetery has a governor's grave medallion for him, while this cemetery has medallions for all four of the other governors.[1]

The person with the earliest death date buried here is Governor Jeremy Clarke, who died in January 1652, and who has a governor's medallion, but no tombstone.[2] If he is actually buried here, then he was likely moved from another location. The latest interment was for Sarah Howland who died in 1856.[1]

Image gallery

References

Bibliography

Online sources

Coordinates: 41°28′59″N 71°18′39″W / 41.48306°N 71.31083°W / 41.48306; -71.31083

This article is issued from Wikipedia - version of the Saturday, March 19, 2016. The text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike but additional terms may apply for the media files.