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Middlesex County, New Jersey Gravestones 1687-1799: Shadows of a Changing Culture W&M ScholarWorks Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects Theses, Dissertations, & Master Projects 1991 Middlesex County, New Jersey Gravestones 1687-1799: Shadows of a Changing Culture. Richard Francis Veit College of William and Mary Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarworks.wm.edu/etd Part of the American Studies Commons Recommended Citation Veit, Richard Francis, "Middlesex County, New Jersey Gravestones 1687-1799: Shadows of a Changing Culture." (1991). Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects. Paper 1593092166. https://dx.doi.org/doi:10.21220/m2-xcc7-qj24 This Thesis is brought to you for free and open access by the Theses, Dissertations, & Master Projects at W&M ScholarWorks. It has been accepted for inclusion in Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects by an authorized administrator of W&M ScholarWorks. For more information, please contact [email protected]. MIDDLESEX COUNTY NEW JERSEY GRAVESTONES 1687-1799 SHADOWS OF A CHANGING CULTURE A Thesis Presented to The Faculty of the Department of Anthropology The College of William and Mary in Virginia In Partial Fulfillment Of the Requirements for the Degree of Master of Arts by Richard Francis Veit Jr. 1991 APPROVAL SHEET This thesis is submitted in partial fulfillment the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts Richard Veit Approved, May 1991 Dr. Norman Barka Dr. Kathleen Bragdon Dr. Theodore Reinhart TABLE OF CONTENTS Page TABLE OF CONTENTS....................................... iii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS......................................... iv LIST OF GRAPHS/MAPS..................................... V ABSTRACT.................................................. vi INTRODUCTION..............................................2 CHAPTER I. CULTURAL AND HISTORICAL BACKGROUND.......... 6 A. Diverse Ethnicities.............................. 6 B. Settlement Patterns.............................. 11 C. Religious Factors................................ 13 CHAPTER II. GRAVESTONE STUDIES IN RETROSPECT............ 17 CHAPTER III. THEORY AND METHODOLOGY..................... 30 A. Theoretical Influences...........................30 B . Methodo logy...................................... 32 CHAPTER IV. THE GRAVESTONE FROM QUARRY TO GRAVEYARD 45 CHAPTER V. CARVERS AND THEIR SYMBOLS................... 50 A. The Stones...................................... 50 B. Inscriptions.................................... 70 CHAPTER VI. INTRA-REGIONAL ANALYSIS.................... 72 A. Perth Amboy Capitol of a Colony................. 72 B. Woodbridge, New England Transplanted........... 77 C. Piscatawaytown "Surrounded by the Terrors of Geneva"....................... 89 D. New Brunswick "A Pretty Little Town"............ 107 CHAPTER XI. SHADOWS OF CULTURE.........................123 A. Ethnicity and Settlement......................124 B. Religion....................................... 126 C. Trade.......................................... 130 D. Status......................................... 132 E. Conclusions.................................... 133 BIBLIOGRAPHY............................................ 137 APPENDIX KEY............................................ 144 APPENDIX A .............................................. 154 APPENDIX B .............................................. 187 PLATE INDEX............................................. 212 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS This thesis is dedicated to my late father, who years ago showed me the stones in the old Samptown Graveyard. While I'm sure he never thought I would get this interested in them, he showed me how important the past is, and how much fun it can be. I would also like to thank my mother and brother for their continuous support, and patience in dealing with my endless discussions of gravestones. My friends weren't spared these discussions either so to Terri, Steve and everyone else I say, thanks for listening. A number of individuals also provided valuable information and help with the research. I thank Peter Primavera and Donald Sinclair who helped me locate some of the old gravestones of Middlesex County. Charles Bello put me in touch with the Association for Gravestone Studies which helped immensely. The Association itself proved to be very helpful, and helped me contact a number of people including Gaynell Stone, Richard Welch and Daniel Slater, who were able to answer some of my endless questions. Rebecca Yamin was a great help, providing me with information about Raritan Landing, and Middlesex County's colonial trade in general. Also thanks to my professors, especially Dr. Barka and my thesis committee for their help and support. Perhaps those deserving the most thanks are the graveyard caretakers, who over the years have maintained the old cemeteries. Without them this thesis would have been impossible, and one of the few artifacts available to everyone to study and admire would have been lost. LIST OF TABLES/MAPS GRAPHS Page 1. Graph of iconographic change in St. Peter's Churchyard.............................................77 2. Graph of iconographic change in Woodbridge, First Presbyterian Churchyard.........................89 3. Graph of iconographic change in Piscatawaytown Baptist Churchyard................................... 107 4. Graph of iconographic change in Three Mile Run Graveyard............................................ 123 MAPS Map A ...................................................... 15 Map B ...................................................... 16 v MIDDLESEX COUNTY NEW JERSEY GRAVESTONES 1687-1799 ABSTRACT This study examined the seventeenth and eighteenth century gravestones of Middlesex County, New Jersey in an attempt to correlate diversity of design with cultural heterogeneity. The County, straddling the banks of the navigable portion of the Raritan River, saw a multi-linear evolution of gravestone designs during this period. Three basic patterns of iconographic change were observed. In some towns, the stones underwent a direct evolution from cherubs to a monogram design. However, in the north central part of the study area, Piscataway Township and Metuchen, early eighteenth century rosette and circle designs were replaced by cherubs in the 1740's, and in turn to monograms at the end of the century. The final form of evolution, which occurred in the eastern part of the County, is much like that observed in New England. The first stones were predominantly of a winged skull design, changing to cherubs in the 1760's, which were replaced by monograms, and urns by the century's end. The iconography of Middlesex County seems to be closely tied to trade networks, settlement by diverse ethnic and religious groups, the status of the deceased as well as overarching religious change. vi While gravestone carving developed early in the eighteenth century in New Jersey, the Raritan River's position as an artery of commerce for much of central New Jersey led to an early emphasis on imported stones. Imported gravestones may have been a status symbol representing not only the individual's position in the community, but their access to imported goods. Gravestones themselves seem to have been status indicators. While the tremendous ethnic diversity of the County was not well reflected in iconographic change, preference for certain carvers, and in some cases stones inscribed in Dutch did reflect ethnicity. The effects of the Great Awakening, a phenomenon which had a large local impact seems to have had little iconographic influence. However, the advent of monogram designs at the end of the eighteenth century seem to indicate a new-found importance of the individual, probably linked to the emergent doctrine of universal salvation. Ties between religious groups also appear to have influenced stone styles. The distributions of gravestones in Middlesex County provides insights into many aspects of the region's changing culture in the eighteenth century, which cannot be easily adressed using any other artifact. Richard Francis Veit Jr. DEPARTMENT OF ANTHROPOLOGY THE COLLEGE OF WILLIAM AND MARY IN VIRGINIA vii MIDDLESEX COUNTY NEW JERSEY GRAVESTONES 1687-1799 INTRODUCTION The seventeenth and eighteenth century gravestones of Middlesex County, New Jersey are uniquely diverse. In fact, there is probably a greater variety of gravestones in this small area, approximately 312 square miles, located at the central waist of New Jersey than anywhere else in the state. Though few of the motifs carved on the stones are novel, the proportions and distribution of the stones is quite unusual, as is the amazing stylistic variation within the county. The purpose of this thesis is to delineate the temporal and spatial patterns among the gravestones of colonial Middlesex County and, if possible, elucidate the cultural factors which determined these patterns. In a sense this thesis is the result of a single question, "Where are the skulls?", and the search for its answer. Most archaeologists are familiar with Deetz and Dethlefsen's superb seriation study of New England gravestones, as presented in, their article, "Death's Head, Cherub, Urn and Willow" (Deetz and Dethlefsen 1967). This thesis began as an attempt to replicate their study in Piscataway, New Jersey. Deetz and Dethlefsen had concluded that a shift in New England's religious attitudes in the mid­ eighteenth century, caused by the Great Awakening, led to a 3 shift in gravestone iconography from skulls to cherubs, followed by a second movement in the late eighteenth century to urns and willows. Piscataway was settled as early as 1666, by New England immigrants,
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