King's Chapel Burying Ground is a historic cemetery at King's Chapel on Tremont Street in Boston, Massachusetts and is the oldest cemetery in the city.
The burying ground was founded in 1630 as the first cemetery in the city of Boston. After being unable to locate land elsewhere, the local Anglican congregation was allotted land in the cemetery in 1686 to build a church. The burying ground is the site of the graves of many historical figures. It was Boston's only burial site for 30 years, and is a stop on the Freedom Trail.
Notable burials
- John Winthrop, first Puritan governor of Massachusetts
- William Dawes (disputed[1]), American Revolution hero
- Mary Chilton, Plymouth Pilgrim, first European woman to step ashore in New England
- Capt. Roger Clapp, member of the Ancient and Honorable Artillery Company of Massachusetts, died February 2, 1691, formerly lived at Dorchester[2] (Capt. Clapp's son Desire is also interred close by in King's Chapel Burying Ground)
- William Emerson (father of Ralph Waldo Emerson)
- Robert Keayne, first captain of the Ancient and Honorable Artillery Company of Massachusetts
- Dr. Comfort Starr, early Cambridge physician and a founder of Harvard College[3][4]
- Elizabeth Pain, whose headstone is traditionally considered the inspiration for Hester Prynne's in The Scarlet Letter
- John Cotton (Puritan), Puritan theologian
- John Davenport (Puritan), Puritan theologian
- John Oxenbridge, Puritan theologian
References
- ^ Fletcher, Ron (2005-02-25). "Who's buried in Dawes's tomb?". Boston Globe. http://www.boston.com/news/globe/ideas/articles/2007/02/25/whos_buried_in_dawess_tomb/.
- ^ The Clapp Memorial: Record of the Clapp Family in America, Ebenezer Clapp, David Clapp & Son, Boston, 1876
- ^ The New England Historical and Genealogical Register, Vol. LXIV, The New England Historic Genealogical Society, Henry Fitz-Gilbert Waters, Published by the Society, Boston, 1910
- ^ Dr. Starr's daughter Hannah was the wife of John Cutt, the first President of the Province of New Hampshire.
Image gallery
 William Dawes tomb. |
 Mary Chilton Winslow's burial spot in the Winslow Tomb. |
 John Winthrop's Tomb. |
 Tombstone of Dr. Comfort Starr and wife Elizabeth. |
 Illustration of King's Chapel as it appeared in 1720 |
 1833 engraving |
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