KING'S CHAPEL BURYING GROUND.

This was known as the “burying-place” from the first settlement of Boston, 1630, and after the year 1660, the North burying-ground (Copps Hill), and the South burying-ground (Granary), were established, and the “burying-place ’’ was then known as the “old burying-place.” This ground is more interesting to the historical student than any of the other grounds of old Boston. Here were buried nearly all of the first settlers of Boston, and many prominent men of the Colony of Massachusetts Bay. The establishment of this ground dates from the burial of Mr. Isaac Johnson, who died in Boston on the 30th of September, 1630. Although the place of his burial is not mentioned by his contemporaries, yet Samuel Sewall told Rev. Thomas Prince that Mr. Johnson was buried in this ground. Gov. Hutchinson also states this fact in a note to his valuable history: “1630, Mr. Johnson had chosen for his lot the square which lies between Court, Washington, School, and Common Streets. Tradition locates his house about the centre of the northeast side, near the site of the City Hall, and according to his particular desire, expressed on his death-bed, be was buried at the southwest corner of the lot, and the people exhibited their attachment to him by ordering their remains to be buried near him. This was the origin of the first burying-place.” Mr. Johnson was son of Abraham Johnson, Esq. of Clipsham, and his estates were in Rutlandshire, Northamptonshire, and Lincolnshire, England. He married the Lady Arbella, daughter of the Earl of Lincoln. She died in Salem, Mass., a month before the death of her husband, and it is presumed she was buried there, but the location is unknown. Mr. Johnson was an important man in the colony, and had great influence in all public affairs. He was chosen one of the assistants on the 13th of Aug. 1629. Judge Samuel Sewall was born in England March 28, 1652, and came to Boston with his parents in 1661, and was 21 years old in 1673, 43 years after the death of Mr. Johnson. Mr. Sewall was therefore contemporary with the aged townsmen of Boston, who were undoubtedly at the funeral of Mr. Johnson, and knew the facts related by these witnesses. Although there are no records of Mr. Johnson having possession of this lot, it was probably granted to him by the town, and he dying very soon after, and having no family, it reverted back to the town with no record. If that theory is correct, it would account for the same lot having been divided up to several persons, as by record in the Book of Possessions several years after. Captain Robert Welden. — His burial in Boston is mentioned by Governor Winthrop; “Feb. 18, 1630–1. Capt. Welden, a hopeful young gentleman, and an experienced soldier died at

Charlestown of a consumption, and was buried at Boston with a military funeral.” Governor Dudley in his letter to the Countess of Lincoln, said: “Amongst others who dyed about this time, was Mr. Robert Welden, who, in the time of his sickness, we had chosen to be captain of 100 foot; but before he took possession of his place, he dyed, the sixteenth of this February, and was buried as a soldier, with three Volleys of Shott.” The encroachment made by Gov. Andros and his council, on the old burying-place in 1688, was fully consummated that year by the taking of land in the southwest corner, and laying the foundation stones the middle of October, 1688 — for the first Episcopal Chapel in New England. On March 24, 1688, a brief had been issued by authority of Gov. Andros and three members of the chapel were authorized to ask for contributions for the fund to build the chapel. The graves of the first settlers were disturbed and the stone memorials removed from the site. Tombs were built under the wooden chapel, which was enlarged in 1710. The first mention of these tombs on the church record is the 6th of Dec., 1717, when it was voted that “Mr. Mills” and “Mr. Franklin ‘’ have liberty to build a tomb under the east end of the chapel. This vote means Rev. Samuel Myles, the rector, who died March 17, 1727/8, and Sir Henry Frankland, Baronet, who succeeded to his brother’s title in England, in 1747. He was an influential and wealthy townsman, and was made collector of the Port of Boston in 1741, by Gov. Shirley. He died in Bath, England, Jan. 11, 1768. It is not known how many more tombs were built under the reconstructed chapel, but it is known that Mrs. Frances Shirley, wife of Gov. Shirley and their daughter were buried in one of these tombs. By the vote of the proprietors of Kings Chapel, April 1, 1771, “that John Erving Esq. have liberty to bury the body of Lieut. Gen. (Gov.) Shirley, family or descendants in tomb No. 18, under the Chapel.” Mr. Charles Apthorp, who died the 11th of Nov., 1758; Mr. Samuel Vassel of London, England; and Mr. William Price who died 19th May, 1772, aged 87 years, and some of the pastors of the chapel were buried in the tombs made under the third or stone chapel. It is certain that there were a number of tombstones under the wooden chapel, when in 1748, the selectmen gave orders that the floor of the new chapel should be six feet high from the ground, to allow free entrance to those having relatives buried there, and to keep the stones and monuments from being destroyed while building within and without. From the plan of tombs under Kings Chapel made August 26, 1813, it is shown that there are ten tombs on the north side of. the crypt, numbered from one to ten, and ten tombs on the south side numbered from eleven to twenty, also a large tomb under the tower. All of these tombs are now closed to future interments, under an Act of 1890, chapter 190, and the entrances to each were sealed by a solid brick wall.