Tombstone Spotlight: Samuel Gilbert (1687-1760) of Hebron, Connecticut

Samuel Gilbert, my 8th great grandfather on my mother's side, was born on February 5, 1687 in Hartford, Connecticut, to Samuel Gilbert and Mary Rogers (Connecticut Town Birth Records, pre-1870, Barbour Collection). His mother was a granddaughter of James Rogers and Thomas Stanton, both of whom led very interesting lives in New England. His father's family, while maybe less prominent in New England, had more established roots in the old country of England, tracing their roots to Yardley and Evesham, both of Worcestershire. Samuel married, circa 1709, Mercy Warner, a granddaughter of Andrew Warner, a Puritan from Great Waltham, Essex.

From "The descendants of Andrew Warner" by Lucien C. Warner and Josephine Genung Nichols: "He probably resided early at Colchester; December 11, 1718, he made his first purchase of land in Hebron. His will, made September 20, 1754, probated June 16, 1760, mentions 5 sons and 5 daughters. The first children were probably born at Colchester, others were recorded at Lebanon, and the last five in Hebron".

Samuel Gilbert died in Hebron on May 1, 1760 (Connecticut Town Death Records, pre-1870, Barbour Collection), and is buried at the Gilead Cemetery.

The grave of Samuel Gilbert has always been one of my favorites, and in my opinion one of the most beautiful I've come across in my research. It is my contention that the Puritans were some of the best grave designers. Funerary art in Puritan New England displayed a practical attitude towards death, since mortality rates were much higher at the time. The grave of Samuel Gilbert may not have Death's Head or Cherubs, but it does display a somewhat confused looking face. I am not presently aware of what the meaning of this symbol might be, especially what it may have meant to the residents of 1760's Connecticut, a mere 16 years before the beginning of the Revolution.

Inscription on the Grave:

IN MEMORY
OF MR. SAMUEL
GILBERT WHO
DIED MAY (?)
1760 IN Y(?) 78TH
YEAR OF HIS
AGE