The Symbols of Death — Sarah ________

B. about 1626 in (possibly) Essex, England¹
M. (1) before 1652 in (probably) Massachusetts²
Husband: Jacob Parker
M. (2) 4 Aug 1675 in Malden, Massachusetts³
Husband: John Waite
D. 18 Jan 1708 in Malden, Massachusetts¹

Ornate tombstones are seemingly a random thing, tributes to a person who otherwise might not be remembered. When Sarah Waite died in 1708, those she left behind chose to honor her with a grave filled with carved symbols that were in vogue at the time.

Sarah’s origins are unknown; some claim her maiden name was Wyman, but this is unproven. From later records, we know that she was born in about 1626,¹ and circumstances would offer the assumption she was from somewhere in England. By 1652, she was married to Jacob Parker, a settler of Chelmsford, Massachusetts.² Between 1652 and 1667, she gave birth to nine children, all of whom survived childhood.

Jacob became the town clerk in Chelmsford, but sadly, in 1669, he died at the age of 42.⁴ This left Sarah to manage a household filled with young children; likely her 17-year-old son stepped in to help out. It wasn’t until August 4, 1675 that Sarah remarried to John Waite of Malden, Massachusetts;³ he was a widower with several children to look after. It’s interesting to note that both of Sarah’s husbands came from Essex, England, which would suggest that perhaps that’s where she was from.

John Waite was a noted settler of Malden, and he took command of a company during King Philip’s War.⁵ At some point, though, he became blind,⁵ and presumably Sarah took on a greater role in running the household. John died on September 26, 1693,⁶ leaving her a widow again. With many descendants, Sarah was presumably surrounded by loved ones when she passed away on January 18, 1708 at the age of 82.¹ She was the 3G grandmother of President Franklin Pierce.

When Sarah was buried in Malden’s Bell Rock Cemetery, the trend was to make a gravestone carved with lots of symbolism. On her marker we see a skull with wings, a basic representation of death. Beneath that is a panel containing an hourglass bookended by two Latin phrases. “Memento Mori” meant “remember to die,” a nod to mortality, and “fugit hora” was another way of saying that time flies, or that life is short. 

Grave of Sarah Wayte. (Source: Find-a-Grave)

One other element of Sarah’s tombstone is a distinct design of two narrow panels on either side with a face at the top and some inverted flower or foliage below it. This was a more unusual design; another gravestone that has it appears to be the work of the same carver and was roughly the same time and place as Sarah’s death.

Children (all by Jacob Parker):
1. Jacob Parker — B. May 1652, Massachusetts;² D. 31 Oct 1694, Malden, Massachusetts;² M. Joanna Call (1659-1737), before May 1677, Malden, Massachusetts²

2. Sarah Parker — B. 14 Jan 1654, Chelmsford, Massachusetts;⁷ D. 26 Sep 1739, Chelmsford, Massachusetts;⁸ M. Nathaniel Howard (1640-1709)⁸

3. Ruth Parker — B. about 1655, Chelmsford, Massachusetts;⁹ D. 18 Sep 1719, Chelmsford, Massachusetts;⁹ M. Pelatiah Adams (1646-1725), about 1673, Chelmsford, Massachusetts⁹

4. Thomas Parker — B. 28 Mar 1656, Chelmsford, Massachusetts;¹⁰ D. 8 May 1698, Chelmsford, Massachusetts;¹¹ M. Mary Fletcher (1658-1714), 21 Oct 1678, Chelmsford, Massachusetts¹²

5. Tabitha Parker — B. 26 Feb 1658, Chelmsford, Massachusetts;¹³ D. 31 Jan 1742, Chelmsford, Massachusetts;¹⁴ M. Stephen Peirce (1651-1733), 18 Nov 1676, Chelmsford, Massachusetts¹⁵

6. Rebecca Parker — B. 29 May 1661, Chelmsford, Massachusetts;¹⁶ D. 25 Mar 1754, Billerica, Massachusetts;¹⁷ M. (1) Jonathan Danforth (1659-1711), 27 Jun 1682, Billerica, Massachusetts;¹⁸ (2) Joseph Foster (1650-1721), 1718, Massachusetts¹⁷

7. Benjamin Parker — B. 8 Aug 1663, Chelmsford, Massachusetts;¹⁹ D. 14 Apr 1742, Chelmsford, Massachusetts;²⁰ M. Sarah Howard (1667-1741), 14 Jan 1691, Chelmsford, Massachusetts²¹

8. Rachel Parker — B. 9 Mar 1665, Chelmsford, Massachusetts;²² M. John Floyd, 1665-1724), before 20 Feb 1696, (probably) Massachusetts²³

9. Mary Parker — B. 8 Sep 1667, Chelmsford, Massachusetts;²⁴ D. 6 Jan 1763, Massachusetts;²⁵ M. Thomas Waite (1660-1742), before 19 Aug 1687, (probably) Massachusetts²⁶

Sources:
1    Find-a-Grave listing of Sarah (Wyman) Wayt
2    Find-a-Grave listing of Sergt. Jacob Parker (her son)
3    Marriage record of John Wayte and Sarah Parker, Massachusetts Marriages, 1695-1910, 1921-1924, FamilySearch.org
4    Death record of Jacob Parker, Massachusetts, Town Clerk, Vital and Town Records, 1626-2001, FamilySearch.org
5    The Waite family of Malden, Mass., Deloraine Corey, 1913
6    Death record of John Waite, M., T. C., V. & T. R.
7    Birth record of Sarah Parker, M., T. C., V. & T. R.
8    Find-a-Grave listing of Sarah (Parker) Howard
9    Find-a-Grave listing of Ruth (Parker) Adams
10  Birth record of Thomas Parker, M., T. C., V. & T. R.
11  Death record of Thomas Parker, M., T. C., V. & T. R.
12  Marriage record of Thomas Parker and Mary Fletcher, M., T. C., V. & T. R.
13  Birth record of Tabitha Parker, M., T. C., V. & T. R.
14  Death record of Tabitha Parker, M., T. C., V. & T. R.
15  Marriage record of Stephen Peirce and Tabitha Parker, M., T. C., V. & T. R.
16  Birth record of Rebecca Parker, M., T. C., V. & T. R.
17  Find-a-Grave listing of Rebecca (Parker) Danforth -Foster
18  Marriage record of Jonathan Danforth and Rebecca Parker, M., T. C., V. & T. R.
19  Birth record of Benjamin Parker, M., T. C., V. & T. R.
20  Death record of Benjamin Parker, M., T. C., V. & T. R.
21  Marriage record of Benjamin Parker and Sarah Howard, M., T. C., V. & T. R.
22  Birth record of Rachel Parker, M., T. C., V. & T. R.
23  Birth record of John Floyd (Rachel’s son), M., T. C., V. & T. R.
24  Birth record of Mary Parker, M., T. C., V. & T. R.
25  Death record of Mary Waite, M., T. C., V. & T. R.
26  Birth record of Thomas Waite (Mary’s son), M., T. C., V. & T. R.

King’s Engineer in 1600s Paris — Bonaventure Desnaguets

B. about 1595 in France¹
M. about 1620 in France¹
Wife: Anne de Gauthier
D. before 29 Mar 1642 in Paris, France²

The first few decades of the 17th century were turbulent times in France, with its kings often engaged in religious warfare. This caused a need for men with the skills to design and maintain military fortifications, and Bonaventure Desnaguets was hired as an engineer.

Bonaventure was likely born somewhere near Paris in about 1595;¹ nothing is known of his family. His surname has been spelled many ways: Desnaguetz, Desnaguelz, Desnaguez; one researcher speculated that it had Flemish origins. After he came of age, Bonaventure married a woman named Anne de Gauthiers, possibly in Paris;¹ the “de” may suggest a noble status. They had five known children, one of whom was buried on June 24, 1627.² The other four children lived at least until 1642.²

During this time, Bonaventure worked as an Ingénieur du roi pour l'artillerie en France, which translates as “King’s engineer for artillery in France.”² The king at that time was Louis XIII, who reigned from 1610 to 1643, and was very active in confronting the Protestants in France. This meant civil war, and the construction of forts and barricades in various parts of the country. For this, the king had about 50 men who could plan what was needed; from the description of Bonaventure’s role which specifies “artillery,” it can be assumed that he had something to do with setting up and maintaining the weapons used in the fighting. 

Working on artillery in 17th-century France. (AI-generated image)

Bonaventure passed away while still a young man, and he was buried at St-Paul’s Church in Paris on March 29, 1642.² His children Anne, Antoine and Gaston were present at the burial. Wife Anne died in September of 1644.² The memory of this couple survives because oldest daughter Catherine-Françoise married a man who took her to Canada, where she left many descendants.

Children:
1. Catherine-Françoise Desnaguets — B. about 1621, Paris, France;³ D. before 10 Sep 1691, (probably) Paris, France;² M. Pierre Petit (~1621-?), after 21 Mar 1646, Paris, France²

2. Charles Desnaguets — D. 24 Jun 1627, Paris, France²

3. Anne Desnaguets — B. before 1642, (probably) Paris, France²

4. Antoine Desnaguets — B. before 1642, (probably) Paris, France²

5. Gaston Desnaguets — B. before 1642, (probably) Paris, France²

Sources:
1    Birth and marriage years estimated from estimated birth of daughter Catherine-Françoise
2    Fichier Origine listing of Catherine Desnaguetz
3    Marriage record of Antoine Juchereau and Anne-Charlotte Petit, which names mother of bride as deceased, Quebec Catholic Parish Registers, 1621-1979, FamilySearch.org

Victim of an Abusive Husband — Susannah __________

B. about 1626 in England¹
M. about 1647 in (probably) Massachusetts¹
Husband: Thomas Dutton
D. 27 Aug 1684 in Billerica, Massachusetts²

The story of Susannah Dutton sounds almost contemporary: her husband acted violently against her, the neighbors reported it as a crime, and under oath, she claimed it never happened. Remarkably, this took place in a town in New England — in the year 1661.

Susannah has unfortunately sketchy origins. Some have said her maiden name was Palmer, and she was born sometime during the 1620s, but there is no documentation for this.¹ Almost certainly she was born in England, not America, because migration to the Massachusetts colony more or less began in 1630. In about 1647, she married Thomas Dutton,¹ and the couple settled in the village of Reading. The first record of her was the birth of her first child, Thomas, on September 14, 1648.³

By September 1659, the family had moved to the town of Woburn,⁴ and Susannah had five more children, with the youngest having been born that year. She was holding the baby when the incident occurred that was overheard by the family next door — in some sort of argument, Thomas repeatedly hit her with a stick. What brought on his anger isn’t known, but Susannah was afraid he would hurt the child, and perhaps kill him. Two of the witnesses reported that she was “crying out between blows.” Susannah’s oldest daughter, 10-year-old Mary, ran away in fear, and hid at a neighbors’ house.⁵

The family who reported the beating was named Carter. It was two teenaged daughters who both heard and saw what happened, perhaps by peeking through the window of the Duttons’ house. The next day, their father, John Carter, went over to confront Thomas, and he could see that Susannah was still crying from the attack of her husband. And a day or so later, she confided to the Carters that she could “still feel the blows.”⁵

But when the case came to trial, Susannah told the court that her husband never hit her. He of course denied the charges, and presented character witnesses in the form of his neighbors from Reading: twenty-one people signed a statement saying his treatment of Susannah was always “tender and loving.”⁵ It’s easy to understand why Thomas claimed innocence, but why would Susannah go along with it? Perhaps she was embarrassed by her private situation being made public, but more likely was that her only future was with her husband, so the matter needed to be brushed aside. The court nonetheless decided that Thomas was guilty, and he was fined £5 for beating his wife.⁵

Testifying to the charges of abuse. (AI-generated image)

There was no further reported violence between Susannah and her husband. She had three more children with him, the youngest being born in 1669.⁶ The family moved to Billerica, where Susannah died on August 27, 1684.² Thomas remarried soon after, but passed away in 1687.⁷

Children:
1. Thomas Dutton – B. 14 Sep 1648, Reading, Massachusetts;³ D. 1 Jan 1728, Middlesex County, Massachusetts;³ M. (1) Rebecca Brabrook (1648-1721), 1 Jan 1679, Billerica, Massachusetts;⁸ (2) Sarah Converse (~1648-1738), Nov 1721⁹

2. Mary Dutton – B. 14 Sep 1651, Reading, Massachusetts;¹⁰ D. 9 Jul 1678, Billerica, Massachusetts;¹¹ M. Jacob Hamlet (~1641-1703), 21 Dec 1669, Billerica, Massachusetts¹²

3. Susannah Dutton – B. 27 Feb 1654, Reading, Massachusetts;¹³ D. Dec 1723, Billerica, Massachusetts;¹⁴ M. (1) John Durrant (1650-1692), 16 Nov 1670, Billerica, Massachusetts;¹⁵ (2) Justinian Holden (1644-1699), 6 Dec 1693, Woburn, Massachusetts¹⁴

4. John Dutton – B. 2 Mar 1656, Reading, Massachusetts;¹⁶ D. 7 Apr 1735, Billerica, Massachusetts;¹⁷ M. (1) Sarah Shedd (1658-1721), 20 Sep 1681, Billerica, Massachusetts;¹⁸ (2) Ruth Frost (?-1738), May 1721, Billerica, Massachusetts¹⁹

5. Elizabeth Dutton – B. 28 Jan 1659, Woburn, Massachusetts;⁴ D. 7 Apr 1698, Concord, Massachusetts;²⁰ M. William Baker (1650-1702), 5 May 1681, Woburn, Massachusetts²¹

6. Joseph Dutton – B. 25 Jan 1661, Woburn, Massachusetts;²² D. 24 Jan 1734, Haddam, Connecticut;²³ M. (1) Rebecca Merriam (1662-1693), 19 Aug 1685, Reading, Massachusetts;²⁴ (2) Mary Cutler (1663-1744), 7 Dec 1693, Charlestown, Massachusetts²⁵

7. Sarah Dutton – B. 5 Mar 1662, Woburn, Massachusetts;²⁶ D. about 1750, (probably) Reading, Massachusetts;²⁷ M. Samuel Lewis (1641-1698), 2 Apr 1683, Charlestown, Massachusetts²⁸

8. James Dutton – B. 22 Aug 1665, Woburn, Massachusetts;²⁹ D. 12 Jul 1755, Chelmsford, Massachusetts;³⁰ M. Mary Robbins, 9 Dec 1690, Groton, Massachusetts³⁰

9. Benjamin Dutton – B. 19 Feb 1669, Woburn, Massachusetts⁶

Sources:
1    Find-a-Grave listing of Susanna (Palmer) Dutton
2    Death record of Susannah Dutton, Massachusetts, Town Clerk, Vital and Town Records, 1626-2001, FamilySearch.org
3    Find-a-Grave listing of Thomas Dutton Jr.
4     Birth record of Elizabeth Dutton, M., T. C., V. & T. R.
5    Sex in Middlesex: Popular Mores in a Massachusetts County, 1649-1699, Roger Thompson, 1989
6    Birth record of Benjamin Dutton, M., T. C., V. & T. R.
7    Find-a-Grave listing of Thomas Dutton, Sr.
8     Marriage record of Thomas Dutton and Rebecca Draper, M., T. C., V. & T. R.
9     Marriage record of Thomas Dutton and Sarah Converse, M., T. C., V. & T. R.
10  Birth record of Mary Dutton, M., T. C., V. & T. R.
11  Death record of Mary Hamlet, M., T. C., V. & T. R.
12   Marriage record of Jacob Hamlet and Mary Dutton, M., T. C., V. & T. R.
13  Birth record of Susannah Dutton, M., T. C., V. & T. R.
14  WikiTree listing of Susannah (Dutton) Holden
15  Marriage record of John Durrant and Susannah Dutton, M., T. C., V. & T. R.
16  Birth record of John Dutton, M., T. C., V. & T. R.
17  Find-a-Grave listing of John Dutton
18  Marriage record of John Dutton and Sarah Shedd, M., T. C., V. & T. R.
19  Marriage record of John Dutton and Ruth Frost, M., T. C., V. & T. R.
20  Death record of Elizabeth Dutton Baker, M., T. C., V. & T. R.
21  Marriage record of William Baker and Elizabeth Dutton, M., T. C., V. & T. R.
22  Birth record of Joseph Dutton, M., T. C., V. & T. R.
23  Find-a-Grave listing of Joseph Dutton
24  Marriage record of Joseph Dutton and Rebecca Hitch, M., T. C., V. & T. R.
25  WikiTree listing of Joseph Dutton
26  Birth record of Sarah Dutton, M., T. C., V. & T. R.
27  WikiTree listing of Sarah (Dutton) Lewis
28  Marriage record of Samuel Lewis and Sarah Dutton, M., T. C., V. & T. R.
29  Birth record of James Dutton, M., T. C., V. & T. R.
30  WikiTree listing of James Dutton