B. about 1626 in (possibly) Essex, England
M. (1) before 1652 in (probably) Massachusetts
Husband: Jacob Parker
M. (2) 4 Aug 1675 in Malden, Massachusetts
Husband: John Waite
D. 18 Jan 1708 in Malden, Massachusetts
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, 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. 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. 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; 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. At some point, though, he became blind, and presumably Sarah took on a greater role in running the household. John died on September 26, 1693, 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. 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.
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; D. 31 Oct 1694, Malden, Massachusetts; M. Joanna Call (1659-1737), before May 1677, Malden, Massachusetts
2. Sarah Parker — B. 14 Jan 1654, Chelmsford, Massachusetts; D. 26 Sep 1739, Chelmsford, Massachusetts; M. Nathaniel Howard (1640-1709)
3. Ruth Parker — B. about 1655, Chelmsford, Massachusetts; D. 18 Sep 1719, Chelmsford, Massachusetts; M. Pelatiah Adams (1646-1725), about 1673, Chelmsford, Massachusetts
4. Thomas Parker — B. 28 Mar 1656, Chelmsford, Massachusetts; D. 8 May 1698, Chelmsford, Massachusetts; M. Mary Fletcher (1658-1714), 21 Oct 1678, Chelmsford, Massachusetts
5. Tabitha Parker — B. 26 Feb 1658, Chelmsford, Massachusetts; D. 31 Jan 1742, Chelmsford, Massachusetts; M. Stephen Peirce (1651-1733), 18 Nov 1676, Chelmsford, Massachusetts
6. Rebecca Parker — B. 29 May 1661, Chelmsford, Massachusetts; D. 25 Mar 1754, Billerica, Massachusetts; M. (1) Jonathan Danforth (1659-1711), 27 Jun 1682, Billerica, Massachusetts; (2) Joseph Foster (1650-1721), 1718, Massachusetts
7. Benjamin Parker — B. 8 Aug 1663, Chelmsford, Massachusetts; D. 14 Apr 1742, Chelmsford, Massachusetts; M. Sarah Howard (1667-1741), 14 Jan 1691, Chelmsford, Massachusetts
8. Rachel Parker — B. 9 Mar 1665, Chelmsford, Massachusetts; M. John Floyd, 1665-1724), before 20 Feb 1696, (probably) Massachusetts
9. Mary Parker — B. 8 Sep 1667, Chelmsford, Massachusetts; D. 6 Jan 1763, Massachusetts; M. Thomas Waite (1660-1742), before 19 Aug 1687, (probably) Massachusetts
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