North End in Boston in Suffolk County, Massachusetts — The American Northeast (New England)
Unusual Gravestones
Photographed By Bill Coughlin, April 14, 2009
1. Unusual Gravestones Marker
Look to the left for the double Worthylake gravestone, dating from 1718. Worthylake was the first keeper of the Boston Light. He and his wife and daughter drowned as they rowed to town from Noddle’s Island (now East Boston) on a November day.
Wander down the path toward Snowhill Street and turn in, behind the tree on the left, to find the Daniel Malcolm stone of 1769. This merchant of Fleet Street opposed the British Revenue Acts by smuggling 60 casks of wine into Boston from a ship. Legend says that British soldiers read his epitaph and then used the stone for target practice, leaving bullet marks on it.
Now look for the granite pillar, a memorial to Prince Hall, whose simple gravestone of 1807 is just behind. A black freeman, Hall was “the first Grand Master of the colored Grand Lodge of Masons” and one of many black persons said to be buried in this section of the graveyard. Before the Revolutionary War, the black community, known as New Guinea, was just below Charter Street.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Cemeteries & Burial Sites • Colonial Era. A significant historical year for this entry is 1718.
Location. 42° 22.04′ N, 71° 3.351′ W. Marker is in Boston
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Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. From Colonial Burying Ground to Victorian Park (here, next to this marker); Seventeenth Century Copp’s Hill (within shouting distance of this marker); Copp’s Hill Burying Ground (within shouting distance of this marker); Gravestone Art: Skulls, Wings, and Other Symbols (within shouting distance of this marker); The Mathers (within shouting distance of this marker); a different marker also named Copp's Hill Burying Ground (within shouting distance of this marker); Welcome to Copp’s Hill Burying Ground (within shouting distance of this marker); African Americans at Copp’s Hill (within shouting distance of this marker). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Boston.
Related markers. Click here for a list of markers that are related to this marker. Take a tour of the markers found in Copp’s Hill Burying Ground.
Photographed By Bill Coughlin, April 14, 2009
2. Grave of Daniel Malcolm
The gravestone still bears the scars made when British soldiers used this patriot's gravestone for target practice.
Photographed By Bill Coughlin, April 14, 2009
3. Prince Hall Memorial
The granite pillar in the background is the memorial to Prince Hall. It was erected on June 24th, 1895, by the Masons of the Prince Hall Grand Lodge.
Credits. This page was last revised on January 30, 2023. It was originally submitted on May 14, 2009, by Bill Coughlin of Woodland Park, New Jersey. This page has been viewed 2,656 times since then and 15 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on May 14, 2009, by Bill Coughlin of Woodland Park, New Jersey.
