hanover-cemetery-dh38-5851-9-000-003

The Dartmouth Cemetery

My interest in the Dartmouth Cemetery
was first aroused when, as a Freshman in
Dartmouth College, I wandered through
the cemetery in 1898 - more than fifty
years ago.

When, in March, 1948, I became a member
of the Board of Selectmen, the supervision
of the cemeteries was assigned to me. I
was soon impressed by the fact that, when
inquiries were made at the office regard-
ing burials in the Dartmouth Cemetery,
the answer could be found only by round-
about methods, if indeed at all. Hence it
seemed that a card index of all known
burials in the cemetery would be of value.

In setting about the work, it seemed
that, if the work was to be done effective-
ly, all inscriptions should be read. It
soon became evident that the charts of the
cemetery - the one made in 1865; the other
in 1911 - were antiquated since lots in
appreciable numbers have been graded and
occupied since the latter date.

As the reading of inscriptions on stones
and monuments proceeded, it was found that
many inscriptions could be read only with
difficulty (especially was this true of
the coarse granite stones which came into
use following the iron-bearing slate) ;
surface layers on some of the oldest
slate slabs had long since split away
carrying their inscriptions with them;
stones which were noted in earlier records
have disapperared. Therefore, it seemed that
in years to come, a diagram of each lot,
showing the relative position of monuments
and stones and inscriptions which they
bear, might be of value.