Tatnuck Cemetery

[merski]

I would want to be there.  Do you know if the transcription that O'flynn made of the old tatnuck cemetery has ever been published?  Perhaps that could be a project to commemorate it.  Holy Cross library, a couple of students and us??

[worcmik]

That's the spirit! I am sure things will need to be worked on. Such as the O'Flynn list, a history of the cemetery, related  subjects, etc. We will keep thing moving, but first we need to start. More to follow in this space.

[bvirish]

John,

I would be willing to help out in some way as my schedule permits. It's the least I can do after all of the assistance you and the rest of the group have given me.

BVIrish

[merski]

When is the anniversary of Tatnuck cemetary?  At the very least, I think if we could read off the inscriptions transcribed by O'Flynn at say, Hibernian Hall, so these irish will not be forgotten.  What about it John?

[worcmik]

just wasted an hour compiling a reply.

[worcmik]

What was lost is gone. I will give you a short version of what was a very eliquent responce to the question about how we will mark the 100th year anniversary of the move.
Yes we should meet at the Worc. Public Library soon (any problems with an early eve. on one of the days the library is open late?) to discuss this. By meeting there we can see some of the resources that are being tapped and there can be a physical exchange of data. Not everyone that wants to be involved vists WorcesterTalk.com.  I do have a large database of the Tatnuck dead. I have asked Worc. Public Library if they want to host it on their website. If they don't I will make sure it gets out there anyway. I will release it to coinside with some sort of presentation, the Hibernians are interested in hosting these sort of presentations. Got to go. sorry about the choppy reply, John

[worcmik]

     I have finished transcribing and sorting. The latest project was transcribing Catholic births recorded in Worc. for mid 1844 to end of 1849. 379 entries, many of them I recognized from having transcribed their deaths. I "knew" many of the parents too, as I have transcribed some 1000 Catholic marriages.
     I've made a "Tatnuck" file that has about 980 entries. Over 850 are strongly assumed to be Tatnuck burials. The rest are "ours" but the records are not clear as to their interrment location. Still, that is over 10 times the number O'Flynn told us about. I've asked Nancy at Worc. Public Library if they would like to host it on their website. She hadn't asked the webmaster last time I checked. If they don't want it, or if they don't respond to my email (I have not sent it yet) then I will pursue another venue. I want what is compiled out there before St. Patrick's Day.
   The parade is in a week. I hope a few from this site can meet me in Worc. for and/or after the parade. Plenty of corned beef and cabbage at a get together planned for the end of the parade.. The "send this member a message" section of the member profile is the best way to communicate off-list. To send me a message to rsvp to the affermitive and to get directions. double click on my screen name (highlighted in blue) to get to my profile page. Post here if You are having trouble contacting me.      John

[worcmik]

Well, the parade has come and gone and there is progress on the Tatnuck Cemetery project. I was graciously provided with about 150 names (some w/ ages, most with dates of death, all with "owner of plot") by St. John's Cemetery. They are the oldest burials "on record." To get an idea of just how much information is missing from their records consider this: There were 130 plus burials at Tatnuck in the year 1847 and records for only 150 burials at St. John's from 1848 through 1864. Anyway, I was able to find a few of the "possible Tatnuck burial" in the St. John's burial records, so, my Tatnuck l;list is a little shorter and a little more accurate. I entered the 150 St. John's burials (the ones I didn't already have) to the master database.
    The Worc. Public Library passed on hosting the Tatnuck database on-line, Worcester Historical Museum has shown some interest. I wanted to get that out to the web early so it could attract interest, but my guy at WPI is busy with his school work. He will, when he has time, work on a format that would allow the database to grow as new information is discovered. In any event it will be available by November.
    Which brings me to.. On November 1st, All Saints' Day, there will be a PowerPoint presentation about the Tatnuck Burial Ground at the Ancient Order of Hibernians' hall, Fiddler's Green Temple St. Worcester. Information for the presentation will be gathered from many sources (you folks) and assembled as a sideshow and discussion. To date the PowerPoint presentation is a rough collection of ideas for slides and text without a good outline. I can't let my interest in this wane until a presentation is prepared, as the date is booked and if there is nothing to present, the good name of armature historian's and History buffs everywhere will suffer.
some points of discussion:
    I have some info on where they were living here in Worc. Co. A look at where they were from in Ireland might be right up Merski's alley, if she has time. Railroad and other Accidental causes of death is being looked into by BVIrish, as time allows. The controversy surrounding the move  (Did the diocese do enough to meet the conditions placed upon it by the state in granting approval of the diocese's petition to move the remains?) has been written about by OFlynn, Owen Murphy, and John Patrick McGinn, their work and origanal sources will be quoted and credited by another volunteer. (I was able to contact Owen Murphy; he's supportive and his contribution, his paper, as well as consultations, is much appreciated.)  My son (and I) have a report on the most common cause of death in the late 1840's. Another couple have agreed to record themselves reading the poetry from the epitaphs O'Flynn collected. There is plenty to cover,  lots to do.
Any suggestions? Offers to help? Thoughts?     John

[worcmik]

A few posts back in this subject heading "Tatnuck Cemetery" we contemplated what became of the old Tatnuck grave markers, and in the subject heading " Tatnuck Cemetery O'flynns work" we see that not all of the markers were stone... I have been wondering "Why were there only 83 or so legible markers in 1876, when Richard O'Flynn and his son collected epitaphs?" There were few burials there by then, so most of the 2000 that were moved in 1907 were there in 1876. O'Flynn says that the place had been vandalized and neglected, most of the markers were broken and that he recorded only the ones he could read. That leaves us to wonder if there were many broken monuments for every legible one, or many unmarked graves. Little of both, I suppose.

[worcmik]

One possability is that some markers were retrieved by the families, some may have done it before 1876. There is a stone in St. Johns that memorialized the six month-old daughter of John and Bridget Fay. This young Ellen Fay died just before the lottery that was held to decide in what order people would choose their plots at the "new" cemetery (St. John's); Nov. 19, 1847. I doubt anyone was buried there so early, so Ellen was likely buried in Tatnuck. Her mom died in the 1870s, dad in 1881; I don't think they went to Tatnuck but they could have. In any event the stones are in St. John's now. Ellen's is repaired, having been broken. If her stone was in Tatnuck in 1876 it was not transcribed by the O'Flynns. It could have been face down in the dirt, or it could have already been moved to St. John's. I need to find out when Bridget died just before O'Flynn's transcription work or just after, if before then with her death John may have bought a St. John's plot and moved Ellen's stone (but probably not Ellen) to St. Johns. If she died after 1876 then ...
Since there is no record of the adult Fays interment, and not "date of purchase" on the plot card, we don't have a clear answer. There is a strong possability that at least one of the three stones on the Fay's St. John's plot once stood at Tatnuck.      John

[worcmik]

One fellow Jerry Collins named his son "Tatnuck" born on (my favorite day) Feb. 20, 1850. Jerry and his wife Elizabeth lived on Winter St. There is a simmilar couple, living on Winter Ct.: Eliza and James, name their daughter "Caty" in 1855. They may be one couple but the records are subject to transcribtion errors. What ever Mr. Collins first name was, bless him for naming a son "Tatnuck."

[Darlene B.]

Sometimes the headstone will list a family name(s) but not all that are buried in there. The plot card will show all that are buried in that particular lot. Sometimes you just have to check the plot card. I've been told some one wasn't buried in St. John's but they were, there was just no headstone for them. They were in a family plot and only listed on the card.

[cheryl]

I was interested in the presentation that was given in Nov, 2007, on the Tatnuck Cemetary in Worcester.  I had read Richard O'Flynn's article some years ago, and wondered where exactly the cemetary was.  It seems to be near Newton Square, but has anyone located it precisely?

Let me know if I have the correct address.

forwarded from Margo

[worcmik]

The area is bounded by Pleasant St., Howland Terrace, Franconia St. and Monroe Ave.  864 feet west of the intersection of Pleasant and Highland St. on the south side of Pleasant St. and extends along said street 600 feet. It is generally oval in shape and contains about 1 and one half acres. It was purchased  August 6, 1835 by the Right Reverend Benedict J. Fenwick for the sum of $75.00 of Rejoice Newton.   The first known interment recorded being Worc. Co. Reg. deeds book 309. p. 653. some of this is a direct quote from O'Flynn.