SOUTH MIDDLEBORO CEMETERY, MIDDLEBORO, MA. 11JUN 2012 PT3

I knew that my 5x great grandfather Caleb Benson had been buried here but
while I found headstones for many Benson family cousins, I didn't find
Caleb's on this trip:

My 3rd cousin 4x removed Ansel Benson.

The rusted gate to the burial plot of Consider Benson & family.

First cousin 6x removed Lieut. Consider Benson

Second cousin 5x removed Asa Benson & wife Druzilla.

About a week later I made a return visit. It appears Caleb's original
stone had been destroyed by weather or vandalism and after searching
around a bit I found a newer marker for him :
 

This marker was the first hint I had that Caleb was a clergyman.

SOUTH MIDDLEBORO CEMETERY, MIDDLEBORO, MA. 11JUN 2012 PT2

The South Middleboro Cemetery is located on the grounds of the South
Middleborough United Methodist church in Middleborough, Ma. The two
different spellings come from the New England custom of dropping the old
fashioned spelling for a shorter version of the name. There are a number
of towns in Massachusetts that may be spelled officially with the "borough"
but are frequently spelled with the "boro" unofficially. 

Besides the shorter version fits better on many signs

SOUTH MIDDLEBORO CEMETERY, MIDDLEBORO, MA. 11JUN 2012 PT1

A few years ago I was visiting the South Middleboro Cemetery in Middleboro
Ma. looking for graves of my Benson relatives and came across a set of headstones
that caught my attention even though they were not for any of my relations. Living
in Massachusetts I've visited many old cemeteries and seen various methods of
preservation for deteriorating headstones such as the framing on these. But there
were two things about these that I had never seen before. One was the concrete
base. None of the other headstones in the cemetery had it and whoever had made
it was probably trying to both prop the stones up in a secure position and prevent
them from sinking into the ground:

The other item were the metal plates fastened to the backs of the stones. They
had more information added to the text of the original inscriptions(I've boldfaced
the parts I believe were added):

"Grandson Of The Nameless
Nobleman Of Plymouth
In Memory Of Mr John
LeBarron.       He Died
Aug 1 1801
Aged 79 Years  & 4 Months."

"In Memory Of Mrs
Mary -Raymond- Wife
Of Mr John LeBarron
She Died March 25 1791
Aged 60 Years & 8 Months


Repaired 1974 By R M LeBarron R D 1
Greenwood PA"

Next to these there was another repaired gravestone. The metal plate
was fastened to the front of this one:

"In Memory Of Martha-Benson- Widow Of 
William Parker-Who Died Oct 13 1777
In The 76th Year Of Her Life -Martha
Was Married First To James LeBarron-Son
Of The Nameless Nobleman Of Plymouth-
James Died May 10 1744 & Martha Married
William May15 1745-James Is Probably
Buried Here Beside Martha -As Is Her
Son LeBaron           Robert M LeBarron
                      R D 2                   1974 "