Tympanum of Elijah Bordwell gravestone in Montague, MA.
I know I’m not supposed to pick my favorite. The carving on this stone is beautiful and strange and quirky and all the things I like. The clock is wonderful and a great gravestone symbol. The little details of the crossed bones and grave-diggers tools are just a little creepy in that Early New England sort of way. But really it’s the text of this stone that makes it my favorite. I think I can still almost quote it from memory.
I’ll transcribe the text because it’s not easy to make out unless the sunlight catches the lettering at exactly the correct angle.
“In Memory of Mr Elijah Bordwell
who died January 26th 1786 in ye 27th
Year of his Age, having but a few days
surviv’d ye fatal Night when he was
flung from his Horse & drawn by ye stirrup
16 rods along ye path as appear’d by ye place
where his hat was found, & where he had
Spent ye whole following severe cold night
treading ye Snow in a Small Circle. the
Family he left was an aged Father a Wife
and 3 Small Children.
On this Side Death Man’s Dangers never cease.
Beyond, ye Virtuous Share eternal Peace. ”