Old Churchyard of St. James’, Arlington, and some of the more discerning stop
to gain better acquaintance. Older by many years than the church building
itself, the churchyard with its vine-covered stone wall and fine trees at its
gate, yet nestles in the protecting shadow of the church. This cemetery has
an interesting history coupled with its beauty, and as this history leads to
a better understanding of Arlington, some of the story will be briefly given.
Those who settled Arlington were many of them Episcopalians. One primary
cause of their migration was rebellion against the services, which they were
compelled to attend in Connecticut.
It was therefore natural that the town charter made provision for the support
of a church and minister agreeable to the settlers. Rev. Frederick A.
Wadleigh, one time Rector of St. James’ and probably Arlington’s best
historian says - "The public rights, set apart by the town charter, were
believed to be sufficient to constitute ample endowment - provided anything
like fairness were used in selecting the lots.
To Captain Jehiel Hawley, leader of the emigration, therefore, the care and
protecting of these rights was entrusted" by vote of the proprietors in the
spring of 1764 at the same meeting in which Hawley was elected the town’s
first moderator. "In 1765, by vote, the proprietors set apart a plot of about
14 acres, 3 of which should be a churchyard and public green, the remainder
as part of the glebe evidently intended as a place for the church and
ministerial residence."
The selection of this plot in the center of the village in such an
attractive site is another debt - one probably not appreciated by modern men
of business - which those who love Arlington owe to Jehiel Hawley and his
far-sighted interest.
In some manner, not now known, much of this plot was confiscated and sold,
with the exception of the north-east acre reserved for burial of the dead."
What attractiveness was lost to Arlington when Hawley's original plan of
making these 14 central acres a "common was swept aside!
Most people assume that because of the logical location of the church next to
the burying ground, they were always intended to be that way. That is only
partially true. They have grown up together for over a century, but when in
1784, after many delays occasioned by the events of history preceding, the
question of location of the church building came up and another location was
selected. Wadleigh says - "Having been excluded from the public ground set
apart for the purpose, timber cut on a glebe lot was drawn to a place about
half way between East Arlington and West Arlington.
A conference with Gov. Chittenden, and with the counsel of Lemuel Buck, Esq.
who lived as far distant as any person, led to reconsideration, and it was
voted to build the church by a stake to be set by the Governor south of the
church yard." So the church came back to the approximate site that wise old
Jehiel Hawley intended it to occupy. How many churches can point to having
their locations selected by the founder of both the town and church and by
the highest officer in their civil government?
Not only has the originally planned location of the church been moved, but
also that of the burying ground itself. It originally extended somewhat
farther east toward the state road than at present. Just when the east
boundary was moved back is uncertain now and no record exists as to those who
were laid in the ground now a part of the road to the church.
Our Vermont ancestors of those colonial times had neither the affluence nor
time to mark the resting-places of their dead with inscribed stones. Rough
fieldstones upended at head and foot marked many graves, while others lacked
even this identification. Probably many of the early settlers whose graves
are now unknown were among those who could not be identified when others were
removed inside the existing boundaries.
A number of interesting stories, too long to relate here, are told about
this readjustment by older Arlingtonians.
In any case Arlington is somewhat unique among New England towns in that so
many who did so much for her in her early days, passed on to find their last
abode in even newer settlements further North.
Some like Jehiel Hawley were Tories and though invited to return after
Saratoga did not do so. In others the migratory instinct, which brought them
to Arlington, originally proved too strong and they moved to newer
settlements. Of these may be mentioned Daniel Castle, who was one of the
early settlers in four different Vermont towns, Ethan Allen, Mathew Lyons,
Governor Chittenden and many other notable Vermonters.
Some, like Remember Baker, to whom a memorial has been erected (1941) met
untimely deaths in line of duty to the new Republic elsewhere and never,
returned to their home.
However, many of Arlington’s early notables still watch its progress from St.
James’ Churchyard. The earliest remaining stone is that of Amos Leonard who
died December eighth, 1777.
Many of Ethan Allen’s Green Mountain Boys, both officers and enlisted men lie
beneath the little waving flags, which spot the green lawn. Just
within and to the right of the evergreen shaded gate is the mossy stone of
Mary Lyons, wife of Mathew Lyons the bull-necked Irish contemporary and
neighbor of Ethan Allen and Thomas Chittenden.
Not much is known of Mary but not the least of her husband’s achievements was
that of being the only man to ever represent successively - and successfully
- in Washington, the people of three different states.
A recent publication states that Mary Brownson, Ethan Allen’s first wife was
buried in Sunderland. In fact, both she and two of the lusty Ethan’s
children, Joseph and Mary are buried in St. James’. The exact location of
their graves was lost in the moving mentioned above. However, a stone to
their memory was erected by Mr. Jesse Burdett on the Burdett lot near the
center of the yard. A young college graduate-progenitor of Miss Hermione and
Mr. Nathaniel Canfield of Manchester, was Ethan Allen’s secretary while the
latter was producing his "Oracle of Reason" in Sunderland. Mary Brownson was
not noted for tenderness of tongue nor was young Hitchcock over assiduous in
the matter of work. Hitchcock’s friends were wont to remark after Mary’s
death that they never saw him work so hard or so willingly as when helping to
carry Mary’s body from Sunderland to St. James’ Churchyard in February, 1785.
http://www.stjamesarlington.org/parish/brush14.htm