Abiel Frye (1703-1757)
This gravestone is in the Old Burying Ground in what is today North Andover, MA. The
burying ground was next to the site of the original meetinghouse in the North Parish of
Andover. The stone is in very rough shape. Parts of it are difficult to read and it
appears to be slightly puffed out at where the dark spot is on the stone. It seems,
perhaps, that over the centuries, water has seeped between the layers of slate and
is causing the stone to begin to crumble. I'm hoping to someday be able to pay to
have it restored, but I want to make sure it is done correctly. I suspect it is not
cheap!! Stones like this are reasonably common in parts of New England in many of
the oldest burial grounds. The swirls along the border of the stone and the unique
angel with rather large lips is typical of many stones carved in the Merrimac Valley
at about this time. Several people have done extensive research on these old gravestones.
In many cases, stones can be tied back to the original carvers who made them. One such
stone carver was Jonathan Leighton. Though I can't be certain he carved this stone, the
style is typical of other stones known to be his work.
The inscription reads:
Here Lies Buried
the body of
CAPt ABIEL FRYE
Who Departed
this Life March
the 22nd
1757
in yo 54th
year of
his AGE
Abiel Frye, like his father, was a farmer in Andover. His
land holdings were significantly smaller than his fathers, owing to the fact that the land
of his father was essentially divided up among the four sons who survived him (a fifth son, John,
also survived his father, but died a year later). This pattern of dividing land amongst
siblings eventually means the parcels become smaller with each passing generation. To
survive, it was at about this time that many descendants of original Andover settlers began
to move to new areas as we will see with the children of Abiel.
Abiel was born July 5, 1703. He married Abagail Emery, daughter of Joseph Emery and Elizabeth
Merrill on February 10, 1731/32. She was two years younger than Abiel, having been born
November 5, 1705. The couple had six children:
Isaac Frye, born February 6, 1747/48, died November 3, 1791 (my line)
Abigail Frye, born February 18, 1732/33, died December 20, 1738
Abiel Frye, born November 8, 1734, died 1806
Simon Frye, born September 29, 1737, died October 1, 1822
Sarah Frye, born either in April of 1742 or May of 1743 (I have conflicting information)
Abigail Frye, born march 16, 1742/43, died December 21, 1810
This gravestone is in the Old Burying Ground in what is today North Andover, MA. The burying ground was next to the site of the original meetinghouse in the North Parish of Andover. The stone is in very rough shape. Parts of it are difficult to read and it appears to be slightly puffed out at where the dark spot is on the stone. It seems, perhaps, that over the centuries, water has seeped between the layers of slate and is causing the stone to begin to crumble. I'm hoping to someday be able to pay to have it restored, but I want to make sure it is done correctly. I suspect it is not cheap!!
Stones like this are reasonably common in parts of New England in many of the oldest burial grounds. The swirls along the border of the stone and the unique angel with rather large lips is typical of many stones carved in the Merrimac Valley at about this time. Several people have done extensive research on these old gravestones. In many cases, stones can be tied back to the original carvers who made them. One such stone carver was Jonathan Leighton. Though I can't be certain he carved this stone, the style is typical of other stones known to be his work.
The inscription reads:
Here Lies Buried
the body of
CAPt ABIEL FRYE
Who Departed
this Life March
the 22nd
1757
in yo 54th
year of
his AGE
Abiel Frye, like his father, was a farmer in Andover. His land holdings were significantly smaller than his fathers, owing to the fact that the land of his father was essentially divided up among the four sons who survived him (a fifth son, John, also survived his father, but died a year later). This pattern of dividing land amongst siblings eventually means the parcels become smaller with each passing generation. To survive, it was at about this time that many descendants of original Andover settlers began to move to new areas as we will see with the children of Abiel.
Abiel was born July 5, 1703. He married Abagail Emery, daughter of Joseph Emery and Elizabeth Merrill on February 10, 1731/32. She was two years younger than Abiel, having been born November 5, 1705. The couple had six children:
Isaac Frye, born February 6, 1747/48, died November 3, 1791 (my line)
Abigail Frye, born February 18, 1732/33, died December 20, 1738
Abiel Frye, born November 8, 1734, died 1806
Simon Frye, born September 29, 1737, died October 1, 1822
Sarah Frye, born either in April of 1742 or May of 1743 (I have conflicting information)
Abigail Frye, born march 16, 1742/43, died December 21, 1810
