Fall meeting New Hampshire Old Graveyard Association New

Fall meeting New Hampshire Old Graveyard Association New HAMPSHIRE OLD GRAVEYARD ASSOCIATION FALL MEETING Historical Society of Cheshire County Keene SEPTEMBER 10, 2016 2/25/2021 1

New Hampshire Old Graveyard Association, • Early 17 th century: Exeter, Hampton, Dover and Portsmouth (autonomous, Puritan) ^^fir, farming, fishing and timber^^ • Mid 17 th century: Four Towns joined Puritan Norfork County, Massachusetts Bay • Late 17 th century : The four Towns and others become part of the Dominion of New England, when Dominion collapses, rejoins Massachusetts Bay, then finally becomes a separate province governed by a Royally appointed Chief Executive ( Lieutenant Governor) in 1691. 2/25/2021 2

• Early 18 th century: Lieutenant Governors run NH, the Governor, who resides in Boston, is the Governor of Massachusetts and New Hampshire. By this time, many of the settlers in Western and Inland New Hampshire wanted to secede from New Hampshire. The number of settled Towns is about 25, most near the coast. • Mid 18 th century: King of England appoints a royal governor ( Benning Wentworth) for the now separate province of Protestant New Hampshire. Population increases tenfold. The number of settled Towns went from about 25 to 170 by the year 1775. 2/25/2021 3

Royal Governor Benning Wentworth 2/25/2021 4

New Hampshire Way vs. the Massachusetts Way • In Massachusetts, Church was not far from the farms. Tradition in England was to bury in Church cemetery. • New Hampshire citizens, not wanting to make the long treacherous journey to the distance Church, buried their deceased in small local family burial sites. Became the New Hampshire way. • Most Towns in New Hampshire adopted “the New Hampshire Way” and many burial sites (over 4000) were established during the 17 th to the mid 19 th century. As of 1994, every municipality shall provide a cemetery, as defined in RSA 289: 1. • Keene has 10 burial grounds, Dover has 90 Burial sites, Boston has 3. • Burial sites are regulated under RSA 635: 6 2/25/2021 5

New Hampshire Old Graveyard Association(NHOGA) Social media page: https: //www. facebook. com/newhampshireoldgraveyardassociation/ Ø www. nhoga. com web page Ø www. nhoga. org web page Ø As part of the bicentennial project of NH, in the Summer of 1975, several groups including the New Hampshire Society of Genealogists contacted local historian and author Mr. Philip A. Wilcox of Durham, for assistance in cataloging cemetery inscriptions in the state. New Hampshire Old Graveyard Association (NHOGA) was incorporated the next year. 2/25/2021 6

New Hampshire Old Graveyard Association Article II -- Object (2016) NHOGA promotes knowledge of New Hampshire history by bringing together people interested in old Graveyards/burial sites; to foster interest in the discovery, preservation and maintenance of these graveyards; and to preserve records and information which relate to them. 2/25/2021 7

Newmarket: Cheswell Historic Burial Ground(N 12 -007) Preservation Before After 2/25/2021 8

Farmington: Waldron Burial Ground ( F 01 -5 B 1) Preservation (Before) 2/25/2021 9

Farmington: Waldron Burial Ground (F 01 -5 B 1)Preservation (After) 2/25/2021 10

Farmington: Emerson Burial Site (F 01 -2 A 1) BEFORE AFTER 2/25/2021 11

New Hampshire Commission on historic burial grounds and Cemeteries 2/25/2021 12

. . Title XIX - PUBLIC RECREATION Chapter 227 -C - HISTORIC PRESERVATION Section 227 -C: 12 -a - Commission Established ****************************STATE OF NEW HAMPSHIRE In the Year of Our Lord Two Thousand Fifteen AN ACT establishing a commission on historic burial grounds and cemeteries. Be it Enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court convened: 115: 1 New Subdivision; Historic Burying Grounds. Amend RSA 227 -C by inserting after section 12 the following new subdivision: Commission on Historic Burying Grounds 2/25/2021 13

There is established a commission on historic burying grounds and cemeteries. II. The members of the commission shall be as follows: (a) One member of the senate, appointed by the president of the senate. (b) Three members of the house of representatives, appointed by the speaker of the house of representatives. (c) One member of a historic district commission, appointed by the governor. (d) One member of a local historical society, appointed by the governor. (e) The chairperson of the New Hampshire Preservation Alliance, or designee. (f) The chairperson of the New Hampshire Historical Society, or designee. (g) The commissioner of the department of cultural resources, or designee. (h) The director of the division of historic resources, or designee. (i) One representative of the New Hampshire commission on Native American affairs, appointed by that commission. (j) The executive director of the New Hampshire Municipal Association, or designee. (k) The president of the New Hampshire Old Graveyard Association, or designee. (l) A member of the New Hampshire State Organization Daughters of the American Revolution, appointed by the state regent of that organization. (m) A member of the New Hampshire Funeral Directors Association, appointed by the president of that association. (n) A member of a cemetery commission or a cemetery trustee, appointed by the governor. (o) The Roman Catholic bishop of Manchester, or designee 2/25/2021 14

RULES III. Legislative members of the commission shall receive mileage at the legislative rate when attending to the duties of the commission. 2/25/2021 15

RULES IV. The commission shall make recommendations: (a) On the documentation and preservation of the state's historic burying grounds and cemeteries. (b) On the establishment and criteria for a New Hampshire state register of historic burying grounds and cemeteries, including their markers, walls, gates, and other associated and identifying features and artifacts that are meaningful to the history, historic landscape, cultural, religious, craft, and architectural traditions of the state. 2/25/2021 16

RULES (c) Concerning the protection of property owners, and owners of contiguous or surrounding properties, with respect to a listed property. (d) On the persons permitted to nominate a state historic burying ground or cemetery for a state register in accordance with RSA 289. (e) Concerning notice to potentially interested parties for proposals that affect burial grounds, and the adoption of a "public good'' standard. 2/25/2021 17

RULES V. The members of the commission shall elect a chairperson from among the members. The first meeting of the commission shall be called by the senate member. The first meeting of the commission shall be held within 45 days of the effective date of this section. Nine members of the commission shall constitute a quorum. 2/25/2021 18

RULES VI. The commission shall file interim reports of its findings and any recommendations for proposed legislation to the president of the senate, the speaker of the house of representatives, the senate clerk, the house clerk, the governor, and the state library on or before November 1, 2015, November 1, 2016, and November 1, 2017, and a final report on or before November 1, 2018. 2/25/2021 19

Commission on Historic Burying Grounds. Regular meeting May 20, 2016 Minutes 1. Election of Clerk 2. Minutes—no corrections 3. Documents from February meeting: Architectural and historic aspects Definition of ‘historic’: We have definition of burial ground: 289: 1 What is a historic burial ground? How old? Who’s buried there? Dr. Boisvert: Can mean simply old; can be further refined as having historical significance. Senator Watters looking also at headstones with architectural or historical significance. Volunteers filling out forms will need some guidance. 2/25/2021 20

Commission on Historic Burying Grounds. Regular meeting May 20, 2016 There are protections in place for old burial grounds in current statute From the bill: Documentation Criteria, Property owners aware Nomination process for historic designation in place If in danger of being moved, there is a process in place to protect burial grounds If deemed historic, should it be protected from being moved? If historic, should have significance to history of the state. Burial grounds belong to the descendants, not the landowners 2/25/2021 21

Commission on Historic Burying Grounds. Regular meeting May 20, 2016 Create a subset within the realm of burial grounds for historic burial grounds, with more protections and considerations when the possibility of movement occurs, to include the public good. We already have a process in place for determining if something can be on the state register of historic places; can same process be used? Dr. Boisvert—will be an increase of responsibility Determining location Discussions 2/25/2021 22