Died May 1, 1819 & March 14, 1842
John M. and Martha Ramsey brought 12 children into the world between 1800 and 1828. Their second child William died in Port-au-Prince in 1819 at age 18, so the Ramseys had a slate marker carved to memorialize him by Elias Washburn, a nephew to Portland’s first stone-cutter, Bartlett Adams. At that time, Washburn was managing Adams’ shop while Adams was in Boston helping his brother set up his own business.
This slate marker, decorated with a fluted urn and bent willow, includes a tightly-fit inscription for William with plenty of room beneath. Perhaps with such a large family, the Ramseys had asked Washburn to leave space in case other inscriptions needed to be added later.
It wasn’t until Ann Louisa Payson died of scarlet fever in 1842 at age 14 that another inscription was added under William’s. Washburn, the original carver, had died in 1826, so an unknown carver memorialized Ann, and plenty of space was again left beneath (she didn't get an epitaph like her brother did).
John and Martha died soon after—Martha of consumption in 1845 at age 63 and John of a tumor in 1846 at age 75. Marble markers were placed on each of their graves only two plots away.
Sacred to the memory of
WILLIAM, son of John M. & Martha Ramsey,
who died in Port-au-Prince May 1, 1819, AEt. 18.
Far from your friends dear child your body doth lie,
May Christ be your friend & keep your soul on high.
ANN LOUISA PAYSON, dau. of J.M. & M.
Ramsey, died March 15, 1842, AEt. 14.
You can find more images of the stones of Ann and William, John, and Martha on our Flickr site. Thank you, Ron Romano, for your work on the Ramseys' story!
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