My GG Grandmother, buried in 1814 in Durham, CT has an interesting notation on her headstone. We have puzzled about what it means. It states "Abigail Strong, wife of William Augustus Strong, d. 1814, and an infant lies at her feet". William and Abigail lived in Durham, CT until 1806 and then moved to Atwater, OH. At some point, we are guessing ca `1810 or 1811, she moved back to Durham, leaving her children with William in Atwater. They had two children in Durham before moving to Atwater. William vistited Abigail to pursuade her to return to Atwater, but returned to Atwater and re-married. (Technicaly, he was a bigimist). He went to the US Army in May of 1814 and died at Black Rock, NY in November 1814. So, the puzzle is, was the infant buried at Abigail's feet die before they went to Atwater, or after Abigail split and returned to Atwater? Is anyone out there a student of burial practices? Ralph Strong Glen Burnie

Ralph, Who is to say! I know one ggaunt on the other side of the family is buried with the still born infant at her feet and she died giving birth to the infant. Jim jegilbert@comcast.net ----- Original Message ----- From: "Ralph Strong" <rastrong@erols.com> To: <STRONG-L@rootsweb.com> Sent: Wednesday, February 05, 2003 7:49 AM Subject: Re: [STRONG] Head Stones - Burial Practices > My GG Grandmother, buried in 1814 in Durham, CT has an interesting notation > on her headstone. We have puzzled about what it means. It states "Abigail > Strong, wife of William Augustus Strong, d. 1814, and an infant lies at her > feet". > > William and Abigail lived in Durham, CT until 1806 and then moved to > Atwater, OH. At some point, we are guessing ca `1810 or 1811, she moved > back to Durham, leaving her children with William in Atwater. They had two > children in Durham before moving to Atwater. William vistited Abigail to > pursuade her to return to Atwater, but returned to Atwater and re-married. > (Technicaly, he was a bigimist). He went to the US Army in May of 1814 and > died at Black Rock, NY in November 1814. > > So, the puzzle is, was the infant buried at Abigail's feet die before they > went to Atwater, or after Abigail split and returned to Atwater? Is anyone > out there a student of burial practices? > > Ralph Strong > Glen Burnie > > > > > ==== STRONG Mailing List ==== > ======================================================== > Book I: RESEARCHING STRONG(E) AND STRANG(E) > IN GREAT BRITAIN AND IRELAND: > http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.com/~donegalstrongs/contents.htm > Database and manuscript. See especially Chap. 13, > entitled "Lineages"; and Chapt. 15, "DNA Study" > & > Book II: THE DONEGAL STRONG PUZZLE: > http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.com/~donegalstrongs/indxdrft.htm > Research and study of Counties Donegal and Fermanagh Strongs and > related families. > ========================================================== > >

As a general rule (all rules have exceptions), when a child died, the child would be buried at the foot of her/his mother, if the child's mother preceded the child in death. However, if the mother was still alive, the child would be buried at the foot of one of the child's grandmothers, if one of the grandmothers preceded the child in death. However, if the mother and both grandmothers were still alive, the child would be buried beside some other relative. The people were buried with their head to the east and their feet to the west so that when the rapture comes and the mother (or grandmother) comes out of the grave, she would be facing east from which direction Jesus will come, and she could take the child by the hand without having to turn around or search for the child. Children were always considered to be under their mother's feet while they were alive. Doyle T. Brittain ----- Original Message ----- From: "Ralph Strong" <rastrong@erols.com> To: <STRONG-L@rootsweb.com> Sent: Wednesday, February 05, 2003 8:49 AM Subject: Re: [STRONG] Head Stones - Burial Practices > My GG Grandmother, buried in 1814 in Durham, CT has an interesting notation > on her headstone. We have puzzled about what it means. It states "Abigail > Strong, wife of William Augustus Strong, d. 1814, and an infant lies at her > feet". > > William and Abigail lived in Durham, CT until 1806 and then moved to > Atwater, OH. At some point, we are guessing ca `1810 or 1811, she moved > back to Durham, leaving her children with William in Atwater. They had two > children in Durham before moving to Atwater. William vistited Abigail to > pursuade her to return to Atwater, but returned to Atwater and re-married. > (Technicaly, he was a bigimist). He went to the US Army in May of 1814 and > died at Black Rock, NY in November 1814. > > So, the puzzle is, was the infant buried at Abigail's feet die before they > went to Atwater, or after Abigail split and returned to Atwater? Is anyone > out there a student of burial practices? > > Ralph Strong > Glen Burnie > > > > > ==== STRONG Mailing List ==== > ======================================================== > Book I: RESEARCHING STRONG(E) AND STRANG(E) > IN GREAT BRITAIN AND IRELAND: > http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.com/~donegalstrongs/contents.htm > Database and manuscript. See especially Chap. 13, > entitled "Lineages"; and Chapt. 15, "DNA Study" > & > Book II: THE DONEGAL STRONG PUZZLE: > http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.com/~donegalstrongs/indxdrft.htm > Research and study of Counties Donegal and Fermanagh Strongs and > related families. > ========================================================== >