WIDOW SARAH BRADFORD HUNT'S GRAVESTONE
BY GEORGE ERNEST BOWMAN
Sarah Gray, daughter of Edward and Mary Gray of Tiverton (then in Massachusetts,
but since 1747 in Rhode Island) , was born 8 April, 1697, and on 21 October, 1714*, she
was married to Samuel4 Bradford (John3, William2-1) of Plympton, Mass. The marriage was
recorded at Plympton, and the officiating clergyman was Rev. Isaac Cushman3 (Mary2
Allerton, Isaac1) of that town.
Lieutenant Samuel4 Bradford died at Plympton, 26 March, 1740.
Seven and one-half years after the death of her first husband, the widow Sarah (Gray)
Bradford was married, on 7 September, 1749, at Plympton, to William Hunt, of Chilmark,
Mass. She was then more than fifty-two years old, and there were no children by his second
marriage.
Sarah (Gray) (Bradford) Hunt survived her second husband and died at Chilmark,
"October . the 16th 1770. in the 74th Year of her Age", according to the record
on her gravestone in the old cemetery in that town.
(George Ernest Bowman. He personally visited the
grave) "As the only known record of her death is that on her gravestone,
it is unfortunate that this record was not correctly printed in the "Vital Records of
Chilmark", published in 1904†. The record as there printed incorrectly states
that Sarah Hunt was in her "94th" year, instead of her 74th year; inserts words
not on the stone; omits words that are on the stone; and misleads readers by inserting
extra periods between the words "Samuel" and "who was", thus
indicating omission of a part of the inscription, although nothing was omitted, and there
is no vacant space between these two words."
Bowman felt the following inscription was penned by Dr. Samuel Bradford, of Chilmark, who
was appointed administrator of his mother's estate.
THE INSCRIPTION ON
WIDOW SARAH HUNT'S GRAVESTONE
Here lies Buried the Body of Mrs
Sarah Hunt, who was formerly
the Wife of Samuel Bradford
of Plymton Gentleman who deceased
March the 26th 1740. in the 56th Year
of his Age. who left Eight Children
names as follows. John. Gideon.
Mary. Sarah .William Abigail.
Phebe and Samuel who was the
Daughter of Mr Edward Gray. and
Mary. his wife of Tiverton. Born
April the 8th 1697. who deceased
October. the 16th 1770. in the
74th Year of her Age.
