Died December 30, 1799
Anne Noyes Hale has a striking and beautifully-carved slate headstone in Eastern Cemetery. The work was done by Bartlett Adams himself (our most prolific stone cutter). It is very different from the other stones in the cemetery in that he enlarged the urn design to hold the inscription—rather than only using the urn as a decorative element at the top over the inscription—which is much more common. The background is stippled and the inscription continues on the platform under the urn itself. More images of Anne Hale's stones can be found on our Flickr page.
M.S.
ANNE HALE
Obt. Dec. 31, 1799
AEt. 29.
Hinc lachrymis!
From death's arrest could Virtue save
Or Love obtain a wish'd reprieve
Thou, Anne hadst reaped a youthful grave
Nor have I learnt so soon to grieve
Why would Anne have such a grand and likely expensive headstone? Perhaps it was because her husband, David, was in business with her possibly prominent uncle and was the first cashier at the Maine Bank. Maybe it was because her father, Joseph Noyes, was a high-profile Portland (then Falmouth) citizen who served as a representative in the provincial Congress as well as town selectman and treasurer.
Married only 2 years, Anne and David welcomed son Thomas on July 29, 1799. Anne died the following December though Thomas lived until October 10, 1800.
Thank you, Darren McLellan, for your work on Anne's story!
Note: M.S. is short for Memoria sacrum, and it translates to in sacred memory. Obt. was used as an abbreviation for obiit, and it translates to died on. Hinc lachrymis loosely translates to here is weeping, tears, and/or sadness.
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