The old Cemetery in Spencer, MA is home to many fine examples of craftsmanship as seen in the carvings of its 18th and 19th century headstones. It was one of the first places I started photographing headstones. I was very interested in taking pictures of the memorials but at first it felt taboo. That may be due to the fact that, as modern Americans, we have become quite disconnected with the reality of death, something our predecessors faced on a regular basis.
There is one particular stone in the Old Spencer Cemetery that is a favorite of taphophiles all around, that of William Sinclear. His headstone displays a great example of a full skeleton that I have not seen on many local stones. The only other example I have come across in my short time exploring is the stone for Benjamin Gilbert in the Old North Brookfield Cemetery.
I have read that the carver of William Sinclear’s stone likely used what is called a broadside as inspiration for his artwork. Broadsides, in the general sense, were pieces of paper printed on one side and used for things such as notices, announcements, advertisements and proclamations. In this context, broadsides were created for funeral announcements and elegies. These broadsides, which seem to me precursors to the modern obituary, often had many elaborate pictures of skeletons, skulls, devils and the like. Many local artists, gravestone carving side-hustlers, had their own style and go-to design but funeral broadsides certainly provided inspiration for some headstones.
On William Sinclear’s stone you can find the epitaph which reads: “Here lyes the body of Mr. William Sinclear who died July 4, 1753 aged 77 years. He was born in Ireland in the county of Down…Parish of Drumbloo.” There is damage on the right side of the stone so it is difficult to decipher some of the words. According to records Mr. Sinclair arrived at the Boston Port in the year 1728. He was born in Ireland and spent over twenty years in the United States, namely Massachusetts. Mr. Sinclair married his wife Mary, most likely in Ireland, and together they had 12 children. I have seen the name Sinclear and Sinclair used interchangeably and my best (certainly not expert) guess is that it was due to the pronunciation. I think about the way the Irish brogue glides across that hard “a” sound and I can see how Sinclair turns to Sinclear. When doing research online the name Sinclair may yield better results.
If you want more information on this stone you can find it in the book Graven Images by Allen Ludwig. I do not own the book, but it is on my list of titles to purchase. I have read the small section regarding this stone but I skimmed a bit online and can see it is full of much useful information!
