Joseph Barrell's Memorial - a photo on Flickriver

            "Mortal Remains"
The Memorial over Joseph Barrell's Tomb
King's Chapel Crypt
Boston, Massachusetts
August 11, 2023

“‘DEATH is the good man’s FRIEND; and the day of his death is better than the day of his birth. Was DEATH deny’d, e’en FOOLS would wish to die.’ The hope of future life, softens our cares, and heightens every bliss: then rest in peace for we shall live again.” 

From the King's Chapel website regarding the only tomb's in the crypt that still have readable memorials.

Almost every inch of King’s Chapel’s sanctuary walls are adorned with monuments to former congregants. However, the historic burial space below has just two remaining memorials located above their tomb entrances. This can seem jarring to first-time visitors, especially considering more recent American practices of burial and memorialization. Since the mid-19th century, the dominant form of burial in the United States has been landscaped cemeteries, green spaces with intricate headstones marking the spot of burial. Cemeteries are meant to memorialize the dead and are meant to be visited and explored. When the crypt was active, the dark, pungent space would not have been pleasant to visit. Congregants with family and friends interred below could attend service on Sunday and take comfort in knowing their loved ones lay below, without having to brave the crypt itself. As a result it was not a space for expensive ostentatious memorials. That being said, historically there were memorials in the crypt, both in the form of wood and plaster above the tombs and names either etched in slate or nailed onto the tomb doors. When the city banned the practice of open-air tombs in 1853, the chapel began the process of sealing the tombs and closing the crypt. Around that time all of the doors were removed, and many of the memorials were gradually taken down. What became of them is unknown, but remnants of plaster, wood, and nails can be found on many of the tombs today, indicating where they once were.

Two memorials remain today on tombs six and fifteen. Tomb number six belonged to the Lloyd family, and “Lloyd.” is carved on a large piece of slate above the tomb. Though expensive and large, compared to the memorials upstairs it is almost understated, no family crests or Latin phrases, just the name in block letters. Across the room is the other permanent memorial, on tomb number fifteen, belonging to Joseph Barrell. The memorial on this tomb features not just the name of the owner, but also the year it was likely purchased (1785) and a short group of quotations that read: “‘DEATH is the good man’s FRIEND; and the day of his death is better than the day of his birth. Was DEATH deny’d, e’en FOOLS would wish to die.’ The hope of future life, softens our cares, and heightens every bliss: then rest in peace for we shall live again.” Though wordier than the Lloyd memorial, the Barrell memorial is actually a bit smaller, and the two contrast well offering a pretty clear look into the taste and, in the case of the Barrell tomb, the personality of the owners. 

#boston #Massachusetts #tomb #crypt #death #grave #JosephBarrell #memorial #creepy #spooky 
   

Taken in: United States / Massachusetts / Boston / Boston (show map)

Taken on: August 11, 2023

Tags:

Joseph Barrell

tomb

memorial

King's Chapel

Boston

New England

Massachusetts

historic

historical

history

American Revolution

Paul Revere

Bell

bell tower

Revere and Son

1686

church

worship

crypts

corrupt

tombs

entombed

Anglican congregation

non-Puritan

religion

Unitarian

pipe organ

1713

pulpit

Tremont Street

freedom trail

Peter Harrison

Georgian architecture

National Historic Landmark

box pews

brick tomb

Frank C. Grace

Trig Photography

Sony

A7RV

HDR

high dynamic range

photography

wide angle

stone

wood

Sony FE 12-24mm F2.8 GM « less

Sets appears in: • King's Chapel

Groups appears in: • Graves, Tombs And Cemeteries • New England more » • Boston and surrounding 'burbs • Boston, MA • Spooky • Eerie, Creepy, or Spooky Things • Dark Places • HDR • New England Cemeteries • EVERYTHING AMERICA • Grave Art • Cemeteries - Cementerios - Friedhoefe - Cimetières - Cimiteri • Quality HDR • HDR NO HOLDS BARRED • Boston Pictures • HDR Surreal • HDR from a single RAW • HDR Decay • HDR Unlimited • Cool HDR, dude! • HDR ADDICTED • New England HDR • HDR - From The Real Masters • New England Churches • Cemeteries of the United States • Grunge Art • CEMETERIES & GRAVEYARDS & TOMBS * VOTING TIME • Surreal Side (HDR/Tone Mapping) • ALL HDR PHOTOS(OVER THE TOPTHE BETTER) • Boston, Massachusetts • HDR - PASSION • Handheld HDR • HDR Creative Shots • Cemeteries, Graveyards, Tombstones, and Mausoleums • Boston Beauty • HDR From Single RAW No Limits • darkclub • The HDR Emporium • Geotagged: Massachusetts • Escaped Memories • Boston HDR • HDR Cemeteries • HDR Worlds • HDR One Magazine • Amazing New England • Sony A7 / A7R / A7S / A7II / A7RII / A7SII / A7III / A7RIII Comm • Sony a7 & a7R (ILCE-7 & ILCE-7R) • Sony FE-Mount (Full Frame E-mount) • exploring lost places • American Colonial Places • Sony FE 12-24mm F2.8 GM • DxO PureRAW « less

Stats: 1,405 views / 2 comments