Soldiers and Sailors of the American Revolution Buried in Acton Cemeteries
Many veterans of the Revolutionary War were buried in Acton's cemeteries. Some graves were unmarked. The Concord Enterprise of April 18, 1895 suggested that there might be more than "150 graves of revolutionary heroes scattered through the cemeteries of the town," but by that point in time, a number closer to 100 had been discovered.
The following list shows those whose graves were stated in at least one written source to have been honored with a Sons of the American Revolution marker. Most were placed at graves in April 1895 as part of a large-scale celebration of the 120th anniversary of the Concord battle. In some cases, the SAR markers must have been placed on unmarked graves (for example, Francis Barker and Joseph Brown's stones were installed after the 1895 SAR markers). Furthermore, it is likely that some SAR markers have been moved or damaged in the years since the markers were placed. In some cases, we have found gravestones for individuals with the names on this list, but they lack SAR markers. More research is needed to confirm that those gravestones actually belong to the Revolutionary veterans. This list is under construction, so check back later for updates.
The written lists did not specify the cemetery of burial. The color coding shows graves with an SAR marker has been documented in a photograph, as follows:
Green: in Forest Cemetery on Carlisle Road in North Acton
Brown: in Woodlawn Cemetery on Concord Road in Acton
The following list shows those whose graves were stated in at least one written source to have been honored with a Sons of the American Revolution marker. Most were placed at graves in April 1895 as part of a large-scale celebration of the 120th anniversary of the Concord battle. In some cases, the SAR markers must have been placed on unmarked graves (for example, Francis Barker and Joseph Brown's stones were installed after the 1895 SAR markers). Furthermore, it is likely that some SAR markers have been moved or damaged in the years since the markers were placed. In some cases, we have found gravestones for individuals with the names on this list, but they lack SAR markers. More research is needed to confirm that those gravestones actually belong to the Revolutionary veterans. This list is under construction, so check back later for updates.
The written lists did not specify the cemetery of burial. The color coding shows graves with an SAR marker has been documented in a photograph, as follows:
Green: in Forest Cemetery on Carlisle Road in North Acton
Brown: in Woodlawn Cemetery on Concord Road in Acton
Adams, John
Adams, Moses
Barker, David
Barker, Francis (see Tombstone)
Barker, Joseph
Barker, William
Billings, Ephraim
Billings, Jonathan
Brabrook, Benjamin (also spelled Braybrook)
Brabrook, Joseph (also spelled Braybrook)
Bright, Joseph
Brooks, Daniel
Brooks, David
Brooks, James
Brooks, Seth
Brown, Joseph (see Tombstone and blog post)
Chaffin, Elias
Chaffin, John (Footnote 1)
Chaffin, Joseph
Chaffin, Robert
Cole, John (Footnote 2)
Cole, Joseph
Cutting, William
Davis, Daniel
Davis, David
Davis, Elijah
Davis, Ezekiel
Davis, Gershom
Davis, Isaac (Capt.) (Buried in Acton Center, but stone exists in Woodlawn Cemetery. See Monument and Tombstone)
Davis, John
Davis, Jonathan
Davis, Josiah
Davis, Reuben
Davis, Samuel
Derby, Thomas
Dexter, John
Edwards, John (Col.)
Edwards, John (Possibly a duplicate entry)
Edwards, Nathaniel
Emerson, Oliver
Faulkner, Ammi
Faulkner, Francis
Faulkner, James
Faulkner, Nathaniel
Fletcher, Daniel
Fletcher, James (Woodlawn Cemetery, SAR marker not found)
Fletcher, John S.
Flint, Henry
Forbush, Ephraim
Hapgood, Abraham
Hapgood, Ephraim
Harrington, Edward
Harris, John
Harris, Joseph
Hayward, Benjamin
Hayward, James (buried in Acton Center, see Monument and Tombstone)
Hayward, John
Hayward, Josiah
Hayward, Samuel
Hayward, Samuel Jr.
Hayward, Simeon
Hayward, Stephen (found Capt. Stevens Hayward with marker in cemetery, not found on written listings)
Heald, Israel
Heald, John
Heald, John (Capt.)
Heald, John (Col.)
Heald, Jonas
Heald, Timothy
Hosmer, Abner (buried in Acton Center, see Monument and Tombstone)
Hosmer, Ephraim
Hosmer, Jonathan (see blog post and follow-up)
Hosmer, Jonathan Jr. (see blog posts about his service and about Woodlawn SAR marker)
Hosmer, Samuel
Hosmer, Stephen (2 Stephen Hosmers have SAR markers in Woodlawn)
Hunt, John
Hunt, Simeon
Hunt, Simon
Jones, Aaron
Jones, Oliver
Jones, Samuel
Lamson, John
Law, Stephen
Law, Stephen Jr.
Law, Titus
Noyes, Thomas
Oliver, John (see blog post and follow-up)
Parlin, Nathan
Parlin, Samuel
Piper, Joseph
Prescott, Benjamin
Proctor, Abel
Proctor, Abel (duplicate or second Abel?)
Reed, Joseph
Reed, William
Robbins, George
Robbins, John
Robbins, Joseph
Robbins, Joseph Jr.
Sawtell, Eleazer
Smith, Solomon (grave in Woodlawn)
Swift, John (see blog post)
Temple, Samuel
Thorpe, Thomas
Tuttle, Simon
Tuttle, Simon Jr.
Wetherbee, Edward
Wheeler, Hezekiah
Wheeler, Oliver
Wheeler, Roger
White, Daniel
White, Ebenezer (Lieut.)
White, Mark
Woods, Moses
Wright, Samuel
Other graves were found that were marked with SAR Markers in the cemetery, but they were not in the written listings consulted. Further research should confirm Revolutionary Service:
Hayward, Stevens (Capt.)
Wheeler, Theodore (Capt.)
White, Samuel (Lieut.)
Sources:
"The Men of the Revolution Who Are Honored Today by Having Bronzed Markers Placed at Their Graves." Concord Enterprise. April 18, 1895, page 2.
May, Henry A. Soldiers and Sailors Whose Markers Have Been Designated By the Marker of the Society. Boston: Massachusetts Society of the Sons of the American Revolution, 1901.
Secretary of the Commonwealth. Massachusetts Soldiers and Sailors in the War of the Revolution. Boston: Wright & Potter Printing Co., 1896.
Shepard, M. Gravestones of Forest Cemetery. Scrapbook of Gravestone Photographs held at Acton Historical Society.
Shepard, M. Gravestones of Revolutionary Section, Woodlawn Cemetery. Scrapbook of Gravestone Photographs held at Acton Historical Society.
See also photographs of existing gravestones at FindAGrave.com (search by name):
Woodlawn Cemetery
Forest Cemetery
Adams, Moses
Barker, David
Barker, Francis (see Tombstone)
Barker, Joseph
Barker, William
Billings, Ephraim
Billings, Jonathan
Brabrook, Benjamin (also spelled Braybrook)
Brabrook, Joseph (also spelled Braybrook)
Bright, Joseph
Brooks, Daniel
Brooks, David
Brooks, James
Brooks, Seth
Brown, Joseph (see Tombstone and blog post)
Chaffin, Elias
Chaffin, John (Footnote 1)
Chaffin, Joseph
Chaffin, Robert
Cole, John (Footnote 2)
Cole, Joseph
Cutting, William
Davis, Daniel
Davis, David
Davis, Elijah
Davis, Ezekiel
Davis, Gershom
Davis, Isaac (Capt.) (Buried in Acton Center, but stone exists in Woodlawn Cemetery. See Monument and Tombstone)
Davis, John
Davis, Jonathan
Davis, Josiah
Davis, Reuben
Davis, Samuel
Derby, Thomas
Dexter, John
Edwards, John (Col.)
Edwards, John (Possibly a duplicate entry)
Edwards, Nathaniel
Emerson, Oliver
Faulkner, Ammi
Faulkner, Francis
Faulkner, James
Faulkner, Nathaniel
Fletcher, Daniel
Fletcher, James (Woodlawn Cemetery, SAR marker not found)
Fletcher, John S.
Flint, Henry
Forbush, Ephraim
Hapgood, Abraham
Hapgood, Ephraim
Harrington, Edward
Harris, John
Harris, Joseph
Hayward, Benjamin
Hayward, James (buried in Acton Center, see Monument and Tombstone)
Hayward, John
Hayward, Josiah
Hayward, Samuel
Hayward, Samuel Jr.
Hayward, Simeon
Hayward, Stephen (found Capt. Stevens Hayward with marker in cemetery, not found on written listings)
Heald, Israel
Heald, John
Heald, John (Capt.)
Heald, John (Col.)
Heald, Jonas
Heald, Timothy
Hosmer, Abner (buried in Acton Center, see Monument and Tombstone)
Hosmer, Ephraim
Hosmer, Jonathan (see blog post and follow-up)
Hosmer, Jonathan Jr. (see blog posts about his service and about Woodlawn SAR marker)
Hosmer, Samuel
Hosmer, Stephen (2 Stephen Hosmers have SAR markers in Woodlawn)
Hunt, John
Hunt, Simeon
Hunt, Simon
Jones, Aaron
Jones, Oliver
Jones, Samuel
Lamson, John
Law, Stephen
Law, Stephen Jr.
Law, Titus
Noyes, Thomas
Oliver, John (see blog post and follow-up)
Parlin, Nathan
Parlin, Samuel
Piper, Joseph
Prescott, Benjamin
Proctor, Abel
Proctor, Abel (duplicate or second Abel?)
Reed, Joseph
Reed, William
Robbins, George
Robbins, John
Robbins, Joseph
Robbins, Joseph Jr.
Sawtell, Eleazer
Smith, Solomon (grave in Woodlawn)
Swift, John (see blog post)
Temple, Samuel
Thorpe, Thomas
Tuttle, Simon
Tuttle, Simon Jr.
Wetherbee, Edward
Wheeler, Hezekiah
Wheeler, Oliver
Wheeler, Roger
White, Daniel
White, Ebenezer (Lieut.)
White, Mark
Woods, Moses
Wright, Samuel
Other graves were found that were marked with SAR Markers in the cemetery, but they were not in the written listings consulted. Further research should confirm Revolutionary Service:
Hayward, Stevens (Capt.)
Wheeler, Theodore (Capt.)
White, Samuel (Lieut.)
Sources:
"The Men of the Revolution Who Are Honored Today by Having Bronzed Markers Placed at Their Graves." Concord Enterprise. April 18, 1895, page 2.
May, Henry A. Soldiers and Sailors Whose Markers Have Been Designated By the Marker of the Society. Boston: Massachusetts Society of the Sons of the American Revolution, 1901.
Secretary of the Commonwealth. Massachusetts Soldiers and Sailors in the War of the Revolution. Boston: Wright & Potter Printing Co., 1896.
Shepard, M. Gravestones of Forest Cemetery. Scrapbook of Gravestone Photographs held at Acton Historical Society.
Shepard, M. Gravestones of Revolutionary Section, Woodlawn Cemetery. Scrapbook of Gravestone Photographs held at Acton Historical Society.
See also photographs of existing gravestones at FindAGrave.com (search by name):
Woodlawn Cemetery
Forest Cemetery
Footnotes:
1 Both SAR marker lists specify a first name as John. No John Chaffin listed is in the 1896 Massachusetts Soldiers and Sailors in the War of the Revolution, but there is a Jonathan Chaffin of Acton listed.
2 John Cole's grave is listed in the April 18, 1895 listing as having been marked with an SAR marker, but the 1901 May book did not include John Cole in Acton's grave listing.
1 Both SAR marker lists specify a first name as John. No John Chaffin listed is in the 1896 Massachusetts Soldiers and Sailors in the War of the Revolution, but there is a Jonathan Chaffin of Acton listed.
2 John Cole's grave is listed in the April 18, 1895 listing as having been marked with an SAR marker, but the 1901 May book did not include John Cole in Acton's grave listing.