Jonathan Fairbanks died December 10, 1668. No headstone stands to mark his grave. No sermon would have been said to memorialize his life. But his house has stood for almost 400 years as a reminder of his and his family’s existence and contribution to the building of this nation. He is not only remembered by his heirs, but by his chosen nation, because the house was declared a National Historic Landmark in 1961 and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. He and his family will be remembered because of their contribution to this nation’s history.

In late spring of 1668, Jonathan fell ill again. So ill that he thought it necessary to write his will. On June 1, 1668, Fairbanks had his will written. (Note: If you see words highlighted in color, you should be able to click on the words, and you will be take to the internet location to learn more about that portion of this article.)

It is apparent that Fairbanks was of sound mind when he composed his last wishes. He meticulously described how his estate should be apportioned after his death. His witnesses attested to his soundness of mind. However, he felt “sicke,” “weake,” and considered that he might die soon.

Fairbanks may have been so ill that he could no longer sign his name, only sign his “mark.” Jonathan’s mark looked, as written by the transcriptionist, much like the first letter of his first name on his signature. From the time he ascribed his mark to his will, Jonathan lived just over six months, dying during early winter.

A Puritan’s Death

Fairbanks had a long time to ponder his afterlife. As a Puritan, he believed that his fate was predestined at birth. He could not change whether he would be accepted into God’s glory or be sent to hell. He could not predict his destination after death The Puritans believed in humility, thus the more certain one was that they would go to heaven, the more likely that they would not.

Jonathan spent much of his life looking for signs of God’s pleasure or disapproval as depicted through his fortunes and troubles. The whole town and colony pondered the same about its existence. When crops were good or things seemed to go well, a day of “thanksgiving” was called. When there was much illness, wars, crops were poor, or other problems, a day of “humiliation” was enforced.

Looking upon his house, land, and general prosperity, Fairbanks may have seen them as a sign of God’s favor. He was heartily accepted by his peers into the Dedham church in 1646, showing affirmation support of his character. Perhaps his many grandchildren also signaled that God favored and blessed Jonathan.

However, Jonathan had times when he seemed to fall out of favor. His illness in 1651 could have signaled God’s discontent. Jonathan’s third son’s restless nature may have been an omen of God’s disapproval. His daughter, Susan, died in 1659 at age 32. Even though she likely died at childbirth, that might have seemed as if God was displeased to a Puritan like Fairbanks.

Death was ever present in his town and the colony. It was a frequent topic of sermons and community conversations. Even the youngest child was lectured on the subject. Childbirth and fire being the two main reasons for women’s death, each time his wife or children gave birth, or when anyone was ill or died, it was a time for anxiety and reflection on personal destiny. With each death, there would be reason to re-evaluate ones own status in the eyes of God.

Colonial Death

At the time of Jonathan’s death, there may not have been a doctor in town. The doctor that had land in town, Dr. Henry Deengayne (De Engayne), died before 1648 leaving his land and house to his wife as found on Dedham Town Records. No record has been found of another physician at that time.

If a doctor wasn’t available, the town minister, Mr. John Allin, may have provided some comfort to his fellow townsman. However, Mr. Allin was “feeble” in 1668. At the age of 71, he was only three years younger than Fairbanks. (Hanson, page 67) Allin hired William Woodward to help him with the preaching at that time, so even his availability was questionable. Even if Allin were present, the Puritans preached often of the uncertainty of who was chosen for everlasting life in heaven. He might have only heightened Jonathan’s concern about what was to come.

The sure caregiver of the house was Grace. As a woman and mother of six, she would have known many herbal and natural remedies to tend her family. Having traveled from England, knowing there would be no apothecaries, perhaps no doctor, and no older women to draw knowledge from, she had to learned about natural remedies and brought starts of plants that she would need in New England.

No doubt, Grace had different medicinal herbs growing in her garden. She may have sent Mary, her daughter, into a nearby woods or swamp to retrieve what would work best as an infusion or poultice for the symptoms of her dying husband.

As a Puritan, Grace knew that she should approach Jonathan’s death gladly as a passing to the glory of life everlasting, but there would also be lingering anxiety about whether he was one of the chose to dwell with God. She religiously could not focus on his material presence in her life, but after fifty-one years of marriage and the hardships of moving their family and rearing them in the uncertainty of the wilderness, she must have felt a deep loss.

Goodwife Fairbanks probably was comforted knowing that Jonathan provided for her after his death in his will. She had the support of four of her six children who still living in the area when Jonathan became ill. She most certainly attributed her children as blessings from her God who was pleased.

Death was a time of separation of body and soul. The body must return to earth, but the soul that came from God would return to God. http://www.anmal.uma.es/numero17/Romero.htm

Grace probably shut the window shutters and pulled the heavy blanketed window crane across the window in their parlor room where Jonathan suffered in bed. In December, this would help to keep the room warm, but would also keep his soul from departing too soon.

The Day of Jonathan Fairbanks Death December 10, 1668

Jonathan gave specific directions about his burial in the will. First, he committed his soul to God. His body was to be returned to the earth from whence it was taken in a Christian burial. John Fairbanks, his oldest son and executor, was to make all other arrangements for Jonathan’s burial.

When Grace and any attendants felt sure that Jonathan had passed, they would have sent messengers bearing mourning gloves to friends and family. One messenger would go to Lancaster, Massachusetts, to alert their son, Jonas, his family, and their good friends, John and Mary Prescott. Another would go to the other grown children living around Dedham if they weren’t already in attendance. They would include George, their second son, in Medfield. Most likely they would also summon Martha Pidge, the young girl that was brought into their home in 1654. She too was in Medfield having living next to George with her husband, Benjamin Bullard, a Fairbanks family friend. married a family friend and living next to George.

Preparation of Fairbanks’s Body for Burial

Jonathan’s body would be moved to a table where it would be undressed. Clothes were too expensive and valuable to be buried with their owner. Jonathan did not bequest his own clothes to anyone in his will. Perhaps he gave them to his sons or friends before he died.

On the table, Jonathan’s body would be “dressed and trimmed.” His eyes would be closed and his body washed and shrouded. Herbs, spices, and flowers would be incorporated in the preparations. These would help disguise the odors of death over the next three days while he would lay in “wake.”

If it took more than three days to gather friends and family, embalming was an option. However, it was not widely used. It was especially discouraged by the Puritans.

During those three days of wake, someone would stay by Jonathan’s side at all times in case he might awaken. The occurrence was not unheard of. Some that were considered dead, awakened days later from a deathlike sleep.

In the three days of the wake, the family and friends had time to arrive for a visit and the burial. Upon arrival, the men would remove their hats in their left hand. They would visit Grace and the body which was surrounded by candles and herbs that burned or infused to mask the smells of death. Mourners could attached notes to the bier or frame that would carry the coffin. After the funeral, the notes were often compiled and published as memorials to the deceased

For those who visited the day of the burial, a feast with plenty of liquor was laid out before or after the procession to the grave. Once the visitor paid respects to the deceased and family, they would visit a table of bountiful food.  Finally, they would move outside to wait for the procession to the grave to begin.  

On the day of the burial, Jonathan’s body would be placed in the coffin. Most coffins were made of elm. The receptacle would be narrow at the head, wide at the shoulders, and taper to the feet. It could have been a private coffin that family or friends made. However, in some cases, a coffin was owned by the town. If the town coffin were used, it carried the body from the home to the burial ground. Then the shrouded body would be laid to rest in the grave. The town’s coffin was returned, ever present, at the meeting house for the next death in the town.  

Fairbanks’s arms might be folded across his body with his hands resting on either shoulder. His hands might be placed in the position of prayer at the bottom of his ribcage or straight armed with hands crossed covering the groin.  

Mr. John Allin, the minister, if well enough, would be present, but would not offer a sermon or prayer. In most cases the body would bypass the church on the way to the Old Village Cemetery. There would not be a funeral or liturgy. For the Puritans, a funeral exemplified the Papist (Catholic) or pagan ceremonies which they left behind when they left England.

Things started to change about 1650, more and more ceremony was practiced even by the Puritans. Dedham created a “bear way” between the church and the Old Village Cemetery in 1664. Perhaps Jonathan’s procession stopped at the meeting house for a few words. If so, the words would be for the salvation of the living souls, not for the dead.

The Old Village Cemetery of Dedham Massachusetts

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Death was so prevalent that the founders of Dedham had addressed a burial ground on their first meeting after they received their land grant. They had not even left Watertown when this meeting was held on August 18, 1636.

The first acre of ground was donated from the home lots of Joseph Kingsbury and Nicholas Phillips. It was set apart “for the use of a public burial place for the town forever.” The cemetery would be cleared from the tall grasses and well fenced with all residents participating in the work or the cost of the work to be done. The graveyard would not be enlarged until in the 1800’s. (Smith, page 145).
The Old Village Cemetery, the only burial place in Dedham Village for nearly 250 years (Smith, page 146). The first recorded death in Dedham was John Fisher, on August 15th, 1637. It was the final resting place of both Jonathan and Grace.

As early as 1650, the town hired Joshua Kente to be the grave maker (DTR, page, 164). He was directed to dig the graves so the feet faced the east. The dead needed to be prepared to rise toward the east on Judgement Day when the ultimate Judge came to call them. In Kente’s absence, the friends of the family would dig the grave.
Until 1769, no burials were allowed on the Sabbath, unless leave was granted by a Justice. If a funeral was held on Sunday, all preparation had to be done by the end of Saturday.

The Burial Procession

A church bell was hung at the meeting house in February of 1652. It replaced the drum beaten by Ralph Daye, Jonathan’s son-in-law and husband of Susan. The drum, then the bell, was used to gather townsfolk for town meetings, church, road work, training, an alarm, and processions to the grave. It would have been the bell that called the Dedham residents to the Fairbanks house for the processional. https://www.newenglandhistoricalsociety.com/seven-strange-facts-colonial-funerals/

Jonathan was an old man. His friends, by and large, would have been old, also. They might falter trying to carry the casket the mile from the Fairbanks House to the Old Village Burial ground near the meeting house. This was not a unique situation. The problem was handled by having 4-6 younger men as “under carriers.”

The older friends would carry a “pall” or covering over the casket during the processional. Sometimes the pall was elaborately decorated, especially indicating the deceased’s rank and status, or it may have been a fine cloth owned by the town and used by the general public.

The young men would usually carry the casket at waist height or on a bier— sort of stretcher. It was December, the under carriers would not suffer the heat of summer. Yet the weight may have required a rest or even a second set of carriers during the journey.

https://www.newenglandhistoricalsociety.com/seven-strange-facts-colonial-funerals/

Likely, Grace, accompanied by her children, followed the coffin. They may have worn mourning clothes. Earlier, this would have been seen as unnecessary ceremony, but by this time the family often wore black capes, hats, hose, and shoes. Others may have worn black ribbons or armbands.

The Burial

When the body of Fairbanks finally arrived at the cemetery, the grave would have been dug. The body would be placed toward the east in preparation of the Judgement Day. No words would be said over the grave. No exaggerated signs of mourning would take place. This was the material body being buried, not the soul. No one could change what would happen to the soul, that was pre-ordained at the beginning of life. As the dirt was shoveled in, sprigs of rosemary were dropped into the grave by the family and friends. It was to encourage remembrance.

Rosemary was alluded to in relation to death by William Shakespeare, a contemporary of Jonathan Fairbanks. Shakespeare talked about rosemary in Hamlet as a sign of remembrance and in Romeo and Juliet in the burial of the corpse.

When the coffin was covered, the procession was ended, unless the feast was held at the home after the burial. A marker may have been placed, but none remain today. If one was placed, likely it was a wooden marker or a simple stone. The Puritans did not like crosses, believing them to be an idol or symbol of the Papists. By the time of Fairbanks’s death, more elaborate engraved markers may have been commissioned from England for the wealthy or people of Colony status. However, the earliest gravestone still standing in the Old Village Cemetery in 1936 was for Hannah Dyar who died in 1678, ten years after Fairbanks. https://archive.org/details/historyofdedhamm00smit/page/n349/mode/2up

Death and Burial of Grace and Some of the Children

Grace (Smith) Fairbanks, born circa 1597, died October 28, 1673 at age 76. This was eight years after Jonathan died. She is interned in the Old Village Cemetery, but no marker remains for her.

There doesn’t appear to be a family plot, but graves at that time were clustered together.

Jonathan’s will saw to the welfare of Grace the rest of her life. No doubt, the living children and grandchildren took part in assuring her a comfortable living. Grace had lost one child, Susan, as mentioned before in 1659.

Grace would have known about the concerns about troubles between the settlers and Indians. A year and a half after her death, King Philip’s War broke out. Grace’s fourth son and youngest child, Jonathan Jr., was called to join the cavalry of the Englishmen in the earliest battle through the duration of the war. The war came to Medfield, where her second son, George, and Martha (Pidge) Bullard lived. The town was raided and burned, but none of Grace’s “children” or their families were harmed.

Jonathan and Grace’s third son, Jonas, and his fifteen year old son, Joshua, were not so fortunate. when the Indians raided and burned Lancaster, Massachusetts, both Jonas and Joshua were killed.

There was no time for a procession, ceremony, or funeral. Almost the whole town was burned. The buildings, if not burned by the Indians, were burned by the settlers, not wanting to leave anything for the natives to use in their campaign to ‘drive the Englishmen into the sea.’ In the case of Jonas and Joshua, they were probably buried in a mass grave with the twenty-three other people that were killed that day. https://archive.org/details/earlyrecordsofla1643lanc/page/n215/mode/2up?q=raid+of+lancaster+1675, No mark or true cemetery remains for those forefathers. No sprigs of rosemary were tossed into their grave for remembrance, but we remember them still.

We will never know if the sprigs of rosemary bring us memories of Jonathan and Grace or any of the other Fairbanks. More likely, we remember Jonathan Fairbanks for his role in our ancestry, the beginning of this country, and the grand and everlasting house that he built for his family.

In the words of Benjamin Franklin in May of 1738, "If you would not be forgotten, as soon as you are dead and rotten; Either write things worthy of reading, or do things worthy of writing."

Additional Resources

Hanson, Robert B. Dedham 1635 to 1890, Dedham Historical Society, 1976.

Hill, Don Gleason, The Records of the Town of Dedham, Massachusetts: 1636 -1650

Stannard, David E. The Puritan Way of Death: A Study in Religion, Culture, and Social Change. Oxford University Press, 1977.

Taylor, Dale. Everyday Life in Colonial America from 1607-1783. Writer’s Digest Books, Cincinnati, Ohio. 1997.

What’s Coming Up?

The Inventory after Death of Jonathan Fairbanks 1668

We can learn a lot about a person and how they lived by the things they left behind. We will look at Jonathan Fairbanks’s inventory after death to see what it might tell us about him and his family.