BURIAL HILL GRAVES

In 1668, Rev. John Cotton’s son, John Cotton Jr. – my 6th great grandfather, was asked to head the Plymouth Church, and for the next 250 years, someone from my Cotton Line has lived in Plymouth- founded by the Mayflower Pilgrims. The most significant of the direct lines are: In 1668, Rev. John Cotton’s son, John Cotton Jr., was asked to head the Plymouth Church, and for the next 250 years, someone from my Cotton Line has lived in Plymouth- founded by the Mayflower Pilgrims.

Plymouth is the one place John Cotton’s decedents have lived the longest (1620 to 1870); and though my line migrated to the Ohio Territory soon after the American Revolution in 1778, I have fifty-eight (58) Cotton ancestors interred on Burial Hill in Plymouth, Massachusetts (shown above right).

LIST OF COTTON FAMILY GRAVES ON BURIAL HILL:

• AREA 1: 3 individuals – 3 graves – numbers 1 to 3
  • 1   John Sturtevant  (b 1658 d 1752) father of Hannah (Sturtevant) Cotton
  • 2   Hannah (Winslow-Crowe) Sturtevant (b 1644 d 1708) mother of Hannah (Sturtevant) Cotton
  • 3   William Crowe (b 1628 d 1683) first husband of Hannah Sturtevant
• AREA 2: 19 individuals – 9 graves – numbers 4 to 12
  • 4   Sons of John Jr. & Josiah Cotton
  •  5   Josiah Cotton (b 1679 d 1756) son of Rev. John Cotton Jr., grandson of Rev. John Cotton of Boston
  •  6   Hannah (Sturtevant) Cotton (b 1687 d 1756) wife of Josiah Cotton, daughter of John & Hannah Sturtevant
  •  7   Hannah (Cotton) Dyre (b 1709 d 1731) daughter of Josiah & Hannah Cotton, wife of Thomson Phillips & William Dyre
  •  8   Bethia (Cotton) Pulsifer (b 1714 d 1735) daughter of Josiah & Hannah Cotton, wife of Abel Pulsifer
  •  9   Joseph Pulsifer (b 1733 d 1733) son of Abiel Pulsifer & Bethia (Cotton) Pulsifer
  • 10  Abeil Pulsifer (b c1730 d 1736) son of Abiel Pulsifer & Bethia (Cotton) Pulsifer
  • 11  Ward Cotton (b 1711 d 1768) son of Rowland Cotton who was the brother of Josiah Cotton
  • 12   Memorial to Rev. John Cotton Jr., three of his sons and seven sons of Josiah Cotton who died in infancy
• AREA 3: 24 individuals – 20 graves –  numbers 13 to 32
  • 13 Ephraim Little (b 1676 d 1723) Cotton cousin by marriage of Lt. John Cotton to Lucy Little in 1780
  • 14 Charles Jackson (b 1770 d 1818) husband of Lucy Cotton, daughter of Rev. John Cotton, the son of Josiah Cotton
  • 15 Lucy (Cotton) Jackson (b 1768 d 1818) daughter of Rev.John Cotton & granddaughter of Josiah Cotton
  • 16 Margaret ‘Peggy’ (Dyer) Holbrook (b 1784 d 1811) daughter of  Bethia Cotton who was the daughter of Col. Theophilus Cotton, the son of Josiah Cotton)
  • 17 Mary Dyer (b 1781 d 1805) daughter of Bethia Cotton who was the daughter of Col. Theophilus Cotton, the son of Josiah Cotton)
  • 18 Martha (Sanders) Cotton (b 1717 d 1796) wife of Col. Theophilus Cotton, the son of Josiah Cotton
  • 19 Col. Theophilus Cotton (b 1716 d 1782) son of Josiah Cotton
  • 20 Capt. Charles Dyer (b 1740 d 1786) husband of Bethia Cotton, the daughter of Col. Theophilus Cotton
  • 20 Bethiah (Cotton) Dyer & son (b 1749 d 1837) wife of Capt. Charles Dyer & daughter of Col. Theophilus Cotton
  • 21 Joanna Cotton (b 1760 d 1822) daughter of Rev. John Cotton, the son of Josiah Cotton
  • 22 Hannah (Sturtevant) Cotton (b 1727 d 1800) wife of Rev. John Cotton, the son of Josiah Cotton
  • 23 Rev. John Cotton (b 1712 d 1789) son of Josiah Cotton
  • 24 Pricila (Watson) Cotton (b 1760 d 1859) 3^rd wife of Josiah Cotton, the son of Rev. John Cotton & grandson of Josiah Cotton
  • 25 David Barnes Cotton (b 1794 d 1795) son of Josiah Cotton, the son of Rev. John Cotton & grandson of Josiah Cotton
  • 26 Thomas Smith-Cotton (b 1787 d 1787) son of Josiah Cotton, the son of Rev. John Cotton by his 1^st wife, Lydia Parker
  • 27 Josiah Cotton (b 1747 d 1819) son of Rev. John Cotton & grandson of Josiah Cotton
  • 28 Rachel (Barnes) Cotton (b 1758 d 1808) 2^nd wife of Josiah Cotton, the son of Rev. John Cotton & grandson of Josiah Cotton
  • 29 Lydia (Parker) Cotton (b 1752 d 1787) 1^st wife of Josiah Cotton, the son of Rev. John Cotton & grandson of Josiah Cotton
  • 30 Mary Cotton (b 1790 d 1791) daughter of Dr. Rossiter Cotton, the son of Rev. John Cotton & grandson of Josiah Cotton
  • 31 Rossiter Cotton (b 1794 d 1796) son of Dr. Rossiter Cotton, the son of Rev. John Cotton & grandson of Josiah Cotton
  • 32 Three sons of Dr. Rossiter Cotton and his wife, Priscilla (Jackson) Cotton
• AREA 4: 1 individual – 1 grave – number 32
  • 33 Sarah (Cotton) Harlow (b 1763 d 1828) daughter of Rev. John Cotton & grandson of Josiah Cotton
• AREA 5: 1 individual  – 1 grave – number 34
  • 34 Thomas Little (b 1674 d 1712) Cotton cousin by marriage of Lt. John Cotton to Lucy Little in 1780
• AREA 6: 5 individuals – 5 graves – numbers 35 to 39
  • 35 William Holmes (b1802 d1802) child of Martha Cotton Dyer, wife of Joseph Holmes. Martha is the daughter of Bethia Cotton and Capt. Charles Dyer. Bethia Cotton is the daughter of Col. Theophilus Cotton
  • 36 Martha Cotton (Dyer) Holmes (b1777 d1830) daughter of Bethia Cotton (daughter of Theophilus Cotton)  Married to Captain Charles Dyer son of Lucy Cotton (daughter of Josiah Cotton)
  • 37 Mary Dyer (Holmes) Graton (b1798 d1840) child of Martha Cotton Dyer, wife of Joseph Holmes. Martha is the daughter of Bethiah Cotton and Capt. Charles Dyer. Bethiah Cotton is the daughter of Col. Theophilus Cotton
  • 38 Ester Phillips Holmes (b1808 d1830) child of Martha Cotton Dyer, wife of Joseph Holmes. Martha is the daughter of Bethiah Cotton and Capt. Charles Dyer. Bethiah Cotton is the daughter of Col. Theophilus Cotton
  • 39 Charles A. Graton (b1824 d1843) son of Mary Dyer Holmes and Alwyn Graton. Mary Dyer Holmes was the child of Martha Cotton Dyer, wife of Joseph Holmes. Martha is the daughter of Bethiah Cotton and Capt. Charles Dyer. Bethiah Cotton is the daughter of Col. Theophilus Cotton
• AREA 7: 7 individuals – 5 graves  – numbers 40 to 44
  • 40 Josiah & Sarah Cotton(b 1753 d 1829) son of Col. Theophilus Cotton & grandson of Josiah Cotton
  • 41 Lydia (Jackson) Cotton (b 1780 d 1843) 2^nd wife of Capt. Josiah Cotton, son of Col. Theophilus Cotton & grandson of Josiah Cotton
  • 42 Temperance (Otis) Cotton (b 1767 d 1816) 1^st wife of Capt. Josiah Cotton, son of Col. Theophilus Cotton & grandson of Josiah Cotton
  • 43 Bethiah (Dyer) Holbrook (b1787 d1855)  daughter of Bethiah Cotton who was the daughter of Col. Theophilus Cotton, the son of Josiah Cotton)
  • 44 Lucy & Jeremiah Holbrook (b1816 d1817) and her father, Jeremiah Holbrook. Lucy’s mother was Bethiah (Dyer) Holbrook, the daughter of Theophilus Cotton.
• AREA 8: 1 individual  – 1 grave – number 45
  • 45 Lucy (Dyer) Bartlett (b1778 d1853) daughter of Bethiah Cotton who was the daughter of Col. Theophilus Cotton, the son of Josiah Cotton)