Old Scots Burial Ground facts for kids

The Old Scots Burying Ground is an old cemetery found in Wickatunk, a part of Marlboro Township, in Monmouth County, New Jersey. It sits on Gordon's Corner Road. This special place is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, which means it's important to history.

The cemetery is about one acre in size and is about 195 feet above sea level. It dates all the way back to 1685! We don't know the exact number of people buried here. Some old reports say there are at least 100 graves, mostly with brown sandstone headstones. However, in 2001, a special tool called ground-penetrating radar found about 122 confirmed graves. It also suggested there might be 140 more unmarked graves, bringing the total to around 262.

In 1945, a bulldozer was used to clear plants from the site. Sadly, some headstones were moved or broken during this work. A very tall monument for Rev. John Boyd stands in the cemetery. It was made by the J&R Lamb Company. This monument celebrates the first time a Presbyterian minister, Rev. John Boyd, was officially ordained in America. The Synod of the Northeast owns the land, but the Old Tennent Church takes care of it. The last known burial at Old Scots Burial Ground happened in 1977.

History of the Old Scots Burying Ground

The First Presbyterian Church

The Old Scots Burying Ground started with a church built by Presbyterians. This was the very first Presbyterian church in the area. It began as a simple log building in 1692. This spot was known as "Free Hill." It was also where the first official meeting of the Presbytery (a group of Presbyterian ministers and elders) took place.

By 1705, a better church building was constructed. Court records at the time called it a "public meeting house." With Rev. John Boyd as the minister, the church grew. By 1730, the congregation moved the church to Freehold Township. The Old Scots Burial Ground stayed right next to where the first church used to be.

Early Descriptions of the Church

In September 1710, the General Presbytery of Philadelphia wrote a letter to the Presbytery of Dublin Ireland. In this letter, they talked about the Old Scots Church. They said, "We have in Jersey only two congregations... one of the two was near Freehold, in the province of East Jersey." This shows how important the Old Scots Church was back then.

The Tall Boyd Monument

In the middle of the cemetery, there's a tall monument. It's made of Scottish and Vermont granite, and Irish Graystone. Carved Scottish thistles decorate the granite. These stones were chosen because the first Presbyterian leaders came from Scotland, Ireland, and New England.

The monument stands twenty-five feet high. It used to have a 5-foot (1.5 m) spire on top, but this part was lost in the 1950s. The monument cost $1300 to build. Another $1000 was raised to help keep the monument and grounds in good shape. The J&R Lamb Company created the monument in 1899. They won a competition to design it for the Synod committee. In 2002, the monument was fixed up, and the spire was put back.

The monument was built to honor Rev. John Boyd, who was the first pastor of the church. In 1915, the Presbyterian Synod added John Tennent's name to the monument too. The monument sits on a small, man-made hill about thirty feet square and 3.5 feet high.

One side of the monument says: "To the untiring effort of Rev. Allen Henry Brown, which led to the erection of this monument this tablet is set as a memorial by the Synod of New Jersey." On another side, it says "Elder Walter Ker" and "Acts VIII 4." This Bible verse means: "Those who had been scattered preached the word wherever they went."

Another inscription on the monument says: "Erected under the supervision of the Synod of New Jersey in 1899 to recognize the good providence of God in planting the Presbyterian church in this county and to commemorate the first recorded ordination by a Presbytery in the American colonies. The general Presbytery assembling in the Old Scots meeting house on this ground December 1706, ordained John Boyd, who died August 30th 1708 and was buried here."

After the 2002 restoration, a brass plaque was added. It says: "Continuing in the tradition of John Boyd, The United Presbyterian Church in the USA was formed by merger in 1958, and the Presbyterian church (USA) was formed by merger in 1983. This reaffirmation of our reformed tradition made by the Synod of the Northeast in 2002."

The monument also has seals on its gables (the triangular parts of the roof). These seals represent:

• The seal of the Presbyterian Church of Monmouth County
• The seal of the Presbyterian Church of the United States of America
• The seal of the Presbyterian Church of Scotland
• The seal of the Scotch Irish Society

The monument was supposed to be shown to the public on October 18, 1899. But it was delayed in shipping. So, the event was moved to the spring. The monument was finally unveiled on June 14, 1900, at 11 am.

Stairs and Signs

In 1945, stairs with handrails were added to the site. This made it easier to walk up to the cemetery from the street.

There are three signs on the property:

• The Old Tennent Church put up a sign near the street. It says: "Old Scots Graveyard 1692 | Original Site of Old Tennent Church."
• Another sign says: "OLD SCOTS MEETING HOUSE: Old Scots Meeting House was built in the year 1692 by Scottish Presbyterians (Calvinists) on this ground known as 'Free Hill.' This sight (sic) was the location of the first recorded Presbytery meeting and the sight (sic) of the first ordination of a Presbyterian minister in North America in the year 1706. Now these Scottish exiles could worship freely in their own fashion. The granite border around the central monument marks the dimension of the small log structure that was the boundary of the Old Scots Meeting House. In 1731, the congregation moved to its present location in Tennent called Old Tennent Church."
• The Marlboro Township Historic Commission added a sign. It reads: "Scottish settlers established a Presbyterian meeting house and cemetery on this site in 1692. John Boyd, the first Presbyterian minister trained in the New World and the first pastor of the church, was buried here in 1708. The church was moved five miles away in 1731 and became Old Tennent Church. In 2001, this cemetery was listed in the National and State Registers of Historic Places."

Vandalism at the Cemetery

On March 25, 1994, there was an incident of vandalism. Several tombstones were smashed, and some were removed from their bases.

Restoring the Cemetery

People have been interested in restoring the Old Scots Burying Ground for a long time. In 1883, a local farmer named Gideon C. McDowell saw Rev. Boyd's gravestone. It was "neglected and covered with lichens" (a type of moss-like growth). He cleaned the stone at that time.

The site has been restored many times over the years:

• In 1898, the site was cleaned up. Overgrown plants were removed. The cemetery was made ready for 600 people to visit.
• In 1931, the site was cleared of overgrowth again for another visit.
• In 1945, the site was overgrown once more. A bulldozer was used to clear plants. This caused some damage, including moving gravestones and removing broken stones.
• In 2000, plants were removed to allow for scientific testing.
• In 2002, the central monument was the main focus of restoration. The budget for this work was $13,000. Funds came from the Monmouth County Historic Commission, Old Tennent Cemetery, and the Presbyterian Synod of the Northeast. Most of the money was used to replace the five-foot spire that was lost in the 1950s. It was recreated and put back on the Boyd Monument. Records suggest it was taken off for cleaning in the 1950s. But it was never put back because the company went out of business. The original spire was lost. A special ceremony was held on October 17, 2002, to rededicate the monument. Almost 60 people attended.

Archaeological Surveys

Scientists have studied the Old Scots Burying Ground to learn more about its past.

Metal Detecting Survey

In December 2000, a survey was done using electronic metal detecting equipment. This survey found 15 artifacts. Two matching coffin handles from the 1800s were found. One fancy coffin handle with "Our Darling" on it was found near the Reid family grave marker. This marker is for three burials: James Reid (1828-1904), Hannah Reid (1829-1899), and Emma Reid (1852-1869). It's possible this handle came from one of the Reid coffins, perhaps Emma Reid's, as she died before her parents.

Ground-Penetrating Radar Survey

In 2001, another study used ground penetrating radar (GPR). This tool can "see" underground without digging. On February 2 and February 17, 2001, the GPR found 137 possible burial sites. The GPR also showed two areas where the original meeting house might have been. One area is east of the monument, and the other is west of it.

Shovel Tests

As part of the 2001 survey, 11 shovel tests (small holes dug by hand) were done east of the monument. They found 22 artifacts, including window glass, nails, and a piece of a clay pipe stem. Testing west of the monument found parts of an old stone wall, about two feet wide. Artifacts found there included pieces of mortar (used in building), a piece of a bottle, and a fire-cracked rock.

The Old Scots Burial Ground is considered a State archaeological site. On January 22, 2001, it was given the number 28-Mo-294 by the New Jersey State Museum. Besides being a church and cemetery, it's possible that Native American groups also used this site a long time ago.

Pilgrimages to Old Scots

People have made special trips, called pilgrimages, to the Old Scots Burying Ground over the years.

• On June 4, 1895, seven hundred people from the Presbyterian Synod visited the burial ground. They came to honor Rev. John Boyd's life and the start of the church there. During this visit, people asked for a monument to be built for Boyd. Rev. Allen Brown was chosen to raise money for the monument. The first idea was to build a stone cover over the old tombstone, but a monument seemed more practical.
• On April 12, 1931, church leaders and Presbyterians from "all over the East" came for a pilgrimage. This celebrated the 225th anniversary of Rev. John Boyd's ordination.
• On July 6, 1942, members of the Old Tennent Church made a pilgrimage to Old Scots Burying Ground. They listened to speeches by Rev. George Horn and Rev. Hutchinson.

Removed Headstones

• Rev. John Boyd - His headstone was moved to the Philadelphia Presbytery to keep it safe. It was a flat stone, five feet long, originally laid on a bed of stone and lime. When it was moved, it was put in a wooden frame made from locust trees from Old Scots. It is now displayed at the Library of the Presbyterian Historical Society.

People Buried at Old Scots

Rev. John Tennent's tombstone has a special inscription. It talks about his life and how he "quick grew old in Learning, Vertue, Grace." It also mentions his soul going to heaven and waiting for the "last trump" to fix his "ruined frame." This inscription was written by Rev. Dr. Jonathan Dickinson, who was a pastor in Elizabeth from 1708 to 1747.