DERBY — The Derby Historical Society recently helped replace the entrance sign to the Old Derby Uptown Burying Ground also known as the Colonial Cemetery on Derby Avenue. The Derby Historical Society had donated the original sign thereby establishing a long-standing relationship with the cemetery. The Uptown Burying Ground is managed and owned by the Oak Cliff Cemetery Association.
Recently, the sign was damaged due to inclement weather and needed to be replaced. The Society gratefully stepped in, removed the sign, then commissioned and re-installed a new sign. The Derby Historical Society and the Oak Cliff Cemetery Association are appreciative to some key donors for their role in replacing the sign. The new sign stock was donated by Jason and Sarah Miller, proprietors of the Quail & Ale. Longtime DHS friend Claudia Farkas spent many hours painstakingly painting the sign to match the old one. Members of the society hung the sign, restoring the cemetery entrance to its former glory.
The burying ground has a long and storied tradition. One of Derby’s earliest acts was to provide for a community cemetery which still stands today as the Old Derby Uptown Burying Ground. It is hard to find a reference, in the early records, for the origin of the cemetery. The first recorded death was that of Robert Hawkins in 1675. The oldest stone remaining is that of Reverend John Bowers, a former Plymouth schoolmaster who died on June 14, 1687. Another clue supporting the early origin of the Burying Ground is contained in the town records. George Beaman was elected as the town’s first grave digger in 1683. It was agreed that he should receive two shillings for a child’s grave and two shillings and a sixpence for an adult’s grave. Mr. Beaman was born in New Haven around 1654 and was among the second group of settlers that received a grant of land in Derby. The Derby Historical Society is pleased to play a role in replacing the sign which has great significance and relevance to the local history of the town.