Lamson Carvers

Many of the best old gravestones on Cape Cod were carved by the Lamson family of Charlestown. The work of several generations of Lamson stonecutters can be found on Cape Cod. Joseph Lamson (1658 - 1722) was the first of the Lamson carvers. The Lamson shop started about 1677. His sons Nathaniel (1692 - 1755) and Caleb (1697 - 1760) followed in the trade. Nathaniel's son Joseph (1728 - 1789) and Caleb's son John (1732 - 1776) also were stone carvers. Lamsons from the next generation include Joseph (1760 - 1808), Caleb (1760 - 1824) and Samuel (1773 - 1818).

The largest concentration of Lamson stones on Cape Cod is in Yarmouth Ancient Cem. Truro Old North Cem. also has many Lamson stones. However, Lamson stones can be found in most Cape old burying grounds.

A distinctive characteristic of Lamson winged skulls are eyebrows often with hooked ends. The eyebrow marks connect to the nose mark. Lamson stones also have a lip like mouth mark above the teeth. The mouth mark adds expression to the skull. Lamson stones often have vines, flowers, berries or other decoration in the tympanum with the winged skull. The early Lamson stones have ornate borders with fruits and gourds often on three or four sides of the inscription area. The Lamsons used a hard slate which has weathered well. Markers that appear to have been produced by the Lamsons include the following. Literature sources confirm some of these attributions.

Marcy Winslow (1688) - Dennis Worden Cem.
Thomas Winslow (1689) - Dennis Worden Cem.
Bethiah Hall (1696) - Dennis Hall Cem.
Margaret Miller (1698) - Yarmouth Cem.
Peter Adolph (1702/3) - Sandwich Old Burial Ground
Margery Joyce (1705) - Yarmouth Cem.
Paul Sears (1707/8) - Yarmouth Cem.
Samuel Hedge (1709) - Yarmouth Cem.
Marcy Freeman (1711) - Eastham Cove Cem.
John Miller (1711) - Yarmouth Cem.
Mary Howes (1712) - Dennis Howes Cem.
Thomas Baxter (1713) - Yarmouth Cem.
Marcy Beery (1713) - Dennis Ancient Cem.
Thankfull Hedge (1713) - Eastham Cove Cem.
Jonathan Freeman (1714) - Brewster Cem.
Kenelm Winslow (1715) - Dennis Worden Cem.
Joshua Doane (1716) - Wellfleet Chequessett Neck Cem.
Mary Doane (1716) - Wellfleet Chequessett Neck Cem.
Josiah Miller (1717) - Yarmouth Cem.
James Gorham (1718) - Barnstable Cobb's Hill Cem.
Hezekiah Purinton (1717/8) - Truro Old North Cem.
Shearjashub Bourn (1718/19) - Sandwich Cem.
Sarah Hallet (1719/20) - Yarmouth Cem.
Hallet infant twins (1720) - Yarmouth Cem.
Bethiah Wing (1720) - Dennis Worden Cem.
Elizabeth Cobe (1721) - Barnstable Cobb's Hill Cem
Elizabeth Crowel (1723) - Chatham Cem.
Marcy Sturges (1723) - Yarmouth Cem.
Bethia Crowel (1724) - Chatham Cem.
Martha Hall (1724) - Dennis Hall Cem.
Mary Miller (1724) - Yarmouth Cem.
Hannah Howes (1725) - Dennis Howes Cem.
Rebekah Chapman (1726) - Dennis Paddock Cem.
John Hallet (1726) - Yarmouth Cem.
Ebenezer Howes (1726) - Dennis Howes Cem.
Sarah Lewes (1726) - Truro Old North Cem.
Heman Sears (1726) - Brewster Sears Cem.
Samuel Cob (1727) - Barnstable Cobb's Hill Cem
Joseph Treat (1727) - Truro Old North Cem.
Hudson Vickery (1727) - Truro Old North Cem.
John Crowell (1728) - Dennis Village Cem.
Prince Hallet (1728) - Yarmouth Cem.
Isaac Howes (1728) - Dennis Howes Cem.
Hannah Crosbie (1729) - Brewster Cem.
Jane Freeman (1729) - Truro Old North Cem.
Samuel Hall (1729) - Dennis Hall Cem.
John Miller (1729) - Yarmouth Cem.
Josiah Miller (1729) - Yarmouth Cem.
Kenelm Winslow (1728/9) - Dennis Worden Cem.
Anne Freeman (1730) - Truro Old North Cem.
Eleazer Cobb (1731) - Barnstable Cobb's Hill Cem.
Abigail Clarke (1732) - Brewster Cem.
Gershom Hall (1732) - Dennis Hall Cem.
Anthony Paddock (1731/2) - Yarmouth Cem.
Hannah Taylor (1733) - Yarmouth Cem.
Anne Crosby (1734) - Dennis Worden Cem.
Sarah Howes (1734) - Dennis Howes Cem.
Isaac Hall (1735) - Yarmouth Cem.
Elizabeth Hallet (1735) - Yarmouth Cem.
Joseph Hall (1736) - Dennis Hall Cem.
Peter Thacher (1736) - Yarmouth Cem.
Lucretia Sturgis (1737) - Yarmouth Cem.
Thankful Winslow (1736/7) - Dennis Worden Cem.
Edward Sturgis (1738) - Yarmouth Cem.
Mehetable Dillingham (1738/9) - Brewster Dillingham Cem.
Hannah Howes (1739) - Dennis Howes Cem.
Thomas Lincoln (1739) - Brewster Cem.
Rebeckah Freeman (1740) - Brewster Cem.
Rebeckah Lewes (1740) - Brewster Cem.
Sarah Smith (1740) - Wellfleet Cem.
Prence Snow (1740) - Brewster Cem.
Samuel Sears (1741/2) - Brewster Sears Cem.
Temperance Stone (1742) - Brewster Cem.
Josiah Crosby (1743) - Dennis Worden Cem.
Mehetabel Crosby (1743) - Dennis Worden Cem.
Joseph Howes (1743) - Dennis Howes Cem.
Nathaniel Mirick (1743) - Brewster Cem.
Susanna Rider (1743) - Chatham Cem.
Selvanus Stone (1743) - Brewster Cem.
Lydia Thacher (1743) - Brewster Cem.
Bethiah Hall (1744) - Yarmouth Cem.
Hannah Mayo (1743/4) - Brewster Cem.
Philip Vinsent (1744) - Yarmouth Cem.
John Hall (1745) - Yarmouth Cem.
Hannah Winslow (1745) - Dennis Worden Cem.
John Dillingham (1746) - Brewster Dillingham Cem.
Sarah Sparrow (1746) - Orleans Cem.
Samuel Hallet (1748) - Yarmouth Cem.
James Cobb (1749) - Truro Old North Cem.
Abigail Dillingham (1749) - Brewster Dillingham Cem.
Josias Nickerson (1749) - Brewster Cem.
Mercy Sears (1749) - Brewster Sears Cem.
Abigail Hall (1750) - Dennis Hall Cem.
John Vincent (1750) - Dennis Village Cem.
Theophilus Crosby (1751) - Dennis Worden Cem.
Josiah Hopkins (1751) - Dennis Worden Cem.
Rebeckah Freeman (1752) - Truro Old North Cem.
Jasher Taylor (1752) - Yarmouth Cem.
Abigail Taylor (1753) - Yarmouth Cem.
John Lewes (1754) - Truro Old North Cem.
Hannah Cobb (1755) - Truro Old North Cem.
Lydia Howes (1755) - Dennis Howes Cem.
Joseph Parker (1755) - Falmouth Cem.
Constant Freeman (1756) - Truro Old North Cem.
Daniel Sears (1756) - Chatham Cem.
Elizabeth Smith (1756) - Chatham Cem.
Thomas Taylor (1756) - Yarmouth Cem.
Marcy Vincent (1756) - Yarmouth Cem.
Joseph Crosby (1757) - Dennis Worden Cem.
Moses Cohoon (1759) - Wellfleet Cem.
Hannah Smith (1759) - Wellfleet Cem.
Ruth Smith (1759) - Wellfleet Cem.
Zoheth Smith (1759) - Wellfleet Cem.
Lydia Dillingham (1760) - Brewster Dillingham Cem.
Ebenezer Freeman (1760) - Wellfleet Cem.
Mehetable Sears (1760) - Dennis Village Cem.
Israel Young (1760) - Wellfleet Cem.
Shubal Taylor (1762) - Yarmouth Cem.
Thankfull Hinckley (1763) - Barnstable Lothrop Hill Cem.
Joseph Thacher (1763) - Yarmouth Ancient Cem.
Lothrop Taylor (1764) - Yarmouth Cem.
Desire Hallet (1767) - Yarmouth Cem.
Samuel Paddock (1767) - Dennis Paddock Cem.
Joseph Green (1768) - Yarmouth Cem.
Edward Phinney (1769) - Barnstable Ancient Cem.
Phebe Hallet (1769) - Yarmouth Cem.
Obed Taylor (1769) - Yarmouth Cem.
Elisha Park (1770) - Wellfleet Cem.
Ebenezer Taylor (1770) - Yarmouth Cem.
Thomas Hallet (1772) - Yarmouth Cem.
Ruth Thacher (1772) - Yarmouth Cem.
Elizabeth Thacher (1773) - Yarmouth Cem.
Stephen Emery (1782) - Chatham Cem.
Susanna Hinckley (1790) - Barnstable Lothrop Hill Cem.
Micah Chapman (1792) - Dennis Village Cem.
Isaac Weeks (1792) - Harwich Congregational Church Cem.
Ruth Barker (1794) - Truro Old North Cem.
Sarah Fessenden (1794) - Sandwich Cem.
Elizabeth Rogers (1795) - Chatham Old Burying Ground
Mary Hinckley (1799) - Barnstable Lothrop Hill Cem.
Solomon Harding (1800) - Wellfleet Cem.
Samuel Hinckley (1804) - Barnstable Lothrop Hill Cem.
Silvanus Jones (1806) - West Barnstable Cem.


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