A grave marker listing the names and burial years of some people of African descent who were buried in our Abington Meeting Graveyard has been installed. (See photo above.) These names were read out loud and honored during a memorial meeting for worship on October 15, 2016, when the Meeting dedicated the plaque at the entrance of the graveyard honoring those buried in our graveyard whose names are not known to us. At that time, several Meeting members had researched and discovered some lists that included names of people of color (designated by “Col.” next to their names in Quaker records) who were buried in our graveyard. The names were compiled into one list in our program for that Plaque Dedication event, and the memorial meeting for worship took place on that day.
With the guidance of our Reparations Subcommittee, our Meeting made the commitment to place this grave marker so that these names will be remembered and honored, especially because so many people of African descent have lost their family history through the enslavement of their ancestors.
The grave marker has been placed toward the front of our graveyard, under a flowering tree, not far from the marker for Sarah & Benjamin Lay. As you enter the graveyard near our meetinghouse, the marker is in the section to the left. Friends are welcome to visit the marker and pay respects.
This article was originally published on Abington Monthly Meeting’s website.
