History of Northampton, Massachusetts, from its settlement in 1654;

1661-1602] NEW MEETING HOUSE—HAMPSHIRE COUNTY. 135
of the Soiitli Street lots, encircled Hurlljiirt's Pond, crossed
Manlian River and extended to the place of beginning
named in the records. The proportion of fence to the
acre in the first division was six feet, and in the second,
four feet nine inches. In the first division there were sixty-
five owners, and in the second sixty-six.
From this time onward the fence enclosing the common
field was maintained at the expense of the proprietors of
the meadow land. While the position of the fence remained
suljstantially as given above, new regulations and
adjustments to changed ownership became necessary from
time to time. These are all detailed upon the records, and
the more important features of them will be presented in
the future pages of this work.
First Burial Place. The first death in Northampton occurred in
Bridge Street 1655 Jamcs, infant son of James Bridg-
man, died on the 14"' of June. During the
next three years five deaths were registered. Where these
dead were buried is not known. In February, 1659, the
town voted "that the burying place shalbee upon the
meeting howse hill," and it is probable that all interments
to that time had been made there. The selection of this
place so near the meeting house, was undoubtedly in accordance
with the system of parish church yards that prevailed
in their old English homes. Three years after, when
the new meeting house was located upon another site, it
wfts concluded to change the position of the burying
ground.' But eleven deaths had been recorded up to the
commencement of the year 1661. A committee, chosen in
that year "to finde out a convenient place for y* vse," reported,
April 23, 1662, in favor of a position on Bridge
Street, "at the furthest corner of the Sequestered Mynis-
ters Lott wher M'^ Jeanes was buried." Mary, wife of
William Janes, died April 4, 1662, and was probably buried
there in anticipation of the determination to use this lot
for such a purpose. The portion of the minister's lot se-
1 " Their burying place is stated to have been on the meeting house hill until the
end of October, 1661. I mention this as proof that burying in the centers of towns
by the side of their churches, was originally the common custom of New England.
This custom plainly had its origin in the superstitious of the Romish Chun'h, which
attributed a kind of sanctity to a cemetery consecrated by a clergyman.—Dwight's
Travels in N. E., 1821. vol. 1, p. 345.