RHODE ISLAND HISTORY - Rhode Island Historical Society

4 SETH LUTHER
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early 11505, Angel's style is clearly distinguishable;
but on some stones it is obviously combined with
the style of a second carver. Some of the stones, for
instance, include designs that are uncharacteristic of
Angel's style. (Angel's style has been authenticated
by comparing gravestones with in formation
gleaned from probate records that list payments
made to him for his services.) After 1756. the yea r
of Angel's death, the designs of the second carve r
continue to appt'ar on various gravestones until
1782, a year before Luther died. T hese gravestones
rep resent a distinctive group, the work of a single
carver.
Mor e than circumstantial evidence points to Seth
Luther as the carver of these stones. T he gr avestones
of his sister, wife, an d two dau ghters are
carved in the same st yle as other stones in this
"unidentified" group: Luther's own gravestone is
not, nor is the stone of his son, Rial, who died in
1808, Moreover, 1 have identified the carvers of all
large (six or more stones) groups of gravestones
located in the Providence area that were carved in
the period 1709 to 1783, the span of Luther's life.
The rem aining stones - including those of his
sister, wife, two daughters. and mo re than eighty
others - are reco gnizable as the work of one
carver, heretofore unidentified. I believe that ca rver
could only have been Seth Luther, "stone cutter."
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A few extant gravestones show that he and
Angel collaborated as stonecarvers. Carvin g what
was probably a backda ted stone (t hat is, a stone
ca rved later than the death date) for E nsign Daniel
Peck of South Attleboro (died 1750), Luthe r used a
bold, abstrac ted st yle based on Ange l's design
elements: the unfolding fro nd-like scrollwork and
the spread aca nthus leaf. An gel did not , by any
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