Gothic headstone inscriptions from Blood Cemetery, Hollis, NH

Headstones at Pine Hill/Blood Cemetery, Hollis, NH

Here are just a few of the very Gothic inscriptions on headstones at the Blood Cemetery (aka Pine Hill Cemetery) on Nartoff Road in Hollis, NH:

From the headstone of Mrs. Rebecca Alexanders, died 24 Nov 1799:

Behold my friends as you pass by
As you are now so once was I
As I am now you soon must be
Prepare for death and follow me

From the headstone of Caleb Farley, Jun., died 17 Jul 1810:

Friends and Physicians could not save
My mortal body from the grave
Nor can the grave confine me here
When Christ shall call me to appear

From the headstone of Caleb Farleys's wife, Abigail, died 14 Dec 1819:

What though our in bred sins require
Our flesh to see the dust
Yet as the Lord our Savior rose
So all his followers must

These are just a few of the eerie inscriptions which appear on about one-third of the ancient headstones in this cemetery.

There were more wonderful headstones with inscriptions, but the stones have been stolen.

Several, such as the Farley sisters' headstones, have disappeared in recent years, and were replaced by plain markers without the flowery inscriptions.

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