Mother Goose Headstone in Boston Cemetery

 

Mother Goose Headstone in Boston Cemetery

 

John C. Haynes, Jr.

University of Central Florida

ANT-2140:  Archaeology and the Rise of Human Culture

Dr. Neil Duncan

October 5, 2020

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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            In this paper, I will be looking at claims that a headstone in the Boston’s Granary Burial Ground marks the grave of the well-known nursery rhyme author, Mother Goose.  What we know from writing on the headstone is that it marks the grave of a woman named Mary Goose who died in 1690.  I will first look at dating methods to determine whether the timeframe for the headstone fits historically and then I will discuss whether the person who lies here could possibly have been the author of the Mother Goose nursery rhymes based on historical timelines.

            To begin with, there are several methods that we could use to determine whether the headstone fits into the timeline narrative.  Based on the inscription, the deceased was laid here in 1690.  An initial good site survey would be immensely helpful in determining dates of other graves within the burial grounds.  What we do know is that the cemetery itself dates to 1660 (Simmons, 2008).  Following this, an examination of calendars and local records may prove useful in determining whether the person with this name died on this date and was buried soon after.  Local town records, obituaries, and especially church records are helpful.  In examining the headstone, we see a design known as a “death’s head” motif.  The text states that Mary was the husband of Isaac Goose and died at the age of 42.  Using methods of seriation, we know that this motif was popular in the early 1700’s (Colin, Renfrew, and Bahn, 2018).  It is likely that the motif was popular a decade before.  Using this method, we can determine that this motif was in use and popular at the time of the inscription.  Beyond these dating methods, there are no other methods that I find could be useful in determining a date for the headstone.

            Radiocarbon dating would be unreliable because, while it would show us a date for the material, we cannot be sure that is when it was used for the headstone.  Dendrochronology would not be of any use as we are not dealing with wooden materials.  Potassium-Argon and Uranium

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series dating methods are only useful for materials much older than what we are working with.  Any several other methods, for various reasons, would not be applicable in this situation, such as Fission-Track dating, Thermoluminescence, Optical dating, electron spin resonance, etc…  Ultimately, site survey, local records search, and seriation may be the only methods available to accurately date the grave marker.

            Finally, I will be looking at the possibility that an individual buried here, let us assume Mary Goose, on this date, could possibly have been the author of the Mother Goose nursery rhymes.  The first known reference to tales produced by Mother Goose are accredited to Charles Perrault, a French author and member of the Academie Francaise.  In 1695, he published a series of tales titled Histoires ou Contes du Temps Passés, avec des Moralités, or as it became more commonly known:  Contes de Ma Mère l'Oye or Tales of My Mother Goose (Jansma & Kassen, 2007).  An English translation appeared in 1729 and it was reprinted in America in 1786 (Potter, 1950).  Based on this timeline, it would not be possible for Mary Goose to have been the recipient of an English version of these tales before her death in 1690.  If she were, indeed, the original author, she would have had to personally relay these tales to Charles Perrault, or he would have needed access to written works by Mary Goose prior to his initial publication in 1695.  There is no known historical evidence for either of these cases to be true.

 

 

 

 

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References

 

-Colin, Renfrew, and Bahn (2018).  Archaeology Essentials.  4th Edition.  p. 114

-Jansma, Kimberly; Kassen, Margaret (2007). Motifs: An Introduction to French. Boston, MA:  

       Thomson Higher Education. p. 456

Potter, Charles Francis (1950), "Mother Goose", Standard Dictionary of Folklore, Mythology,

       and Legends II

Simmons, D. Brenton (2008). Boston Beheld: Antique Town and Country Views. UPNE. p. 44