Prudence Island: our Allins came to Barrington from there before 1680; and the story goes that in the winter of 1682, Narragansett Bay froze solid enough for William1 Allin to haul his house over it (presumably minus the stone-end chimney), a few miles up the bay from Prudence to Annawomscutt in West Barrington. Now it’s a ferry ride, ten minutes out from Bristol harbor and fifty years back in time. We spent a gorgeous daytrip there Saturday, biking around to beaches (on dirt roads, with kids in trailers), which wore us all out. But not before visiting the historical cemetery there. Actually, I only brought the 2-year-old to the graves: the others were enjoying one last swim.
The graveyard lies up in the woods, blocks from the shore, long overgrown by pines but neatly kept beneath them. A couple dozen slate stones, still neatly matched head and footstones. Many of them small, though, not having had (or no longer showing) any formal carving. Two modern granite stones, and one table-tomb built up of flat fieldstones, but with the inscribed top stone (presumably slate) long gone. Of the few full-sized formal carved slate stones, Allins were readily visible. The first we found was Captain Joshua4 Allin, d. 1764 (John3, William2-1), a second cousin of our General Thomas. Here is Simon with Capt. Joshua:
Of the words on his stone, his forename is the hardest to read. The Rhode Island Historical Cemeteries database actually has him misnamed as ‘Joseph’. Clearer stones are found for Joshua’s brother, Caleb4 Allin and his wife Sarah:
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Turns out I got Lyme disease that day.
Drat.
But, still glad we found these Allins.
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