Sturgis Library Archives | Elizabeth B. (Bessie) Bliven Papers
Genealogical and Personal Document Collection
MS. 11
Inventory of the Elizabeth B. (Bessie) Bliven Papers
Content: Photographs, slides, written materials, including cemetery inventories,
and drewings of cemetery layouts from Bessie Bliven.
Volume: .5 linear foot, and rolled drawings
Provenance: Gift of Stephen Bliven, son of Bessie Bliven.
Restrictions: None stated.
Processed by: Pamela Narbeth and Jim Haworth, 4/98
BIOGRAPHICAL NOTE
Bessie Bliven and her husband moved to Osterville 1n 1969. Bessie was a retired teacher and her husband a retired electrical engineer. Their retirements allowed them to pursue individual hobby interests which they collaborated on for the Elizabeth B. (Bessie) Bliven Collection.
Bessie Bliven's interest was in gravestones, their artistic form and the histories of many prominent people from the Barnstable area dating back as far as 250 years ago. She inventoried pre-1830 gravestones in seven cemeteries in Barnstable for the Barnstable Historic Commission. These have since been sent to the Massachusetts Historic Commission. She has also made rubbings of many old stone. She compiled typescripts of cemeteries which she donated to the Sturgis Library. They are Village Cemeteries of Barnstable town (1982), Ancient Stones in Lothrop Cemetery (1982), and West Barnstable Cemetery, pre-1840 Stones (1982) and are located in the Lothrop Collection.
Richard Bliven used his photography hobby to capture many of the stones in photos and slides. He made copies of old photographs pertaining to the Crosby Boat Building Industry which are now contained in the Osterville Historical Boat Museum. For Barbara Crosby he made photographic copies of old photgraphs of dated Osterville hourses.
Upon Bessie Bliven's death on December 28, 1996, her son donated the entire collection to Sturgis Library.
SCOPE AND CONTENT NOTE
The Bliven Collection represents an individual interest in local history, cemeteries and well known family names. Families of Bearse, Loring, Lovell, Scudder, Hallet, Crocker, Hinckley, Martson, Nye, Otis, Sturgis, Phinney, Crosby and Lothrop are included to name just a few. The cemeteries include Lothrop Hill in Barnstable, Phinney's Lane in Centerville, Hillside in Osterville, Northside in West Barnstable and the Hyannis Baptist.
The collection is divided into three series: Photographs and Slides, Written Materials, and Cemetery Layout Drawings. In Series I there are 6 sheets of slides from seven cemeteries on Cape Cod, cemetery layouts, drawings and rubbings and even a slide presentation. The quality of the collection has been proven by being accepted by the Massachusetts Historic Commission. Slides and photos portray the beauty of the gravestones along with the pertinent inscriptions and family connections.
Among the written materials of Series II can be found correspondence, articles and programs including a script that was used in connection with the slides for presentations. There is a detailed listing of pre-1840 graves in West Barnstable along with inscriptions from the Northside Cemetery and inventories of cemeteries in alphabetical order of families. For the neophyte there are instructions for identifying and recording grave information.
In Series III large graph paper drawings of cemetery layouts can be found of Phinney's Lane (3), Lothrop Hill and Hillside (3).
The gravestone rubbings cover 21 individual stones from the period of 1745 to 1843.
CONTAINER LIST Elizabeth B. (Bessie) Bliven Collection
| Box: | Folder: | Contents: | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | Page 1 | Slides to accompany Bliven talk 'Right in Your Own Backyard' |
| 1 | 1 | Page 2 | Slides of Phinney's Lane, Northside and Lothrop Hill Cemeteries. |
| 1 | 1 | Page 3 | Slides of Lothrop Hill and Phinney's Lane Cemeteries. |
| 1 | 1 | Page 4 | Slides of Northside and Lothrop Hill Cemeteries. |
| 1 | 1 | Page 5 | Slides of Northside, Lothrop Hill, Phinney's Lane, Hyannis Baptist and Hillside Cemeteries. |
| 1 | 1 | Page 6 | Slides of Hyannis Baptist, Phinney's Lane and Northside Cemeteries. |
| 1 | 2 | Photos of Hillside Cemetery 1805-1815, 6 items | |
| 1 | 3 | Photos of Hyannis Baptist Cemetery 1805-1808, 5 items | |
| 1 | 4 | Photos of Lothrop Hill 1697-1838, 18 items | |
| 1 | 5 | Photos of Northside Cemetery 1756-1830, 9 items | |
| 1 | 6 | Photos of Phinney's Lane Cemetery 1746-1838, 16 items |
| Box: | Folder: | Contents: |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 7 | Correspondence, articles and programs, 21 items |
| 1 | 8 | Script for gravestone slide show, 22 pages. |
| 1 | 9 | Pre 1840 graves, West Barnstable Cemetery, 10 pages. |
| 1 | 10 | List of inscriptions, Northside Cemetery, West Barnstable. |
| 1 | 11 | Inventories of cemeteries in alphabetical order of families. |
| 1 | 12 | Conference with instructions for identifying and recording grave information. |
SERIES III: CEMETERY LAYOUT DRAWINGS:
Bliven Collection - oversized items:
- Oversized Box A of Genealogical and Personal Collections: (Section C, shelf 6)
- A 4 Cemetery Layout, Lothrop Hill
- A 5 Cemetery Layouts, Phinney's Lane, 3 items
- Three rolled layouts on top shelf: (above top shelf of Section A of vault)
- Gravestone Rubbings (see list at end of entry)
- Cemetery Layout: Hillside
- Cemetery Layouts: Lothrop Hill
- Gravestone Rubbings
- Lydia Allen wife of Jabez Allen - July 1, 1788
- Mrs. Maria Bradford - June 18, 1816
- Mrs. Thankful Claghorn - April 17, 1770
- Nancy Crosby daughter of Nathan and Pasha Crosby - November 20, 1810
- Shubel Davis - June 27, 1745
- Stephen Davis - December 7, 1757
- Stephen Davis jr. - December 18, 1777 (two rubbings)
- Mrs. Eliza. Fuller wife of William Fuller - February 18, 1843
- Olive Gardner wife of Andrew Gardner - June 15, 1835
- Mrs. Mehitable Hall widow of Daniel Hall September 22, 1782
- Mercy daughter of Capt. Josiah and Mrs. Deborah Hamblin - August 4, 1789
- Mrs. Ester Hamlen wife of Jonathan Hamlen - September 1, 1746
- Lot C. Hinckley son of Lot and Rebecca Hinckley - October 13, 1835
- Susannah Hinckley daughter of Levi and Sarah Hinckley - September 8, 1806
- Nehemiah and Rhoda Lovell son of, - April 13, 1790
- William Lovell - April 21, 1753
- Joseph Lumbard - October 14, 1753
- Benjamin Lumbart - May 13, 1777
- Mrs. Mehitable Phinney wife of Paul Phinney - January 28, 1838
- Richard Phinney son of Richard and Marcy Phinney - September 22, 1820
- Thomas Sturgis - December 18, 1763
- See also Collection of Gravestone Rubbings - above Section A, in vault