Massachusetts Tomb Hides a Mystery: Who Was Reuben John Smith?

Introduction: In this article, Melissa Davenport Berry writes about the peculiar burial of an eccentric named Reuben John Smith in Amesbury, Massachusetts, in 1899. Melissa is a genealogist who has a blog, AnceStory Archives, and a Facebook group, New England Family Genealogy and History.

Note: The genealogies of the townspeople involved in this story are provided at the end of the article.

Reuben John Smith arrived in the town of Amesbury, Massachusetts, around 1867. The census and his death certificate record his former residence in Buffalo, New York. Apparently not a wealthy man, he lived on Main Street in a boarding house and passed his leisure time reading the evening paper. Nothing seemed eccentric about him – until he died.

He spoke of a sister, but never revealed her name. His birth parents and origin remain a mystery – but not as great a mystery as the unusual and expensive way Reuben John Smith was buried.

Photo: tomb of Reuben John Smith in Mount Prospect Street Cemetery, Amesbury, Massachusetts
Photo: tomb of Reuben John Smith in Mount Prospect Street Cemetery, Amesbury, Massachusetts. Credit: Ron Guilmette.

Reuben led a simple, uneventful life until the day of his funeral in 1899. It was the story of his burial at Mount Prospect Street Cemetery that caused reporters to descend upon the little village in numbers never seen before. Reuben was put to rest in a costly marble sarcophagus, seated on a reclining, custom made oak chair, with a table to hold his pipe, newspaper, and checkerboard. He sported a fine black suit and felt hat. More than 2,000 people came to witness his burial, and thousands more have visited the grave since that day.

When he died, Reuben’s embalmed body was transported in his chair from his second-floor boarding house, placed on an express wagon drawn by two black horses, and traveled via Market Square and down Elm Street to the cemetery. The consensus among the townsfolk was that Reuben “looked quite natural.”

After the last funeral attendee viewed Reuben’s corpse in his chair, the tomb was sealed, the iron door shut, and the key – under Reuben’s order – was disposed of.

An article about Reuben John Smith, Santa Fe Daily New Mexican newspaper article 31 January 1899
Santa Fe Daily New Mexican (Santa Fe, New Mexico), 31 January 1899, page 3

The big question is: where did Reuben get his money for this strange and costly burial? He was a man who was known to do “odd jobs” about town and could only afford to live in a boarding house – yet his funeral spared no expense. Reporters and the public were mystified.

The press was equally intrigued to learn how Reuben orchestrated the erection of his tomb months before his death.

According to newspaper reports, Reuben arranged every detail. He purchased a grave lot in July of 1898 for $40. Charles Davis of Patten Hollow Marble & Granite Works provided the materials to build the tomb. The marble was ordered from Vermont Marble Company and came from Rutland, Vermont. William Clark, a mason, was hired as the builder and the floor was laid by Portland Cement Company.

Harrison Auston was hired as the undertaker and Rev. Joseph Lambert was chosen to preside over the burial service.

Reuben purchased his burial chair from Ralph Bailey’s store in Amesbury, and his new black suit from Nathan Emery Collins’ clothing store. He made David Longfellow Bartlett his executor and set aside $500 in an account at the Provident Institute for Savings to maintain his grace site. Reuben also set aside a hefty sum for any female who would be willing to spend a night with his corpse in the tomb, but no one came forward.

Rueben named his pall bearers: Joseph Oliver Stearns, Percy Graham Brown, Sylvester Hiram Wiggin, and Albert Perkins Swett.

Photo: Joseph Oliver Stearns
Photo: Joseph Oliver Stearns. Credit: Ruthie Stearns; Stearns Family Private Collection.

Joseph Oliver Stearns recorded Reuben’s death and his role as pallbearer in his diary, which his great-great granddaughter Ruthie Stearns shared with me.

Photo: a page from the diary of Joseph Oliver Stearns
Photo: a page from the diary of Joseph Oliver Stearns. Credit: Ruthie Stearns; Stearns Family Private Collection.

Joseph was in the painting business with his father-in-law John Dennett, and the firm was located at 8 Mills in Amesbury. Joseph, like Reuben, enjoyed his solitude. The other pallbearers were of the same temperament. Perhaps Reuben became acquainted with them through his many vocations.

According to Ned Brown’s column “Cabbage and Kings” in the Amesbury Daily News (1962), while Reuben’s grave was under construction it was a source of Sunday entertainment, and many gathered around the erected shrine to enjoy a picnic. Reuben himself visited and sat quietly in a chair watching the work. Brown also noted that schools were closed the day of Reuben’s funeral.

The drama did not end once Reuben was left locked away for eternity. The mystery grew with Reuben’s will, as seen below from a Boston Herald newspaper clipping.

An article about Reuben John Smith's will, Boston Herald newspaper article 12 February 1899
Boston Herald (Boston, Massachusetts), 12 February 1899, page 8

In his will, Reuben made no mention of a next of kin, and bequeathed a mere 5 cents to Amesbury merchant Charles Washington Sawyer.

That “Five-Cent Legacy” to an Amesbury merchant caught the eye of newspaper editors far beyond Massachusetts. For example, this Ohio paper reported:

“It is said that the merchant and Mr. Smith quarreled many years ago and never spoke to each other again, and the bequest of 5 cents was left to show that Mr. Smith entertained no hard feeling against the merchant at the time of his death.”

An article about Reuben John Smith's will, Plain Dealer newspaper article 19 March 1899
Plain Dealer (Cleveland, Ohio), 19 March 1899, page 2

The postmaster, Cyrus Rowell, received tin types and letters regarding Reuben after his funeral. Some claimed they were related, while others gave clues to his life. I am following up on these claims posted in the newspaper.

One local legend tells of a paper boy who dropped off the evening news outside Reuben’s tomb every night, and his ghostly hand reached outside the tomb to snatch it. Reuben’s chuckle was heard through the town.

Please leave a comment if you have any information regarding Reuben John Smith. I will follow up as I continue to investigate this mystery.

My thanks to: Ruthie Stearns of Wisconsin; Ron Guilmette (author of First to Serve) of Salisbury, Massachusetts; and James Scammon, genealogist from New Hampshire.

Note: Just as an online collection of newspapers, such as GenealogyBank’s Historical Newspaper Archives, told the stories of Reuben John Smith’s burial, they can tell you stories about your ancestors that can’t be found anywhere else. Come look today and see what you can discover!

Resources:

Note: Many of the families in the following genealogy are found in this autograph book: Heirlooms Reunited.

Genealogy:

  • Reuben John Smith (1828-1899), origin and family unknown.
  • Joseph Oliver Stearns (1838-1917), son of Charles Oliver Stearns (1813-1906) and Adeline Eastman (1813-1893), married Helen Louis “Nell” Dennett (1843-1874), daughter of John Dennett (1811-1891) and Louisa Frost (1818-1897).
  • Albert Perkins Swett (1847-1905), son of Jethro Swett (1811-1876) and Sarah Perkins (1808-1871), married Susan Lurvey Morrill (1847-1901), daughter of James Lurvey Morrill and Abigail Smith Evans.
  • Sylvester Hiram Wiggin (1848-1943), son of Hiram Wiggin (1804-1875) and Mary Smith Huntress (1816-1856), married Caroline Adella Crowell (1858-1942), daughter of Andrew Jackson Crowell (1832-1882) and Lucy Ellen Titus (1836-1882).
  • Percy Graham Brown (1868-1945), son of John Brown (1833-1923) and Mary Robinson (1841-1919) of Hampton Falls, New Hampshire. Percy was listed in the Amesbury Census as a boarder on Main Street whose occupation was painter.
  • David Longfellow Bartlett (1827-1919), son of Jonathan Bartlett (1880-1852) and Love Laskey (1789-1884), married 1st Elizabeth Cushing French (1830-1894), daughter of Moses French (1790-1857) and Hannah Moody (1788-1872), and 2nd Susan Elizabeth Fairfield, daughter of Albert L. Fifield (1815-1867) and Caroline Paul (1815-1867).
  • Charles Washington Sawyer (1831-1916), son of John Sawyer (1788-1869) and Hannah Sargent (1803-1877), married Sarah Clark (1835-1909), daughter of Rev. Caleb Clark and Elise Bradley. Charles is listed in 1870 as a Carriage Maker and member of Saggahew Masonic Lodge.
  • Cyrus William Rowell (1848-1917), son of James Rowell (1808-1882) and Serena Flanders (1813-1873), married Liza Barnes (1851-1904), daughter of Captain John Barnes (1826-1868) and Liza Larkin (1828-1895).
  • Nathan Emery Collins (1847-1936), son of Oliver Collins (1821-1863) and Mary Page (1822-1890), married Caroline “Carrie” Elizabeth True (1848-1934). Nathan was the town clerk and owned a clothing store in Amesbury. He is listed at 113 Main Street, Amesbury, MA, in the City Directory.
  • Harrison C. Austin (1868-1920), born in Amesbury, MA, to Horace Austin (1847-1895) and Annie J. Chadbourne (1842-1897), married N. Gertrude Currier (1873-1956), daughter of John Currier (1846-1924) and Ellen R. Longfellow (1845-1923). Harrison lived among the Shaker community in Canterbury, New Hampshire, and returned to Amesbury when he was 18. He worked in many shops in the community, and in 1897 he went into business as undertaker. He was a Grand Master Mason of Warren Lodge in Amesbury and joined other lodges as well. “Proceedings of the Most Worshipful Grand Lodge of Ancient Free and Accepted Masons of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, 1924.” P. 266.
  • Ralph Origen Bailey (1849-1924), son of Orlando Sargent Bailey (1818-1894) and Mary Gove (1815-1892), married the widow of John H. Hill, Hannah Matilda Trussell (1834-1914), daughter of John Lurvey Trussell (1880-1888) and Hannah S. Goodwin (1802-1884). Ralph worked in a carriage shop when he was young. In 1884 he formed a partnership with Benjamin L. Fifield and opened a furniture store in Amesbury. He was the Collector of Taxes and Probation Officer for the Second Essex District.

26 thoughts on “Massachusetts Tomb Hides a Mystery: Who Was Reuben John Smith?

  1. That’s great Melissa! I realize from this article that my great great grandfather Joseph mentioned Horace Austin relatively often in his diaries from 1880 to Austin’s death in 1895, the funeral of whom Joseph went to. They had carpentry connections, and a friendship as well. Joseph visited Horace before Horace’s death.

    1. Thanks, Elaine. This was a great story which I came across through research with the Stearns family a few years back, and it was found in the diary recently. I am sure we can cover some Nichols soon! 🙂

  2. Hi, Melissa Berry, I have read your blog about Reuben John Smith and I am very interested in him. Reuben John Smith may be my 2nd Great Grandfather from Buffalo, New York. I do have a photo of him handed down through our family. Wondered if you might be interested in this?

    1. Hi Paul. I would love to hear more on this connection and follow up. Have you tried to search through GenealogyBank for some of the names? Thanks for the share!

  3. Great story! I grew up next to this graveyard, and the story we had as kids was that he was sitting at a table playing chess with his dog. Very cool to get some backstory all these years later. 🙂

    1. Hi Chris! And do not forget the cigar! He was shut away with one! I am glad you enjoyed this. GenealogyBank is filled with great stories on Amesbury and the old days! Thanks!

  4. Melissa, two of your pall bearers’ mothers have Smith for a middle name, and the wife of one had a mother with a middle initial of S.

  5. Melissa – You certainly dig up (yes, dig up) some fascinating events to write about. This was another very strange one which is so local.

    1. Thanks Marge! I hope to find Reuben’s roots. I am looking through GenealogyBank’s New York papers to see if there are any clues. 🙂

  6. I heard as a child that originally there was a window on the side of the tomb where you could look in and see him sitting there. I’m not sure if that is correct or not but that’s what I was told.

    1. Pat, I did read in an article I found on GenealogyBank that the tomb needed repair from a lightening storm, but did not read about the window. I will have to look it up. Thanks for sharing!

  7. Wow, great story, quite the mystery. I have never seen his tomb, but after reading, I can’t wait to make the trip. Thanks for sharing.

  8. Finding this man on Ancestry showed a possible family to which he might belong. I posted a newspaper article about two Buffalo, NY, women who claimed to be heirs of this eccentric man. Also, I found a photo of him which was dated to 1852 — however, since he was born in 1828, he would be 24 yrs old in 1852, and the man in the photo is quite old, so either the date is wrong, or this is not him. 1852 is very early in photography, so that may be the problem. But also, how did the family get a picture of this aged man?

    1. James, I asked the same question when I contacted Paul, who left a comment last week. The family may have gotten the photo from the lawyer as it is my understanding there were several photos sent to Amesbury. I will be doing a Part 2 in a few weeks as I found more on GenealogyBank. So Stay tuned and thanks for all the great work you do for New England ancestors!

    1. Thank you Doreen Jenner! I am working on another story on Reuben. Shortly after this article was published readers contacted me and had some more info which was also found in more GenealogyBank searches, so stay tuned!

  9. This is fantastic. I am a member of the Ames Cem Commission and have spent several years inputting all the data for the burials in this cemetery. Reuben caught my attention and I have done some research and have some articles. The original tomb was much smaller, and then stoned over when he was buried. I have the photo but don’t know how to post it here. I love this. Always looking to expand our information, making it easier for families to find information. All of the work that has been done is in the Amesbury library and I am always willing to help the best I can.

    1. Thank you so much Jane for the feedback! I appreciate it. I will email you soon and you can send photo. We can post it on the story. I may also contact you on the court file stories I am putting together. Amesbury is such an interesting town and lots of amazing history!

Leave a Reply to Melissa Davenport Berry Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *