The Fragile Lives of the Gay Sisters: A Tale from Old Parish Cemetery

Lucy Gay (1774-1791)  

Sarah Gay (1775-1794)

Sintha Gay (1777-1779)

On the slope of Old Parish Cemetery, under the large Eastern White Pine tree, stand the graves of three young girls, Lucy, Sarah, and Sintha Gay.

All were the daughters of Jesse Gay (1747-1837) and his wife, Sarah Gould Gay (1749-1836). Jesse was the son of Timothy and Azubah Thorp Gay and the brother of Azubah Gay, who died in 1741, the earliest burial in the cemetery.

Jesse Gay married Sarah Gould on January 11, 1770 in Dedham. They had ten children, seven girls and three boys.

Lucy Gay was born on April 12, 1774 and died on April 3, 1791. Here gravestone reads:

In Memory of Lucy

Daugh'r of Cap't Jesse

& Mrs. Sarah Gay,

who died April 3^rd,

 1791, aged 17

years wanting 9.

Days.

The inscription is a poignant reminder that Lucy was a teenager, perhaps excitedly approaching her seventeenth birthday, when she passed away.

Sarah Gay was born on August 16, 1775 and died on June 27, 1794. She was almost nineteen.

Sintha was born on May 28, 1777 and died on June 8, 1779, only 2 years and 11 days old. Her stone was carved by Daniel Farrington.

All three stones and their footstones were reset by volunteers in 2022.

Sarah Gay prior to OPPV reset in 2022.

These three small stones, standing in isolation on the hill of Old Parish Cemetery, confirm the fragility of life in eighteenth century South Dedham.