Hitching - Kent Burial Ground, Rome, Oneida County, NY

Hitching - Kent Burial Ground

This cemetery is located on River Road, just before the 13 Pines Motel, in East Rome. A DAR listing of this cemetery refers to it as the Grange Hill Cemetery and indicates that Revolutionary War soldier Noah Kent is buried here. No stone has been found for him, nor any DAR marker. Noah Kent was born in Suffield, Connecticut and died at “Kent Corners” Jan./Feb. 1813. Mr. Kent and his family settled in Oneida County from Lanesborough, Berkshire, Massachusetts about 1792. All the tombstones in this cemetery are on the ground, with grass growing on top of them. Three stones were partially visible, and after much prodding three more were uncovered, several inches below the ground. There are probably several more in this cemetery that may never be found. There is also one field stone in the far corner that looks like a marker but there is no writiing on the stone. Some research into the Kilbourn family, from History and Antiquities of the Name & Family of Kilbourn, by Payne Kenyon Kilbourne, 1856, shows that Israel Holmes Kilbourn was the son of Cyrenus and Lydia Bartlett Kilbourn. His paternal grandparents, Asa and Sarah Holmes Kilbourn, were early settlers in Oneida County. Israel Kilbourn married Abigail Champney. Abigail died in 1849 is probably buried in this cemetery also.
This transcription was taken on July 10, 2001.

Champney, Malinda, wife of Henry C. Champney, died May 13, 1858 age 39 yrs 6 mos 11 dys
Champney, Mary E., dau of Henry & Malinda Champney, died Feb. 3, 1857 age 9 mos 8 dys

Hitchings, Clarissa, wife of John Hitchings, died June 13, 1851 age 31 yrs 13 dys

Kilbourn, Israel H. died Oct. 4, 1855 age 60 yrs 5 mos 4 dys

Langley, Benjamin, son of Henry & Adeline Langley, died Dec. 13, 185? age 4 wks

next to Benjamin Langley’s stone we uncovered two footstones, one with the initials B. L., the other with initials L. J. L. There was also a partial tombstone with no writing by these footstones.