DEPTFORD NJ - STRANGERS & CATTELL BURIAL GROUNDS

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OLD DEPTFORD STRANGER'S BURIAL GROUND
DEPTFORD, NEW JERSEY
Strangers Burial Ground: Caulfield Road [Take Rte 45 in Woodbury, NJ to Cooper Street; left onto Rte 544 (Clements Bridge Road) toward the Deptford Mall; turn left onto Rte. 645 (Caulfield Road). The cemetery is almost immediately on your left, by the road in a wooded area.

[[This current burial ground is in poor condition. There are signs of American flags placed here (not recently), but the grounds and tombstones are not taken care of, as evidenced by these photographs. [Note: my thanks to Sandy Hoffman who provided some of the source material, shown below, about this cemetery!]] In 2007 A boy scout troop from Deptford has visited this burial ground, and spruced it up quite a bit.

According to the current caretaker of the Ann Whitall House in National Park, after the "Battle of Red Bank," the Hessian soldiers involved in that battle were buried in the trenches at the site of the battle and they were later moved to the Strangers Burial Ground at Woodbury, New Jersey. She stated that, even later (when their remains were "just bones,") they were removed to this Strangers Burial Ground in Deptford. The site at both Woodbury, and later Deptford, was called "Strangers Burial Ground," because those buried were not members of any of the local religious communities. [Read about Count Donop's grave].

In Glendora, New Jersey, in the Ashbrook Burial Ground are additional Hessian soldiers, who died during their retreat from the "Battle of Red Bank," however they are not the remains of the original soldiers who fell on that battlefield.

*Source Information: HISTORY OF THE COUNTIES OF GLOUCESTER, SALEM, AND CUMBERLAND NEW JERSEY by Thos. Cushing, M.D. & Charles E. Sheppard, Esq. PHILADELPHIA: EVERTS & PECK. 1883 PRESS OF J.B. LIPPINCOTT & SONS, PHILADELPHIA.

Oct. 22, 1777, the battle of Red Bank was fought, and many of the wounded Hessians were brought to Woodbury, and cared for in the old brick school-house on Delaware Street, where many of them died, and were buried in the northerly part of the grounds known as the "Strangers' Burying-Ground."
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1779
The Town Orders, That the Strangers Buryal Ground be enclos'd with Oak Posts and Ceder Rails. Samuel Thompson is appointed to that Service, & to draw upon the Overseers of the Poor for Defraying the Expense thereof. Also to have the Care of it.
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1780
The Town orders also, that the Overseers of the Poor provide Cedar Rails and oak Posts, in order to Enclose the Strangers' Burial Ground, and that they get it done as Soon as convenient may be. Also that Job Kimsey have the Care thereof when completed.
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Notes on old Gloucester County, New Jersey : historical records published by the New Jersey Society of Pennsylvania
New Jersey: unknown, 1917, 982 pgs.
page 217
"The Strangers Burying Ground, which was for more than a century one of the landmarks of Woodbury, occupied about an acre of ground on the south side of Cooper Street west of Broad. In this cemetery many of the Hessians killed at Red Bank were buried. Buttons of uniforms and bayonets were found when the cemetery was vacated. It was condemned about two years ago [about 1915], and a new street known as Lupton Avenue marks the site. The bodies and remaining stones were removed to the Paupers' Burying-Ground, which is located on the old road, now little used, leading from a point near Almonesson to North Woodbury.
page 272
Farther along this road and about a quarter of a mile nearer Woodbury is the Cattell cemetery, founded by the ancestors of the numerous families of that name. It was used to some extent my members of the Cattell family until quite recently. Jonas Cattell, famous as the guide of the Gloucester Fox Hunting Club, is said to be buried there.
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"Gloucester County Democrat, February 13, 1913
An adjourned session of Woodbury Council was held Tuesday evening, all members being present.... Mr. Martin stated that in cooperation with the Mayor, he had worked hard in solving the difficulties attendant upon moving the bodies from the Stranger's Burial Ground. Through Freeholder Hannold, the committee learned that there is a Stranger's Burial Ground on the Clement's Bridge road about 2000 feet from Hawkey's Point. There is more or less undergrowth there. The Deptford township committee gave Council permission to reinter the bodies in that plot free of charge, a resolution being read from that township to that effect. Contained in that resolution was a statement that they acted adversely on the proposition to start condemnation proceedings for the purpose of purchasing the Gloucester turnpike. Mr. Martin stated that the fact that the township would have to bear about ten per cent. of the cost, about $1500, was the reason for their action...
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From: "Woodbury Constitution, March 12, 1913
City Council held a regular meeting on Tuesday night. Bids for removing and re-interring the bodies in the Stranger's Burying Ground were read..."
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From:"Woodbury Constitution" May 21, 1914
THEY WERE THE MEN OF '76
John G. Whitall has shown us some brass buttons found beside the human bones found in opening a road from Delaware street to the Manly lot, one of them plainly showing the letters U.S.A. The Hessian killed in the Red Bank battle, Oct. 1777, were buried on the battlefield, while the American dead were brought to Woodbury. No doubt the bones and buttons found were the remains of those who fell in the defense of Fort Mercer.
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From: "Gloucester County Democrat, May 21, 1914"
In grading the new street from Delaware Street to the Manly lot, thru Stranger's burial ground, workmen have found a large number of human skeletons, which are being carefully boxed, and taken to the new ground east of the city. The bodies seem to have been buried one on top of the other. Brass buttons and shoes are quite numerous.
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From: "Gloucester County Times, October 11, 1982
DEPTFORD TWP.--The gravestones are old and up until about three years ago they were barely visible to people passing the site on Caulfield Avenue.
But thanks to the effort and skill of Steven Gale, today it is hard not to notice the site. Gale has cleared out the brush, cleaned off the stones and erected a large sign letting the public known that the small cemetery is the Old Deptford Strangers Burial Ground.
   The cemetery, which dates back to the mid-1770's, was not only for strangers who died while passing through the area, but for residents who did not belong to one of the many religious denominations of the day and who therefore could not be buried in one of the church cemeteries.
The cemetery was originally located at the corner of Delaware Street and Lupton Avenue in Woodbury, according to Edith Hoelle of the county historical society. At the time, the city and township were considered a single municipality.
   The two towns split in 1854 and about 10 years later the burial ground was moved to the small tract on what is now Caulfield Avenue. In 1911, the Woodbury Council had the last remaining tombstones at the city cite moved to Deptford.
   Although he has lived in Deptford most of his 27 years, Gale was not aware of the historic cemetery until five years ago when he moved into a new home on Dexter Avenue around the corner from the burial ground.
He recalls that years of neglect had left the stones covered with dirt and debris. Only a few inches of each of the stones were visible, he said. Gale decided that the historic burial site deserved better.
It took him two weeks to clean it up. "I wanted people to know what it was at least," he said. "I just cleared it out. A cemetery's a cemetery," he explained.
   For the last three years, Gale has been the unofficial caretaker of the burial ground. Besides keeping it clean, he has started to add a few plants.
On Memorial Day each year, he put flags on the graves and the Deptford American Legion Post 424 comes out and fires off its guns in a salute to any war veterans who might be buried there. The post has rewarded him with a certificate of appreciation for his work.
   Despite his efforts, Gale said the cemetery has not gotten the recognition he feels it deserves. In 1973, he said, the county put markers on a number of historical sites in the county.
   A marker was put at the burial ground but it turned out to be a mistake. Officials thought it was the Jonas Cattell burial ground, a cemetery for a historic family that is further up Caulfield Avenue. The marker was subsequently moved to the right site.
   After the marker was moved, Gale decided to build his own sign. But he didn't put it up until recently when he read in the newspaper that some skulls dug up during construction at the old burial site in Woodbury might be buried at the Deptford site.
   Since he put up the sign a few weeks ago, more and more people have been stopping to look at the old gravestones, according to Gale. He said the site seems to be a favorite for senior citizens. "They value life when they get up in age," he said.
   Gale hopes that the township, which he said owns about four acres surrounding the cemetery, will agree to making the cemetery into a mini-park. He would like to see more trees and brush cleared out and some park benches installed.
"I can't see where it would cost a whole lot of money," he said.

Related LINKS:
- Fort Mercer (Red Bank Battlefield)
- Gloucester County Cemeteries (where to find the tombstone transcriptions at the Gloucester County Historical Society)
- "Bloody Day at Fort Mercer" - newspaper article (online)
- About Red Bank Battlefield
- Reported Ghostly Experiences at the Ann Whitall House (despite the heading, this location is STILL in Gloucester, not Cumberland, County.
- The Hessians
- Society of Hessian Military- and Civil History
- Hessian Uniforms [archived web site]
- Count Donop's Grave

KUDOS: My special thanks to SANDY HOFFMAN, who provided some of the information above, especially that of newspaper articles regarding the Woodbury Stranger's Burial Ground.

CATTELL BURIAL GROUND
DEPTFORD NJ

Location of Cattell Burial Ground: EVELYN Street [Take Rte 45 in Woodbury, NJ to Cooper Street; left onto Rte 544 (Clements Bridge Road) toward the Deptford Mall; turn left onto Rte. 645 (Caulfield Road); take your first left onto Dexter Ave, in one block at the T, turn right onto Wagner Ave.. Drive one block to the stop sign. Go straight after the stop sign, and you are on Evelyn Street. The cemetery is immediately on your right by the road (surrounded by a wooden fence). There is a blue county marker sign in front.

The Cattell Burial ground contains mostly the remains of the CATTELL family. The grave of South Jersey's most famous hunter and woodsman. Jonas Cattell, is located in this old family burying ground. Cattell ran from Haddonfield to Fort Mercer on the morning of October 22, 1777, to alert the Americans that the Hessians were on their way to attack the fort. Ownership uncertain (according to the official Gloucester County NJ web site).

These photographs do not document ALL of the stones in this graveyard. Many are illegible, broken, etc. The Gloucester County Historical Society maintains a list of those known buried here (with an online database - for a fee) -- See Cemetery page for more info. I could not read several of the stones, so if you know your ancestor/relative is buried here, it is worth your while to review all of the photographs, which are large and high quality.

The Jonas Cattell Run, a 10-mile foot race was started in 1969 to commemorate the anniversary of his maternal relative's contribution to the British defeat at Red Bank Battlefield in 1777. It is held in South Jersey each year, ending at Red Bank Battlefield in National Park, New Jersey. [See link and scroll down to see this year's date for the race].

Related Links:
- Fort Mercer (Red Bank Battlefield)
- Gloucester County Cemeteries (where to find the tombstone transcriptions at the Gloucester County Historical Society)
- The Battle of Fort Mercer
- The Tall Tales of Jonas Cattell [archived version]
- Direct Descendants of Jonas Cattell
- About Jonas Cattell
- The Marine Corps Gazette (mentions Jonas Cattell) [archived version]