I wrote to the "Director of Archaeology" in NYC in part:
Isaac Allerton, arguably second in command at the Plimoth Colony for awhile,
and who became the leading English trader in New Amsterdam, is buried today
in the Grove Street Cemetery in New Haven, Connecticut. Here are some
excerpts from Thomas Plunkett's work in New Haven: [found on the web, 1996]
...But what of the anonymous many, whose graves were removed to the new
cemetery from a Green that was falling under disregard...The headstones
(embedded in the wall around the "new" cemetery) are of many individuals for
whom no families came forth during the move. The stones range in date from as
early as 1657 to as late as 1801. Isaac Allerton, dating to 1659, is said to
be the first pilgrim to have died in Connecticut. He was born in England in
1586 and came to the new world on the Mayflower. The headstone is extremely
damaged due to years of neglect in the old cemetery. Theophilus Eaton
(1590-1657), the co-leader of the expedition that founded New Haven and the
first Governor of New Haven, is also interred here and thus he seems to be
the earliest known. However, it is possible he did not die in Connecticut,
and thus Allerton would have been the first...
As a sixteenth century man in America, the site of Isaac Allerton house and
warehouse in early New York history is very significant whether in fact any
of it remains. Where it is is a problem. I am not sure if the Mayflower
Society was following the author J. Innes' research or their own research
when they commemorated the spot (8-10 Peck Slip) around 1909 (the tablet has
since disappeared). If they were following his lead then there is room for
doubt. If they both arrived at the same conclusion on the location, I still
feel it cannot be verified due to the anomalies presented in my study, which
makes the rededication of this location problematic."
By this I did not mean it could not be found on the block, but maybe in the
middle rather on the end. Further:
"...in my opinion the significance of the site is more than just 17th
century, and that if I was redistricting the historic Seaport neighborhood, I
would draw a circle around this block with concentric circles of decreasing
historic significance radiating out from this block. Much of what we might
consider important in the social and political history of New York appears to
have occurred on or next to this location and "spilled" into other parts of
the city, nation and world."
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