Between May 2017 and October 2018, Bill Barnsley conducted a comprehensive survey of the Old Burial Ground in Sturbridge, MA. His project aimed to locate and map all remaining gravestones, transcribe their inscriptions as fully as possible, and identify the individuals and family connections represented there. Drawing on the work of previous historians and preservationists, Barnsley documented inconsistencies and gaps in historical records, noting that some stones and inscriptions have been lost to time.
The final survey identified 559 stones (including footstones and markers for unidentified burials), representing at least 609 individuals. The results are organized by row and plot, with inscriptions, alphabetical listings, family charts, and a map of the cemetery. Barnsley’s work preserves vital genealogical and historical information about Sturbridge’s earliest residents and the evolution of local gravestone art, ensuring that the stories in this colonial-era cemetery remain accessible to future generations.