Gesner Burying Ground

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	Gesner-Conklin Burying Ground c. 1788
	John Henry Gesner, one of the first settlers in this area, set aside a burying ground when his wife, Famicha, died. The site passed to Gesner's daughter, Elizabeth, and her husband, 2^nd Jacob Conklin John Henry Gesner (1724-1811) & wife Famicha Brower (1722-1788) Cornelius Gesner (1761-1790) & sister Famicha Gesner (1757-1821) 2^nd Jacob Conklin (1743-1827) & wife Elizabeth Gesner (1745-1825) 3^rd Jacob Conklin (1766-1811) & wife Mary Quidor (1774-1838) Famicha Conklin (1773-1845) & husband 1`^st` David Conklin (1772-1852) 2^nd David Conklin (1793-1840) & sister Phebe Conklin (1801-1827) Elenor Cooper (1763-1813) Four infant graves Proposed BCHS Marker
Site No. 7	42 Piermont Road
Links Gesner Family Conklin Family	The extensive John Henry Gesner homestead was located on land that would later lie to the east side of Carterette Road (later upper Piermont Road) between Willow Road and the New York border. The Burying Ground is a plot sized approximately 20 x 30 feet. It is located at the south rear of the James Gowdy House. The burying-ground is in a wooded area and is in fair condition. The burying ground set aside by John Henry Gesner, possibly when his wife died in 1788 but probably upon the much earlier death of a child. The burying ground was used by his son-in-law, the second Jacob Conklin in 1796, for burials of both families until 1852. The graves were chronicled by a Mr. Winthrop Gilman at the end of the 19th Century as "eleven well-marked graves, all the stones standing erect except that of Elenor Cooper, which his broken and lies in a hollow." He diagramed the burying-ground and photographed it. Unfortunately, only the stones of Jacob Conklin and Elenor Cooper and pieces of Mary Quidor survive. John Naefie and W.B. Van Alstine: Proceedings of the New Jersey Historical Society, 1912-1913, p23. Winthrop Gilman: Local History, p. 56, 75-77. Anton Temple Gesner: The Gesner Family. 1912 There are seventeen (17) graves recorded by Mr. Winthrop Sargent Gilman:
	West
	3^rd Jacob Conklin Husband of Mary Quidor grandson of John Gesner b. 1766 - d. June 22, 1811 age 44 yr, 1 mo, 11 days	Elizabeth Gesner Wife of 2^nd Jacob Conklin b. 1745 - d. Aug. 8, 1825 age 79 yrs, 8mo, 2 days	2^nd Jacob Conklin Husband of Elizabeth son-in-law John Gesner b. 1743 - d. Feb. 21, 1827 age 83 yr, 9 days	Elenor Cooper b. 1763 - d. Dec. 25, 1813 age 50 yr, 10 mo, 2 days (lived with Conklins)
South	John Henry Gesner Husband of Famiche Brower b.May 24, 1724 d. July 6, 1811 age 87 yr, 1 mo, 11 days	Famiche Brower Wife of John H. Gesner b .1722, d. Feb 10, 1788 age 66	Cornelius Gesner Son of John & Famiche b. Feb. 1, 1761 d. Sept 7, 1790 age 29 years	1`^st` David Conklin* Husband of Famicha Conklin b. Ju.l. 31, 1772 m. 1792 d. 1851/2
	Phebe Conklin Wife of Jesse Trenchard Daughter of Famiche & David Conklin b. Jan. 24, 1801 d. Mar. 30, 1827 age 25 yr, 2 mo, 6 days	Famicha Gesner Wife of Peter Willsey b. 1759 - d. Feb 9, 1821 age 62 yr, 10 mo, 9 day	2^nd David Conklin Son of Famiche & David Conklin Brother of Phoebe Conklin-Trenchard b. Apr. 15, 1793 d. Jan. 23, 1840 46 yr, 9 mo, 15 days	Famicha Conklin* Wife of David Conklin dau of 2nd Jacob Conklin b.Feb. 18, 1773 d. 1845/6
	Two small stones for Peter Conklin (P.C.) and Rachael Conklin (R.C.), children of 3^rd Jacob Concklin and Mary Quidor. Two small stones for infant children of David Concklin.	Mary Quidor wife of 3rd Jacob Conklin b. Mar 19, 1774 d. Jan 6, 1838 age 63 yr, 9 mo, 17 days		* These graves, not marked but with rough stones present, may have been set aside for David and Fanicha Conklin, explaining Mary Quidor's grave outside the wall.
	East From Gillman's diagram of the Gesner-Conklin Burying Ground. Winthrop Gilman: Local History, p. 77. Bergen County Historical Society, River Edge, NJ.
	Antone Temple Gesner photographed in 1912 the stones of John Gesner and his wife Famiche. In addition there were two small brown stones for infant children of the 3rd Jacob and Mary Conklin. One marked "P.C." for Peter Conklin and the other "R.C." for Rachel Conklin. Anthon Temple Gesner: The Gesner Family, 1912. Two small stones, not marked at all, were two infant children of David and Famicha Conklin. One rough stone (not marked) for David Conklin Sr who died in 1851 or 1852 and another rough stone for David Sr.'s wife Famicha who died in 1845 or 1846.* **John Neafie and W.B. VanAlstyne, Proceedings of the New Jersey Historical Society, 1912-1913, page 23.

	1st David Conklin (1772-1852) son of Abraham (1725-78 through Matthew - Philipsberg until 1750 to Tappan- Deliverance, John)., m. Phebe Conklin 1792.

	References
	Bergen County Historic Sites Survey, Borough of Rockleigh. 1981-1982. Bergen County Office of Cultural and Historic Affairs, Hackensack, NJ
	"The Jacob Conklin House", Reginald McMahon (mms, Bergen County Historical Society, River Edge, NJ)
	Winthrop Gilman: Local History, pp56 and 75-77. Bergen County Historical Society, River Edge, NJ.
	Anthon Temple Gesner: The Gesner Family, 1912
	J. Neafie & W.B. Van Alstyne, in Proceedings of the New Jersey Historical Society, 1912-1913, p. 23