With Halloween approaching, here is a cemetery story.
One of the earliest burial grounds in Upper Merion that is still in existence is the Henderson Family Burial Plot located on South Henderson Road, at the entrance/exit to the new Gulph Elementary School.
In December 1978, Joseph D’Orazio produced a report of burials based on the existent tombstones and records. He listed sixty-five burials. The earliest burial listed is that of Ann Henderson, daughter of John and Ann Henderson who died on August 14, 1763, aged eleven months. Her sister, Sarah, died on April 23, 1777, aged seven years, seven months.
Other early burials included John Henderson, son of Alexander and Elizabeth Henderson, who died on August 23, 1791 at age fifteen months. William Torbert, aged sixty-three, died on April 18, 1774.
The infant mortality rate in the 1700’s and 1800’s is quite evident from the burials recorded at the family burial plot.
Records from Christ Church Old Swedes indicate that fifteen members of the Henderson Family were buried in the church graveyard during the 1800’s. The earliest burial at Old Swedes was that of William Henderson, son of James Henderson, who died on May 29, 1847.
Since the late 1800’s the family burial ground has been maintained through funding from the Henderson Family Trust Fund. However, the trust funds are now depleted and the family is struggling to maintain the property.
Individuals and groups interested in contributing to the maintenance and upkeep of this rich historic treasure in Upper Merion may contact the family through the King of Prussia Historical Society, PO Box 60716, King of Prussia, PA 19406-0716.
