One way to learn more about a community is to visit the cemeteries where the record of past citizens is told silently but sometimes quite eloquently through the gravestones and other monuments located there. Those wanting to learn about the history of Derby in such a manner will find a rich history dating back to the Uptown Burial Ground which reputedly is the oldest "public burial ground" in the United States. At a time when cemeteries were under the charge of religious institutions, Derby established a public burial ground and hired its first gravedigger in 1683. You can see who is buried there by clicking here. One caution for the researcher trying to find ancestors associated with Derby is recognition that cemeteries in other parts of the Valley were once part of Derby. Family records may very well refer to a cemetery in Derby that is actually in one of the other Valley towns. Click on each image for a larger picture.
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