Addeline Pelton Consort

Sacred To The Memory of
Mrs. Addeline Pelton Consort
of Mr. H. Pelton who Departed
This life Oct.. 2 1827 in the
22 year of her Age
_______ . _______
Benevolent She Lived Virtuous She Died.
Now Lies at Rest Her Infant by Her Side.
_______ . _______
Yet Oh! Dear wife thy Spirit Lingering. Near,
will Listen to thy husbands lonly tread:
And watch the Silent lonly pensive tear:
which Drops to Consecrate thy Dreamless bed.

Monroe Street Cemetery was bought by Brooklyn township in 1836, it had been a graveyard since c.1818. Ohio City was incorporated in 1836, after the building of the Ohio Canal and the population was c. 2,400. In 1854 Ohio City became part of Cleveland, and the cemetery became the city's only west side cemetery until a second one opened in 1900.

Mrs. Pelton and child was one of the earlier burials. Her sandstone inscription is as clear as if it was written to-day, only the writing style is mot familiar to-day. The marble stones to the right have every letter worn, and most gone.

The top of the stone has a funeral urn, and weeping willow branches carved onto the scroll and pediment topped stele. I think this may be the only such stone in this cemetery. This style was popular for generations, but this was in the last generation they were made. The funeral poem added to the epitaph was also hearkening to an earlier age. The use of the word 'consort' is interesting instead of 'spouse'.

There are few such stones at Erie Street Cleveland, but the last is c. 1832. It is to remembered that the settlement of Cleveland, and Ohio City was initially of New Englanders. Correct me here if necessary, the entire stone is anachronistic, or perhaps, it was the acme of development for this funereal art style; and after reaching that, then ended. Some stones had just the urn, or just the willow branches. Both speak to the mourning of the survivor. Mr. Pelton appears to have grieved deeply.