Updated: 14 November 1999

Shope Cemetery
Hillcrest Drive
Town of Clarence,
Erie County, New York

(The tombstones in this cemetery are very old and weather worn,
making them difficult to read. I have read them to the best of my ability.)

Note:
Unless otherwise noted all listings are tombstone readings and the information has not been provided by any official cemetery source.
It is offered here as a tool to promote further research, and should not be considered as verified proof for genealogical records.
This information is to be used as a reference, please check with the source for conformation.
Readings have been doubled checked, but mistakes are possible.


BASCO
In memory of Joanna, Wife of Eld. John M. Basco and daughter of Dea. Luther & Lucy Osgood .
 
BELL
Tiehita Bell, wife of William _____.
 
COLE
Levi ,Who Died Mar 19, 1820, Age 51 years.
Sara , died May 19, 1820, age 31/5 years, (Believed to be daughter of Abraham Shope).
 
DERR[E]ICK
Osgood, Born Dec 2[9], 1810_____ .
1 - Ephraim, 'SGT 1 CONN REGT REV WAR' Apr 21, 1756 - Sept 9, 1832.
2 -Ephraim, April 21, 1756 - Sept 9, 1832, age 76 years, '1 Com. Regt.', [Revolutionary War Hero, Sgt in Revolutionary War, only veteran of that war buried in Clarence] [Broken stone]
3 - Ephraim, 1756 - 1832 'Buffalo Chapter N.S.D.A.R.' [MARKER]
 
ELWELF
Elza, wife of E. Eluelf, died Feb 2, 1841, age 25 yrs.
 
FELTON
In memory of Lient. Sylvanus FELTON, who fell at Fort Erie, August 2,, 1814 in the service of his county.
Age 29 years. [Veteran Marker] *
In memory of Mrs. Felton who died Dec 27, 1824, 51 yrs.
Jeremiah Felton, who died December 27, 1824, aged 31 years.
Felton, Lt. S., Fell at Fort Erie, Aug 29, 1814, age 28/9 years, on Revolutionary War D.A.R. Marker.
* Lt. Sylanus Felton,"Killed at Battle of Fort Erie in the service of his county, August 28, 1814, age 29 years".
Felton, John Sr., Revolutionary War
In memory Miss Felton
 
GAUNER
In memory of George, died May 5, 18[58]. Age __, years, __months, __days.
 
GUISE
Mary A., daughter of John J. Sr. & Annistt Guise, born March 6, 1835, died Sept 14, 1836.
 
HEINEY
M/Henno Simon, son of John & I. Hardell Heiney, died 31st Aug 1835, age 15 years
Infant son of John & Harriet ____,, age 2 ds
 
HENNEY
_______ Simon, Son of John & Mariel Henney, died 31 ____, 1835, age 15 months.
Infant Son, of John Harch & Harriett, age 2 day
 
HENRY
J_____ Simon, Son of John & Hanna Henry, Died 31 ____,1835 aged 2/9 days.
 
HORNER
George Horner, d. May 5, 1832, age 42 yrs.
John , who died January 13, ____,
Esan Ben, d. June 21, 1834, age 5 yrs, 38 ds., Son of George & Sarah Hoener.
______, son of George, who died January 15, 1836,
 
HULL
Eliza A., 'wife of E. Hull, Esq'., Died Feb 7, 1843, age 35 years, 8 months, 15 days.*
Edmund Hull Sq., Died Sept 16, 1852. Age 58 years.*
In memory of Laura, daughter of Edmund & Eliza Hull who died August 28, 1834/7. Age 15/8 months.
 
KELSP
____ g[r]t M. Kelsp, died Jan 10, 18__, (Broken stone). AE (Broken stone)
 
LEACH
In memory of William, died June 11, 1811, age 57 years.
Elijah, died June 11, 1841, Deacon at Baptist Church at Hunts Corner.
 
MILES
Rosanna, wife of Rev. Milo N. Miles, died 1838, age 26 years.
Infant son of Rev. Milo N. & Roaanna Miles, died 1837.
 
MATTESON
Harriet Amelia,daughter of Harry H. & Harriet, Died March 21, 1841, ?7 year, 1 month.
 
OSGOOD see BASCO
 
OSGOOD see RASCO
PARKER
In memory of Washburn Parker, died. June 23, 1830, age 33.
 
POOL
In memory of William Pool, ______Sept __, 1832 70? years
 
RANSOM
In memory of ______, Son of Asa & Betsey Ranson, March 11, 18[ ]9.
Catherine & Archibald Ransom offspring of Asa Ranson.
ArchibaldRanson, 1829.
Catherine Ranson, 1836.
(Catherine & Archibald Ranson, were offsprings of Asa Ransom)
Asa Ransom's 1st wife's grave plus 2 children, was reputed to have been seen by Mrs. Melancon.
 
RASCO
In Memorium Joanna Rasco, wife of John H. Rosco and daughter of Dea Luther & Lucy Osgood.
Born Dec 19, 1810, Born again 1828, Married July 12, 1838, Died 2 Aug, 1849
In the winter of 1830, she died hours after being thrown from a carriage.
 
SANBORN
Ray__ Emory, son of J.L.& E. Sanborn, who died June 21, 1839, age 5 years.
 
SHOPE see COLE
 
SIMON
Mayo, son of J.T.A. Heircy, d. 1825, age 15 yrs.
Sarah Steab, b. __, _8, 1823, 7 yrs.
 
SPEAR
William, died 1828, age 60 years.
 
SPOOR
Wm., who departed us in Sept 22, 1828, in the 60 yr of his age. (Hotelkeeper)
 
STEVENS
Sarah, daughter of J.G.& R. Stevens, died Feb 8, 1830, aged 7 weeks
 
 
UNKNOWN
Catharine ---ugh---Gansom? May18, 1838 19 _______
Henry, _____
Le_______Died March 18, 1820, Aged 51 years.
Melvin?________1830 ____Maria?______1835
In memory _______Del______________
In memory of Laura ____.
______, September 4, 1836
______, 1832
Sp[l]ate?
 
E.H. (Edmund Hull ?)
M.W.B.
S.C.
M.W.D.
S.F.
M.A.G.
E.L.
E.H M
M.S.M.
C.R.
W.S.
*Additional Information
page 135 HULL
Hull Edmond, formerly of Clarence, NY, Black Rock, NY, Sept 16, 1852, age 58 years.
It was through his efforts that the first Church of Christ (Disciples Church) was organized in Clarence
Hull Eliza Ann, wife of Edmund, Clarence, NY, Feb 5, 1843, age 35
Lient. Sylvanus FELTON, his father was Levi Felton an Assessor in 1808 for the Town of Clarence.
A liquor license was also issued to him.
The Felton family history on file in the Town Historian's office states that Lt. Felton's body was brought back to Clarence
and buried "with full military honors.' He was married and the father of a boy and girl.
The Town Park property was first owned by the Felton family having purchased it from the Holland Land Company.


Shope Cemetery Facts

Address : Hillcrest Road
Burials :
Caretaker : Maintained by the Town of Clarence
Church : Condition of cemetery : The cemetery is surrounded by a split rail fence.
Many of the tombstone are badly worn or broken.
Contact Person :
Location : Located on the north side of Main Street and the east side of Hillcrest Road, a eighth of a mile from Main Street. Not far from where Ransom's Tavern is believed to stood.
Location of cemetery records :
Known by other names: Hillcrest Cemetery; (Pioneer Cemetery)
Map :
Photograph : Digital Photographs.
Source of Information : Tombstone Readings (Digital Camera), and from the papers for Katie Mockler - 1989
Year Established : First cemetery in the Village of Clarence.First known burial 1814,Last known burial 1852
History :
Named in Honor of Abraham Shope on whose land the cemetery was located
 
Note from old map:
'The whole plot is 92 feet long, and is supposed to be 107 feet 7 inches wide.
each individual plot is supposed to be 22 feet by 9 inches except where otherwise indicated.
Each path is two feet wide and the center path is supposed to be 11 feet 7 inches long.
Single graves are 9 feet by 103 inches.


Newspaper Article: March, 1939

Graves of Pioneers found in Old Clarence Cemetery
Forgotten for decades, burial plot contains remains of persons buried more than a century.
Forgotten and neglected for many decades, a small cemetery dating from early years
of the last century has brought to life as the results of a proposed real estate development at Clarence.
The plot, 60 by 100 feet, about a eighth of a mile from Main Street,
directly north of the Buffalo Automobile Club
on property recently purchased by Howard L. Melancon of 58 Progressive Avenue, Buffalo.
Many of Clarence's oldest residents were unaware of the burial ground's existence.
It was thought at first to be a private cemetery, and according to Mursett C. Luckner, Clarence attorney,
there are probably from 30 - 50 small burial places within a few miles of the village,
which were used before state laws regulated burials.
 
Names of Many Families
But the names on the sandstone markers are of many families, thus leading
to the current belief that it was a church cemetery.
Many of the grave markers have weathered to such a extent that they cannot be read,
but it is thought, due to the fact that his infant son is buried there that Asa Ransom,
who established the first permanent residence and tavern in Erie County at Clarence Hollow (Clarence)
in 1799, is buried there.
The building still stands by the West Shore Railroad tracks on East Hill in Clarence.
In its rooms the early history of Clarence and the county was made,
It was a terminal of the "underground railway" where slaves from the South hid before their dash to Canada and freedom.
Harry Ransom, Asa's eldest son, was the first white child born in Clarence and as far is known,
in the county. Joseph Ellicott used the building as an office for the Holland Land Company.
Among other persons buried in the cemetery is Rosanna Miles,
wife of the late Rev. Milo N. Miles, and her infant son who preceded her in death.
She died in 1838 at the age of 26 and her son in 1837.
The grave of Ephraim Derreck, a Revolutionary War hero, who died in 1832 at the age of 76,
is marked by an iron standard erected Buffalo Chapter, D.A.R.Other markers are for Elijah Leach,
at one time a deacon in the First Baptist Church at Hunts Corners, who died June 11, 1841.
Lieut. S. Felton, who fell at the battle of Fort Erie August 28, 1814, at the age of 29:
and Sarah Cole , who died May 19, 1820.
 

Complied : 28 October 1999
by : Leo J. Kopp and Katherine M. Kopp

[Home] [Erie County Cemeteries Online] [New York Cemeteries] [What's New] [Our Family....] [Erie County Town Online Data]

This information may not be used for profit or reprinted and
published with out permission from the authors.
Copyright ©1999 Leo J. & Katherine M. Kopp All rights reserved.