Abiah Franklin (1667-1752), mother of Benjamin Franklin, was honored by her famous son with the central high granite obelisk erected in memory of his parents. She raised 13 children, including Benjamin and Jane Franklin Mecom, and was called “a discreet and virtuous woman.”
Tradition states that Elizabeth Foster Vergoose, known as “Mother Goose,” is buried here. Widowed, she lived with her eldest daughter and entertained her grandchildren with nursery rhymes. Her son-in-law, printer Thomas Fleet, reportedly published them as Songs for the Nursery or Mother Goose’s Melodies.
