02/14/2025
Happy Valentine’s Day from all of us on the Cemetary Committee!
In the US, Valentine’s Day began to be widely celebrated in the early 1700s. American friends and lovers exchanged handmade cards until Esther Howland began mass-producing cards in the 1840s.
In honor of Valentine’s Day, we are profiling Newton Darling 1791-1856. Newton was the son of Pelatiah Darling Jr. & Phila Taft Darling. He was born on August 22, 1791, in Uxbridge.
He married Betsey Webb on July 4, 1820. Together they had 4 daughters: Matilda 1823-1892, Elizabeth 1825-1879, Caroline 1827-1832, and Josephine 1829-1837. Betsey passed away in 1833.
Newton went on to marry Betsey’s sister, Malyna Webb 1798-1847. Newton and Malyna had one daughter, Josephine 1838-1847. Both Malyna and Josephine died in 1847.
Newton went on to marry a THIRD Webb sister, Matilda Ann, on April 18, 1848. There are no children on record. On a curious note, Matilda died in 1880 in Marlborough NH and her death certificate lists her maiden name and that she was single.
Newton married Lucy S. Peck on September 16, 1850. They had one daughter also named Josephine born in October 1851.
Newton is buried in the Darling Repose Cemetery. The following articles were published about his death:
The Patriot Newspaper in Woonsocket published the following article on August 22, 1856:
“SUDDEN DEATH – Newton Darling, Esq, of Millville, went on a pleasure jaunt to Vue de l’Eau [a region in East Providence], three miles below Providence, on Thursday of last week. During the following night he died, from supposed disease of the heart. Mr. Darling has been long and favorably known in this section as a scythe manufacturer: and the scythes bearing his name are known throughout the length and breadth of the Republic. He was a kind and generous hearted man. “
The Westerly Echo & Pawcatuck Advertiser also published an article on Sept. 11, 1856:
“NEWTON DARLING, of Blackstone, Mass., the maker of the favorite implement known as "Darling's Scythes", died very suddenly at Seekonk, Mass., on Friday, 15th ult. He was a very enterprising and industrious man, had caused activity to prevail in two villages which would otherwise have remained inactive, and he had purchased a large establishment in Warren, Mass., just before he died.”
(I apologize for the poorly cropped photo, I did not realize it was so until the writing of this post)
