Peacock Cemetery - Medford, NJ
N 39° 53.955 W 074° 47.337
18S E 518041 N 4416596
Marker number 16 (of lord knows how many) on the Medford Historical trail of historic sites and culturally relevant areas to local history. The cemetery and sign are easily accessible from the side of Chairville road. Just pull over on the dirt.
Waymark Code: WM3NKK
Location: New Jersey, United States
Date Posted: 04/25/2008
Views: 41
Little Local History
Adonijah Peacock, who died at his farm one day manufacturing gunpowder for Washington's army, lies here among several generations of his descendants. One of them is David Peacock. Charles Newbold invented, in l797, the iron, or moldboard, plow. David Peacock was granted a patent on April 1, l807 for an iron plow.
He was sued by Newbold for patent infringement who was awarded $1500 in damages. Newbold's plow was one pice and made of cast iron. Peacock's was three pieces, so if the point broke by striking a root, the entire plow had to be discarded. With Peacock's plow, the point could be replaced. It was followed by improved models and was a major breakthrough in modern agriculture.
Source: Medford Link
Even More History
The Peacock Cemetery dates back to the 1700's and was originally the Prickett Family burial plot. In 1772 one quarter of an acre was set apart by Elizabeth (Prickett) Peacock, widow of (John Peacock, who died in 1759 & buried in Saint Andrew, Mt Holly, N.J.)
In 1826 John Sharp and wife, Mary Peacock (granddaughter of John & Elizabeth Peacock) deeded an additional 78/100's of an acre to Adonijah Jr, John, and other male relatives who had married Peacocks, $5.00 was the consideration to have and hold forever for the sole use and purpose of a burial ground for future descendants.
The Peacock Cemetery first interment was James Peacock, according to family records but markers indicate that an Alexander Peacock was buried at the Peacock Cemetery in 1737. There were 89 recorded stones in 1928 by the NJ Genealogical Society. At present an ancestor to the peacocks (from the Abrams family) is helping to maintain the grounds seasonally.
Additional records and the history were provided Apr 16, 2004 by a Peacock family member, Les Wright, then combined with my records to help give us the most complete reading we can have at this time.
Source: Medford Link
Address
Peacock Family Cemetery St Mary's Episcopal Cemetery
Chairville Rd 145 W Broad St
Medford, NJ 08055