Sweet Auburn: The Magazine of the Friends of Mount Auburn Reimagining the Cemetery as Museum | Page 14

Stories Behind the Stones:
A Gumshoe in the Archives
An email query was sent to Mount Auburn’s
return it to someone related.” Sensitive to privacy concerns,
Historical Collections Research Desk earlier this year: “I
she asked that Mount Auburn contact the family on her
am trying to see what info you have on an older grave in
behalf.
your cemetery,” wrote Shanna Stephens Doughty. “Her
Pinkerton began searching for Highley family
name is Bertha Philips Highley.” The Cemetery receives
descendants. Accessing Massachusetts vital records via
hundreds of such requests each year, from genealogists,
FamilySearch.org, he learned that Bertha was born on
scholars, and family members. Due in part to the dogged
New Years Day, 1881, to Caroline Phelps Shute and Philip
research of volunteer docent and history detective Steve
Highley, a printer from England. Caroline was the daughter
Pinkerton, this one turned up forgotten family history and
of Mary E. Robinson and James M. Shute, a well-known
helped reunite a long-lost baby picture with its kin.
Boston typefounder and for many years Chairman of
Pinkerton searched the Cemetery’s database and found
Somerville’s Board of Selectmen.
Highley interments at two locations. One
According to Cemetery records, Philip
was Bertha “Philps” Highley in Lot 2015 on
Highley purchased Lot 5266 on Excelsior
Honeysuckle Path, which belonged to the
Path in 1893, two years after his first wife’s
Phelps family. A further review of Cemetery
death; he was buried there along with his
records showed that Bertha Phelps Highley
second wife and children from both marwas initially interred on April 29, 1889, in
riages. Census and vital records showed that
Lot 5000, one of Mount Auburn’s general
Caroline and Philips’s last surviving child
or “public” burial areas. She had died of
died unmarried in 1906. However, several of
diphtheria in Somerville, MA, at age 8 years
Bertha’s half-siblings reached adulthood and
and 3 months. Her remains were moved
started families of their own. Their surviving
to the Phelps family lot on July 6, 1889.
descendants would be Bertha’s closest living
Pinkerton noticed that the remains of Ashton
relatives.
Shute Highley, who died May 1, 1889, also
Cemetery records showed that flowers had
of diphtheria, aged 10 months, 24 days, were
been purchased for the Highley lot as recently
Bertha Phelps Highley.
relocated there the same day. A third Highley,
as 2009. Pinkerton asked Cemetery Services
39-year-old Caroline, was buried in the Phelps
Representative Theresa Fallon to find out who had ordered
lot a year and a half later on January 10, 1891.
the arrangements, and she was able to find a contact name
Pinkerton reported his findings to Doughty, speculating
and phone number.
that Caroline was probably mother of Bertha and Ashton
Meanwhile, Doughty emailed images of a “carte de
and noting the presence of a second Highley family lot on
visite” photograph of an infant and the back of the card,
Excelsior Path nearby.
which bore the studio’s logo along with Bertha’s name and
Doughty replied immediately, asking if Mount Auburn
age, and the date of the photo. With the images in hand,
had a contact for the Highley or Phelps families: “I have
Pinkerton contacted the family. Once he had confirmed
come across a baby photo of Bertha and would like to
their interest, Doughty mailed the original to Mount Auburn.
12 | Sweet Auburn