Bruce Campbell MacGunnigle

Bruce MacGunnigle, Certified Genealogist, is the author of EAST GREENWICH, RHODE ISLAND HISTORICAL CEMETERY INSCRIPTIONS, published in 1991.“Each and every Vaughn gravestone inscription on page 5 is keyed to the Vaughn map on page 182 which provides the exact location of the gravestone containing that inscription, as well as directions to the Vaughn cemetery containing the gravestone.”

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Vaughn Family Cemetery (E.G. No.7)

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Vaughn Family Cemetery (E.G. No.7)

The number next to Bruce’s name on the web pages is the number he–and James N. Arnold–assigned for each gravestone or gravestone inscription.  In the introduction to his book, MacGunnigle states the reason behind his gravestone numbering system:  “As I began the field work, I found it convenient to follow Arnold’s method of recording gravestones, starting at the north west corner of a cemetery, and working from north to south in each row. I assigned each stone a number as well, which allowed me to pinpoint the location of each of the stones within each cemetery.” James N. Arnold, in 1892, was the compiler of the multi volume Vital Record of Rhode Island and he recorded many cemetery inscriptions.”

East Greenwich, Rhode Island Historical Cemetery Inscriptions”was published by the East Greenwich Preservation Society in 1991 and printed by Minuteman Press of East Greenwich. The John Peck Rathbun Chapter #4 of the R.I. Sons of the American Revolutions, P.O. Box 24, East Greenwich, Rhode Island 02818 supported this publication. This book lists and gives diagrams of all the East Greenwich historical cemeteries and gives descriptions of the locations, the number of gravestones in each cemetery and other important information about the individual cemeteries. The book’s index is an alphabetical name index of all the people who have inscriptions on their headstones in the East Greenwich historical cemeteries.

Audrey Mae (née Spencer) MacDonald, not knowing anything about the long history that went into researching and compiling this cemetery inscription book and fearful that her descendants would lose awareness of their ancestor’s cemetery, artistically diagrammed her own Vaughn family historical cemetery (E.G. No.7).  To assist the reader, Bruce MacGunnigle’s name and a gravestone number is at the end of each of Audrey Mae’s web site pages. The name Bruce MacGunnigle is a link to this explanatory page.  Clicking that link brought the reader to this page.

Appropriately, Audrey Mae’s method of recording Vaughn gravestones began with her grandparents, Charles Augustus and Lydia Edith Vaughn because their stones are right ahead as she entered the cemetery gate. Their eldest daughter, Margaret, and her husband and children are in back of Charles and Lydia. The other gravestones in this cemetery are Charles Augustus’ brothers’ families, and possibly the parents of Charles and his brothers. More research is needed.

 

 

 

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