Joseph Tapping died of smallpox in Boston in 1678. His headstone is one of the most famous stones in the city, and certainly the most recognizable stone in the King's Chapel Burying Ground. On a recent trip to Boston, I was able to see this stone up close and collect some data to make a 3D Model.
The Joseph Tapping stone is attributed by the UPenn library to Charlestown Stone Carver, an anonymous craftsman active in Boston in the latter half of the 17th century. This stone carver was known for his intricate work.
In the center of the stone, the Charlestown Carver adapted an image from a popular book of the time period. In the carving, a skeletal Death wrestles a bearded figure representing Time. Time is desperately trying to prevent the hand of Death, who reaches to snuff out a candle. Carved beneath the image is the Latin phrase Tempus erit which means "the time will come."
The inspiration for this carving comes from the 1638 book, Hieroglyphics of the Life of Man, by Francis Quarles. I found the book on archive.org. Below, you can see the original image.
Similarly, carved scenes can be found in at least three other examples from the King's Chapel Burying Ground in Boston.
Mention of Tapping's death and his funeral can be found through a link provided on his Find A Grave memorial. In it, a contemporary of Joseph Tapping named Samuel Sewall Sr. wrote about an epidemic of smallpox in Boston that affected many, including Sewall himself. Sewall recovered from his ordeal, but Joseph Tapping didn't. Sewall notes his death and mentions that he was a pallbearer at Tapping's funeral. The digitized writing can be found on the Massachusetts Historical Society website. In the picture below, you can see a snippet of Sewall's words.
As you can see, he notes that Joseph Tapping was a noted shopkeeper in the city of Boston. Undoubtedly, his prominence was the reason he was able to have such an intricate stone that still persists today as a record and a piece of historical art.
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