Words written in one century can have a totally different meaning in another. For example, the words brothers and sisters in colonial Chelmsford were often used to refer to other members of the church, a practice that emphasized equality and mutual care within the Christian community, transcending biological family ties. Today, however, we use those words to refer to blood relatives almost exclusively.
In Forefathers Burial Ground, there are two gravestones next to each other–Mary Chamberlain, who died in February 1692 and was buried next to her “sister”, and Grace Sherman Livermoar,who died earlier in January 1691.
Grace Sherman Livermoar was born around 1614 in Dedham,England. She came to Chelmsford to live with her daughter Martha Parker after the death of her husband, John, in 1685. She was Chelmsford’s first obstetrician and her granite gravestone is the oldest in the burial grounds.
According to sources (1), Mary was Grace’s sister. Yet records (2) show that Mary was born Mary Pope around 1611 in Raleigh, England. She was the widow of John Poulter and then the widow of John Parker before she married Thomas Chamberlain of Chelmsford in 1675.
In colonial times, although Chelmsford residents were not required to be members of the church, the church was central to community life and social and economic pressure often encouraged participation. So, although Grace and Mary were not blood relatives, they were sisters in faith.
Citations
(1) Touring the Forefathers Burying Ground, Chelmsford, Massachusetts, Marti Spaulding,
page 55 “Her sister, Mary Chamberlain, rests at her side.”
(2) geni.com, search for Mary Chamberlain