In the Archives of the Queens Central Library in Jamaica, NY, my daughter discovered a book entitled “Cemetery Inscriptions” copied by Josephine C. Frost, volume IV, compiled in 1904. On page 43, it listed a burial for
Selina Hamilton, died April 18, 1881. Age 42.
in the cemetery adjacent to the St. James Episcopal Church of Newtown. This church is still standing. The present buildings were erected in 1848 and have been refurbished many times.
We visited the cemetery and found most of the stone inscriptions unreadable and many of them fallen face-down. We spoke to a pastor at the church and the following day, he was able to confirm the burial and said that with church records we might be able to locate Selina’s stone on another visit.
The cemetery is located behind the church at 84-07 Broadway in Elmhurst, NY. There is wire fencing surrounding it and the gates are locked. We knocked on the door of the Parish House and were let in by one of the pastors, who was very helpful and accommodating.
