Rierson Burial Plot
Bunker Avenue
Wantagh, NY 11793
The deed from Philetus
Gildersleeve and his wife to Soper in 1863 reserved, a right of way and the
Rierson Burial Plot to the heirs of Cornelius Rierson. This "lane" became
Bunker Place and eventually Bunker Avenue, Wantagh, N. Y.
Cornelius Rierson was baptized February 23, 1752, the son of George Rierson
(sometimes spelled Ryerson) who resided at Foster's Meadow and died about
1778. Foster's Meadow was near Hempstead, and became Valley Stream.
Cornelius Rierson married Catherine Van Cott at St. George's Church, Hempstead,
on August 13, 1791. He died in 1826.
It is interesting to note that George Rierson signed the Association in
Queens County in January 1776, as did his son Cornelius. George Rierson served
as a lieutenant in the militia of Queens County and was a soldier and a patriot.
Cornelius served with a Loyalist regiment on Long Island and after the American
Revolution went to Digby, Nova Scotia, with the Loyalist migration from Long
Island and New York. However, he eventually returned to Long Island where
his family owned a number of farms in Hempstead Town. The family genealogy
shows that his son, John Cornelius Rierson, born May 10, 1793, and died October
16, 1829, lived on one of these farms in what is now Wantagh. From the succession
of deeds, it is believed that Cornelius Rierson and his wife, Catharine Van
Cott Rierson, as well as their son John Cornelius Rierson and his wife, were
buried in this plot with other descendants of Cornelius Rierson. Until
a few years ago when the property was subdivided, a number of gravestones
were still standing, but unfortunately no one kept a record of these.
Source:
Cemeteries of Old Wantagh
Editorial Committee
Wantagh American Revolution Bicentennial Committee
Wantagh, NY
May, 1976
Larry Engel, Wantagh Boy Scouts, District 12
Sherwin Kaplan, Voice of Wantagh
Karl Pfeiffer, Wantagh American Legion
Donna Rigali, Wantagh Public Library