Although the top of his tomb lists only his name today, the family tomb of Walter Price Bartlett may be the oldest in the cemetery. Born in December of 1743 to Dr. Joseph Bartlett and Sarah Price, Walter was, through his mother, descended from Capt. Walter Price, a wealthy man who seems to have built a family tomb in the Burying Point around 1650. Walter was likely preceded by an older brother who did not survive, since another Walter was baptized in that same family a mere two years earlier. Dr. Joseph died when Walter was eight, leaving the boy with two-thirds of his father’s estate. Like many young men of the time, Walter began his career at sea, and by 1760 was Mate aboard the schooner Mary. At some point, Walter married Elizabeth Norris and they would have at least three daughters over the years. By 1773, Walter’s involvement in ships was in investment rather than sailing, but his main profession was that of town-licensed auctioneer.
As revolutionary tensions simmered in Salem, some were pushed to boiling. Walter participated in many of the protests carried out against British tea, at least once seen publicly burning the now controversial leaf. As an eyewitness relayed to Charles Endecott, “he saw a gentleman handsomely dressed with a determined look and face the color of crimson, bring out in his arms a package of the odious tea, place it upon the pile and ignite the mass with his own hands”. Walter’s commitment to Revolution was not purely symbolic, he was the co-owner with Samuel Page, of several privateer ships: Lively, Blackbird, and Lydia.
In 1809, Walter Bartlett restored the tomb of his ancestor, Walter Price, which based on the frequent Board of Health complaints about the state of tombs at the time, likely needed it. The tomb would eventually house Walter himself when he died on May 15, 1824 (or possibly not, the original inscription on his tomb contradicts the records and says May 7). It’s not known who else may have joined Walter in that tomb, but we know his wife would not. Elizabeth died two weeks later, in Uxbridge, likely visiting her daughter Sally, and was buried there. It is possible that Walter Price Bartlett may have been the last to be buried in Salem’s oldest family tomb.