Our next armorial tomb in Granary Burying Ground in Boston, Massachusetts, is the table tomb of the Faneuil family.
The Heraldic Journal, Vol. II, pp. 121-122, informs us about this family:
[T]he tomb of the Faneuils, which was probably erected by Andrew F., who died in 1737. This family, whose name is indelibly associated with Boston [e.g., the famous Faneuil Hall there], was of Huguenot origin. … It seems that in 1685, there were living in or near Rochelle, in France, three brothers and two sisters of the Faneuil family. These were Benjamin, Andrew, John, Susanna and Janes; of whom John and Susanna were Catholic, and remained at Rochelle, Jane was a Huguenot, married Pierre Cossart, and died in Ireland. Andrew settled in Boston, as early as 1709, and married, but had no children. He acquired a large fortune by commerce, which was left, at his death, in 1737, to his nephew Peter.
Benjamin Faneuil, the other brother, married in 1699 to Anne Bureau, and settled at New Rochelle, N.Y., by whom he had eleven children. Of these the survivors were Peter; Benjamin; Anne, who m. Rev. Addington Davenport; Maray, wife of Gillam Phillips; Susanna, wife of James Boutineau; and Mary Anne, wife of John Jones.
Peter Faneuil, so well known for his gift to the town of the public hall which bears his name, died unm. In 1743.
Benjamin Faneuil, his brother, married, and had Benjamin, peter, and Mary, wife of George Bethune. He died October 1785.
In regard to the arms here figured, we may note first, that they are on Andrew Faneuil’s will, and in that will he directs three pieces of plate to be given the French Church in Boston, “with the coat of arms and name of the donor engraven upon each of them.” Peter Faneuil also had these arms painted on his chariot, and engraven on his silver. With this distinct claim to a right we must remain content.
And
Preachers, Patriots & Plain Folks: Boston’s Burying Ground Guide to King’s Chapel, Granary and Central Cemeteries, by Charles C. and Suzanne Austin Wells, tells us:
Peter Faneuil (1700-1743), gave us Faneuil Hall. The “Jolly Bachelor,” was born in New Rochelle, NY, the oldest of 11 children. He came to Boston in 1719 to live with his rich uncle Andrew Faneuil (pronounced Funnel at that time) when his father died. Andrew’s businesses were trade in West India goods, imports from England, owning and building ships, Boston real estate, and probably slave trading. He was the richest man in Boston.
When Andrew became incapacitated, Peter managed his affairs and, after his uncle died in 1738, he inherited all of his immense wealth and businesses. Peter became Boston’s richest resident and benefactor. In 1740, he contributed to the construction of King’s Chapel and was an early member, generous donor and trustee of the Boston Episcopal Charitable Society. He provided funds for Faneuil Hall, designed by his intimate friend and artist John Smibert. Peter Faneuil died suddenly March 3, 1742/3, unmarried.
Tomb 138, loc. D-70, is his burial place. It hold a lot of other people: Uncle Andrew Faneuil; brother Benjamin and his family; and sisters Mary Ann Faneuil Jones, Anne Faneuil Davenport, Marie Faneuil Phillips, and their families. The “P. Furnal 1742” is a phonetic spelling of the name and it was also prounced “Fennel.”
The Faneuils were all Tories and most went to England during the Revolution. However, the name Faneuil Hall is synonymous with the Independence movement because of all the meetings held there.
But of course it is the arms on the tomb that really catch our attention:
Bolton’s
An American Armory cites this coat of arms as: Faneuil.
A heart in the center, four six-pointed stars in chief, three like stars below the dexter star, all in pale, and a cross within an annulet in the sinister base.
Crest:
A martlet(?). (I personally don’t think so; click on the image above to take a closer look at its legs and feet.)
Peter Faneuil’s box-tomb, 1743. Granary Burying Ground, Boston. Heral. Jour., vol. .2, p. 121.
The arms are most unusual in their assymetry and arrangement of charges. Indeed, I cannot recall seeing anything like this coat anywhere else, ever.
Researching further, Rietstap's Armorial Général does not have Faneuil listed, nor does the surname appear in the Index to d'Hozier's Armorial Général de France of 1696. The closest surname in the latter is le Fanu of Brittany and Caen.
So we have an important New England colonial family, with a coat of arms which they used at that time, but whose origins are somewhat cloudy. Or perhaps, just "lost in the mists of time."
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