Stephen Van Rensselaer IV, the patroon, gave the trustees of the Presbyterian Church in New Scotland a land tract of 156 acres. In 1791, the first building was erected, and half an acre was fenced off as a burial ground. The first interment, according to common report, was that of Jacob Moak. Gradually, the half-acre was filled with graves.
In June 1795, the church exchanged the church farm on Clipp Road with property of the Moak family, which was closer to the church building. Over time, the cemetery expanded beyond the original fenced area onto this new land.The New Scotland Cemetery Association came into existence on July 3, 1860, as listed in Grantor’s Index, Albany County Clerk’s Office. On April 12, 1866, the trustees of the Presbyterian Church made an arrangement with the cemetery association—partly as a gift and partly as a sale—whereby the association secured title to the main part of the present cemetery grounds. Additional ground, known as the lawn section, was purchased from the church in March 1978, consisting of approximately 200’ x 200’. A tower is now located there, and the land is capable of being improved for additional burials or columbarium’s.
Bob Cook also bought and donated an additional 98.29’ x 189.36’ along South Road, just south of the original boundary. Lots continue to be sold, and burials still occur here, making a total of approximately 5.5 acres.
As the New Scotland Cemetery Association, rather than the church cemetery, people from any denomination could be buried here. The cemetery is still supervised by volunteer members of the community. Many descendants of New Scotland’s founding fathers are buried here, along with six Revolutionary War soldiers and veterans of other wars. Also buried here is U.S. Congressman Samuel Dickson, who represented New York’s 14th District in the House of Representatives from 1855 to 1857.
We intend to collect information on other persons buried here. Every now and then, we receive requests from people asking about graves, and through those conversations, we learn more about those buried here. We strive to preserve this information to share with others in the future.
History
One such inquiry was about the grave of Winfred Goldring. In learning more about her, we discovered that she and her family are buried here. Winfred was the first woman appointed as state paleontologist in 1939 at the New York State Museum, best known for her pioneering work on the Gilboa fossil flora. Her father, Frederick Goldring, trained as a specialist in orchids at Kew Gardens, England, emigrated to the U.S. in 1879, and took charge of orchid growing on the estate of Erastus Corning. Her mother, Mary Grey, was a teacher, and together, they established a thriving greenhouse business in Slingerlands after they married.
Janet Goldring, born in 1902, enlisted in the Women’s Army Corps in September 1944. Three other sisters—Marjorie, Joyce, and Katherine—are also buried in the same plot. Learning about these individuals adds to the rich history of the cemetery.