Simon Huntington
Photo courtesy of the Norwich Historical Society
On July 29th, 1707, Simon Huntington, age 21, who lived at what is now 2 Elm Avenue, was haying in the Lowthorpe Meadow.
He was bitten by a rattlesnake, and brought back to his home, where he died. He is buried in the Old Norwichtown Cemetery, along with his family members. Simon Huntington’s story is similar to that told in the 17th Century New England folksong “Springfield Mountain”, and the melody I composed is a variant of an older English ballad, “Barbara Allen”.