After a grisly murder on the edge of Evergreen Cemetery in 1868, church deacon Samuel Andrews was convicted of killing Kingstonian Cornelius Holmes. Photograph held by the Local History Room.
On the edge of Evergreen Cemetery one hundred and fifty-five years ago this morning, the discovery of a body and an ensuing murder charge against a church deacon shocked and divided Kingstonians.
Local true crime author John Gallagher is writing an account of Cornelius Holmes’s murder, which in 1868 was one of the most horrific crimes ever committed in the history of Plymouth County. The murder of the wealthy scion of one of Kingston’s most prominent families split the community as the defendant, Samuel Andrews, claimed self-defense.
Excerpts from Gallagher’s forthcoming book are expected to be published in Kingston 300’s new illustrated history of the town, which is being prepared for the 300th anniversary in 2026. The sordid details of Holmes’s murder and Andrews’s conviction (he served more than 14 years of a 20-year sentence) pit neighbors against each other.
Stay tuned for more in the months ahead. We welcome your submissions and ideas for the book project at http://www.kingston300book.com
John F. Gallagher served with the Boston Police Department for more than thirty years and rose to
become superintendent and chief of detectives. He is the author of four historical nonfiction books, including, A History of Homicide in Hanover: Murder on Broadway;Arsenic in Assinippi: The Trial of Jennie May Eaton for the Murder of Her Husband, Rear Admiral Joseph Eaton, the story of a 1913 murder inNorwell; A Monument to Her Grief: The Sturtevant Murders of Halifax,chronicling an 1874 triple murder; and Passion, Poison, and Pretense: The Murder of Hingham’s Postmaster, from 1857. His books are available at www.gallagherbook.com.
Introducing Kingston 300: a fresh history of our town, its people and heritage
Our goal is to present Kingston’s compelling history in an easy-to-read book ahead of the 2026 tricentennial.
This new illustrated history will feature short narratives and fresh accounts from primary sources that add to established town histories, chronicling our townspeople’s participation in defining events and daily life through different eras. We welcome your contributions, whether “then and now” items from your neighborhood, snapshots of family histories, postcards, or other historical items.
Formed by local history enthusiasts, the book will draw from the lives of Kingston’s founders, to its patriots and shipbuilders, its exceptional women, civic and religious leaders, its craftsmen, entrepreneurs, and artists. A unifying theme is how the community grew along the Jones River, its tributaries and waterfront, sustained by abundant natural resources and its ingenuity.
With Kingston’s 300th anniversary less than four years away, we are reaching out to potential contributors this year!
Sunrise at Delano’s Wharf. Courtesy of David Tewksbury (also the header photo of the waterfront).
Kingston 300 invites you
Contribute your family histories and anecdotes
Contribute photos, postcards, and historical items
Help us reach community members for their stories
Reach veterans, first responders, athletic and social organizations, and many more
Help celebrate your neighborhood’s history
Who we are
Volunteer group of residents, history enthusiasts
Formed a nonprofit corporation, Kingston 300, Inc., in 2020
Not an official town entity
Goal is to publish full-color book by fall of 2025
Postcard sent by Joseph Finney to Mary Fries, postmarked November 21, 1917. Held by the Kingston Public Library Local History Room Image Collection (IC7).Photograph held by the Kingston Public Library Local History Room Image Collection (IC7).
Contributors’ rights
Contributors to the book—whether submitting written materials, photography, or other art—have two options for your rights of authorship.
The first way is to retain your right of authorship—giving you the right to repurpose original content—by granting Kingston 300, Inc. non-exclusive rights to publish your work. A second option is to transfer your individual author’s rights to Kingston 300, Inc. as the publisher of a collective work. These are standard written agreements, and please do whatever you feel most comfortable with.
Writers and other contributors to the book will be asked to sign a written agreement choosing either option. All contributors will be credited appropriately. Kingston 300 intends to seek voluntary contributed content rather than commissioned “for-hire” submissions.
Written content types & lengths
– Snippets: use for timelines, factoids—a paragraph or two – Short length sidebars, up to three paragraphs – eg. “Did you know? …” or “Remember when? …” and short personal profiles, etc. – a few hundred words – Mid-sized articles – 500 to 1,000 words – Main articles, chapter length and within sections Possible ranges: 1,500 -1,700 words for a “short chapter” to 2,500 words for longer ones
Please contact either Ken, Tom, or Jan using our emails above for any questions and other guidelines. We look forward to your ideas and input!
Publisher of a new illustrated history of Kingston for its 300th anniversary in 2026
