Graves of Henry and William James

Henry James (1843-1916) is esteemed as an important literary figure for the nature and style of his fiction, but he’s a popular for the subject matter of those stories, most notably, “The Turn of the Screw”. Henry’s older brother William (1842-1910) also had an interest in the ghostly, although his pursuit of it took a different direction. William was a medically trained psychologist and Harvard professor who spent many years of his life investigating the proclaimed medium Leonora Piper, who had become famous worldwide for her apparent ability to channel spirits.

Henry, William, and the rest of their family are all buried in the same plot in Cambridge Cemetery in Cambridge, MA, right across the street from Mount Auburn Cemetery.

The plot can be found on Meadow Avenue and is comprised of a row of six headstones in front of a short, oblong red-brick wall with the surname James inscribed in a stone centerpiece at the apex. The stones of William and James are the second and fourth one, respectively, from left to right, and each epitaph offers a poetic summary of their accomplishments.

Adapted with Permission from: The New England Grimpendium by J.W. Ocker