burial

Country burials.

With the exception of Heritage [formerly Elm City Colored] Cemetery, all documented Wilson County African-American cemeteries outside the city of Wilson are church cemeteries (such as Cherry Chapel, New Vester, Rocky Branch, and Saint Delight) or small family cemeteries (such as Farmer, Brantley, Williamson, and Taylor-Barnes). However, for the innumerable laborers who had no regular or long-term church affiliation and whose families owned no property, burial often took place on the farms on which they worked.

I wrote here of my unsuccessful attempt to locate the Black cemetery on Joshua Barnes’ farm, which probably began as a slave graveyard and was likely quite large. I have not identified the locations of any others, which likely numbered in the many dozens, if not hundreds.

Death certificates from just a couple of months in 1918 reveal some of the farms on which workers were buried. Their graves, if marked at all, probably had only wooden and fieldstone markers, which have not survived, and the graveyards are most likely lost in decades of overgrowth or plowed under expanding tobacco or soybean fields.

Carrie Horne was buried on “Mrs. Eliza Barnes Place” in Saratoga township on 6 October 1918.

This appears to be the farm of Eliza Overman Barnes, widow of Roscoe B. Barnes, who was living in Wilson on Kenan Street at the time.

James Taylor was buried 29 November, also on “Eliza Barnes Place.”

Nathaniel Rountree was buried on 22 October 1918 on “James H. Lamm Land” in Cross Roads township.

James Henry Lamm was a farmer-employer in Cross Roads township.

Paul Ruffin was buried on “Whitehead Farm” in Wilson township on November 28.

Perhaps, the farm of tobacconist Howell G. Whitehead III, who then lived on West Nash Street in Wilson.

David Mack was buried on 11 October 1918 on the “B.J. Thompson Place.”

Benjamin J. Thompson was a farm-owner in Saratoga township.

Henry Artis was buried on “Billy Barnes Place” in Stantonsburg township on 29 October. William Barnes is so common a name in Wilson County as to make identification of this farm difficult.

Though he was a city boy, Edward Simms was buried 12 October 1918 on “Steve Woodard’s farm.” There was only one Stephen Woodard in Wilson County at the time of Simms’ death, a 35 year-old African-American farmer living in Black Creek township. Woodard rented his land, rather than owned it, and it is unlikely it would have been known as his farm. In that case, the reference may be to a farm formerly owned by Dr. Stephen Woodard Jr., who died in 1897.

Andrew Nathaniel Barnes was buried 22 June 1918 on “Reuben Ellis plantation.”

Reuben Ellis was an African-American farmer. The “plantation” was not actually his. It was land his wife Mary Wyatt Lynch Rhodes Ellis had inherited from her parents, Wyatt and Nicey Hall Lynch, and we roughly located it on Old Stantonsburg Road near present-day Wedgewood Golf Club. (More about this land soon.) Thus, this was actually a family cemetery, though it is not clear that Andrew Barnes was a relative of the Lynch-Ellis family.

Lane Street Project: a database of burials.

The northwest edge of Vick Cemetery, from above. Photo courtesy of George E. Freeney Jr.

Before he left for Alabama, George E. Freeney Jr. sent more drone photos of Vick Cemetery. These images spurred me to begin an arduous task I’ve been putting off for a year — trying to figure out who is buried in Vick Cemetery.

As noted before, the City of Wilson has no records of burials or plots sold in Vick. The survey of surviving gravestones that was supposed to have been made when the cemetery was cleared either was never created or has been lost.

The task is further complicated by naming practices. Vick Cemetery was not called Vick Cemetery during its active period. It was “the colored cemetery” or, most confusingly, was lumped with Rountree and Odd Fellows Cemeteries as “Rountree.” Death certificates, though official records, were shockingly imprecise, with most before World War II listing the place of burial simply as “Wilson, N.C.” From 1913 to about World War II, most of these burials would have been in Vick, as it was the city’s public Black cemetery, but we can only make informed guesses.

The database I’ve created draws primarily from grave markers, death certificates, and newspaper obituaries. I am deliberately omitting Rest Haven burials, but the database will necessarily include burials in other Black cemeteries operating in Wilson in the late 1890s and early 1900s, such Oakdale/Oakland/Oaklawn, Rountree, Odd Fellows, and the Masonic cemeteries. If the location of a burial can be firmly identified as one of those cemeteries, my spreadsheet will note it.

For now, data for each burial includes name; whether a gravestone has been found; birth and death dates; confirmed location of grave; death certificate found; place of death; name of undertaker; place of burial as noted on death cert; place of burial as noted in obituary; and notes.

Here’s a peek:

From time to time, I’ll provide updates on the status of the spreadsheet, highlighting anomalies and interesting finds.

Wootten & Stevens, pt. 6.

In 1977, the late Hugh B. Johnston abstracted a newly discovered volume of the records of Wootten and Stevens, the earliest undertaking firm in Wilson County. The result, Funeral Register of Wootten and Stevens, Undertakers of Wilson, North Carolina, November 18, 1896-June 27, 1899 is an unpublished manuscript held at Wilson County Public Library. This post is the sixth in a series abstracting the abstract for entries naming African-Americans.

  • Newkirk, Fenner. Wilson. Colored. Died 18 July 1897, age 28 years, of brain fever. Attended by Dr. T.B. Person. Cost $6. Billed to Bettie Newkirk. Buried at Oak Dale Cemetery. (Page 103)
  • Nutall(?), _____. Wilson. Colored. Died __ July 1898. Length 5’9″. Cost $15. “Corpse was taken to Henderson, N. C., for burial.” (Page 291)
  • Parker, Harriet Jones. Wilson. Colored. Died 26 May 1898. Attended by Dr. N.B. Herring. Cost $10. Billed to Doane Herring. Burial at Oak Dale cemetery. (Page 260)
  • Parker, Nancy. Near Wilson. Colored. Died 19 March 1897, age 16 years, of measles and pneumonia. Length 5’9″. Attended by Dr. C.E. Moore. Buried at General Barnes cemetery. Cost $2.50. (Page 48)
  • Parker, Stanley. Wilson. Colored. Died 2 August 1898, age 65, of old age. Length 6′. Cost $2.25. Attended by Dr. T.B. Person. Funeral at home. Buried at Oak Dale cemetery. Billed to County Commissioners. (Page 294)
  • Parker, Susan. Wilson. Colored. Died 20 March 1897, age 20 years, of measles and pneumonia. Length 5’9″. Attended by Dr. C.E. Moore. Buried at General Barnes cemetery. Cost $2.50. Billed to Jack L. Ethridge. (Page 49)
  • Pender, _____. Near Wilson. Colored. Stillborn 2 April 1898 to Mr. and Mrs. Grey Pender. Attended by Dr. C.E. Moore. Cost $1.25. Billed to J.B. Farmer. (Page 223)
  • Pender, Jerry. Near Wilson. Colored. Died 27 November 1898, age 80 years, of old age. Length 6′. Cost $10. Attended by Dr. J.E. Brothers. Billed to Joshua B. Farmer by Grey Pender. Burial in Joshua B. Farmer cemetery. (Page 383)
  • Pleasants, George. Near Wilson. Colored. Died 24 May 1898, age 52 years. Length 6’2″. Cost $10. Billed to Sallie and Cora Farmer. Attended by Dr. T.B. Person. Buried at Simon Barnes cemetery. (Page 257)
  • Pitt, Antony. Gardners township. Colored. Died 26 March 1898 of “the effects of a blow.” Certified by County Coroner. Cost $2. Billed to County Commissioners. “Supposed to have been murdered.” (Page 221)

Wootten & Stevens, pt. 5.

In 1977, the late Hugh B. Johnston abstracted a newly discovered volume of the records of Wootten and Stevens, the earliest undertaking firm in Wilson County. The result, Funeral Register of Wootten and Stevens, Undertakers of Wilson, North Carolina, November 18, 1896-June 27, 1899 is an unpublished manuscript held at Wilson County Public Library. This post is the fifth in a series abstracting the abstract for entries naming African-Americans.

  • Hardy, Thomas. Wilson. Colored. Died 6 February 1897, age 55. Attended by Dr. T.B. Person. Length 6′. Cost $10. Billed to C.G. Wells. Buried in Joshua Barnes cemetery. (Page 32)
  • High, ______. Taylor’s township. Colored. Died 18 March 1899. Child of John High. Length 2’6″. Buried in Hilliard Ellis cemetery. Cost $3. (Page 438)
  • Hill, Edgar. Wilson. Colored. Died 20 October 1897, age 16 years, of consumption. Son of Henrietta Hill and brother of Richard Norwood‘s wife. Cost $23. Funeral at home. Burial at Oak Dale cemetery. Attended by Dr. B.T, Person. (Page 151)
  • Hines, Mamy. Wilson. Colored. Died 10 March 1899, age 1 year 1 month. Length 2’6″. Buried at W.H. Farmer cemetery. Attended by Dr. Albert Anderson. Cost $1.50. (Page 434)
  • Jackson, Rosa. Wilson. Colored. Died 5 July 1898, age 10 months, of cholera infantum. Child of Jos. S. Jackson. Attended by Dr. N.B. Herring. Length 2’6″. Funeral at home. Buried colored Oakdale cemetery. Cost $10. (Page 285)
  • Jeffreys, Mattie. Wilson. Colored. Died 24 July 1898, aged 7 years, of brain fever. Attended by Dr. Jones. Length 4′. Cost $7. Billed to W.T. Clark. “This girl was taken in to raise by Mr. Clark’s mother when very small and the whole family thought a great deal of her. She is the only colored person ever put in Maplewood.” (Page 289)
  • Jenkins, Annie Monite. Wilson. Colored. Died 20 May 1899, aged 24 years, of consumption. Daughter of Monite Jenkins. Attended by Dr. N.B. Herring. Length 5’6″. Buried Oak Dale cemetery. Cost $2.25. Billed to Wilson County. (Page 471)
  • Jones, Estelle. Wilson. Colored. Died 20 December 1896, age 9 months of fever. Length 2’9″. Buried at colored cemetery. Cost $5.50. (Page 10)
  • Jones, Gillie. Wilson. Colored. Died 31 October 1897, age 51 years, of bowel consumption. Wife of Alex Jones. Funeral at home. Buried at Oakdale cemetery. Cost $25. (Page 156)
  • Jones, Kesiah. Old Fields township. Colored. Died 21 August 1898, aged 38, of consumption. Wife of Thomas A. Jones. Length 5’9″. Cost $15. Buried in Jones Hill cemetery. (Page 305)
  • Jones, Nettie Vick. Wilson. Colored. Died __ August 1897. Daughter of Daniel Vick. Cost $25. “Murdered by her husband Wilson Jones.” (Page 124)

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Raleigh Gazette, 11 September 1897.

  • Jordan, Ned. Wilson. Colored. Died 2 February 1898, age 65 years. Father of Charlotte Aycock. Length 6′. Cost $15. Buried in colored cemetery. (Page 202)
  • Knight, _____. Wilson. Colored. Died 18 December 1897, of consumption. Length 6″. Cost $2.50. Billed to F.W. Barnes. (Page 184)
  • Lindsey, Frank. Wilson. Colored. Died 31 December 1898, age 27, of dropsy. Attended by Dr. Paschal. Length 6′. Funeral at home. Buried at Oakdale cemetery. Billed to William Lindsey. (Page 399)
  • Mabry, James. Wilson. Colored. Died 15 June 1897, of consumption. Buried in colored cemetery. Cost $10. Bill to L.A. Moore. (Page 84)
  • Matthews, Tom. Wilson. Colored. Died 28 May 1899, age 37 years. Length 5’9″. Attended by Dr. C.E. Moore. Buried in colored cemetery. Cost $4. Billed to Town of Wilson. “Killed by Policeman George Mumford in the discharge of his duty. Coroner’s Inquest gave the above verdict.” (Page 476)
  • Messick, James. Wilson. Colored. Died __ September 1898. Length 6′. Cost $7.50. County Commissioners paid $2. (Page 338)
  • Mobley, ____. Wilson. Colored. Died 16 March 1899, of consumption. Father of Jane Mobley. Length 5’9″. Cost $10. Attended by Dr. Albert Anderson. Billed to John T. Williams. (Page 437)
  • Mobley, Isaac. Wilson. Colored. Died 4 March 1899, age 21 years, of consumption. Buried in Oakdale cemetery. Cost $11. Billed to F.A. Woodard.(Page 430)
  • Moore, ____. Wilson. Colored. Died 17 January 1898, age 1 day. Grandchild of Pennie Moore. Length 2’4″. Cost $3. (Page 197)
  • Moore, ____. Wilson. Colored. Died 23 July 1898. Wife of Andrew Moore. Length 5’6″. Cost $10. Attended by Dr. Albert Anderson. Buried in colored cemetery.
  • Moore, ____. Wilson. Colored. Died 25 August 1898. Child of Henry Moore. Length 2’9″. Funeral in Methodist church. Buried in colored cemetery. Cost $15. (Page 313)
  • Moore, ____. Wilson. Colored. Died 17 September 1898, age 5 days. Length 2′. Cost $3. Billed to Pennie Moore. (Page 197)
  • Moore, Lelia. Wilson. Colored. Died 6 February 1897, age 3 months, of a severe cold. Length 2′. Buried in Oak Dale cemetery. Cost $3.50. Billed to Bryant Moore.

 

Entries in the funeral register of Wootten & Stevens, undertakers.

Funeral Register of Wootten and Stevens, Undertakers of Wilson, North Carolina, November 18, 1896-June 27, 1899 is an unpublished manuscript held at Wilson County Public Library. In 1977, the late Hugh B. Johnston abstracted a newly discovered volume of the records of Wootten and Stevens, the earliest undertaking firm in Wilson County. This post is the first in a series, abstracting the abstract for entries naming African-Americans.

  • _____, Mourning. Near Wilson. Colored. Died 9 May 1899. Length of coffin 5’9″. Cost $10. Billed to W.H. Farmer. Burial in colored cemetery. (Page 458)
  • Anderson, _____. Near Cockrell’s Bridge. Colored. Died 7 November 1897, aged 15 months. Length 2’9″. Child of Alford Anderson. (Page 157)
  • Anderson, Alford. Nash County. Colored. Died 12 November 1897, aged 1 year 8 months. Length 2’6″. Burial at Cockrell’s Bridge. (Page 163)
  • Anderson, Harry. Stantonsburg township. Colored. Died 3 February 1897, aged 70, of paralysis. Length 5’9′. Attended by Dr. Crocker. Funeral at grave on Dr. Nathan Anderson’s place. Cost $10. Billed to Chester Jordan. (Page 30)
  • Austin, _____. Black Creek, Colored. Died 20 November 1898, aged 35 years, of “womb trouble.” Length 5’6″. Wife of Sandy Austin near Black Creek. Cost $5. Attended by Dr. Hoover. Burial in John P. Barden cemetery. Billed to L.P. Woodard. (Page 378).
  • Bagley, Mattie. Near Wilson. Colored. Died 2 May 1898, aged 16 years, of lung trouble. Attended by Dr. Williams. Burial in Hilliard Ellis cemetery. Billed to T.J. Hadley. (Page 242)
  • Barefoot, Easter. Near Wilson. Colored. Died 1 September 1897, aged 70 years. Length 5’9″. Burial in S[ilas]. Lasiter cemetery. Cost $2.50. Billed to Jacob Short. (Page 125)
  • Barham, Hattie. Wilson. Colored. Died 30 April 1898, aged 22 years, of consumption. Length 5’9″. Wife of Alex Barham. Cost $15. Billed to J.T. Williams and R.J. Grantham. Church funeral and burial at Oak Dale cemetery. (Page 241)
  • Barnes, _____. Near Wilson. Colored. Died 2 April 1898 of internal hemorrhage. Length 5’9″. Wife of Lemon Barnes. Attended by Drs. C.E. Moore and Albert Anderson. Cost $10. Billed to F.W. Barnes. Burial at Edwin Moore place. (Page 222)
  • Barnes, Aima. Wilson township. Colored. Died 6 May 1898, of old age. Aged 95. Length 5’9″. Cost $10. Billed to G.C. Wills. Attended by Dr. E.G. Moore. Burial in old homestead cemetery. (Page 244)
  • Barnes, Claudie. Wilson township. Colored. Died 17 June 1898, aged 12 months. Length 2’6″. Cost $4. Billed to W.T. Farmer. Burial in the Forbes cemetery. “Lived on the old R.S. Kingsmore place.” (Page 276)