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(Continued) A Partial List Of Private Cemeteries In Natchez and Adams County, Mississippi
Compiled by Bob and Sarah Shumway 

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This material is copyrighted. ALL RIGHTS ARE RESERVED. No part of this database may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems without permission in writing from the author. Ellen Pack
 

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Cemeteries
College / Confederate Memorial Park (Natchez Burying Ground) / History of Confederate Memorial Park / Conner / Cranfield / D'Evereux (The Home) / Dunbar On The Forrest / Dunbarton / Dunleith / Elgin / Farrar / Fleming

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COLLEGE CEMETERY

[NOTE: It is said that the remains of Colonel John Willis were removed by his family and reintered in New Orleans]

An Excerpt from the article titled "Historic Cemeteries of Natchez" by Maude K. Burton, native and long time resident. published in the Natchez-News-Democrat on March 14, 1915.

The old burying ground was a parrelogram: the southern margin of which was Main street for three hundred and twenty feet, the East- ern margin was Fifth (now Union street) for two hundred and ninety-seven feet, thence eastwardly an- other three hundred and twenty feet (street not named), then North-wardly the remaining two hundred and ninety-seven feet. Part of that old cemetery is the Memorial park. and all that remains of the dead there buried are a few bones in a common grave near Rankin street. Samuel Brooks, first mayor of Natchez, was buried there. He was mayor from 1803 to 1811 and was a cousin to the celebrated Phillip Brooks. Mrs. Eliza C. Brooks left a donation to fence the old grave yard. This old burying ground was conveyed to the City of Natchez in the year 1817 for the nominal sum of five hundred dollars. All that time the place was a high hill and most unsuitable for a burying ground.

The records of the present memorial park and the ground on which St. Mary's Cathedral is erected are so closely inter-woven that we can scarcely speak of one without mentioning the other.

On the 8th of May 1786, a grant was issued by the Spanish officials to William Barland allowing him 105 acres of land in the City of Natchez. Afterward, however, the Spanish Government desiring to turn the land over to church use, made an agreement with Barland whereby he received, in lieu of this grant, a tract of land in Kingston. The Spanish Government then turned his property over to the church. History records that this agreement was never signed. When Mississippi fell under the juri- sdiction of the United States, the church property was seized under the pretense that the land was a possession of the Spanish Crown because the Church, not being an incorporated body, was incapable of holding real estate. It was true that the Spanish Government held title to the property. However the American government was now in possession and by act of Congress proceeded to grant parcels of this land to divers parties. The United States govern- ment instituted a commission for the purpose of hearing and passing upon claims of individuals, and these claims were not debarred until November 1804. The Church, having no official head in Natchez, presented no claim for the property. It seems, however, that Barland did put in a claim for this property, for we find in 1805 the United States government confirmed the Spanish Grant to Barland. Thus, we find that the Catholic Congregation of Natchez was in possession of a church on what is now Commerce Street, and a graveyard on the site now occupied by the Cathedral and Rectory but not holding title to the property. In order to retain possession, it was necessary that the property be bought from Barland. This was done, for it is recorded that on January 7th, 1802 the "Roman Catholic Society" purchased these said two pieces of property for the consideration of $500.00.

On January 4, 1817 Wm. Rutherford and John P. McNeil, heirs at law of Barland, deeded to the City of Natchez Lot 4 and a part of Lot 1 and 3 in Sq. 30. The deed stip- ulated that the ground was forever to be used as a burying ground.

In 1841 the Most Rev. John Joseph Chanche, the first Bishop of Natchez, arrived to establish the See. In establishing the claim Bishop Chanche journeyed to Havana and in the colonial archives he found the original grant to this property. The case was tried in the courts and Bishop Chanche got judg-ement in his favor. La - to the possession of Bishop Van de Velde [stet], who on the death of Bishop Chanche became the 2nd Bishop of Natchez.

At the time that Bishop Van de Velde came into possession of the property the graveyard was in a deplorable condition. At a great cost to himself he made many im- provements and enclosed the ground with a high fence. He gathered together all the bones that were scattered over the ground and had them deposited in the crypt under the sanctuary of the church. He also had a large grave dug within the enclosure in which other bones were deposited and to which all tombstones were transferred. In the meantime, however, the City of Natchez appealed the decision of the court, and the higher court reversed the decision of the lower court, giving back the property to the City of Natchez.

In the year 1888, the hill was graded to its present level. The bones and pieces of coffins found at this time were placed in a large coffin and reinterred under a mound over which was placed a slab. Thus, according to the original deed, it is kept a perpetual burying ground.

Memorial Park was the name decided upon by his Honor the Mayor and Board of Aldermen, and to be known as such for all time; it being a memorial to the old Natchez of generations past.

The Confederate veterans, assisted by the Memorial Association, conceived the idea of paying tribute to the soldiers who had "crossed over the river." Accordingly, an imposing monument, surmounted by a confederate soldier on duty was erected. On April 26th, 1890, amid fitting ceremonies this monument was unveiled by Miss Margaret Martin (the late Mrs. Bayard Shields) daughter of Gen. Wm. T. Martin, one of Mississippi's Confederate heroes. The address was given by Major K. P. Laneau.

In the year 1905 legal proceedings were brought against the City of Natchez by one Thornton, who claimed to be an heir of Wm. Rutherford. The case was decided in favor of the City of Natchez. Even as late as March 25, 1930, an effort was made by a party to present legal claims to the park. To forestall any further procedure of like nature, the Board instructed that the decision of the court rendered in favor of the City of Natchez, made many years ago, be entered on the minutes.

On every April 26th, Memorial Day, the Veterans, assisted by the Memorial Association and Loyal Daughters and Sons of the Confederacy, have met on Memorial Park to pay tribute to the heroes of the South. Thus have these grounds become hallowed and the thinning line of Grey holds out a withered hand to grasp the stalwart figures of the American Legion and commissions them to "carry on."

THIS FAMILY PLOT IS ABOUT 17 MILES FROM NATCHEZ ON LOWER WOODVILLE ROAD. IT IS ENCLOSED BY A BRICK WALL ABOUT FOUR FEET HIGH. 

THIS CEMETERY IS SITUATED ON THE ROAD CONNECTING HIGHWAY NO. 84 WITH NATCHEZ AND LIBERTY ROAD, CROSSROADS. JUST ONE LOT IN THE CENTER OF A PLOUGHED FIELD, JUST BEHIND CRANFIELD'S STORE. 

THE HOME D'EVEREUX WAS BUILT CIRCA 1840. THE ABOVE MONUMENT STANDS BEHIND THE HOUSE BENEATH A LARGE SPREADING OAK TREE & WITH A BEAUTIFUL BORDER OF FLOWERS AROUND IT'S BASE. ABOUT 5' HIGH & ABOUT 4' SQUARE THIS BASE HAS MOUNTED ON IT A SMALL BRONZE BELL DATED 1859. IT IS A BEAUTIFUL MEMORIAL IN A LOVELY, WELL CARED FOR, SETTING. THE ELLIOTT'S ARE BURIED IN THE NATCHEZ CITY CEMETERY. WHEN THE ORPHAN ASYLUM D'EVEREUX HALL WAS CLOSED THE ORIGINAL BELL FROM IT WAS GIVEN TO THE BUCKLES FAMILY WHO CAUSED THE ABOVE MEMORIAL TO BE BUILT.

SURVEYED BY SARAH & BOB SHUMWAY, 8/3/88 

CEMETERY HAS A 6 FOOT BRICK WALL AROUND IT, NOT ANY GATE, ALL KINDS OF VINES ALL OVER THE CEMETERY AND RUNNING ON THE STONES. A TASK TO ENTER IT, READ AND WRITE THE INSCRIPTIONS. 

OFF THE HIGHWAY 61 ABOUT 4 MILES, GO 1 MILE FROM LESLIE KAISER'S ABOUT 1 MILE TURN LEFT ABOUT 2 MILES. IT IS ABOUT HALF A MILE FROM DUNLEITH HOUSE. CEMETERY IS IN MOST DILAPIDATED CONDITION. SOME 5 OR 6 BROKEN TOMBSTONES THAT COULD NOT BE READ. OWNED BY MRS. R. LEE PARKER. 

ELGIN PLANTATION CEMETERY IS ONE OF THE LARGEST PRIVATE CEMETERIES IN ADAMS COUNTY. IT IS UNKEPT AND IN A STATE OF DISREPAIR. THE HEAVY OVERBURDEN OF VINES, LEAVES & TREES COVERS MANY MORE GRAVES THAN ARE LISTED ABOVE. THE BRICK WALLS ARE CRACKING AND LEANING AND WILL FALL. HAS A NICE IRON GATE. 

THIS FARRAR CEMETERY IS LOCATED AT "KINGSTON" ON "AUNT MARTHA'S PLACE."

Surveyed August 2nd, 1988 by Mr. Patrick Powers & Bob Shumway

CEMETERY NOT WELL KEPT AND IN A DILAPIDATED CONDITION. SITUATED ON ROAD BETWEEN CRANFIELD AND JEANNETTE. 

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