Hege Library & Learning Technologies

Quaker Cemeteries

Back Creek Monthly Meeting

Location: 139 Back Creek Church Road, Asheboro, Randolph County, NC.

Timeline: Started 1785 (Weeks) under Centre MM; MM 1792 (Hinshaw). 1787: Deed for 26 acres to Quakers, dated 2-23-1787, Randolph Co. Book 3, p. 108 (PA). 

SurveyBack Creek Friends Cemetery Burial Records, Revised Edition, by Ralph D. Kirkpatrick (Bowie, MD: Heritage Books, 2000).  Quaker Ref BX 7780.B224 K57 2000
Find A Grave: http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=cr&CRid=1976654

Current ownership and care: Active monthly meeting.

Bethany Monthly Meeting

Location: Wayne County, N.C., 15 miles west of Goldsboro (Weeks)

Timeline: Started about 1868 under Neuse MM (Weeks). Correspondence to 2001 discusses ownership and 1998 inscriptions (CC).
Correspondence and history indicate family owned in 2000, marker placed in 2003 (CC – Wayne Co. and Richmond Co. file). Partial ownership conveyed to NCYM in 2005 (D).

Survey: “Record of Cox-Jinette and Related Families As Given on Stones in Bethany Friends Meeting Cemetery in Wayne County, N.C.” 1974. (CC) 

Last known ownership and care: NCYM (partial)  

Bethel Monthly Meeting (Southern Quarter)

Location: 2519 Bethel Friends Church Road, Asheboro, Randolph County, NC.

Timeline: Started under Holly Spring MM (Weeks). 1821: Deed for 1 acre to trustees, dated 10-15-1821, Randolph Co. Book 14, p. 335. (PA) 

Survey: Cemetery Census: list, photo, coordinates (submitted by volunteers, 2009) http://cemeterycensus.com/nc/rand/cem077.htm
Find A Grave: searchable website with full list, photos and supplementary information (ongoing, submitted by contributors)
http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=cr&CRid=2250650&CScn=bethel&CScntry=4&CSst=29&CSsr=61&

Other resources at Quaker Archives: MM history (VF)

Current ownership and care: Memorial Association established 1951. (VF)

Bethesda Monthly Meeting

Location: Wayne County, NC

Timeline: 1921: Research on 1881 deed; approved transfer of property from NCYM to Bethesda MM. 1967: Property transferred from NCYM to trustees of Bethesda Meeting. (PA) 

Survey: Cemetery Census: list, photos, coordinates and location (submitted by volunteers, 2008)
http://cemeterycensus.com/nc/samp/cem037.htm

Current ownership and care: Active monthly meeting.

Branon Monthly Meeting

Location: 1332 Branon Church Road, Yadkinville, Yadkin County, NC

Timeline: 1903: NCYM has deed for "Brannon Meeting House and grounds 3 miles west of Harmony Grove." 1916: Approved ¾  acre to be sold. 1970: Branon property of ¾ acre to be sold. 1970: Request to transfer property to MM (no conclusion in extracts). (PA)

Survey: Cemetery Census: Photo and coordinates (submitted by volunteers, 2010)
http://cemeterycensus.com/nc/yadk/cem073.htm

Current ownership and care: Active monthly meeting.

Bush River Monthly Meeting

Location: Dennis Dairy Road, Newberry, Newberry County, S.C. See website for detailed directions. 
From 1980 correspondence: Take Route 121 south from Newberry about three miles. Where the road turns sharp right towards Saluda and Augusta, turn left. After a short distance, turn right on unmarked road (across from electrical tower). Follow this road about four miles. The historical marker will be on the right. (Route 66 is too far.) The cemetery is in the woods behind the sign. 

Timeline: Started 1770. Mostly abandoned by 1808; laid down ca. 1822 (Weeks, Hinshaw). 1772: Lease of five acres to Quakers for 999 years dated 6th of 3rd month, 1772, in Newberry Co. Deed Book A, p. 1174. 1850-1855: meeting house and lot to be sold. 1860: reverted to descendants, can’t sell (PA). 1860: Deed for five acres with Meeting House and Grave Yard  to John Belton O’Neall, dated 18 July 1860 (CC). 1869-1871: House deteriorated and graveyard not enclosed, house sold (not land), burying ground to be fenced (PA). 1890: Deed for five acres with meeting house and graveyard transferred back to NCYM, dated 13 or 15 Dec. 1890 (CC, D). 1890-1892: graveyard overgrown and littered, cleaned up with local help, fixed deed to NCYM. Appointed Walter Herbert as agent in S.C. Graveyard about 1 acre and lot 4 acres (the latter to be sold). 1944-1945: needs care, money being raised for a marker. 1976: (still 5 acres) permission granted for clean-up, also for interment under care of South Carolina Friends. 1976: Deed [of 1890] filed in the “Quaker Room.” (PA) 
2004: survey plat of NCYM property, 4.489 acres including burial area (0.597 acres) in Newberry Co., S.C. (CC – Contentnea file. See also Wayne Co. and Richmond Co. file.) 

SurveyThe Historic Bush River Quaker Cemetery, Newberry, South Carolina, with Selected Bush River Quaker Bibliography, Judith F. Russell, with James G. Clamp and Ann K. Crowley (Bogart, GA: Julian Rose Publishing, 2006).  Quaker BX 7649.B8 R8 2006
Find A Grave: http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=cr&CRid=2165538&CScn=bush+river&CScntry=4&CSst=43&
Excerpt from Newberry County, South Carolina Cemeteries, Vol. I, The Newberry County Historical Society, 1982 (CC)

Other resources at Quaker Archives: Extensive correspondence and articles to 2011 (CC). Partial bibliography and anecdotal (fictional) stories (VF).
Jay, Eli. The Furnas family in America. Quaker CS71 .F87 1901
O'Neall, John Belton. The Annals of Newberry, 1892. Quaker F277 .N565

Current ownership and care: NCYM; Friends of the Bush River Quaker Cemetery, Newberry, SC.