Chatham County North Carolina Cemeteries Other NC County Cemeteries
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327    BELL - CLARK [L26.1]

Location - New Hope Township. 0.6 mile east of SR 1941, Seaforth Road, 1.2 miles south of US 64.

Coordinates: 35d 43m 16.0s N; 79d 02m 38.0s W Click here for Online Maps

Owner: US Army Corps of Engineers, Site 744-C.

Legal Description: Deed B-122, 17 Feb 1777, 180 acres, James Bell to Thomas Bell; B-431, 31 Mar 1780, NC#372, 600 acres to Thomas Bell. Corps of Engineers, Final Report, Group III, Site 744-C. Will of Thomas Bell, Jr. (1860) refers to half acre cemetery and his father's burial ground. Chatham will D-79. Parcel is 77726, Army Corps of Engineers land on Jordan Lake.

Topo Quadrant: Merry Oaks.
Family owned: Yes.
Abandoned: Yes.
Number of graves: 32.
Cemetery size: 66' x 32'.
Unrestricted access: Yes.
Overgrown and easy to identify: Yes.
Enclosed: Yes.
Enclosed explanation: 2'-3' dry stacked stone wall.
Enclosed conditions: fair -- falling down in places.
Markers: Yes.
Markers with inscriptions: Yes.
Number of readable markers: 19.
Last burial: 1934.
First burial: 1783.
Markers damaged: Yes.
Other damage explanation: Several are broken and off bases.
Hazards: Neglect, vandalism; site is remote but accessible.
Listed: Yes.
Listed explanation: Gravesites of Chatham County.

Miscellaneous information: Cemetery is at 100 year flood level on Jordan Lake. Corps of Engineers 1971 report indicates 32 graves. Corps of Engineers, Final Report, Group III, Site 744-C, Exhibit D, Sheet 9 of 15, shows 10 named grave markers and 22 unknown graves. Plans of the Corps to reinter the graves were dropped when family pressure was brought to bear. This site was inventoried by Barbara Roth & Ann Erickson in April 1993. They reported 20 known persons buried here. Ten concrete markers were added after the 1971 inventory. Two trees were down in cemetery during 2008 visit, no stones were hit.

The estate papers of Susannah Clark, administered by her son Enoch Clark, contain the following notation: $30.30 Received of Enoch Clark, Excr of Susannah Clark, dec, thirty dollars and thirty cents in full of his part (as Executor) for walling the Bell and Clark graveyard this 11th day of March 1871. G. L. Harmon From North Carolina Wills and Probate Records 1665-1998; Chatham-Wills and Estate Papers, 1663-1978 Susannah Clark image 90745.

Last canvassed by: Bev and Jim Wiggins, Charles Thomas. Date: 21 Oct 2008. Pictures provided by Bev Wiggins in April 2009.

1. Bell, Rebecca Hill   (b. Unknown - d. 7 Nov 1857)
wife of Thomas Bell [on stone]. off base, on ground. fs: RHB. Corps Group III, Site 744-C. Grave 10 . Shape of the stone is the same as husband Thomas and son. Will of Elizabeth Bell (1880) directs the purchase of tombstones out of her estate for the graves of her father, mother, and brother Thomas.. Location row 2. column 12.
2. Bell, Thomas, III   (b. Unknown - d. 30 Aug 1857)
son of Thomas and Rebecca H. Bell. broken, on ground off base. fs: TB. Corps Group III, Site 744-C. Grave 8 . Shape of stone the same as mother Rebecca and father Thomas. Will of Elizabeth Bell (1880) directs the purchase of tombstones out of her estate for the graves of her father, mother, and brother Thomas.. Location row 2. column 14.
3. Bell, Thomas, Jr.   (b. Unknown - d. 22 Jun 1861)
husband of Rebecca Bell [not on stone]. top broken but present, off base on ground. fs: TB. Corps Group III, Site 744-C. Grave 9 .Shape of stone the same as wife Rebecca and son Thomas. Will of Elizabeth Bell (1880) directs the purchase of tombstones out of her estate for the graves of her father, mother, and brother Thomas.. Location row 2. column 13.
4. Bell, Thomas, Sr.   (b. 1754 - d. 1830)
husband of Mary Lasater Bell [not on stone]. No inscribed stone found. Buried here according to will of Thomas Bell Jr., (d. 1830), which references a half-acre burial ground with a stone wall.. No inscribed stone found. Buried here according to will of Thomas Bell Jr., (d. 1861; Chatham Will D/79 dated 1860), which references his father's half-acre burial ground with a stone wall..
5. Clark, Alexander (Capt.)   (b. 1747 - d. 1783)
husband of Phoebe Jefferson Clark [not on stone]. Corps Group III, Site 744-C. Grave 24 .Concrete stone apparently added after Corp inventory of cemetery in 1971.. Location row 3. column 4.
6. Clark, Bettie S. Wortham   (b. 10 Oct 1847 - d. 6 Jul 1914)
wife of Nathen S. Clark shares stone with. She was a kind and affectionate wife, a fond mother and a friend to all. fs: BSC; masonic symbol and anchor. Stone faces west. Corps Group III, Site 744-C. Grave 5 .. Location row 1. column 5.
7. Clark, Cole   (b. Unknown - d. Unknown)
Baby. Corps Group III, Site 744-C. Grave 3 .Concrete stone apparently added after Corp inventory of cemetery in 1971.. Location row 1. column 3.
8. Clark, Crane   (b. Unknown - d. Unknown)
infant. Corps Group III, Site 744-C. Grave 18 .Concrete stone apparently added after Corp inventory of cemetery in 1971.. Location row 2. column 2.
9. Clark, Enoch   (b. 1827 - d. 1900)
husband of Winnie Clark [not on stone]. Corps Group III, Site 744-C. Grave 17 .Concrete stone apparently added after Corp inventory of cemetery in 1971.. Location row 2. column 3.
10. Clark, George William Roberson   (b. 3 Jul 1876 - d. 28 Oct 1890)
son of Nathan S. and Bettie S. Clark [on stone]. Let me die the death of the right cous [sic], and let my last end be like his. Num. 23:10. fs: GWRC. Corps Group III, Site 744-C. Grave 13 .. Location row 2. column 9.
11. Clark, Joseph   (b. 1872 - d. 1876)
Corps Group III, Site 744-C. Grave 1 .Concrete stone apparently added after Corp inventory of cemetery in 1971.. Location row 1. column 1.
12. Clark, Nathan   (b. Unknown - d. 1862)
Corps Group III, Site 744-C. Grave 2 .Concrete stone apparently added after Corp inventory of cemetery in 1971.. Location row 1. column 2.
13. Clark, Nathan S.   (b. 24 Nov 1829 - d. 2 Feb 1906)
husband of Bettie S. Clark shares stone with. Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord. Rev 14-13.. fs: NSC; masonic symbol, anchor / is in wrong location--appears to have been switched with fs of Nathan T. Clark. Corps Group III, Site 744-C. Grave 6 . Stone faces west; fs is in wrong location (switched with Nathan Thaddeus Clark).. Location row 1. column 4.
14. Clark, Nathan Thaddeus   (b. 14 Aug 1890 - d. 2 Mar 1892)
son of Nathan and Bettie S. Clark [on stone]. He shall gather the lambs in his arm, and carry them in his bosom. Isa. 40:11. fs: NTC appears to have been switched with fs of Nathan S. Clark. Corps Group III, Site 744-C. Grave 12 .. Location row 2. column 10.
15. Clark, Phoebe Jefferson   (b. Unknown - d. Unknown)
wife of Alexander Clark [on stone] [her name not on stone]. Corps Group III, Site 744-C. Grave 25 .Concrete stone apparently added after Corp inventory of cemetery in 1971. No name on stone--only 'wife of Alexander Clark'.. Location row 3. column 5.
16. Clark, Susanna Bell   (b. 24 Sep 1784 - d. 23 Jul 1870)
wife of William Clark; daughter of Thomas Bell Sr. (1754-1830) [not on stone]. In Memory of/ She was a consistent member of the Baptist Church 56 Years/ The righteous have hope. even in death./ My children. Farewell.. fs: SC. Corps Group III, Site 744-C. Grave 23 .. Location row 3. column 3.
17. Clark, Thomas A Blackwell   (b. 2 Feb 1880 - d. 13 Feb 1881)
son of NS and Bettie S. [Wortham] Clark. Suffer little children to come unto me. and forbid them not. for of such is the kingdom of God.. Name on stone is written Tho. A. Blackwell. Corps Group III, Site 744-C. Grave 14 .Stone is quite weathered. Location row 2. column 8.
18. Clark, William   (b. 20 Dec 1775 - d. 6 Jan 1852)
husband of Susanna Bell Clark [not on stone]. A kind and affectionate husband. An indulgent parent. Benevolent to the poor and afflicted./My wife and children, Farewell./ In Memory of. fs: WC. Corps Group III, Site 744-C. Grave 22 .. Location row 3. column 2.
19. Clark, William Enoch   (b. 16 Oct 1867 - d. 13 Aug 1934)
son of Enoch and Winnie Clark [on stone]. Corps Group III, Site 744-C. Grave 20 .Granite stone apparently added after Corp inventory of cemetery in 1971.. Location row 2. column 1.
20. Clark, Winnie Gunter   (b. 18 May 1835 - d. Unknown)
wife of Enoch Clark [on stone] daughter of Joseph and Frances Burns Gunter [not on stone]. Corps Group III, Site 744-C. Grave 16 .Concrete stone apparently added after Corp inventory of cemetery in 1971. Birth date illegible on stone--date from earlier record. Location row 2. column 4.