Bailey Cemetery 

PHOTOS OF CEMETERIES IN MAURY COUNTY TENNESSEE

Listing of the Memorials, (225+ of 225+, 150+ photos)

Views of the Cemetery area

Known War Veterans buried in the Bailey Cemetery

Map of the cemetery location

History and Background
The Bailey Cemetery originally belonged to the Pickard family. The dates of this are not known, but one source states the cemetery began to be used in 1830. Another source tells us that the earliest burial known was the burial of Jane "Jennie" Pickard Robertson. It lists her burial in 1837, but the stone has been later interpreted as 1857. Other sources show the 1837 to be wrong. She is still living on the 1850 census in Lewis County with her daughter Mahala. Her burial in 1857 is still the oldest known burial, among the stones that are still marked today. In about 1859, the land was sold by Elisha Pickard to John H. Bailey, both of whom are interred here. That year on the 19th of August the cemetery became involved in a court case: John H. Bailey vs. Elisha Pickard. In the case Mr. Bailey said he bought the property not knowing that it was being used as a public burying ground. He said that the presence of the burial ground was damaging to the property. Several citizens testified that it has been a public burial ground for some twenty years, and "had been laid out and given to the Presbyterian Church at Mt. Joy." Jim T. Beckum testified in the case the he, his brother, and his brother's wife all "witnessed the deed" given by Alexander Pickard, father of Elisha Pickard. David C. Mitchell gave a deposition that stated he had lived within one mile of the cemetery since 1809 and that the land had been used as a graveyard since 1830. He also testified that when Jane Robertson was buried in 1857 that there were already 10 to 12 graves in view. So from his deposition we know that there were burials before the burial of Jane Robertson. You can look at the list of those we have been able to determine by clear tombstones and almost determine who those 10 to 12 graves were that could be in view. The Bailey family descendents have continued to own the cemetery property since 1859. It is a beautiful and well kept cemetery. The current owner of the property and caretaker is Willard Grimes, grandson of Dora Bailey Grimes. He is a 5th generation descendant of John H. Bailey. The Bailey and Grimes family are mostly buried in the back left corner of the cemetery. From a conversation in 2002 with him while I was photographing my great-grandparents stones, he had told me the cemetery was pretty well filled up. He did not say but knowing his past behavior, if more area is needed he will just move the fences. He has done that before. 

Unknown & Lost Stones
In the process of trying to survey the Bailey Cemetery, I have tried to make it the most thorough and accurate reading I can. I have talked to those in the area to see if there were any known burials there that are not marked. I also asked about folks that are believed to be buried there. It will most likely never be known who is buried in all the unmarked graves or those marked with blank stones or fieldstones. I did come across 4 stones, remnants of stones, or stones with some engraving on them that I have listed possibilities or information on. There are more unknown stones here, but I did not photograph them. These four were specifically located next to someone, had some engraving on them, or it could be estimated who they possibly belonged to. One of these stones is a broken stone next to J. D. Beckum. The base looks similar to the bases used on some of the other Beckum stones. One stone is what I believe to be the remnants of the stone for James King, one of the founders of the Mt. Joy Cumberland Presbyterian Church. Two other stones were found that I have listed. One has the letters LAD on it and the other is engraved with RSP. You will also discover in this survey that 6 stones who have been listed as being there in the 1970�s and 1980�s are no longer able to be found. I was unable to locate the stones for Dennis Bell, John Wesley Gilmore, Avia Hayes Gilmore, John E. King, David Ray Sims and Judy Skipper Sims. Mr. Fred Hawkins was the last one to survey this cemetery. He listed finding stones for all of these except for Dennis Bell and Avia Hayes Gilmore. He listed that Dennis Bell only had an undertaker�s marker, which is no longer there today. Neither he or the authors of They Passed This Way mention finding a stone for Avia Hayes Gilmore. I am told there was once one there next to her husband�s stone. Evidently that stone has been gone for a number of years. A number of the stones in this cemetery are broken or the inscriptions are fading. I hope that the photographs here, although not the best in the world, will help to preserve these precious stones for the future.

by Rick Gray updated 6 Feb 2005.
rgray7824@charter.net or rleegray@hotmail.com

The primary research (listing & genealogy and 100 + photos) for this cemetery was provided by Rick Gray with also a (25 photos, a few listings & some genealogical relationships) significant effort by Mary Bob McClain Richardson. Site programming by Wayne Austin