Mapping the Location
APPLETON CEMETERY,
Appleton Road, SE, LAWRENCE COUNTY TENNESSEE
Mapping the Location
Area Photos of the Appleton Cemetery:
0184/0182L/0185
APPLETON, R. W. (Robert
Wesley) 3 May
1810 � 28 Oct. 1862 (1st married Martha C. (?) died 1852, 2nd to Malissa A.
Hammonds. died 1858. 3rd to America V.C. White married 15 Feb 1860) Then after
R.W. died in 1862 America
V. C. White married a Bassham. (stone not found 2017)
APPLETON, Martha C., wife of R.W. 20 Jan. 1820 � 1 Jan. 1852
0170/0169
APPLETON, Malissa A., wife of R.W. & dau of Willis & Ursley Hammonds, 11 Jan
1826 � 2 Jun 1858, (m. 24 Oct 1852 to Robert Wesley Appleton)
0171L/0171
BASHAM, James M., W(as) B(orn) S(ept) 9, D(ied) Dc(Dec)4, 1852
0183L/0183
KENNEMURE, Edmond H. 1 May 1826 � 29 Sep 1857 (stone not found 2017)
KENNEMURE, Louisa M. 22 Mar 1853 � 24 Dec 1854
0172C/0172
KENNEMURE, Martha C., 17 Apr
1849 - 21 Feb 1865.
0174C/0174/0175
KENNEMURE,
Mary E., 4 Aug 1855 - 1 Sep 1856.
0181/0182
_________, _______, --
Apr ---- - 28 Oct 1868. (stone with top broken out and lost
0177C/0177
M., W(as) B(orn), 1 Jan. 1834 � 24 July 1858 (This could be interpreted as M. W. B(orn) 1 Jan. 1834 � 24 July 1858)*
0161L/0161
M. E. C. W. 4 Aug. 1858 � Sept. 1859**
M. J. A. W(as) B(orn)26 ??, 18?? D(ied) 27 Oct 1855
0173L/0173
Home carved stone I did not investigate due to the briars/brush covering it. It
is near the SW corner entrance:0160
Home Carved stone
marking grave. I could not make out the inscription:
0166C/0165/0166
Fieldstones marking graves
without inscriptions
0162/0163/0164/0168
Unknown blurred
photo: 0167
Unknown stone, Section of
crumbling stone
0179/0178
Unknown carved & broken stone with top missing
0180/0182L
* The above hand made &
initialed stones were hard to read and decipher.
I saw one or two granite monuments, likely to be recent burials. I missed them due to the dense brush. I spotted them on
the walk around review, but failed to see them again inside the cemetery.
Most of the above folks died before the slavery ended. It is my opinion all of
the stones marked were slave owners or freedman if the census measured all that.
"People who have lived in the area for many years
tell us that many slaves were buried here. Also, there were soldiers buried
here
who were killed during a skirmish of the Civil war. There are no known records
of the
names of these soldiers"(2). According to the Census the Appleton's & Kennamere's
were Caucasian though there are no labels on that until 1880 when they were all
deceased.
This abandoned cemetery
is in the middle of a field about 500 feet east of the Dobbins Cemetery. It is
covered
with Privy hedge, honeysuckle vines and saw briars. People who have lived in the area for
many years
tell us that many slaves were buried here (in the same cemetery as their slave
owners). Also, there were soldiers buried
here
who were killed during a skirmish of the Civil war. There are no known records
of the
names of these soldiers.
**Listed by Mr. & Mrs. W. E. Gresham 17 Apr. 1966 on Page 3, "At Rest, Lawrence Co Cemetery Records" (Book, see below)
1850 Census of Lawrence County
Tennessee
Name: Robert Appleton
Age:29
Birth Year: abt 1821
Birthplace: Tennessee
Home in 1850: District 3, Lawrence, Tennessee, USA
Gender: Male
Family Number: 760
Household Members:
Name Age
Robert Appleton 29 (1860 Census shows him correctly born in abt
1810)
Martha C Appleton 29
Mary M Appleton 12
Emmy Appleton 9
Jemima Appleton 6
John H Appleton 3
James W Appleton 0
A W Porter 25
Ananias Welburn 25
1860 Census of Lawrence County Tenn.
Name:R W Appleton
Age:50
Birth Year: abt 1810
Gender: Male
Birth Place: Tennessee
Home in 1860: District 3, Lawrence, Tenn.
Post Office: Appleton
Family Number:412
Household Members:
Name Age
R W Appleton 50 (1)
A V C Appleton 30
Susan J Appleton 15
John H Appleton 13
James W Appleton 10
Wm A Appleton 6
Josephine White 8
Wm S White 6
M A Kennemore 26
Martha C Kennemore 8
Susan J Kennemore 6
Emily Kennemore 3
(1) Robert Wesley Appleton is listed as owning 14 slaves in the 1860 census of
Lawrence County, Tennessee. He was made postmaster of Sugar Creek from August
12, 1839 until January 16, 1858. It was then changed to Appleton Post Office
with him remaining postmaster until October 30, 1860. The post office was said
to have been in his home during all this time. R W's estate settlement can be
found in Lawrence County Tennessee. He owned around 1200 acres of land.
- Sue Davis Feb. 17, 2010
This cemetery needs further research to determine these people's heritage. It
also needs someone to care for the grounds at least twice a year - WA 25 Feb
2017
This publication is based on the on-site photography on 24 Jan 2017 by C. Wayne Austin. (2) Original sources were: "At Rest Cemetery Records of Lawrence County Tennessee" by Alexander, Page 3
