BLACK (Alexander) CEMETERY, PULASKI, GILES COUNTY, TENNESSEE

Location: West on Jefferson Street in Pulaski to Rocky Road; cemetery is on the right. 

Mapping the location     An Old News Clipping    Area photos

BLACK, Alexandre, (b. 1777) died  26 Nov 1849, Aged about 72 years. (h/o Tabitha Dodson Black) "Sacred to the memory of ALEXANDRE BLACK, died November 26th 1849, Aged about 72 years."

BLACK, Tabitha (Dodson), 1 Jan 1789 - 12 Aug 1866 (w/o Alexandre Black) (d/o ____________ and ____________ Dodson) ""In Memory of Tabitha, consort of Alexander Black, Born Jany 1, 1789, died Augs 12, 1866."

BLACK, Emily T., 11 Apr 1833 - 21 Jan 1853. (d/o Alexander and Tabitha Dodson Black) "Sacred to the memory of Emily T. Black, born April 11th 1833, died January 21, 1853."  The headstone is broken and on the ground. The footstone of this grave is also crumbling.

BLACK, Mary A., 23 Feb 1820 - 27 Feb 1849 (d/o Alexander and Tabitha Dodson Black) Sacred to the memory of Mary A. Black, born February 23rd 1820, died February 27th 1849."

BLACK, Leroy M., died Jul 1845. Age 2 years. (s/o Leroy P. and Louisa Ann Yancey Black) "Sacred to the memory of Leroy M., son of L. P. and L. A. Black, died July 1845, aged 2 years."
The footstone is all that I found of this memorial 29 Sep 2009.

BLACK, Leroy P., 15 Feb 1812 - 27 Apr 1845. (h/o Louisa Ann Yancey Black); (s/o Alexander and Tabitha Black) "Sacred to the memory of Leroy P. Black, born Feby 12, 1812, and died April 27th 1845."  The footstone for this memorial is down.

PEDEN, Job, 4 Mar 1851 - 4 May 1853 (s/o B. H. and Drucilla Shadden Peden) "In Memory of Job, son of B. H. and D. Peden, born March 4, 1851, died May 4, 1853."

PEDEN, Sarah Eliza, (dates unknown) Footstone is all that is left. (daughter of B. H. and Drucilla Shadden Peden) "In Memory of Sarah Eliza, daughter of B. H. and Drucilla Peden." The head stone is broken in the ground and the dates cannot now be read. The name 'Drucilla' is hard to decipher on the stone.

WESTMORELAND, Catharine, 3 Aug 1810 - 26 Feb 1830. (d/o _________ and______. "Sacred to the Memory of Catharine Westmoreland, who was born 3rd August 1810, and died 26th Feby. 1830."

UNKNOWN GRAVES

Origination of the surname "Black": The old surname Black is a Scottish/English name given at a time when people were named for their trades, back in Scotland and/or England. These people were Black-Smiths, tradesman plying their skills, forging tools and instruments using iron and other metals. It was a matter of heating raw metal to a state whereby it was soft enough to pound with hammers into the desired shape. 
Down through the ages when all the tradesman naming died out they dropped the Smith and became Black while others dropped the Black and became Smith. 

The following is from the (old) writings of Flournoy Rivers
(published in the book Giles County Tennessee Cemeteries, by the historical society abt 1990.)

"Squire Black was for many years a prominent citizen and occupied responsible positions. He was a guiding spirit in the old Court of Pleas and Quarter Sessions. His settlement was just in the valley beyond the second ridge west of Pulaski, the ridge back of Miss Mary McKissack's place, on what was then one of the main county roads that runs to (in the old deeds as) the 'Campbellsville road'. Up the first small hollow that runs to the northeast, Robert Black, a brother of Squire Alex Black, settled. He predeceased his brother. Was there not another brother, Nathaniel? The Black graveyard is about 200 or 250 yards east."

D. H. (or B.H) Peden was the post-bellum Sheriff, father of Alex and Thomas Peden, Mr. Oakes etc. who at one time lived at the Robert Black settlement. His wife's maiden name was Drucilla Shadden and her mother was a Miss Dotson, sister of Squire Black's wife.

Leroy P. Black married Louisa Ann Yancey, of Holly Springs, Miss. Her mother was Louisa Ann Flournoy, a sister of my (Flourney Rivers) grandfather, William C. F. a daughter of Silas F. This Louisa Ann Flournoy married Tryon Milton Yancey, who graduated from the University of North Carolina in the class of 1814; was a lawyer in Pulaski, removed to Holly Springs, Miss. in the late 1830s. The family has long since disappeared from Holly Springs. Tryon M.. Jr. was Sheriff of Tolurane County, California in 1894 or 1895.

Squire Alexander Black's name exists here in the third generation Alex. III, son of Alex II. Squire Black's son, Dr. William B. Black lives at Van Buren or Fort Smith, Ark. The late Mrs. Alfred White was also his daughter, and there were others I do not know about.

Commentary from Cemetery surveyor at time of Giles Co Cemetery book

Except the few visible stones above there is nothing to mark the existence of any other graves in the Black graveyard. The fieldstones are all level with the ground. Consequently there may be other graves in the enclosure not now distinguishable. The only other unmarked grave that can be distinguished is that of a child, with rough undressed rocks picked up from the hillside for head and foot stones. I am told there are several Dodson graves in the Alexander Black graveyard, not now discernible. "Squire Black's father-in-law and mother-in-law, possibly others.

Photographed 18 Sep 2009 and added here 16 Oct 2009 by Wayne Austin. Revised 18 Sep 2009 to correct location and list the cemetery, visited and copied about 2002 by Jean B. Cosby & her husband.