REDDING, Mary A., "Wife of John L. Redding" 26 Feb 1816 - 15 Jan 1870. (53-10-19.) (Nee: Mary A. Montgomery Redding; Wife of John L. (Lester) Redding, married 1 Oct 1844; Mary reportedly fell off of her horse while crossing a rain-swollen stream. Her dress was weighted with lead weights to make the dress stay down as it was meant. At a result, she drowned. Ref: londonjackie@att.net  Jackie London )
REDDING, Mary Jane, (21 Nov 1851 - 13 Jun 1854.) no dates on ts. (d/o Mary A. Montgomery Redding. ref: londonjackie@att.net  Jackie London)
REDDING, George B. (Benson), (22 Jul 1854 - 20 Oct 1860) no dates on ts. (Son of Mary A. Montgomery Redding. ref: londonjackie@att.net Jackie London )
REDDING, Armistead, (no dates known (b. abt 1773, d. 1815). (s/o Joseph and Ann (Weakley) Redding; h/o Polly "Mary" (Paxton) in 1804.) Descendents say that he was buried here. He was believed to be the first pioneer in Culleoka area, coming here about 1807. In 1810, he was a founding member of Friendship Baptist Church in Culleoka a couple of miles northeast of here. source: e-mail from londonjackie@att.net Jackie London is a ggg-grandson.

One can see from this photo the grave markers lined up and marked by several fieldstones and to the right the one head stone of Mary A. Redding which includes Mary Jane & George B..

The Tommy Brown place as it was known several years ago.

This land was originally owned by my Great-great-great grandparents Armistead and Mary �Polly� Paxton Redding who migrated from Woodford or Fayette County, KY, settling in Maury County around 1808 or so. My grandfather had the original land grant at one time but it disappeared around the time of his death. The Tommy Brown family owned the old Redding homestead a few years back when I visited and took the attached pictures. There are several graves there but only one true gravestone, that of my great-great grandmother Mary A. (Montgomery) Redding. The story goes that she fell off of her horse while crossing a rain-swollen stream. Her dress was weighted with lead weights to make the dress stay down as it was meant to be worn. As a result, she drowned. Presumably, Armistead and Polly Paxton Redding (original Redding progenitors) are also buried there as are probably some of their children. However, there are only small gray field stones with no inscription marking those graves.  

Regards, Jerry Redding Witt, Elkmont, AL 14 may 2006 (a descendent):

John L. Redding who was married to Mary Redding who is buried in the Redding cemetery is better known as �Jack� Redding. Pa (John Leonard Redding) always referred to him as �Jack Lester.� I have a transcription of Thomas White�s diary from the 1870�s and Thomas White refers to him as �Jack.� Thomas White was a prominent member of the community and was married to a relative of mine on the Campbell side. There are many Campbells buried in Shane Cemetery, including Ann (Campbell) Graves-- my Great-G-G-G grandmother. Thomas White married the niece (Caroline Amy Campbell) of Ann Campbell Graves. [Jerry R. Witt 5/21/2006]

Other source materials:This cemetery was listed 18 Nov 1987 by Fred Lee Hawkins in Maury County Tennessee Cemeteries. It was also listed on Page D-214 by the authors of They Passed This way in the 1960s. Resulting listings were similar, but other histories are included in MCTC.

Information by Jerry Witt. Edited by Wayne Austin for this site with some commentary 5/16/06. Updated by Mary Bob McClain from Jackie London 8 Jul 2011