ROSE HILL CEMETERY, COLUMBIA TENNESSEE

WATSON, F. M. (Francis "Chick"), died 6 Oct. 1898, of paralysis, burial lot #52 Rosehill Cemetery, no marker.
WATSON, Narcissa Elizabeth, died 13 May 1898, Age 65, of Pneumonia, burial lot #52 Rosehill Cemetery, no marker.

FRANCIS WATSON, always known as "Chick". Chick Watson was a cabinet maker by profession. He worked with fine woods and made coaches, carriages, and caskets. He had learned his trade in the old cabinet shop at Mount Pleasant, Tennessee. It was a double log cabin that had housed the first store in Mount Pleasant. When the store was moved to another location, the log cabin was bought by Alexander Orr and he and man by the name of Archer used it for a school to teach cabinet work.

Chick and his wife Narcissa Watson moved to Ashland in Wayne Co., Tn., where her sister Dorcas and her husband, John Craig Johnston lived. Johnston had a store there and was in need of a cabinet maker. Chick Watson joined him in the business. After the Civil War, as it did to many, broke up the relationship for times were hard, the Watsons moved back to Maury Co. and lived there until their deaths.

In 1870 Francis Watson served as sexton at Rose Hill Cemetery at Columbia, Tn. As the sexton, he accepted the task of going to Alabama to bring back the bodies of the two murdered sons of major Granville Pillow. The editor of the local newspaper was quick to criticize Watson's private burial of the two young boys, because of the social stature, the men being related to Gen. Gideon Pillow. The men who assisted Watson with the burial of the two men were his father in law Robert O. Smith, J. Bond, D.T. Goad, and Mr. Lamb, the funeral director.

Francis Watson had bought a lot at Rose Hill soon after their marriage, and the sexton designated it as Lot 52, Rose Hill, Colombia, Tn., and on it are some twenty graves mostly unmarked in 1969. Yet it is recorded that both Narcissa Smith Watson and husband, Francis Watson, a daughter, Dorcas A. Bell Watson, and son William Francis Watson are all buried in this plot.

A page from an old Bible has these notations: "Narcissa Elizabeth Watson died at age 65 on May 13, 1898 of Pneumonia. Burial at Rose Hill. F.M. Chick Watson died on Thursday, 6 Oct. 1898 of paralysis.
Buried in Rose Hill Cemetery 13 October 1898".

Mary Bob McClain

 Information compiled and sent in by Mary Bob McClain 27 Nov 2008.