Clay County Al. AlArchives Cemeteries - Alder Spring Baptist Church Cemetery and School
************************************************
Copyright.  All rights reserved.
http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm
http://www.usgwarchives.net/al/alfiles.htm
************************************************

File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by:
Linda S. Ayres http://www.genrecords.net/emailregistry/vols/00031.html#0007674  April 2003 Updated Nov-2022

History of Alder Springs Baptist Church and School
Barfield, Clay County, Alabama. 

On Saturday before the first Lord's Day in Nov. 1840 in accordance with a call 
received by the scattered members of the neighborhood of Mathew Doolies, a Presbytery 
consisting of Elders Jefferson Faulkner, Harden G. Taliaferro to constitute themselves 
into a church. After examining the letters handed in, they were found orderly. 

The following are the names who had letters: 
Dreadwell E. Pace [Rev. Dreadzil Evans Pace]
Maletta Pace [Militia Leverett-Pace]
Willis Lyles
Jane Garrett
Mary Garrett 
Elizabeth Garrett
Newton Garrett [Possibly a brother to Wm Mancel and John Garrett] 
Louisa Garrett [Wife of Newton Garrett]
Emily Laverette 
Were then instituted into a regular united Baptist Church on the following covenant 
and abstract of principles of faith. Then the covenant into which they entered.

History of Barfield by John R. McCain:
This old Alder Springs Church was established before the slaves were freed. 
The writer recalls the log seats placed in the rear of the old Alder Springs Church 
for the slaves to worship with their masters. In subsequent years, and before the 
first old Alder Springs Church was torn down the writer attended school taught 
in that old church taught by the younger Greenberry Jenkins. Later the old log 
church was torn down and a plank church built higher up on the hill from the original 
location.  The first pastor was Rev. Hiram Hickey, who traveled extensively over a
large territory and preached during those pioneer days. Succeeding Rev. Hickey were 
such preachers and pastors as Revs. Thomas Collier, H. C. Knight, W. A. Scott, E. M. 
Moore, James D. Jordan, Jesse G. Robinson.

Two acres of land were donated by Uriah Sprayberry for the church and cemetery. 
Both John Nathaniel Moore and Elijah Monroe Moore are said to have been pastors of 
the church at the same time.

In 1858 Alder Spring was a member of the Carey Baptist Association with 33 members. 
Rev. W.J. Hickey was the Pastor. W.P. Bell and W. Hardy were members of the church.
From 1859-1861 Rev. James D. Jordan was the Pastor. He left the church to join the 
Confedrate army. After the Civil War he pastored several churches in the area. Rev.
Jordan is said to have returned to Alder Springs for awhile, before moving to Marshall
County Alabama. 

Later members of the church:
Bell
Griffin
Hardy
Luker 
Moore
Reaves
Stephens

In 1886 from the Carey Baptist Assocation minutes:
T.S. Collier was the pastor with 62 members. 
The delegates were: W.P. Bell, J.M. Stephens, J.F. Luker and Jesse Garrett. 
This would be the last meeting the delegates from Alder Springs would attended
with the formation of Mt. Pleasant Baptist Church, later known as Barfield Baptist
Church. 

A few of the school teachers from Alder Springs were:
Lucy Bell-Parker, F.M. Pitts, Margaret Cockrell-Clark and others. 

Alder Spring Baptist Church Cemetery
Barfield, Clay County Alabama. 

Information in brackets [] added by Linda S. Ayres

Do not copy this information to another cemetery site. This information is for personal research ONLY. 

Marked Graves: 

Name:                                Date:                          Other:

Moore, Ideon                         25 Feb 1817     01 Jul 1891     
Moore, Frances Reeves                Mar 1817        Aug 1884       [D/o Thompson & Cinderella Reeves]

Sprayberry, Uriah                    1803-1865
Unmarked [Sprayberry, Ellender  1805-After 1880 wife of Uriah Sprayberry] 

Possibly as many as 35 unmarked graves.

UNMARKED GRAVES FROM FAMILY HISTORIES:

Luker, Eliza Klaunch                 30 May 1827     30 Jun 1892    [W/o Benjamin Luker, he is buried Rock Springs, Clay County]
Moore, Sarah Catherine Luker         1855     28 Jun 1892           [D/o Benjamin & Eliza Luker wife of Elijah Moore]
Luker, Infant daughter of Charles Luker & Sarah Garrett
Glass, Infant of Polk Glass & Palestine Sprayberry
Nichols, Thomas J.                   1814-after 1870                [Orr's Randolph Co., Reserves CSA]
Nichols, Lavina Owens                1811-after 1870
Sprayberry, John Wesley              1830-1885

Possible Unmarked Graves:

Child of Newton & Louisa Garrett        Died 1848 
Luker, William                          Mar 30, 1784   Aug 14, 1878 [Captain Owens Company Georgia Militia, War of 1812]
Luker, Catherine Crook                  Dec 3, 1785-Before 1880 
Luker, Valentine                        1830-Before 1880 
Luker, Martha                           1822-Before 1880
Luker, Elijah Samuel                    Apr 21, 1847   Aug 16, 1855 [S/o Charles Luker & Martha Shores] 
Reaves, Thompson                        1799-1877  [Sgt., Sharp's Company, Alabama Militia, Creek Indian War 1836]
Reaves, Cinderella                      1800-1885  
Sprayberry, Jeptha                      1829-1865-70  [Sent home sick during the Civil War][31st AL INF CSA]