Clay County AlArchives Church Records.....History of Ebeneezer Baptist Church [Cragford] Copyright Date 2022
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File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by:
Linda Ayres http://www.genrecords.net/emailregistry/vols/00031.html#0007674 October 1, 2022, 9:16 pm

Ebeneezer Baptist Church is located in Township 20 Section 35 Range 9, Wesobulga 
Randolph County now the Cragford Clay County Alabama.
There is a gate across the dirt road that leads into the cemetery, but you won't 
be able to drive all the way to it, you'll have a 1/4 to 1/2 mile walk past the 
gate.

Land Patents for TS 20, Sect 35, Range 9:
Aug 17, 1838: ERASMUS T. HEATH & WILLIAM WILLIAMS 
Oct 10, 1839: CALEB JORDAN, DAVID HARCROW and LITTLETON STEPHENS.
Oct 10, 1840: NAHUM WILLIS
Aug 1, 1844: HARDY ROBERTSON 

In 1840 Ebeneezer Church joined the Liberty East Baptist Association from 
Randolph County Alabama. 
The two delegates were Thomas Ashcraft and Barnett Kinard. The church had only 
12 members.  In 1852 the church had 28 members. Rev. John Wood was the pastor.
Ebeneezer left the Liberty East Baptist Association in 1855. The church may have 
also been used as a school at one time. The church was still standing in 1912. 
The funeral service for Sue Ellenburg were held at the church. 

Barnett Kinard was the son of Revolutionary War soldier John Kinard of whom he 
was living with when he died between 1844-1846 in Randolph County. 

http://files.usgwarchives.net/al/clay/military/revwar/pensions/compilat221nmt.tx
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In 1840 Barnett Kinard is living in Randolph County. By 1850 he had moved to the 
Bluff Springs area of Talladega County now Clay County AL. 
Barnett Kinard married Elizabeth Bean in 1822 Jasper County GA. His wife's name
in his probate is "Rebecca" some researchers think Elizabeth Kinard died around 
1850 and he later married a woman named Rebecca [No marriage record can be 
located] Barnett Kinard's estate was probated in 1860 Talladega County. 

Thomas Ashcraft's wife Catherine died in 1850, no burial place is stated in her 
obituary. 
http://files.usgwarchives.net/al/randolph/obits/a/ashcraft2432gob.txt
In 1850 Thomas Ashcraft living in the Wesobulga area of Randolph County Alabama. 
In 1860 he is living with one of his sons at Bluff Springs Talladega County AL.

Land Patents in the same general area of Ebeneezer Baptist Church:
1837-1849: MASHOCK JOINER, BARNETT KINARD, NATHAN BELLAH, HENRY WALKER, JAMES M. 
TWILLEY, EDWARD CORLEY, ROBERT K. BLAIR, WILLIAM JORDAN, HENRY KELLUM, THOMAS L. 
LURRY, ROWLAND GREEN, KERNEY YOUNG, THOMAS ASHCRAFT, FREEMAN DEVAUGHAN, SIMEON 
YOUNGBLOOD, WILEY J. BEAN, WILSON CORLEY, NIPPER TEAKELL, MARY HARCROW, WM D. 
MCDONALD, HEZEKIAH KELLY, W.W. WEATHERS and RICHARD W. CORLEY.

Thomas L. Lurry was murdered on Oct 10, 1856, by Benjmain Linch. A reward to 
$200 was issued for his capture by the Governor of Alabama. In the 1850 Randolph 
County Census Thomas L. Lurry was 46 years old. He was living with [his mother?] 
Sarah Lurry. Thomas L. Lurry was unmarried at the time. They were living in the 
Wesobulga area of Randolph County. 

One of the oldest marked graves in the cemetery is James M. Twilley there are no 
dates on the marker. On Apr 8, 1848, James M. Twilley purchased two land 
patents. He must have died between 1848-1849, his widow Adeline had married 
Alfred Robbins by the 1850 Census. Thier son Joseph S. Twilley died in 1865, he 
is also buried in this cemetery, he was a private in Co F, 25th AL INF. He 
married Nancy Smith, the daughter of James & Lucinda Smith. Sarah A. Twilley 
daughter of Joseph & Nancy Twilley married Charles Bolt, they are also buried in 
this cemetery.  

James Carter married Martha Twilley daughter of James M. & Adeline Twilley. He 
was killed in the Civil War. Co F, 25th AL INF. He was the son of Francis Carter 
& Sarah Wilson. The Carters came to Randolph County before 1850. Francis Carter 
was the son of Isaac Carter. 
Isaac Carter served in Capt. Howard's Company Georgia Volunteers War of 1812. He
is found on the 1860 Randolph County Census. 

Another older marker is that of George F. Moore he died in 1863. He was a 
private in Co F, 25th AL INF. He married Louisa Mellon. After his death she 
married Joseph Bolt, he is also buried in this cemetery. 

Hardy Robertson married a lady by the name of Sarah James, they were in Randolph 
County as early as 1844. Thier daughter Sophronia Robertson married Thornton 
Ashcraft son of Thomas & Catherine Ashcraft. Their son John Robertson married 
Prudence Kinard daughter of Barnett Kinard. 

Wm M. Robertson died 1928, was the son of John Robertson & Elizabeth Cordry. He 
married Mary E. Pursley, she died in 1883. John Robertson was a brother to Hardy 
Robertson. 

James L. Dobbins was listed on the 1860 Randolph County census. He married 
Elizabeth Bell. Elizabeth Dobbins is listed on the 1870 Clay County Census as a 
widow. Their daughter Mary Dobbins married John H. Pursley, daughter Jane 
Dobbins married Thomas M. Robertson [Son of Hardy] and their son Miles Dobbins
married Montana Bates. 

There is a marker in Ebeneezer Cemetery with the name: James A. Walker no dates. 
This possibly James A. Walker born 1788, died 1870. He received at Military Land 
grant for his service in Capt. Scott's Co., S. C. Militia War of 1812. James A. 
Walker had four sons to serve in the Confederate Army. 1: Samuel W. Walker died 
Nov-1898, Co G, 46th AL INF. 2: Robert M. Walker died Dec 31, 1862, Co G, 46th 
AL INF. 3: John A. Walker died 1920, Co, F, 25th AL INF. 4: James L. Walker died 
1925, Co F, 25th AL INF. James A. Walker had two daughters that never married or 
married very late in life, both are found on the 1910 census, but by the 1920 
census they are missing. 

Andrew Swann was born ca 1790, he died in 1868. He married Nancy Miller. Their 
daughter Elizabeth C. Swann-Bates died in 1893. She came to Randolph County as a 
widow. She lost her son James W. Bates during the Civil War, he was a private in 
Co F, 25th AL INF. Andrew & Nancy Swann's daughter Jennette married John W. 
Howie. Their son John Swann married 1. Melissa Howie, she died in 1857. He 
married 2. Emeline DeVaughan. 

William Amason was born ca 1811, he died ca 1854 Randolph County, he married 
Lucinda Whittington. Their daughter Missouri "Sue" Amason married Phillip 
Ellenburg, he died around 1880. Sue Ellenburg died in 1912 her obit states she 
was buried in Ebeneezer Cemetery. 

The Ebeneezer & McDaniel's Chapel cemeteries were also used by the Pleasant 
Grove Presbyterian Church at Wesobulga Alabama. The Howie, Swann, Walker and a 
few other families in the area members of the Pleasant Grove Presbyterian 
church. 

I have spent hours working on this. I do not want to see this information copied 
on another cemetery site. All the time people spend coping, they should be 
compiling their own files. 

File at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/al/clay/churches/historyo185gbb.txt

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