MANSELL FAMILY CEMETERY, Pickens County, SC a.k.a. > Version: 3.0 Effective: 30-Oct-2006 Text File: P282.TXT Image Folder: P282 ******************************************************************************** REPRODUCING NOTICE: ------------------- These electronic pages may not be reproduced in any format for profit, or presentation by any other organization or persons. Persons or organizations desiring to use this material, must obtain the written consent of the recording contributor, or the legal representative of the submitter, and contact the following USGenWeb coordinator with proof of this consent. Paul M Kankula - nn8nn (visit above website) SCGenWeb "Golden Corner" Project Coordinator Anderson: http://www.rootsweb.com/~scandrsn/ Oconee: http://www.rootsweb.com/~scoconee/oconee.html Pickens: http://www.rootsweb.com/~scpicke2/ DATAFILE INPUT . : Paul M. Kankula at (visit above website) in -2006 GPS MAPPING .... : Gary Flynn at (visit above website) in -2006 HISTORY ........ : ____________ at ____________ in _______ IMAGES ......... : Paul M. Kankula at (visit above website) in -2006 RECORDING ...... : ____________ at ____________ in _______ ******************************************************************************** CEMETERY LOCATION: ------------------ > GPS = Latitude N x Longitude W CEMETERY HISTORY: ------------------------ When the Town of Easley was first incorporated, there was an old family burying ground, known as the Mansell grave yard. It is situated on the old Pumpkintown road, just north of the colored cemetery (P266 Mauldin Family), on land that was set apart for the purpose by one Joshua Mansell, who owned and resided on a tract of one hundred or more acres now embraced in wards four and five of the city. At the time of the incorporation of the town this was the only burial in the town. The remains of the first citizens who died in the town, were carried to the county church yards or family burying grounds in the vicinity. Some were carried to George's Creek (P054 Georges's Creek Baptist), other to the Oats (P111 Oats Family) grave yard near old Pickensville, others to Carmel (P225 Pickens Chapel Methodist). One of the first deaths to occur in the city was Mrs. Hendricks, wife of Mr. Moses Hendricks, a merchant of the town. Mrs. died during the summer of 1875, and her remains were interred in the John Ariail family (P006 Ariail Family) burial two miles west of the city on Pickens road, as were the remains of her husband a year later, August 1876. By: Anne Sheriff o----------o Landowner, 16-Aug-2006 Sherwood Ellenburg Box 294 Easley, SC 29641 864-859-4446 Parcel Number: 5019-12-76-6534 / 113-07-036 Cemetery Plat: 225 / Plat 396/2 By: On-line Pickens County Profile Form, Assessor Office o----------o When the town of Easley was incorporated in January 1874. there was an old dilapidated church building situated on a lot of five or six acres that had been donated to the Methodist Episcopal church by one Joshua Mansell some years before, he stating in a deed that the land was to be used for church purposes. This church, which was situated just a few hundred yards from the depot, facing to the west on the road leading from Pickensville on the south to the Blue Ridge mountains on the north. There was also on the lot at this time, a large tabernacle and several small booths, or tents that had been used for a number of years by the Methodist for camp meetings. These meeting were held in the summer after crops were laid by, and large congregations from all over the upper section of the state would come and assist in these services. These camp meetings were continued until the summer of 1878, when they were discontinued because it was stated at the time that a crowd of drunken rowdies would come from other sections and interrupt the services. Rev. A. C. Walker, who was the pastor of this church at the time, sold the old church building to the writer and sold the tabernacle to J. T. Arnold. The buildings were torn down and Mr. Arnold built a barn and stables out of the lumber on the lot now owned by Mr. Elliot Williams. The frame of the church was sold to negroes, who used it in building a church and schoolhouse, the first they built in the town. The writer has heard many stories of scenes that took place at the camp meetings held there before the during the Civil War. It is stated that on one occasion Brother Donnelly, a noted Methodist preacher of the time, was conducting the services, and at the close of his sermon called for mourners. Uncle Jack Wilson, then an old man and one who had been considered pretty wicked, responded to the call, and came to the altar. "And you have got it at last, have you Brother Wilson?" asked Brother Donnelly. "Yes", replied Uncle Jack, "I've got it". "Well, go and get some one to cut your head off right now", replied Brother Donnelly, "for if you do not you will be sure to lose it." Brother Wilson replied that his religion was the good kind, not like that of Brother Donnelly, and that it would last. Before the old building was disposed of, the present frame building had been erected just a little to the north of the old one and dedicated. The present building, now known as the First Methodist Church of Easley, had been remodeled and added to from time to time. During the years 1874 the school was taught by Rev. O.L Durant, a Methodist minister, who was also pastor of the church. The school was held in the church building. In 1875 Prof. W.S.Morrison, then a young man, a graduate of Wofford College, who afterwards, until his death, was a profession of History in Clemson College and was principal of Easley school, which was also taught in this old church building. In speaking of the early churches, the Mt. Olivet Methodist Church, now the First Methodist Church was the only church in the bounds of the town of Easley when it was first incorporated. When the town was first incorporated there was an old family burying ground, known as the Mansell grave yard. It is situated on the old Pumpkintown road, just north of the colored cemetery, on land that was set apart for the purpose by one Joshua Mansell, who owned and resided on a tract of one hundred or more acres now embraced in wards four and five of the city. At the time of the incorporation of the town this was the only burying ground in the town. The remains of the first citizens who died in the town were carried to the country church yards or family burying grounds in the vicinity. Some were carried to George's Creek, other to the Oates grave yard near old Pickensville, others to Carmel. One of the first deaths to occur in the city was Mrs. Hendricks, wife of Mr. Moses Hendricks, a merchant of the town. Mrs. Hendricks died during the summer of 1875, and her remains were interred in the John Arieil family burial ground two miles west of the city on the Pickens road, as were also the remains of her husband a year later, August 1876. The first person buried in the Methodist cemetery was Miss Mary Jane Folger, the seventeen year old daughter of Mr. and Mrs. A.M. Folger. Her death occurred on the 8th of October 1879. A few days after Miss Folger's burial the remains of a child of Mr. and Mrs. J.B. Clyde's was exhumed from the Zion cemetery and reinterred near the grave of Miss Folger. A few days later the body of Mrs. Thomas Watson, a member of the Mt. Olivet M.E. Church was also interred nearby. On the 27th of December 1879 the body of Robert Cook, a young Englishmen was buried there. These four graves stood in a row not more then fifty feet south of the Methodist Episcopal church for several months before others were added. By the year 1900 the plot between the church and the railroad had been covered with graves, and the subject of securing land for a town cemetery was being agitated. Mr. W. A. Mauldin was one of the first persons in the town to take an interest in the proposition and he brought the matter to the attention of the town council. It resulted in the council purchasing a tract of five or six acres of land just west of and adjoining the M. E. church property from the heirs of the late Luke I Ariail and having it cut into lots which were sold to citizens as needed for burial purposes. By: Unknown author TOMBSTONE TRANSCRIPTION NOTES: ------------------------------ a. = age at death b. = date-of-birth d. = date-of-death h. = husband m. = married p. = parents w. = wife AUSTIN, Clydr Mae, b. 25-dec-1910, d. 21-mar-1945 BLASINGAME, Jannie, b. 4-feb-1894, d. 1913, p. w.m. & Mariah blasingame BRYDE, William, b. 1918, d.1966 EDWARDS, E.H., b. 16-feb-1919, a. 54y GLOVER, J.H., 31-jul-1884, d. 2-feb-1915 ROBINSON, Clyde, b. 30-aug-1896, d. 28-oct-195? WAKEFIELD, Lawrence, b. 24-jan-1894, 8-aug-1937 WAKEFIELD, William, b. 1887, d. 1930