John Elam Family/Henry Cemetery, Charlotte County

Provided by Kathy Liston January 31, 2000, Updated March 2008, April 2012
Scroll to bottom of file for updated version

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John Elam/Henry Family Cemetery, Charlotte County, Virginia

 


This cemetery is located at our home, Westview, built by John Elam in 1832, in the Aspen Wall area near Brookneal.  John Elam was the son of Edward and Jane Elam, and he is buried here with his second wife, children, son-in-law, and sister-in-law.  The stones are plain, with just names and dates. 

 

John Elam     1769 - June 11, 1847

 

Martha J[ane Davis] Elam     1796 - November 29, 1873 [wife]

 

Ann Eliza Elam     November 13, 1828 - September 20, 1858 [daughter]

 

Susan J[ane] Elam     December 22, 1832 - September 14, 1890 [daughter]

 

John W[esley] Elam   August 24, 1841 – March 19, 1916 [son]

 

Isabella D[avis Elam] Williams     September 9, 1830 - June 12, 1901

[daughter]

 

F[rancis] S. Williams     March 4, 1823 - July 13, 1882 [husband of

Isabella]

 

Ann G. Davis     1793 - November 1886 [sister of Martha]

 

 

Also in the cemetery are members of the Henry family, 20th century

descendants of Patrick Henry' youngest son, John Henry.  Elizabeth Terrell Henry was the grand-niece of John Wesley Elam's wife, Elizabeth Nowlin.  Elizabeth Henry's mother, Kathryn Nowlin Terrell, inherited the property after the deaths of John Wesley and Lizzie Elam, her aunt.

 

James M[arshall] Henry [jr]  1905 - 1970

 

Elizabeth Terrell Henry     January 7, 1913 - July 27, 1966, Daughter of Kathryn Nowlin and William Ervin Terrell [wife of James]

 

Kathryn Ann Henry     April 25, 1939 - May 28, 1955, Daughter of Elizabeth Terrell Henry and James Marshall Henry

 

In addition to the family cemetery, there is an African-American cemetery that was in use from ca. 1830 until the 1930s.  This began as an Elam slave burial ground and continued to be used by neighboring black families until the establishment of cemeteries at Aspen Hill and Spring Hill churches.  The graves are marked only with field stones and coffin sinks.  In 2001 we surveyed the site and identified at least 70 graves.  While we don’t know who is buried in each grave, we do have the names of several people buried there.

 

Posted April 2012 by Kathy Liston

Westview@brookneal.net