GRAVES CEMETERY

GRAVES CEMETERY

CARROLL, NY (Robbins Hill Road)

On the Robbins Hill Road in the town of Carroll about one mile past the Wheeler Hill Church there is a red and white trailer in the side yard of the Ross Burch home.  Across the road on the top of the hill amid a clump of tall trees lies the remains of a once large cemetery known as the Graves Cemetery.  Vandals sacked this cemetery several years ago and carried away the large white sandstone markers.  Rumor says that they now grace several home hearthstones.  There now remain only four stones.  The largest, that of William U. Hopkins, is visible against the skyline now that the foliage is gone.
William U. Hopkins was killed when a board in the sawmill flew back and hit him.  His stone carries the inscription, "Erected by the Woodcutters of America."  His small daughter beside him died 18 months previously and we assume the small marker engraved "William, infant" is his son who may have died at birth.
We spent a day at the court house looking through land records, probate and census records, and drew a blank unless he is Ulysses the 7 year old son of John and Christine Hopkins in the 1875 census.  These people are not in the 1870 or 1880 census so they must have been in Carroll very briefly.  The census lists John Hopkins born in Niagara Co., NY, age 36, his wife Christine age 29, born in Chautauqua Co., Ulysses age 7 born in PA, Melissa age 4 and Artemisia, age 2.  These last two born in Chautauqua County.  Their home lay between Dennis See or Lee and Jacob Cox.  The Jamestown Journal for Friday May 10, 1878 says: "Died in Bradford, PA, on April 13 of diphtheria, Minnie M. eldest daughter of John and Christine Hopkins aged 7 or 8."  This must be Melissa M.
The only land record for any Hopkins in Carroll is the sale of parts of lots 12 and 20 (side by side) to Mr. Lewis Hopkins of Busti in 1864 by Charles H. Rhodes.  This was 45 acres deeded by R.E. Fenton and wife to Rhodes.  The Jamestown Journal for Feb. 8, 1856 has:  "In this village on Feb. 4th by O. Green Esq., Mr. Lewis Hopkins and Miss Ann Partridge."  We may be wrong but a study of the map shows the Gurnsey Road on the back side of this same hill and lot 12 looks as if Gurnsey Road went through it.  The Gurnsey Road is a dirt road and Carroll does not maintain it during the winter months.  This we do not understand as there are homes on it.
We went to see Jack Jones who now owns the land and he was kind enough to let us look over the deed.  He owns other acreage besides this one hillside but we found the paragraph in which Abram Graves set aside land for a cemetery and which was in a later deed by William A. Graves reserved as:  "…Subject to sale HOWEVER, to whatever right or title if any which may be outstanding in or in connection with the Graves family cemetery."  We did not find any provision for a right of way reserved to the Graves family or to any subsequent owner.  But Mr. Jones does own all the land surrounding the cemetery and he alone has legal access to it. He would like to clean up the cemetery and keep it in good condition but there is some neighborhood friction with regard to the cemetery and he prefers to let sleeping dogs lie.  We wish we knew how all were buried here.  There must be Graves.  There were three Burch children buried here, sisters of Ross Burch.  There must also have been Baker, Cox and Robbin families here.  Did anyone copy the cemetery stones when the markers were there?
The farm on the side of the road containing has had many tenant farmers.  We talked with one Mrs. Burch who said she was born on that farm when it was owned by her grandfather Nils Johnson.  Her father later owned it.  She remembered the cemetery but could not remember any names in it.
Mr. Myers told us that on the Robbins Hill Road where there is now a grove of white pines a whole family, said to be seventeen people, was wiped out by the flu and all were buried on the farm without markers.  We were unable to ascertain the name of this family.  Can anyone help us on this?


***UPDATE***
1 September 1999

 
Dear Sir,
   I am writing to you as historian of the Burch family, in regard to Graves Cemetery in the Town of Carroll. I would like our cemetery to be referred to,  no longer as abandoned, in your records of Chautauqua County Cemeteries.
   Recently we have undergone a complete restoration of the Graves Cemetery.  A local Boy Scout undertook the renovation of the cemetery as a project to attain the rank of Eagle Scout. It is now in excellent  condition with regular maintenance to be addressed in the future.                 Thank you,                          Phil Baker
 

HOPKINS, William U., born 10 Nov. 1867, died 14 April 1900.
HOPKINS, Lucille, dau. of Wm. & Minnie Hopkins born Sept. 30, 1898, died Oct. 17, 1898.
HOPKINS, William, infant

HOPKINS, Minnie M. born July 26, 1870, died April 15, 1878.  (This is the daughter of John & Christine Hopkins and if William is Ulysses then she is his sister.



QUESTIONS

B51  CHENEY  In an antique store I bought an old scrapbook kept by a Morris Cheney of Jamestown.  Some articles told about his college days.  A contact in Jamestown said her father in law was Morris Cheney and he never went to college.  Who was the Morris Cheney who did go to college and kept this scrapbook?  Fredonia student.

B52a  COLE, Henry Swift was born in the Town of Hanover 1833, the youngest of 13 children.  Of these only know Mary born 1826 who married George Robinson and J. Stephen born 1828.  Who were the parents?

B52b  COLE.  The 1830 census of Hanover lists a Southworth Cole with 11 children.  Would he be the father of Henry above?  Would like info on Southworth.  WCL

B53  KENT, John bought lot 30 in Busti in 1824 and was in the Busti census for 1830-1840-1850.  Census says he was born in 1804.  Where was he born?  Who were his parents?  His wife was Clarissa Lamphear dau. of Jonas.  Who was her mother? Houston, Texas.

B54  WELCH-WILCOX.  Samuel S. Welch lived in Harmony as shown by 1840 and 1850 census.  He was listed as a merchant.  What type store did he have?  Where in Conn. was he born?  He married Roxy Ann Wilcox in 1827.  Who were her parents?  Their children were Roxy Ann who married Silas Kent; Eunice; Steven Hopestill; John Wesley; Edward Norton who married Emma Stock.  In 1858 all but Eunice moved to Independence, Iowa.  Eunice married Ira Alexander of Ashville in 1854.  They moved to Chicago and Eunice died in Detroit in 1914.  Would like to have any info on these people.  WCL

B55  NOBBS.  Desire birth date of Irvine Lakeman Nobbs born around 1899 or 1900.  He was the son of Mulford Alfred Nobbs and Marian Irvine who were married 29 March 1898 in Warren, PA.  She was a granddaughter of Guy Irvine, a pioneer settler of Warren.  Jamestown City clerk says Jamestown has no record of his birth.  His brother’s birth in 1903 is recorded.  JFN, Calif.

B56a  DEVINE.  My ancestress was Mollie Devine who died in Chautauqua County.  She had a son Joseph born 1779 and married 1808 Anna Gryswold born in MA March 20, 1792.  They had 6 sons and 3 dau. all born in Chautauqua County.  They moved to PA in 1836 (where in PA?) and in 1846 they moved to Oregon, Wis.  Are there any records in Chautauqua County for this family?

B56b  DEVINE, DeWitt Clinton, the third son of Joseph Devine was born 19 March 1814.  He married (1) Hannah Clark and had a son Clark Devine born 1842.  He married (2) Perlina Bailey born 1814 and by her had a son Alonzo Clinton Devine born 19 June 1844 who was my grandfather. These people moved to Wisconsin and died there.  Want early information about this family.  CDB South Dakota.

B57  DEVINE, About a year ago we had a visitor at the Fenton Library looking for the parents of Ruth Amelia Devine 1845-1903 who taught school at Quaker Bridge.  She married Heth Barry of Harmony and they lived near Bear Lake in western Harmony and they are buried in the cemetery on the Town Line Road.  Merton Devine of Clarks Corners was a brother to Ruth. Want info on this family of Devines. Are they connected with B56?

B58  BOON, Jane Conklin is supposed to be buried in the Waterboro Hill Cemetery. Her husband Aaron Boon is thought to be there also.  Their daughter was Miss Marietta Boon, a tailoress in Jamestown.  Would like to have info on this family.  CW, Randolph.

B59  Fenton would like to learn of others buried in the Graves Cemetery and would like to get in touch with descendants of the Graves family.

B60  AVERY, Seth Morse married around 1827, a Laura Wing who lived around present Chautauqua Village.  Would like parentage of each, their dates and children.  RJ Cleveland.  See Answers.

ANSWERS

B55  Fenton looked up the death notice of Marian Irvine Nobbs and found it in the Post Journal for 8 April 1969.  Acording to it and to the Powers Funeral Home she was not buried in Warren as stated by the querist but was buried in Russell, PA.  We have no info on the Nobbs family.  Irvine was probably born in Warren, PA.

B55  NOBBS.  From Russell, PA comes the birth of Irvina Lakeman Nobbs.  It was 8 June 1901.  We found a son Jack in the Town of Busti who gave the following information:  Irvine married first Arlene Sackett who died and was buried in Leon, NY.  He had Jack and Allen S. by her.  He married second Gerturde Quinn of Bradford and they are living in Warren, Ohio.  They have Irvine Richard (Dick), Marian Frances, and Harry.

B57  DEVINE.  Since Merton Devine of Clarks Corners was a brother of Ruth Devine Barry perhaps this might help:  Jamestown Journal for 4 August 1871 “died in Poland on July 7th of heart ailment Elijah Devine aged 62-1-17.”

B60  AVERY, Laura Wing was born 22 April 1809 probably in Onondaga Co.  She was the daughter of Elihu Wing born 26 April 1783 at White Creek, Albany Co., (now part of Washington Co.) and died 7 Nov 1837 at Panama.  He married Desire Covey born 7 March 1786 dau. of Joshua & Karen Covey.  Elihu was the son of Daniel, a Revolutionary Soldier who also came to Chautauqua County, settled in Clymer and is buried in the Holland Cemetery there.  Elihu and the Coveys are said to be buried in Panama Union Cemetery.  We copied the cemetery in 1968 but found no markers for Elihu and Laura.  The Coveys are there.  In 1938 Seth M. Avery was in Poland where he held the office of constable and tax collector.  There are no markers for him in any Poland cemetery.  Does anyone know where he is buried?  His grandson was William Avery who married Sadie Day of Ellington, dau. of Fred Day.  Fenton.

B60  AVERY-WING  This was answered by a many paged record direct to the querist.  When Fenton lets people do this we suffer as we almost never get a duplicate.  This column is run to acquire data for our files in the library.

B61  FARGO.  So many nice Fargos phoned or wrote us.  We added a great deal of recent data on the family and connected up some doubtful lines.  We invite the Fargos and any one interested to visit us at the Fenton Center and look at the Fargo data.

B69  ALDRICH.  We quote from a letter received by the Post-Journal:  To Fenton Center:  Your splendid Historical editorials in the Post-Journal are on of the main reason we subscribe during the winter months in York, PA.  I am pleased to answer B69 for HVD.  Nahum Aldrich has a fine 12 foot high monument in the Bemus Point Cemetery.  My deed to Maple Springs residence on East Lake front shows it was part of the original Aldrich farm from the Holland Land Co. to Nathan Aldrich 26 Dec. 1816.  His will 12 May 1856 (leaves) to widow Angeline, Moses, Francis Eugene and Elvira Nancy.

GRAVES CEMETERY
Received a letter from Akron, Ohio saying she has more information regarding the people buried here and that Abram Graves was her grandfather and she has a record of his family.  We hope to have it for you in the Jan. 31 issue.



I have 3 names to add to Graves Cemetary,  Betty M. Burch,  Gertrude J. Burch, and Martha Ada Burch.
Source, my sister  Alice Burch,  daughter of Ross and Mable Burch.

Avie Ekback - [email protected]


SOURCE: Fenton Historical Society Deserted Cemetery Series.  From the Jamestown Journal 29 November 1969, compiled and written by Edna Ingham