Joel Hill Cemetery

Dated: March 1, 2014

Family Cemeteries of my Ancestors

Grenada County & early Yalobusha County

JOEL HILL ~   TILGHMAN ~   MARTIN & PURDIE

Cemetery Plot

of
Joel Hill and Emily Hill

Located in Grenada County, MS

See Also Tilghman Cemetery & Martin Cemetery

    Located on the old homestead of Joel Hill is a small family plot with two headstones and one small, unidentified marker. This cemetery was next to the house that was still used by Jimmy and Sarah Hill until the late 1960's when they built their brick house across the pasture.
   One of these headstones is marked Joel Hill with his date of death as 1853. The other marker is for his wife, Emily, who died in 1862. At the foot of Emily's headstone is a small tablet that, according to family history, marks the burial location of an infant.
   This webpage was created a few years ago to generate interest in the restoration of the graves. At that time, Joel Hill's headstone was broken and knocked down. This webpage was of such interest to many Hill family members, that I decided to update it with the latest photo. Now I have added photos from two other cemeteries to show where my Tilghman and Musselwhite ancestors were buried.

HILL Family Cemetery at the ole Hill Homestead
Joel Hill's marker was glued back together. Photo taken in Summer 2012.
A sturdy fence has been built around the gravesite to keep out cattle.

Who is this Joel Hill?

Joel Hill was the first of our HILL ancestors to move to Mississippi. Joel lived in Edgfield County, SC, where he first married Francis Carpenter. They had two daughters, Mary Ann and Unity. She died in childbirth with twin sons. Joel married Emily Martin and moved to Mississippi and applied for a land patent. They had many more children: Martha, Mary, Emeline, Joel, Sarah, John Calhoun, Joel Pittman, Egbert, Jasma, and Ellen.
This following section contains a brief history of Joel's ancestors.

JOEL HILL; born Jan 31, 1806; died May 26, 1853 at age 47.
Married Emily Martin.

His Parents were:
JESSE HILL; born between 1759 and 1761 at Caroline Co., VA. He moved to South Carolina and his estate was probated Aug 14, 1820 at Edgefield Dist., SC.

His Grand-parents were:
WILLIAM HILL SR; born circa 1718 at VA; Married Elizabeth Williams and later Susannah Smither circa 1736. He left a will in 1777 at Surry Co., NC.

Pedigree Chart for Joel HILL
                                                                           _Sion HILL
                                                          _William HILL __|
                                     _William HILL ______|__________             |_______
                 _Jessee HILL ______|
                |                   |                      ____________
                |                   |_Susannah SMITHER ___|____________
Joel HILL ____|
Emily MARTIN |                                          ____________
                |                    _____________________|____________
                |_Mary __?__________|
                                    |                      ____________
                                    |_____________________|____________

How am I related to Joel Hill?

JOEL HILL's family included several children, as listed above. The 1850 and 1860 Mississippi Census records list a total of 13 different children living in this household. There were only 3 males among all these children. The tenth child was our ancestor.

      JOEL PITTMAN HILL; born 14 February, 1847, died _?__ . Married Elizabeth Watkins PURDIE on 21 December 1869.
Children:
       (1) Purdy Hill; died at 26. Buried at the Martin Cemetery plot.
      (2) Joel Pittman Hill, Jr. , married Sally ___?__.
      (3) James Sphere Hill, Born 15 April, 1875. Married Maude TILGHMAN on 6 January 1916.
      (4) Clyde Vernon Hill, Married Jennie Wineman.

The next ancestor in our lineage was:
JAMES SPHERE HILL; Died 31 August, 1945, (the day after his son-in-law, Newton F. Cole arrived home from WW2). Married Maude TILGHMAN, born 22 March, 1890, Died 10 Feb., 1948. Their children were.
Children:
        (1) Joel Pittman Hill; Married Michie R. AYERS , 3 children.
        (2) Infant Girl
        (3) Jimmy Hill, Married Sarah Lee Gilland, 7 children.
        (4) Lillibeth Hill, Born 6 Dec. 1921. Married Newton F. Cole II, 3 children.
        (5) Clyde Vernon Hill; born 28 Dec., 1924. Married Dorris PARKER; 3 children.

DESCENDENTS CHART FOR JOEL HILL
TIME LINE
1840 ++++++1840 +++++ 1860 +++++1880 ++++1900 ++++1920 +++1940 +1960 >>> 2000

1880 Mississippi Census
Grenada County
Page 11, Dwelling 77

   NAME         RACE S EX    AGE          BIRTH PLACE
                                                            Theirs Father Mother
Hill, Joel P.    W M    33   Farmer    MS SC SC

   Betty W.     W F     27    Wife      MS VIR SC

   Purdy          W M     9     Son       MS MS MS

   Joel           W M      8     Son      MS MS MS

   Jimmy        W M     5      Son     MS MS MS
Negro Farm laborer
Talbert Ra     B M    40    Laborer

   Maria           B F     10

WILLIAM HILL SR; born circa 1718, had a son, William HILL, Jr., born 23 Sept., 1773 in Surry County, VA. William Hill Sr. attended the Constitutional Convention for North Carolina. It was noted that he was a Baptist minister. His son, William, Jr., later became the Secretary of State of North Carolina and served that position from 1811 until his death on 29 Oct. 1857 -- an amazing 46 years in office (less one month).
[Reference "Thad Eure ought to throw a party", by Dr. H. G. Jones, The Durham Sun, dated Nov 20, 1981, page 14-C.]

Details of Headstone of Joel and Emily Hill

	Details of Headstone of Joel Hill Top has a relief of a Masonic symbol. JOEL HILL Born June 3, 1806 Died May 26, 1853 "Many thoughts lie buried here"
	Details of Headstone of Emily (Martin) Hill. EMILY H. Wife of Joel P.Hill Born Feb 11, 1814 Died Dec 26, 1862 "Weep not; she is not dead but sleepeth" "Holly Springs" (lower right corner) Note that her grave lists her husband's name as Joel P. Hill. There are no records to indicate he had a middle name.
A Map and GPS Coordinates for HILL Family Cemetery Cemetery is located North of Grenada on Hiway 51

Tilghman Family Cemetery

Near Scobey in Yalobusha County, MS

    Located on near SouthWest of Scobey and west of Hiway 51. This cemetery has several members of the TILGHMAN family buried here. However, all but one of the graves are not marked. The only grave marked is that of Harry Richardson, the husband of Cora Tilghman. He was a ferry boat captain on the Mississippi River and he died when his ferry boat burned. My family history says James Beauregard Tilghman and his wife, Lillie Florence Musselwhite are buried here.
The cemetery is located about 500 yards in the woods from the Wayside road. The cemetery is roughly outlined by concrete Right-of-Way posts and some growing flowers. The graves were set to generally face South. There are 8 posts set across the back of the main row of graves. Six are arranged at the West end and two more further East.
The first two graves are out-lined with a concrete wall that is about 6 inches in width. The first one is the grave of Harry Richardson and the second one has a wall that is shorter in length, which may indicate it is for a child—thus the infant child of Harry and Cora (Tilghman) Richardson.
   The third grave has a large concrete support but the headstone is missing. This is believed to be Lillie Musselwhite Tilghman’s grave. Sarah Hill said that Jimmie and Uncle Horace repaired Lillie’s grave many years ago. The fourth grave has a broken and heavily worn headstone.
   The other graves have no headstone but a few have a stone to mark it. There are a few stones that could be a foot marker or a marker for an infant or a second row in front of this main row. Some graves are sunken and some have flowers growing in a square around it.

In addition to Harry Richardson, the other TILGHMAN family who are said to be buried here according to family members include the following:
1.    Infant child of Harry Richardson & Cora Tilghman Richardson
2.    James Beauregard TILGHMAN - b. August 7, 1861, d. March 9, 1907.
3.    Lillie Florence Musselwhite TILGHMAN - b May 8, 1869, d. March 25, 1920.
4.    Paul TILGHMAN - b 1899 - Son of J.B & L.F. Tilghman
5.    Rosie TILGHMAN - b 1902 - daughter of J.B & L.F. Tilghman
6.    Pearl TILGHMAN - b 1903 - daughter. of J.B & L.F. Tilghman
7.    Van Henry TILGHMAN - b 1836 - son of Joseph Tilghman
8.    Manervia Guest TILGHMAN - wife of Van Henry Tilghman
9.    Francis Marion TILGHMAN - b 1857
10.    3 children of Francis M. Tilghman and JoAnna Musselwhite Tilghman

GPS Coordinates: Latitude: 33.91333, Longitude: -89.89444

Large Concrete Support for Lillie Musselwhite Tilghman but headstone is missing.

Click on photo to view large photo of Tilghman Cemetery

Cemetery View is looking East. Harry Richardson's headstone is the
first one. Unmarked Grave markers continue into the background.
A concrete post is visible to between the two trees to the right of me.

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Martin Family Cemetery

Near Geslin Corner in Grenada County, MS

General view shows “first row” that includes 3 horizontal grave stones laying flat on vertical walls.
Second row is to right of Clyde Hill and includes toppled headstones & obelisk for HILL family members

   The Martin Family Cemetery is located midway between the family homestead of the PURDIE family and the MARTIN family. It is near the MARTIN family home at Geslin Corner. The HILL family and the MARTIN family lived near each other and several generations were joined in marriage. This is where Joel Pittman HILL and his wife, Elizabeth Watkins Martin are buried.
   The Martin Cemetery is located on private property west of Hiway 51 near Geslin Corner, MS. The first white house west of Geslin Corner is the Martin family house. The cemetery can be reached by a dirt road that starts at the first gate behind this house.
   The cemetery is surrounded by a barbed wire fence and has a simple gate. The graves are arranged to face West and a laid out in 4 or 5 rows. The headstones are spread out in all but two rows---which may be due to missing headstones. The patriarch James A. Martin is located in the front corner of the cemetery. Next to his grave are two graves laid out on tablets. Several members of the HILL family are buried in the third row. There was a nice headstone for Elizabeth Watkins (Purdie) Hill that was leaning against another stone. I could not find the headstone for her husband, Joel Pittman Hill. It is probably lying under one of the other stones there or buried in the soil. Their son, Aaron Purdie Hill, had a large obelisk consisting of 4 stones that was toppled over.

Grave of Elizabeth Watkins Purdie Hill

Feb 3, 1852 – Aug 3, 1919
Wife of Joel Pittman Hill & my great-grandmother.
Could not locate the headstone of Joel P. Hill, but assume his grave was located next to her grave.

Other Graves in the Martin Cemetery

Aaron Purdie Hill

son of J.P. & E. P. HILL
Sept 19, 1870 – Nov 24, 1899
Obelisk contained 4 pieces that were toppled of the base.

James Aurelius Martin, Jr.
Oct. 11, 18 31 – Dec 9, 1888
Married Martha Hill, brother of Joel P. Hill
Since their mother was Emily Martin, that means

this James A. Martin married his first cousin.

Map of Martin Cemetery
GPS Coordinates: 33.837500, - 89.857778

This map begins at the Martin house shown as a Red square at the bottom image.
The dirt road is traced as a Yellow Line. It crosses a Creek at the Blue Triangle.
The vertical Pink line is Power Lines. Two ponds are shown as Blue circles.

Map - Upper half

Family Ties

Purdie & Hill Connection