Dorchester County, South Carolina Cemeteries
Location: At the site of the Old Beech Hill Church Ruins is the graveyard about five miles south of Givhans, SC, on Beech Hill Road, S-18-162.History: The Congregational Churches of Dorchester and Beech Hill when first organized were used alternately for public worship, circa 1700, being seventeen miles apart. Their first pastor was the Rev. Joseph Lord who, with a few others, came in 1696 as a Missionary Church from Dorchester, Massachusetts, to found a church for the propagation of the gospel on the Ashley River which they named Dorchester, after Dorchester, Mass., and Dorchester, England, from whence they came. Between 1752 and 1756, for the want of more land and unhealthy surroundings, a number of Dorchester-Beech Hill families migrated to Midway, Georgia, where large land grants were obtained, and a Congregational Church was founded; also, Sunbury, Georgia, was settled. Their pastor, the Rev. John Osgood, moved with them.
Records show that the Rev. Mr. Osgood returned to Beech Hill as Mr. Simpson wrote in his diary, and I quote: “On the Lords Day May 5, 1754, I rode 16 miles to Beech Hill to hear Mr. Osgood the Independent Minister, had a great day of the gospel, but the absence of the Congregation from Dorchester and its neighborhood was much felt in the Beech Hill Community.” When the Revolution broke out, the Churches were closed and the clergy resigned until July 19, 1794. The Methodist Bishop Francis Asbury wrote in his diary several times of preaching at Mr. Eccles’, Beech Hill, and Mr. Philip Givhans, as early as 1788. From THE JOURNAL, Vol. II, p. 44, Thursday, 5 March 1795: “We rode thirty-five miles, eating some biscuit with a little wine and water, and came to Mr. Eccles’s, Beach Hill, near Edisto River. . .” (Squire Eccles lived at Beech Hill a little below Givhan’s Ferry.) He mentioned, also, lodging at Mr. Givhans a number of times. Beech Hill Church later went Methodist, remained active until 1836, after which they had temporary supplies until early 1900's, and fell in ruins in 1919. Nothing remains of it now but the church cemetery, which is still used occasionally. It is believed that the first burials date back to the later 1600's or early 1700's, but like many other old cemeteries, what markers may have been there have disappeared. Gwen W. Kinard
Copyists: Gwen W. Kinard, Lillian D. Kizer, Lillian H. Harley
Date: April 24, 1978
| *Andrew Jackson Allen COD 22 GA. HV. ART C S A (No dates) Mary E. Allen Apr. 6, 1840 Sept. 14, 1893 Alto J. Brownlee 1917 - 1950 Charles R. Brownlee Aug. 15, 1898 Oct. 29, 1951 Lillie Allen Brownlee - Mother Sept. 2, 1868 Jan. 18, 1950 Samuel Allen Brownlee July 7, 1889 Nov. 9, 1898 Samuel Julius Brownlee Aug. 21, 1864 Apr. 30, 1930 Arthur Doyle 1880 - 1907 A. G. Jennings Feb. 15, 1862 Nov. 12, 1926 M. Lemacks Oct. 16, 1837 Feby 8, 1916 Tombstone fallen, mostly buried Mary A. Lemacks - Wife of M. Lemacks Aug. 14, 1905 ___________ A. P. Mary Died May 28, 1865 Age 28 years Archie B. Platt Jan. 21, 1892 June 2, 1915 Mildred E. Platt July 31, 1917 Sept. 11, 1945 A. M. Tuten (female) Dec. 3, 1847 May 23, 1873 T. W. Tuten (male) Sept. 5, 1843 July 28, 1883 Francis Joanna Viard Dec. 7, 1853 Feb. 27, 1938 Mrs. Genevea Viard Sept. 9, 1890 July 24, 1950 Mrs. Geneva E. Viard Died July 24, 1950 59 yrs 9 mos 15 days Hermon Viard July 12, 1884 Dec. 30, 1959 James Allen Viard Aug. 18, 1880 Feb. 9, 1902 |
Archibald Kelly Smith Born, Beech Hill, S.C. Oct. 16, 1838 Died Mar. 30, 1909 in Charleston, S.C. In his 71st year Son Aurilius Archibald Smith Dau. Ardella Elizabeth Muckenfuss Archie Allen Smith May 23, 1895 June 17, 1933 Camilin Vincent Smith Jan. 27, 1884 Aug. 1, 1949 Clair Smith Jan. 17, 1912 Aug. 3, 1931 D. E. Smith Jan. 31, 1861 April 7, 1884 E. P. Smith July 7, 1870 April 12, 1884 Ellen Dale Smith Dec. 12, 1950 Aug. 14, 1965 Elizabeth Smith Aug. 6th 1818 Sept. 16th 1882 George Smith Nov. 27th 1808 Aug. 3rd 1887 G. D. Smith Sep. 9, 1881 Oct. 2, 1888 G. S. A. Smith Sept. 21, 1859 May 25, 1875 George T. Smith March 11, 1850 May 1, 1917 J. J. Smith Aug. 12, 1864 June 22, 1880 Age 15 yrs. 10 mo. & 10 days James Smith 1928 - 1974 WOODEN MARKER (near the next entry) James Thomas Viard May 20, 1848 Jan. 13, 1887 Charles H. Webster 1891 - 1958 Danide Webster Dec. 8, 1856 April 9, 1915 Daniel J. Webster 1934 - 1967 Julia G. Webster Nov. 29, 1856 Dec. 5, 1933 *Joel West CO F South Carolina HV. Arty C S A (no dates) Martha Jane West Oct. 8, 1841 June 6, 1876 WOODEN MARKER (near the next entry) |
Jerry M. Smith Dec. 25, 1942 Nov. 2, 1943 Baby Judy - Inf. Dau of Mr. & Mrs. R. M. Smith Oct. 25, 1947 Jan. 1, 1948 Mrs. Rachel L. Smith Sept. 19, 1836 April 4, 1892 Age 55 yrs. 5 mo. & 15 days Robert S. Smith March 21, 1899 Sept. 29, 1952 Sallie E. Smith Aug. 6, 1884 Apr. 4, 1955 Sarah Platt - Wife of T. D. Smith June 24, 1857 Sept. 27, 1919 Willie M. Smith July 16, 1879 May 10, 1909 Eliza - Dau of Jos. & Eliza Tucker Died Oct. 20, 1852 Aged 1 yr 6 mos 6 days Elizabeth Tucker - Wife of Wm. D. Tucker Died Oct. 6, 1857 Age 73 yrs 6 mos & 24 days Shulie D. Tucker Nov. 8, 1889 Sept. 26, ____ Joseph Henry - Son of Jos. & Eliza Tucker Died Oct. 18, 1853 Aged 6 yrs Joanah Frances - Dau of Jos. & Eliza Tucker Died 1852 Age 5 yr 9 mos & 3 days James Boone - Son of Jos. & Eliza Tucker Died Oct. 12, 1857 Age 1 yr & 24 days Avry M. Wiggins Aug. 12, 1852 Jan. 31, 1920 Avery Pinkney Wiggins May 21, 1889 Oct. 8, 1897 D E W 1887 - 1888 Geo. Randal Wiggins April 4, 1881 May 30, 1882 Mrs. Laural Wiggins Aug. 31, 1869 Jan. 5, 1939 Melvin Lenar Wiggins Jan. 24, 1957 Age 69 METAL MARKER - unreadable (Nancy Wilkerson Died 1840 Reported to Gwen Kinard by C. G. Bivins in 1976) |
CEMETERY INSCRIPTIONS OF DORCHESTER COUNTY, SC:
© 1979 Lillian
H. Harley, Pattie W. Heaton, Lillian D. Kizer