Photographs on this page © Paulette Johnston

Location: About one mile south of Byrds, SC on US 78, then two and a half miles on S-18-89 to S-18-378, travel this road to an old house and turn behind it on a dirt road a distance to the Byrd Graveyard.

Copyists: Carrie Belle Byrd, Claire Smith Thrower

History: Daniel Byrd gave 4 acres of his land for a burial ground before 1860, as the oldest remaining tombstone is that of William R. Durse, who was born in 1829 and died in 1860, being 34 years of age. This proves that this cemetery is one hundred and nineteen (119) years old, and most probably many years older, as there are quite a few graves with no markers, and it dates back to slavery times. The Plat surveyed by J. L. Gavin, C.E., Surveyor, on April 10th 1901 recorded in Deed Book 4, page 143, on June 2nd 1902, states that the "lot containing four acres and known as the Byrd Grave Yard, having been layed out by request of Mr. A. W. J. Byrd, W. C. Pearcy and J. Rush Byrd & others. . ." This proves that the Grave Yard was there before this plat was drawn, and was bounded on all sides by Lands of Peter Weathers [as shown on the plat]. Daniel Byrd conveyed a tract of land surrounding the Byrd Graveyard to Peter Weathers; then Mrs. Mattie E. Rumph became the owner of said tract on 24th April 1916; later same tract was sold to P. D. Weathers, now deceased. Several of our ancestors are buried in this cemetery. Note: Mr. Roy Weathers said this cemetery was originally known as: "Byrd Old Yard Cemetery."

Update for Byrd Graveyard surveyed by Joseph Knight in May 1999.
 

Mary Wamer Brownlee
Nov. 1, 1855
April 10, 1915
(w. of Willie S. Brownlee)
(dau of _____ & Matilda Bowman)

Willie S. Brownlee
Nov. 27, 1852
April 5, 1908

Carrie Wamer Byrd
Aug. 28, 1863
Sept. 5, 1946

John Rush Byrd
Sept. 3, 1866
Aug. 29, 1956

Abraham Durr Canady
Aug. 23, 1870
July 1, 1872

Aqulla David Canady
Sept. 25, 1872
Jan. 3, 1932

John W. Canady
Oct. 24, 1843
Died 1877

Lillie Ann Canady
May 26, 1875
Jan. 7, 1945

Mary Ellen Durr Canady
Jan. 26, 1842
June 22, 1901

Abraham Durr
Aug. 21, 1809
Oct. 7, 1879

J. A. Durr
May 24, 1840
Aug. 6, 1894

Laura Durr
May 4, 1856
Jan. 2, 1883

Mary Ann Durr
July 12, 1812
Dec. 12, 1886

Peter Ezra Durr
1823  -  1881

W. D. W. Durr
October 10, 1839
March 29, 1890

William R. Durse
1829  -  1860   (age 34)
Earnest Lee Pearcy
Jan. 2, 1891
July 23, 1923

Maddie Pearcy
Aug. 8, 1861
May 27, 1898

Mattie Lou Adele Pearcy
April 2, 1885
May 21, 1906

W. C. Pearcy
Jan. 30, 1861
March 6, 1905

INFANT of W. C. Pearcy

INFANT of W. C. & Mrs. Pearcy

INFANT of W. C. & Mrs. Pearcy

INFANT of W. C. & Mrs. Pearcy

*William Herman Pearcy
Aug. 31, 1892
Nov. 3, 1933
WORLD WAR I

F. K. Shuler
Feb. 22, 1868
March 11, 1934

Minnie Shuler
1888  -  1931

Dora Brownlee Smith
March 20, 1886
_____ 12, 1951

INFANT of John & Dora Smith
               (no dates)

Son of Dora & John Smith
             (no dates)

James Edward Smith
Nov. 7, 1887
Jan. 2, 1936

Daniel Wamer
Dec. __  1828
July 13, 1891

Matelda Bowman Wamer
March 27, 1831
Oct. 11, 1885

(More buried but no stones)