Shipley Cemetery
Located off Hickory Tree Road in Bristol, Tennessee. List compiled by Karen L. Sherman, and annotated by S. Kathryn Bowling McKown. Photos of the markers submitted by Patsy Lee Sanders Hawkins.
GPS coordinates: 36.508998871, -82.135131836, elevation 1,555.
Bristol quad
TNGenWeb Cemetery Database: 1326994
Burials grouped by Surname as follows:
Note: To the best of my knowledge Rosetta and Robert had also died prior to Samuel’s death in 1949 as they were not listed as survivors nor was Margaret, Samuel’s wife. We have been unable to find her grave as of yet. According to one of the older gentlemen who helps take care of the cemetery, it appears there are vacant plots on either side of Sam but there is no diagram of that older part of the cemetery. Some day I hope to be able to go out there and grid it off. ~ Becky Hale
Penny Carrier Williams posted the following narrative on the Hickory Tree page of Facebook:
This is an excerpt from the book OLD SETTLERS OF HICKORY TREE, by C.T. (Charlie) Hopkins, copied exactly as written.
HISTORY OF OLD CEMETERY AT HICKORY TREE
I have before me an old paper dated 21st day of June, 1836 that was presented me by G.D. O’dell who found it while making the rounds of his farm. He thinks it must have been blown by the wind from the old O’dell homeplace.
The paper contains names of subscribers who were to pay for building a plank fence around the cemetery of the John M. Blevins Cemetery, now known as Shipley Cemetery.
Names and subscriptions are as follows: Johnathan Morrell, $1; Samuel Morrell, 50 cents; Daniel Morrell, 50 cents; George W. Morrell, 50 cents; T.M. Morrell, 50 cents; Daniel Elkins, $1; William H. Snodgrass, $1; Toliver Boling, $1; Ezeciel Pemberton, $1; William O’Dell, 75 cents; Clark B. Cawood, $1; Alexander Cawood, $1; Walter Boling, $1; John Megarry, $1; William Walling, $1; George Hensley, $1; Aaron Snell, 50 cents; Evaline O’Dell, $1; Jack H. Smith, 50 cents; James S. Smith, $1.50; E.B. Musgrove, 50 cents; – Crisley, 50 cents; Melibi Crumbly, 50 cents; E.A. Millard, $1; Stephen Morton, $1; James Dunken, $1; William Hopkins, $1; James Fipps, $1; James O’Dell, $1; Robert Poore, $1; John W. Mcgarry, $1; John Poor, 50 cents; John Combs, 50 cents, Isaac Boling, Jr., 50 cents; Orlander Worsham, 50 cents; Jacob B. Boling, 50 cents; P.A. O’Dell, 50 cents; Jacob Stophel (in mail) $1; William D. Blevins, 50 cents.
A word about the history of the cemetery.
John M. Blevins entered the land with the early settlers. It is between Warter’s or Morrell’s Creek to the Little River.
One of Blevins’ granddaughters, Martha Shipley, told me that the first burial there was for an old woman who was traveling on foot through the country, stayed overnight with the Blevins family, became sick and died before the family found what part of the country she came from. Not knowing what else to do, they took her body to a high part of the land where interment was held. As time went on it became a burial place for the neighborhood.
John M. Blevins had two daughters, Catherine and Ruth, who were married to Dan O’Dell and Jim Shipley, respectively, and the property is now the Shipley and O’Dell farms. Nearly all of the farm is still owned and cultivated by the descendants.
Second addition to the Shipley Cemetery.
There were three grave yards on the John M. Blevins entry. One was given to the public for burial grounds by John M. Blevins for the white race. One was given to the Negroes a few hundred feet southeast from the white cemetery. This was given by the Shipley family.
The third cemetery was an Indian burial ground. Approximately 2000, easterly course, in a flat level place and long afterwards has been called by the white man The Old Level.
Uncle Dan O’Dell, as I always called him because he was one of the oldest O’Dells living at that day, showed this writer the exact spot of the Indian Cemetery in a circle around a large yellow pine tree. All of the skeletons were found buried, standing straight up and down. Uncle Dan was present when the government authorities came and took the Indian skeletons up. He also told me “Look Charlie, you see I am a very large man and have a very large jaw bone, however, there was one of the jaw bones of the Indian tribe that just fit nicely around my jaw on the outside of my face. ”
This writer does not know who granted the Indians their burial rights around the old pine tree but it is my own opinion that it was granted by the Great Spirit as all Indians fully believe in the Guidance and protection for both dead and living.
Information submitted by:
BH Becky Hale
BSS pbstew
BW Ben Weaver
BKW Brenda Kay Wilt
CH Carol Hunt
CMc Carla Mcghee
MCC Mary Carrier Cox
PLSH Patsy Lee Sanders Hawkins
R Rita
Can anyone help me find all the cemetery records at New Bethel Church Cemetery in Piney Flats, TN? I am looking for William Henry who was married to Sarah Jane or Ann {Dyer} Madin Name< (Millhorn ) first Marriage, (Henry) second marriage and last before death. I have a copy of the The Thomas and Susan Sharp King Family History Immigrant Ancestors Book from the familysearch.org website and it lists my great great-grandfather as buried at New Bethel Church Cemetery in Piney Flats, TN. I have been all over that graveyard and have found nothing or no record of him buried there. Of course, he could be in an unmarked grave, but I have doubts about that because his wife is buried there and shares a marker with her oldest daughter Celia Millhorn from the first marriage and her name is listed as Sarah Henry, who died in 1905. I know there was a lot of Dyers, Kings, Sharps, Berrys, Davisons, Millhorns, Shipleys, and Tolberts buried in this cemetery and they are all related to me. The last records and only records I have have William Henry and his son William Buck Henry and his other son Eli Kelt Henry on a Voters record in 1891 is the last known document I can find on him. I am also trying to find out who his father is and any documents that link him to Eli Henry of NC. There are so many William and Eli Henrys at this time. That I cannot find any records that line up William Henry and his father Eli Henry to my great-grandfather William Buck Henry if you could help me find were he is buried or any other birth, death, land, cemetery, church, or any record at all please inform me as soon as you can. I live in Fort Myers, Florida and I am coming home to Sullivan County, TN this summer. There are no records on any of the Sullivan County, Washington County, familysearch.org, or United States National Archives, or Tennessee State or County History and Government websites because I have been all over them. So if you could please give me some other records that maybe I might have overlooked along with the any original death records of New Bethel if possible I am willing to pay what you can give to me or donate any money that you might need to look and find for me. Thank You
I am looKING FOR INFORMATION ON WILLIAM HENRY OF BLOUNTVILLE TN MY GRANDMOTHER WAS CLARA HENRY HER grandfather was William Henry.I have no information on my family history past my grandmother thank you
Kenneth, do you have any ideas of their birth and death dates? That might help us narrow the field.
I am seeking a photo of the tombstone of Anna Mae Gibbons, if anyone can help. Thank you in advance for your effort and consideration in this matter. Kindest regards, Mary
Mary, I am the daughter of Anna Mae Gibbons. I was wondering why you are interested in her tombstone?
I am Charlene Anne Gibbons
I am looking for grave sights of Caleb and Elizabeth Shipley, the cemetery was called at on time Groseclose on Reedy Creek Road, Kingsport, TN.
Need directions, has this cemetery changed names.
Looking for records of Native American lineage married to COGBURN or LUTMAN or BOLING or BRYANT or JONES
This is a little off base but I was led to this sight while looking for a book “The History of Hickory Tree Tennessee”.
there is also 3 other books that keep popping up in all my searches “OLD SETTLERS OF HICKORY TREE”,by CT(CHARLIE)Hopkins,”History of Old Cemetery at Hickory Tree”
Author unknown,and “History of Old Hickory Grove School RECALLED”by Lillye Younger if anyone can steer me in the right direction to find any of these books I would be forever grateful.I am most interested in “The History of Hickory Tree” because my father who is now in his 70’s had a copy when he was a child and through his teenage years and charished the book more than any other belonging and it was lost in a house fire back in 1975 and he has looked unsuccessfully ever since for a replacement copy.Thank you very much for any help you can offer.
Know of about every history book in this area and I have never heard of that book.
My great great grandfather wrote the book Old Settlers of Hickory Tree. I’m pretty sure I have a couple of extra copies. I am kin to the Hopkins that lived in Hickory Tree Tennessee.
Please contact me if you still have any copies of his book. I am very interested in it as my family was from Hickory Tree. Thank You
I am trying to locate the final resting place of my Great Grandmother Malissa or Malissia Carrier Godsey. Married to Thomas Preston Godsey Sr. She vanished from the records after my Grandfather Thurman Thomas Godsey was born December 27th, 1893.She gave birth to 2 children that year but I have not been able to locate any information on her after that date.
I know that she didn’t just vanish so she has to be somewhere. Any help or information on her would be greatly appreciated. I would like to be able to go and lay flowers on her grave and a picture of her would be wonderful.
Sincerely, Charles E. Godsey
My dad was buried at Shipley cemetery and I cannot find his grave , his name is James David Robinson, his parents are Hellen and Charles Robinson he died in 1973 or 1974