TOMBSTONE INSCRIPTIONS FROM BLACK CEMETERIES
IN BENTON COUNTY, TENNESSEE
(Revised Edition with Maps)
Compiled by Jonathan K. T. Smith
Copyright, Jonathan K. T. Smith, 1995

(Page 67)

OLIVER PAVATT

Benton County Deed Book G, pages 361-362:

Larger image available

 

The Hon. Stephen Conger Pavatt (1808-1863), a native of Sumner County, Tennessee, was an attorney, a member of the 20th and 21st General Assemblies of Tennessee, being responsible in 1852 for the legislation that gave David Benton credit for being the person for whom the county was named. He served also as Chancellor of the Sixth Chancery District of Tennessee, 1854-1861. Although he and his family had lived in Camden for several years, in 1851 they moved to his farm in south Benton County. His servants cultivated 65 acres only of his land while a remaining 4390 acres were largely in woodland, undeveloped; at one point on the river a landing called Pavatt's Landing provided travellers an entry point in that part of the county. By 1860 he had six slaves, an older couple, a middle-aged couple and a young adult couple, apparently having recently formed a union as there were no children enumerated in the census for them.

Of interest, here, was the man of the young couple, the long-time servant named OLIVER PAVATT who was born about 1825 in Davidson County, Tenn.). Judge Pavatt sold Oliver to his brother, Felix Pavatt, in August 1844 for $500 but after this brother's early death, Oliver somehow came back to

 

(Page 68)

[Page 68 is missing in the copies at the Jackson-Madison County Library (used for scanning) and the Benton County Library.]

 

Return to Contents