Chris's Genealogy Journey: July 2 Grave Hunting Day Two

Grave of J. Arthur Gill son of Samuel D. Gill and
Mattie Land

Energized by my successful search the previous day I headed out eagerly on day two when I shifted my search to Baskerville and South Hill, east of Boydton. I felt confident my first target would be easy to find. It was the graveyard at St. Andrew’s Church where another Land ancestor was buried. John had told me there was only one church in Baskerville so that should be easy to find, right?

I followed the directions provided by my TomTom navigation system and my printed Google map and that led me to Baskerville Road, but no town. No problem, I simply asked Siri to give me directions. She led me in a different direction but not to a town. Hum. How could I miss a whole town twice? I decided to call John who sent me back to where I’d just been and clarified that I needed to turn right, not left when I came to Baskerville Road. Ah.

Buchanan Family Plot where Samuel Wesley Land is buried
with his wife Mary R. Buchanan land in Baskerville

So I found Baskerville and drove slowly through the town looking for the one and only church. It did not take long. The town is about 3 blocks long but I didn’t see a church. I turned around again for a second pass and this time, there it was, on the right – a small, red brick church with peaked windows on the side. I found Samuel Wesley Land, another Mason along with his wife and her family. I also found Dabney Phillips, a 4^th great uncle and a few other Phillips that are probably relations. After taking photos of all possible family members I left Baskerville and headed further east to the town of South Hill.

Phillips headstone with Dabney Henry Phillips and his
wife Annie Wells

There were two locations in South Hill I wanted to find. The first was at the intersection of State Routes 655 and 657 off Highway 47. The Land, Finch, Gill and Roebuck Cemetery was supposed to be located behind an old house at the intersection of these two roads. When I found the intersection there was only one house and it was old, so I found a place to park in the shade and ate lunch. Then I walked back to the house and knocked on the door.

Beth, the resident responded. I told her what I was looking for and she immediately said, “Oh, yes, we have a cemetery on our property. I’ll show you where it is.” We walked maybe 50 feet and there beside a dirt road was a small area enclosed by a rusted, ornamental iron fence. The gate at the center said “Finch”. Inside, and all around the fenced area, the vegetation was out of control but I managed to make my way inside to photograph each of the six headstones. One was for Mary R. Land, wife of John B. Land who was my 1^st cousin four times removed.

Mary R. Land wife of John B. Land

Outside the fence I found a marker for four members of the Gregory Family – no relation. Beth also pointed out three additional tombs. These were above-grade, brick structures with engraved concrete covers. The text was barely legible but I could make out the name “Taylor” on each one. I thanked Beth and was off to the next spot. Once again I had had remarkable luck finding Beth at home. If she hadn’t been there I don’t think I would have had the nerve to walk down her driveway, and even if I had the cemetery fence was so overgrown I might not have noticed it.

For my next challenge, John’s cousin had given me a sheet of paper that described a Pattillo Family Cemetery. The directions said it was located at the intersection of SR 839 and Highway 57 in South Hill. Once there I was to “take a farm road behind the house on the north side of the intersection where I would find the cemetery in a cedar grove beside a pond.” I didn’t see any houses on the north side of the road but I did see some cedar trees and 2 houses on the south side, so I headed that way.

Gate into the Land, Finch, Gill, Roebuck Cemetery on Beth's
property

When I saw a car coming I stopped and jumped down from the driver’s seat to ask if they knew where the cemetery was. The woman in the passenger seat didn’t know of the cemetery but she thought her father would and he lived in one of the two houses. I followed them but her father was taking a nap and her mother didn’t know where the cemetery was either. But, she suggested I drive to the end of the road and told me, “the woman who lived there had been in the area for many years and would know about the cemetery.”

Another hundred yards down the gravel road I came to a very nice, two-story brick home with a beautiful perennial garden in front. Gardens like that are unusual for this part of the country. Most property’s landscaping consists of acres of lush, green, mown grass with large, picturesque trees – often stately oaks. But few homeowners have ornamental gardens of note.

I rang the front door and when I didn’t hear a chime I knocked. No response. So, I walked to the side door where a car was parked and knocked again. A youngish man came to the door and then his mother, Barbara Gill joined him. When I told her what I was interested in she asked, “and who are you?” When I responded that I was a Pattillo, she lit up instantly. Moments later I was sitting in her nicely air conditioned living room listening to her tell me the story of Charlie Pattillo who used to own part of the farm now owned by the Gill family. After a few more stories I asked, “So, are you going to tell me how to find the cemetery?” and, Barbara said, “I’ll take you there.”

Samuel Wesley Land

Mary B Buchanan wife of Samuel W. Land

We drove back down the gravel drive to Miles Creek Road, then made a sharp left onto another gravel road on the north side of the street, then suddenly she made a sharp right and started driving through the field. I followed her. The lumpy route jarred my kitchen cupboard open and 4 plates, a salad bowl, an aluminum pot and lid, measuring spoons and three ripe peaches flew out and onto the floor of the motorhome. I kept driving to keep up with Barbara.

One of 9 or 10 stone grave markers

She stopped beside the pond and we ventured through the tangled vegetation. She pointed and I pursued. The clues I had said, “the cemetery consists of a number of unknown graves. Graves are marked with fieldstones.” And then it added, “Charlie H. Pattillo”. As I climbed over fallen branches and beneath twining vines I found 9 or 10 flat stones that were set upright and partially buried in the soil. Barbara explained that these probably marked the graves of slaves or infants. Then she pointed again and when I looked in that direction I could see a traditional headstone lying on the ground. It had broken off its base and fortunately fell with the text facing up so after brushing aside the leaf litter I could clearly see “Charlie H. Pattillo, Born Sept. 15, 1851, Died Sept. 19, 1926, Gone But Not Forgotten”. Indeed, you are not forgotten Charlie and I will make sure you never are by adding your headstone to the Find-A-Grave website when I get home. Charlie is James H. Pattillo’s nephew and my first cousin three times removed.

Fallen headstone of Charlie H.
Pattillo

Finding Barbara was like finding another pea in my pod. Like me she likes to garden and enjoys family and local history. She treasures old things and exudes a zest for life. Later that night, while processing my photos, I noticed that Samuel D. Gill married Mattie Land, another first cousin three times removed, so it appears that Barbara’s family may actually be from the same crop of peas as I am. Once again I was awe struck by my remarkable good fortune in finding people who lead me to my ancestors.

Having checked off every place on the day’s list I headed back to Rudd Creek Campground feeling completely satisfied.