Rachel Fenner and William Neatherlin - Buried in Ebenezer Baptist Church Cemetery, Amite County, MS

During my recent Neatherlin/Netherland research, I learned that Rachel Fenner and William Neatherlin were members of Ebenezer Baptist Church in Amite County, Mississippi. Established in 1809, this church is said to be the oldest Baptist Church in Mississippi.  According to the church's minutes published online, in 1815, Rachel Neatherlin "applyed for...(a letter) of dismission," most likely after William's death and before her planned move to live with one of their adult children. 


Established in 1809, Amite County, Texas, was the fifth county to be established in the Mississippi Territory.  Almost a half century later, Amite County would become known as a "jumping off" spot for residents who migrated to Texas. Interestingly, the town of Liberty,Texas was named for Liberty, Mississippi, where many of these residents later settled.


A list of those buried in the cemetery at Ebenezer Baptist Church is included on the website of Genealogy Trails, and Rachel and William are among those on the list.  I still do not know for sure where either of my great-great-great-great-grandparents were born.  Other family researchers say they may have been born in Tennessee or Georgia or even Holland. But one thing I now know for certain is where they are buried.  Needless to say, a trip to the cemetery for some photos is near the top of my genealogy "to do" list.  I will let you know what I find.

"Mississippi Court Records - 1799 - 1835"

Since I am still searching for John P. Gibson, my last brick wall ancestor, I decided to take one more look through the handy reference guide above. First printed in 1936, this 193-page book of Mississippi Court Records spanning the time period 1799 -1835, was compiled by J. Estelle Stewart King, a descendant of some of Mississippi's earliest settlers. My copy of Ms. King's book is a Clearfield Company, Inc. reprint (1992, 1994, 1995) of Genealogical Publishing Company's reprint (1969) in Baltimore, MD.


Included in the book are abstracts of wills and marriage records for Adams, Amite, Claiborne, Hinds, Warren, and Yalobusha Counties. Along with an alphabetical index, an appendix was added to the 1969 reprint that includes cemetery inscriptions from City Cemetery, Vicksburg, Mississippi and an excerpt from the Copiah County Orphan's Court (1823-24).


For family history researchers looking for ancestors who lived in the Mississippi Territory and in the state during the early years after its formation, Ms. King's book may be a great source of information.