Old St. Philip's Cemetery (Kirkwood Cemetery) near Camden, Mississippi

On Mississippi Memories today, I began a series of posts about the Hemingway family of Camden, South Carolina and Camden, Mississippi. Included in that post was a copy of a photograph of Henrietta Hemingway.

I first learned about the Hemingway family from Mitchell Sawyer, one of my readers and Henrietta's great-grandson, who contacted me and provided photos of the cleanup he organized of old St. Philips Cemetery, also known as Kirkwood Cemetery. Henrietta Hemingway is buried in this cemetery, along with former Mississippi governor William McWillie, members of McWillie's immediate family, and his long-time friend and business associate, Chapman Levy.

Henrietta Hemingway
b. April 6, 1799, d. April 8, 1860
Buried in Kirkwood Cemetery
Madison County, Mississippi



Henrietta Hemingway
(photograph courtesy of Mitchell Sawyer)

In one of his emails, Mitchell related a story about his great-grandmother: "My Hemingway ancestors left Duesbury England on the Ship Majestic and arrived in Charleston Harbor in 1829. Settled in the Camden, SC area which is how they knew Governor McWillie. In fact, the 'tale' in the family is that Catherine (Gov.'s wife) prepared my great grandmother Henrietta Hemingway's hair on her wedding day."

I hope you will join me at Mississippi Memories to read more about members of the Hemingway family who migrated to Mississippi during the mid-1800's.

St. Philips Episcopal Cemetery - Henrietta Hemingway

Recently, one of my readers, Mitchell Sawyer, contacted me and shared information and photos about the cleanup he organized of old St. Philips Cemetery, also known as Kirkwood Cemetery. This very old cemetery, located in the far reaches of Madison County, Mississippi, near Camden, is the burial place of former Mississippi governor William McWillie and members of his immediate family and others who were allied with that family.



Henrietta Hemingway
b. April 6, 1799, d. April 8, 1860
Buried in Kirkwood Cemetery
Madison County, Mississippi

Among the photos Mitchell shared with me was one of his great-grandmother, Henrietta Hemingway, shown here today.



Henrietta Hemingway
(photograph courtesy of Mitchell Sawyer)

Mitchell related to me a brief story about his great-grandmother: "My Hemingway ancestors left Duesbury England on the Ship Majestic and arrived in Charleston Harbor in 1829. Settled in the Camden, SC area which is how they knew Governor McWillie. In fact, the 'tale' in the family is that Catherine (Gov.'s wife) prepared my great grandmother Henrietta Hemingway's hair on her wedding day."

Ironically, the Hemingway family later migrated to Mississippi and settled in the area of Madison County known as "Camden."

Thank you, Mitchell, for sharing some of your family history with me and with my readers.

St. Philip's Episcopal Church Cemetery, Madison County

Several weeks ago, I received an email from Mitchell Sawyer, who happened upon a post I had written in December 2008 about Kirkwood Cemetery in rural Madison County. According to Sawyer, he discovered the once hidden cemetery when he was searching for his Hemingway ancestors, who he believed to be buried there. After finding the cemetery in a neglected and overgrown state, Mr. Sawyer personally initiated a cleanup project.



Kirkwood Cemetery, Madison County
( St. Philip's Episcopal churchyard)\
Photograph by Mitchell Sawyer

In an email to me, Mr. Sawyer stated: "When I found the grave yard it was completely overgrown and hidden. I had a lot of encouragement and advice from the Ms. Dept. of Archives and History. After removing the “forest” I started some tombstone cleaning and very thankfully the Madison Co. Supervisors got in the act and erected a nice chain link fence. Unfortunately, this past summer it appears vandals toppled the Governor’s monument. The cemetery has gained the name, of course, from the McWillie plantation but the actual name is St. Philip’s Episcopal churchyard. The Episcopal church building stood to the left as you enter the cemetery; upon a small knoll."



Photographed by Mitchell Sawyer
April 17, 2007, after cleanup

As one who treasures the beauty and historical significance of our state's very old cemeteries, I want to thank Mr. Sawyer for his role in locating this cemetery, for clearing and removing the trees and brush, and for getting the Madison County Board of Supervisors involved. Through Mr. Sawyer's selfless efforts, descendants of those buried in Kirkwood Cemetery near where old St. Philip's Episcopal Church once stood, may now visit the graves of their ancestors.

Kirkwood Cemetery

Gravestone of William McWillie
Former Gov. of the State of Mississippi
Kirkwood Cemetery, Camden, MS
b. November 17, 1795, d. March 3, 1869

The gravesite of William McWillie, former Governor of the State of Mississippi, is seen in the picture above of Kirkwood Cemetery, near the site of the McWillie family home that was known as "Kirkwood." A photograph of former Governor McWillie's official portrait as Governor of Mississippi, is also shown above.

Kirkwood Cemetery and the old McWillie home site are located in a heavily pine-forested and remote northeast corner of Madison County, near the community known as Camden. Also buried in the cemetery are members of the McWillie family, including some family members of his two wives.

William McWillie was born on November 17, 1795 in Camden, Kershaw County, South Carolina. While still living in South Carolina and while still a young man, McWillie served in the War of 1812. After migrating to Mississippi, McWillie was elected to serve in the U.S. House of Representatives, and between 1849 and 1851, he served as a representative from Mississippi's 3rd District. Several years later, McWillie was elected Governor of Mississippi, where he headed the state government from 1857 to 1859.

The gravemarker for William McWillie's second wife, Catharine, interestingly fashioned in the form of an open book, is pictured below.


Gravestone marking the burial place of
Catherine Anderson McWillie, second wife of William McWillie.
Catharine died on June 8, 1873, at the age of 61 years .