The Caswell Family Cemetery sits adjacent to the Governor Richard Caswell Memorial in Kinston, North Carolina. The half-acre of land was provided by Richard Caswell and designated as a burial ground in his 1787 will, where he states that it (as well as another half-acre plot) may be used “for all those of my family and Connections who may choose to bury their Relations and friends there.” Within the cemetery are several generations of Caswell family members, some of which have marked burials and others who are documented on paper only, with no markers for the graves themselves. This page contains a list of those who are buried within the cemetery, as well as those who are suspected to have been buried there.
Whether Richard Caswell is actually buried in the Caswell Family Cemetery has been debated. Relatives of Caswell made mention of his burial at the site of the present markers, as did Civil War-era maps and documents. However, some scholars are skeptical of the claims, contending that period newspapers documenting Caswell's funeral in Fayetteville never mentioned a burial in Fayetteville or the fact that Caswell was brought to Kinston for burial. His immediate family has always claimed that he is buried in the cemetery, particularly his only surviving son, Dallam, and his only surviving daughter, Susan Gatlin. Dr. Charles Ewen, Distinguished Professor of Anthropology at East Carolina University, believes that his 2008 archaeological excavation of the memorial site has confirmed that Caswell is indeed buried at the Caswell Family Cemetery.
The quest for Caswell's gravesite unearthed yet another burial mystery. After local businessman Ted Stampley issued a $1,000 reward for the discovery of Caswell's final resting place in 1999, a local resident came forward with information on a tunnel and skeleton she found by Herritage Street after a hurricane blew over an oak tree. Caswell's parents were supposedly buried in that general area—then known as The Hill—where the Bentley Bed and Breakfast now stands. The original dwelling of “The Hill” met its demise in a fire during the late 1800s. In the ensuing investigation, Dr. Charles Ewen and Susan Burgess Hoffman uncovered two brick crypts with two windowed caskets of a mid-Nineteenth-century design, firmly dating them well after Caswell's death. After the discovery, Dr. Ewen tenaciously hoped that the unmarked grave was that of yet another missing Caswell pair—Lewis and Nancy Caswell. Dr. Ewen and Hoffman sent the caskets to the Smithsonian Institute for physical anthropologist Doug Owsley to analyze, and both remains proved to be female. The pair were also determined to have been Washingtons rather than Caswells. This discovery gained historians valuable information about the town's history, yet the mystery of where Lewis and Nancy Caswell are buried still persists.
Below is a list of people who are either buried in the Caswell Family Cemetery or who are strongly suspected to have been because of their familial ties to Caswell. The majority of information in this chart has been pulled directly from the headstone inscriptions, with any information not provided on the headstone being supplemented with data from the List of Known Persons Buried in Caswell Cemetery, the Red House cemetery research files, the Dallam Caswell Bible, Ancestry, FamilySearch, and from Sheri L. Balko's dissertation "Richard Caswell, Lost Governor: Memory in Historical Archaeology" (pages 183-189).
Name | Birth Date | Death Date | Connection to Caswell | Extra Information | Headstone Inscription |
Richard Caswell | August 3, 1729 | November 10, 1789 | The First Constitutionally elected governor of N.C. | “Richard Caswell. Aug. 3, 1729-Nov. 10, 1789. First Constitutional Gov. First Recorded Master of St. John's. No. 4 A.F. & A.M. Second Grand Master of the Grand Lodge of N.C.” | |
Mary Mackilwean Caswell | 1732 | February 7, 1757 | 1st Wife of Richard Caswell | No headstone | |
Sarah Heritage Caswell | 1741 | 1794 | 2nd Wife of Richard Caswell | No headstone | |
William Caswell | September 24, 1754 | January 6, 1785 | Son of Richard Caswell and Mary Mackilwean | Husband of Gathra Mackilwean. William was present at Germantown and Valley Forge with General Washington | “William Caswell. Brig Gen. New Bern. District Brig. NC Militia. Rev War. Sep 24 1754. Jan 6 1785” (The headstone was placed by the Sons of the American Revolution.) |
Gathra Mackilwean | 1755 | 1785 | Daughter-in-law of Richard Caswell | Wife of William Caswell | No headstone or documentation of burial, this is a theory based on familial ties |
Susannah Gatlin | February 17, 1776 | March 5, 1843 | Daughter of Richard Caswell and Sarah Heritage | Wife of John Gatlin | “In Memory of Susan Gatlin, (Daughter of Richard Caswell) who died at the Rev. C. Hooks in Wayne Co. on the 5th March 1843, aged 67 years & 17 days” |
John Gatlin | January 10, 1769 | June 20, 1836 | Son-in-law of Richard Caswell | Husband of Susan Gatlin | “In Memory of John Gatlin. who died in Kingston. on the 20th June, 1836. aged 67 years 5 months and 10 days.” |
Sarah Catherine Reavis | August 24, 1814 | March 24, 1838 | Granddaughter of Richard Caswell | Daughter of John & Susan Gatlin. Wife of Turner Reavis | “In Memory of Sarah C. Reavis. daughter of John & Susan Gatlin. who died in Kingston. on the 24th March, 1838. aged 23 years & 7 months.” |
Dallam Caswell | June 15, 1769 | March 18, 1837 | Son of Richard Caswell and Sarah Heritage | Husband of Catherine Bond | No headstone |
Catherine Bond | Unknown | 1828 | Daughter-in-law of Richard Caswell | 2nd wife of Dallam Caswell | No headstone or documentation of burial, this is a theory based on familial ties |
Holland Caswell West | 1795 | 1850 | Granddaughter of Richard Caswell | Daughter of Dallam Caswell and Katy Pearce. Wife of William B. West | No headstone |
Mary Catharine Chesnutt | ca. October 23, 1829 | February 23, 1854 | Great-granddaughter of Richard Caswell | Daughter of Holland Caswell and William B. West. Wife of James Chesnutt | “In Memory of Mary Catharine. Wife of J. Chesnutt. Who departed this life the 23rd of February AD. 1854. Aged 24 years & 4 months. Though absent not forgotten.” |
Eliza W. Desmond | September 12, 1804 | September 18, 1844 | Granddaughter of Richard Caswell | Daughter of Dallam Caswell and Katy Pearce. Wife of Lewis C. Desmond | “Eliza W. Wife of Lewis C. Desmond. Born Sept. 12, 1804. Died Sept. 18, 1844. Aged 40 years & 1 day. Mother sleepeth.” |
Lewis C. Desmond | April 19, 1812 | October 24, 1868 | Grandson-in-law of Richard Caswell | Husband of Eliza W. Desmond | “Lewis C. Desmond. Born April 19, 1812. Died Oct. 24, 1868.” |
Mary E. Fonville | July 25, 1823 | April 18, 1900 | Great-granddaughter of Richard Caswell | Daughter of Lewis and Eliza Desmond | “Mary E. Fonville. Daughter of Lewis C. & Eliza W. Desmond. Born July 25, 1823. Died April 18, 1900.” |
Louiza Jane Desmond | ca. June 3, 1840 | July 12, 1844 | Great-granddaughter of Richard Caswell | Daughter of Lewis and Eliza Desmond | “Louiza Jane. Daughter of Lewis C. & Eliza W. Desmond. died July 12, 1844. AE. 4 yrs. 1 mo. & 9 ds.” |
William Lewis Desmond | ca. September 28, 1826 | October 25, 1831 | Great-grandson of Richard Caswell | Son of Lewis and Eliza Desmond | “William Lewis. Son of Lewis C. & Eliza W. Desmond. died Oct. 25, 1831. AE. 5 yrs. & 27 ds.” |
Sarah Catharine Desmond | ca. July 8, 1834 | October 17, 1836 | Great-granddaughter of Richard Caswell | Daughter of Lewis and Eliza Desmond | “Sarah Catharine. Daughter of Lewis C. & Eliza W. Desmond. died Oct. 17, 1836. AE. 2yrs. 3 mo. & 9 ds.” |
Joshua Desmond | August 26, 1825 | Unknown | Great-grandson of Richard Caswell | Son of Lewis and Eliza Desmond | “Joshua D. Son of Lewis C. & Eliza W. Desmond. Born August 26th, 1825. Here lies a good man” |
Elizabeth Bryan Desmond | ca. October 13, 1832 | December 8, 1840 | Great-granddaughter of Richard Caswell | Daughter of Lewis and Eliza Desmond | “Elizabeth Bryan. Daughter of Lewis C. & Eliza W. Desmond. died Dec. 8, 1840. AE. 8 yrs. 1 mo. & 25 ds.” |
Mary P. Brown | September 20, 1854 | December 2, 1922 | Daughter of John and Martha Brown. Sister of George T. Brown | “Aunt Pennie. Mary P. Brown. Daughter of John M. & Martha C. Brown. Born Sept. 20, 1854. Died Dec. 2, 1922. Gently the passing spirit fled sustained by grace devine. Oh! May such grace on me be shed and make my end like thine.” | |
George Tom Brown | September 22, 1845 | February 21, 1897 | Father of Rachel L. Brown. Husband of Mary W. Brown. Brother of Mary P. Brown | “Father. G.T. Brown. Born Sept. 22, 1845. Died Feb. 21, 1897. His memory is blessed.” | |
Mary Willie Brown | February 12, 1855 | October 20, 1908 | Mother of Rachel L. Brown. Wife of George T. Brown | “Mother. Mary W. Wife of G.T. Brown. Born Feb. 12, 1855. Died Oct. 20, 1908. A tender mother and a faithful friend.” | |
Rachel Lawrence Brown | March 9, 1880 | April 21, 1947 | Daughter of George T. Brown and Mary W. Brown. Wife of John R. Watford | “Rachel L. Brown. Wife of J R Watford. March 9, 1880. April 21, 1947. Sometime we will understand” | |
John Robert Watford | February 12, 1873 | December 26, 1950 | Son of William R. Watford and Clementine P. Nobles. Husband of Rachel L. Brown | “John R. Watford. Feb. 12, 1873. Dec. 26, 1950” | |
Walter Davenport | 1800 | June 5, 1832 | “The remains of Walter Davenport repose here. He was a native of Coventry Conn. Died June 5, 1832. AEt. 32. As a tribute to his memory his relatives have caused the erection of this monument” |