Overview Location Date Constructed/ Founded Associated Surnames Historical notes Associated Slave Workplaces Associated Free Persons Associated Enslaved Persons Research Leads and Plantation Records Miscellaneous Information References Users Researching This Workplace

Overview

Location

On Coles Creek in Jefferson County, MS in an area known as the Maryland Settlement at first. Later it became known as Church Hill.

Date Constructed/ Founded

Colonel James Gillam Wood and his family left Maryland in 1811 and soon settled on Auburn Plantation (1,000 acres of land purchased from Henry Hunt for $12,500) in Jefferson County, MS.

Associated Surnames

Wood

Historical notes

A link to a webpage with a painting and biography of Col. Wood follows. http://jeffersoncountyms.org/jgwood.htm

Col. Wood (b. 14 Nov 1770 in MD, d. 8 Jun 1845 in MS)traveled to Jefferson County, MS with:

1. Martha Young - his second wife (b. 1785, d. 1821 in MS)
2. His five children - two from his first marriage to Sarah Weems Allein (b.1779, d Mar 1805 in MD), and three from his marriage to Martha
3. Some slaves
4. Cattle
5. Household items

Col. Wood's home on Auburn Plantation was called Auburn Hall. In 1908 a tornado destroyed it. It looked sort of like a house named Concord in Natchez. A link to a web page that has a picture of Concord follows. http://www.geocities.com/twincousin2334/Natchez.html .

Mr. Wood began to do quite well at Auburn Plantation. In 1836 he invested in a 2,803 acre Warren Co., MS Plantation - Ursino Plantation in an area just south of Vicksburg, MS known as Davis Bend (on the MS River). Davis Bend was named after Joseph Davis (a Greenville, Jefferson Co, MS acquaintance of Col. Wood) who owned Hurricane Plantation at Davis Bend on the MS River in Warren Co. Joseph's brother - Confederacy President Jefferson Davis - owned Brierfield Plantation at Davis Bend. Both Ursino and Brierfield were originally part of Joseph Davis' 11,000 acre Hurricane Plantation.

Col. Wood was financially successful enough to give each of his children a plantation when they reached adulthood. The plantations each consisted of 500 to 600 acres, a home, and enough slaves to run the plantation. Photos of three of the homes (Oak Grove, The Cedars, & Lagonia) on the plantations that Col. Wood gave his children are at: http://www.jimscabinrental.com/church_hill_area.htm

A list of Col. Wood's children and which plantations they got is as follows.

1. Jane got Oak Grove Plantation - Jefferson MS
2. Watt got Woodburn Plantation - Jefferson MS
3. Maria got The Cedars Plantation which adjoined Oak Grove Plantation - Jefferson MS
4. Robert got Woodland Plantation which adjoined Mary Ann Hunt's Oakwood Plantation
5. Edgar lived on Mary Agnes Walton Hunt's Calviton Plantation when he married her - he also owned Wilkin Place
6. Eliza got Lagonia Plantation which is across the street from Oak Grove Plantation - Jefferson MS.

Associated Slave Workplaces

Ursino Plantation, also see the plantations of Col. Wood's children listed above

Associated Free Persons

• Henry Hunt - land owner
• Colonel James G. Wood and his wife Martha Young - plantation owner
• Colonel Wood's children - Jane, Watt, Maria, Robert, Edgar and Eliza.

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Associated Enslaved Persons

• none recorded yet

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Research Leads and Plantation Records

• none reported yet

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Miscellaneous Information

• none

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References

• Charles Dawkins, "James Gillam Wood" 2007, rootsweb, http://jeffersoncountyms.org/jgwood.htm (retrieved 30 Nov 07).
• Ann Brown, "Diggin for Roots, Church Hill" 2006 rootsweb, http://jeffersoncountyms.org/churchhill.htm (retrieved 30 Nov 07).

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Users Researching This Workplace

• none recorded yet

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