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259    THOMPSON FAMILY CEMETERY-DEVOTION

Location - Haystack Rd, Dobson, Surry Co., NC.

Coordinates: 36d 26m 04.8s N; 80d 55m 16.2s W Click here for Google maps

Directions: From intersection of Main St and Kapp St (ld courthouse square) in Dobson, go west on Kapp St (changes to Zephyr Road) for 5.5 miles. Turn right on Kapps Mill Rd and go 1.85 miles until it dead ends. Then turn right on River Road and go 3.5 miles until it dead ends. Then turn left on Haystack Road and go 3.1 miles to the entrance of Devotion on the right.

View of the cemetery sign.

Surveyed by Andy Hennis on April 6, 2006.
Township or district:  Bryan.
Public or Private:  Private property.
GPS Accuracy (ft.):  12.
Elevation above sea level (ft.):  1420.

The Devotion Estate is a gated private property and one must have permission of the landowners to enter. This cemetery was established in the 1700's..

1. Higgins, Martha Thompson   (b. 1832 - d. 1898)
Wife of Sam Higgins. Daughter of William "Billy" Thompson (1792-1860) and Phoebe Caudle Thompson.
..During the Civil War a lot of the folks in the mountains of NC did not support either side and just wanted to be left alone. The Home Guard was active in Surry County and a lot of men that were not serving were picked up by the Home Guard, Sam Higgins being one of them. He was placed in the jail in Dodson until he was turned over to the Confederate Army for service. In 1864 Sam was killed in action in Virginia and his body was never brought home.
..Sam and Martha had one son and Martha continued to look after the farm with the help of her son and a neighbor, John Jack Mayes. In the spring of 1898 her home was found to be engulfed in flames. Her son was living in Winston-Salem at the time and he was sent for. When the ashes had cooled enough for a search, the body of Martha Higgins was found in the ashes. Martha was buried the day she was found in the Thompson Cemetery.
..Martha kept her money in jars under the rocks in the fire place. Her son searched but could not find the money. Surry County Sheriff Davis went to the John Jack Mayes home and upon questioning Mayes, Mayes told the Sheriff where the money could be found and the money was recovered. Mayes was arrested, tried and hung for the murder of Martha Higgins. Some said he was guilty, some said he was not. He denied the killing and said he only took the money and did no harm to Martha.
..John Jack Mayes' hanging drew 20,000 spectators to Dobson and he was the last man to be hung by the Sheriff in Surry County. He is buried in #136 John Jack Mayes Cemetery and is the only person to have been buried there. (source: Michael Frye 2012)
2. Thompson, ??   (b. - d. 12 Apr 1896)
3. Thompson, ??   (b. - d. )
4. Thompson, ??   (b. 1885 - d. )
5. Thompson, Alex J.   (b. 186? - d. 18??)
6. Thompson, E. Wilborn   (b. 28 Oct 18?3 - d. 17 Dec 1861)
7. Thompson, Fannie J.   (b. - d. )
8. Thompson, Hattie   (b. 1887 - d. 1890)
daughter of Joe Lane and Julia D. Thompson
9. Thompson, Henderson   (b. 13 May 1794 - d. 6 Sep 1881)
Pvt. 1st Regiment, N.C. Jr. Reserves, War of 1812
10. Thompson, Jincie   (b. 28 Apr 1815 - d. 19 Sep 1885)
wife of John C. Thompson
11. Thompson, Joe Lane   (b. 5 Oct 1861 - d. 27 Jul 1920)
husband of Julia D. Thompson
12. Thompson, John C.   (b. 26 Aug 1811 - d. 9 Jun 1889)
husband of Jincie Thompson
13. Thompson, Julia D.   (b. 19 Nov 1863 - d. 11 Jul 1901)
wife of Joe Lane Thompson
14. Thompson, Martha   (b. 1885 - d. 1890)
daughter of Joe Lane and Julia D. Thompson
15. Thompson, Mary   (b. 1885 - d. 1890)
daughter of Joe Lane and Julia D. Thompson
16. Thompson, Median   (b. 1887 - d. 1890)
daughter of Joe Lane and Julia D. Thompson
17. Thompson, Olevia   (b. 17 Apr 1864 - d. 31 Jul 1900)
wife of Alex J. Thompson
18. Thompson, Wilson Calvin   (b. 9 Mar 1927 - d. 23 Aug 1993)
son of Joseph Douglas, the son of Joe Lane, the son of Joseph, the son of Henderson, the son of Joseph, the first Thompson to settle here from Scotland / England. Military marker. PFC US Marine Corps., WW-II