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289    COUCH, THOMAS AND WILLIAM FAMILY CEMETERY

Location - In Chapel Hill Township east of Friends School Rd (SR #1719) in Duke Forest. In an area bounded by private property and not on an authorized trail or in an authorized access area; permission to visit must be obtained from the Office of the Duke Forest.

Coordinates: 36d 00m 16.2s N; 79d 00m 57.9s W Click here for Online Maps

Survey - This cemetery was not visited during the 1970s survey. Margaret Jones of the Orange County Environment and Resource Conservation Department and Milton Forsyth surveyed this cemetery 11 Dec 2007 with the permission of Duke Forest management.

Graves - There were 3 graves marked by worn and partially illegible gravestones and some 27 others marked by fieldstones and/or depressions.

Comment - The Couch property was purchased by Duke University in about 1947. A short history of the Couch Tract and the family was prepared for the Duke Forest 75th Anniversary Gathering and Research Symposium by Rachel Frankel entitled: "The Couch Tract of the Duke Forest - Learning From Land-Use" and is available online. Information from an unnamed source was used for burial information in the 1970s but was shown to be incorrect and has been removed. Intact gravestones, Ms. Frankel's paper and current research by Couch family researchers identifies or suggests other burials. Mr. David Couch of Texas provided clarifying information for the burial descriptions.

1. Couch, Dicey White   (b. 1795 - d. 15 Nov 1877)
Wife of William A. Couch, Sr., daughter of William White. Probably buried here. [See Shirley J. Mallard, Death and Marriage Notices from the Hillsborough Recorder, 1997, p. 376 - from issue of 28 Nov 1877: "Died - Mrs. Dicey Couch, 82, Widow of William Couch, Sr., in Durham Township 15 November. She was a Baptist." Also see O. C. Marriage Bond C-964, 8 Jan 1823: Wm. Couch & Dicey White; and 1870 census, Dicey Couch, Durham Twp., age 77, in residence of Nathan Couch, age 30, who was her son.]
2. Couch, John W.   (b. 19 May 1835 - d. 18 Nov 1917)
Husband of Julia A. Couch; son of William A. Couch, Sr. [Inherited the portion of the Couch property that makes up most of the Duke Forest tract. Shown in 1910 census living in Chapel Hill Twp., aged 74, with daughter Mary Annette "Nettie" Couch (1866-1965, buried Mt. Moriah Baptist Ch. Cem.). O. C. Death Certificate 3-401 notes burial in "Family Grave Yard."]
3. Couch, Julia A. Shields   (b. 25 Nov 1836 - d. 5 Mar 1884)
Wife of John W. Couch. [See O. C. Marriage Bond C-954: Couch, John and Julia A. Shields, 12 Sept 1865; Wm. T. Shields, bm.] Not in 1910 census. Probably buried here.
4. Couch, Thomas   (b. 1786 - d. 15 Oct 1845)
Very worn gravestone, unmarked footstone. Son of Thomas Couch, Sr. (1739-1832). [See Shirley J. Mallard, Death and Marriage Notices from the Hillsborough Recorder, 1997, p. 127 - from issue of 23 Oct 1845: "Died - Thomas Couch, 59, in this county 15th inst."]
5. Couch, Thomas, Jr.   (b. 4 Jan 1834 - d. 7 Mar 1851)
Worn gravestone, clearly engraved "JUN" for Jr., and unmarked footstone. He was unmarried. [Son of William A.. Couch, Sr.and Dicey White; see Shirley J. Mallard, Death and Marriage Notices from the Hillsborough Recorder, 1997, p. 172 - from issue of 12 Mar 1851: "Died - Thomas Couch, 17, son of Wm. Couch, in this county 7th March."]
6. Couch, Thomas, Sr.   (b. Abt 1739 - d. 1832)
Enumerated in the 1830 Orange County census at age between 90-100. Believed buried here. Son of Thomas Couch (b.1710-1714 - d.1776-1784, SC) who came from Brunswick Co., VA to Orange Co., NC in about 1752 and moved in 1766 to SC.
7. Couch, William A., Sr.   (b. 15 Sep 1781 - d. 12 Apr 1856)
Worn gravestone, unmarked footstone. Husband of Dicey Couch. Son of Thomas Couch, Sr. (1739-1832). [See Shirley J. Mallard, Death and Marriage Notices from the Hillsborough Recorder, 1997, p. 220 - from issue of 23 Apr 1856: "Died - William Couch, 75, in this county 12th inst. He was a Baptist."]