Note by Phyllis Brown:  Captain John attended Pleasant Grove Presbyterian Church a few miles north of the Linton Cemetery.  He gave some of his land when the church was built.  My husband’s father was minister of Pleasant Grove in the 1960’s.  He and his family traveled on to Belgium, Congo and Switzerland before coming back to the states.  I think it an amazing coincidence that we both have ties to Pleasant Grove.  We have been there for several church anniversaries in the last thirty years.

Washington County Burying Grounds

August 29, 1935

“All the county is a burying ground,” said one prominent citizen of Springfield a few days ago.  Meaning that scattered over the length and breadth of the county are innumerable unrecorded burial plots.  Mr. Baylor is making an effort to
locate and chart as many of these private burying grounds as are brought to his
attention.  The Sun will publish each week the data supplied by its readers and edited by Mr. Baylor.

The Linton Plot

Located on the Springfield and Willisburg Road on the farm formerly owned by Taylor Spalding.  A large plot enclosed with iron fence.  Numerous graves but few stones with inscriptions.

John Linton, Washington County pioneer, was born in Virginia in the year 1750.  He married there, raised a large family, served his country in the War for American Independence and again in the War of 1812.  In his declining years he moved to Kentucky where he settled on a tract of 2000 acres, building his home about two and one-half miles north of Springfield and on what is now the Springfield and Willisburg Road.

After he settled in Washington County, John Linton joined the Presbyterian Church in Springfield.  He was for some time a member of the board of officers thereof.  At one time, when it was proposed to discharge a debt that had
accumulated and in addition assure funds with which to carry on the work of the
congregation by charging pew rent, John Linton vigorously opposed the proposition.  “Never,” he said, “will I pay one penny for the right to sit in the House of the Lord.  You may do as you will but if you vote to charge rent for the pews I will go back to my farm, cut timber and have it made into benches, bring them in and place them about the walls of this church and me and my family and my slaves will occupy them.”  Suffice to say the proposition was rejected.

Some years before his death, John Linton went out on his land and within a few rods from his dwelling-house he stepped off a considerable plot of ground and set up stakes at the four corners.  Returning to the house he announced to the family that he had laid off the family burying ground and stated that he wanted as many of the family as possible to be buried therein, though no outsiders were to rest there.  The burial plot is yet intact though badly overgrown with weeds and briars.  Some years ago Taylor Spalding, while owner of the farm, caused an iron fence to be erected around the plot.  This he did because of a heated controversy at the time over the desecration of another burial-ground elsewhere in Washington County.  He wanted no trouble for himself or any succeeding owners over the desecration of the Linton plot.

John Linton’s children were eleven in number.  His eldest son and principle heir was John H. Linton.   Other sons were Moses, Lewis, Benjamin and William.  The names of his daughters were Martha, Susan, Nancy, Mary, Elizabeth and Catherine.  Of the foregoing William married Eliza Lyon Moran; Susan married William Moran; Nancy married Edward B. Edwards; Catherine married ____ Taylor and Mary married Captain Powell.

Edward B. Edwards died in 1824, leaving his widow Nancy Edwards, who survived until 1862, and the following children:  John, Benjamin M., Jonathan, Mary, Catherine E., Martha, Sarah and Susan.  Of the foregoing Mary married a Janes, Martha a Clarkson, and Susan a Taylor.  Benjamin M. died single leaving his property to his mother and brothers and sisters.

John Linton, before his death in 1836, deeded away much of his lands to his sons and sons-in-law.  These gifts were confirmed in his will.  His son, John H. Linton, got the home tract to hold it but two years for he died in 1838.  William Moran, husband of Susan Linton, and Edward B. Edwards, husband of Nancy Linton, got 200 acres each.

There are seven stones with inscriptions in the Linton burying ground.  These are as follows:

In Memory of

John Linton

Who departed this life

December 4^th, 1836 in the

86^th year of his age

–

In Memory of

William Moran

Who died 3^rd January 1838

Aged 63 yrs 10 months and 17 days

–

In Memory of

Rev.

Benjamin Linton

Aged

In the 87^th year of his

Age

–

John L. Edwards

Born October 12, 1800

Died December 23, 1883

–

Milly N. Edwards

Born Jun 39, 1806

Died February 25, 1873

–

William Linton

–

Eliza, Wife of William Linton