There are marked graves and unmarked graves at the Ochesee Cemetery. I have not recorded the cemetery and have not visited it recently. I was told by cousins who are now deceased that my great great grandfather, James
Jefferson Peacock, may be buried there. I have no obituary or written documentation to show where he is buried. What I do know about him is as follows:
James
Jefferson Peacock is sometimes referred to as "Jeff"
Peacock. Wife, Sarah Jane
Parker married Mr. Newcomber after Jeff died. James
Jefferson Peacock is believed to have owned a farm near what is now Ochessee
Landing on what is now the Appalacheecola River in what is now
Jackson Co FL. The land may now be owned by the
Florida Power and Light Co. FL Archives in Tallahassee, FL contain microfishe of Sarah Jane Newcomber saying she was a survivor of her late husband, James
Jefferson Peacock, who died in "
Jackson Co FL." I have searched area graveyards without success. Several relatives have told me his farm was near
Pope Lake. The only
Pope Lake known is now the flood plain area to the southwest of the Jim
Woodruff Dam which sits on the FL-GA border. The lake no longer exists in its original configuration. The beginning of the western side of the
Victory Bridge just south of Jim
Woodruff Dam is the believed southern boundary of what previously was
Pope Lake. Note, Ochessee
Landing is only a few miles south of the
Victory Bridge located in Chattahoochee, FL. The FL Power people told me they believe that several family farm grave plots are included in the land they own, but no accurate records are kept. I do not know the burial place of this grandfather. Prior handwritten notes of Will J. and Broward
Peacock, sons of Joseph Franklin
Peacock, indicate he is buried "near Ochessee
Landing." Outlines of Charles
Pierson Peacock show "
Pope Cemetery,
Jackson Co FL" and refer to both James
Jefferson Peacock and his wife Sarah Jane
Parker dying in Sneads,
Jackson Co FL. I have visited
Pope Cemetery (north of Sneads FL less than a mile from Hwy 90) and there are many unmarked indentations in the ground with no
Peacock headstones. Also Sarah Jane
Parker Peacock remarried a Mr. Newcomer after "Jeff" died. Whether she is buried with "Jeff" is speculative.
James
Jefferson Peacock's death date is verified by State of FL Archives Tallahassee, FL, Reel 4 of 11, p 73-15,
Jackson Co, County
Judge, Record of Estates, Book C, 1852-1857, L.D.S. No. 926963, which states at page 581: " To the
Hon. Robert S.Dickson,
Judge of Probate of
Jackson County, Your petitioner Sarah Jane
Newcomer respectfully showwith unto your Honor that her former husband James J. Peacock departed this life in
Jackson County Florida on the 11th of April 1855 intestate and that no letters of administration has been granted upon his estate. That at his death he was possessed of Three hundred & twenty-eight acres of land one house twelve head of cattle some hogs and other property. He also have five children who are his distributees and your petitioner his widow who is entitled to dower in his property which she prays may be allotted to her more than six months having lapsed since his death. She prays that your honor will command the administration to the
Sheriff of
Jackson County and that her dower may be allotted in this office. And as in duty bound she will______pay.
Sarah Jane
Newcomer Probate Office Dec. 19th 1856
Having considered the above petition it is ordered that the pray(?) prayer of the Petitioner be granted in her furnishing list of Property on which Dower is claimed and that the
Sheriff be now appointed administrator of James J. Peacock.
It is further ordered that Wm. Yarborough William B. Whatley & Hugh(?) Bush(?) Beall(?) Paulk(?) be appointed appraisers of said estate.
R.S.Dickson,
Judge of Probate
In the name of the State of
FloridaTo all whom these presents shall come____Greetings
Whereas the power of appointing appraisors to value the estate of ________
persons(?) to this Court apportions NOW KNOW YE that I Robert S. Dickson
Judge of Probate of
Jackson County have appointed you William Yarbrough William B. Whatley and Hugh Bush to view value and appearance and make inventory of the negro slaves and all the personal property of James J. Peacock deceased and report the same in the office of the
Judge of Probate of Said County on or before the first day of February 1857 and herein fail not & have you thru and thru this______.
Given under my hand and seal of office this the 19th day of December A.D. 1856. Robert S. Dickson
Judge of Probate J.C.
In the name of the State of
FloridaTo James
Griffin Sheriff of
Jackson County Greeting
Whereas application to me has been made for an order directing you to take charge of and administer the assets belonging to the estate of James J. Peacock deceased late of said county. Now know ye that I Robert S. Dickson
Judge of Probate in and for Said County do hereby command and require you James
Griffin,
Sheriff as aforesaid by virtue of your office to take charge of and administer the assets belonging to the estate of the said James J. Peacock deceased which may be your county and (do?) all things to do according to law.
Given under my hand & seal of office this 19th day of December A.D. 1856 Robert S. Dickson
Judge of Probate J.C.
{begining pg. 582}
I certify that the foregoing Petition Order & Letters fo admin. & ______of appraisement of the estate of James J. Peacock has been______ __ ________Dec. 19th 1856.
Robert S. Dickson
Judge of Probate"
Note: Index to this probate record says: "
Peacock, Jas. J. appt. Sheriff(?) Book C page 581 file 24{ and }
Peacock, Jas. J. Writ of Appraisal (?) Book C page 581 file 24." Apparently " Jas." is the abbreviation for James.
SOURCE: Death Certificate No.12407 for J.K. Peacock, son of James
Jefferson Peacock, says father was Jeff
Peacock, born "SC" and mother was Sarah
Parker born "SC." Informant on J.K. Peacock's death certificate was " Mrs. Sallie Ayers, Altha Fla Rt. #1." She is the daughter of Jeff
Peacock and the sister of J.K. Peacock and the wife of J.K. Peacock's undertaker, "W.H. Ayers."
In July, 1997, I attended the
Peacock Reunion in Altha, Calhoun Co FL and spoke to James Burl
Peacock, born 1905, then 92 years old. He said as far as he knew, James
Jefferson Peacock is buried in the cemetery on the north side of the road and approximately one-fourth of a mile east of the Ocheesee Community intersection, which is east of Altha, FL. The cemetery is located east of Blue Bird Farm owned by the Yoder family. Several tombstones are visible and numerous indentations in the soil indicate other burials which are not marked. The cemetery is fenced on three sides and no more than an acre. My sister, Nadine
Peacock Standland and my children and I have visited the cemetery and have not been successful in locating tombstones marked with
Peacock.
SOURCE: 1850 Census of
Jackson Co FL, lists household # 90
Peacock, James J., age 30, M, Farmer; Sarah J., 30, F; Wm. G. 8, M; James K, 5, M; Martha F., 2, F. Next household # 91 lists
Peacock, John, 27, M, Laborer; Solomon, 25, M, Laborer;
Gideon, 19, M, Laborer. NOTE: this is a different
Gideon Peacock than the 20 year old male listed in household # 2. This appears to confirm all these men were living next door to their older brother and his wife and family. NOTE: Two houses away in household # 92 was the "Blacksmith, John
Newcomer, 52, M" (2nd husband of Sarah Jane
Parker Peacock after James
Jefferson Peacock died on April 11, 1855) and his then wife, Lydia, 54, F.
See full text from James Kinson
Peacock notes entry which indicates the following information concerning Jame
Jefferson Peacock. Source: "
Florida 1513-1913, Past Present & Future," by George M. Chapin, page 612. The paragraph which follows is quoted with the typos as they are printed.
"JAMES KINSION
Peacock, James Kinsion
Peacock, who for forty-seven years has been engaged in farming in
Jackson County, was born in Washington county, Georgia, March 3, 1845. He is the son of
Jefferson and Sarah (
Parker)
Peacock, natives of
North Carolina, who came to
Florida in 1845 and remained residents of this state until their deaths. The father engaged in general farming, dying upon his property in 1854. He was survived by his wife four years. To their union were born five children: Green, who was taken prisoner while serving in the Civil war and died at Ft. Delaware; Frances, who never married and lives with her sister Nancy; James Kinsion, of this review; Nancy, the wife of Joe Durham, of Calhoun county; and John, deceased.