Benjamin was born in Orange County, VA to Edmund Waller Stephens (1777-1864) and Agness Smith Robinson (1779-1802). His family moved to Abbeville County, SC (near Hodges) where Agness was one of several family deaths from an unknown disease, likely typhoid.
Benjamin married Unk wife #1 in SC about 1817 and had one daughter, Agness Robinson Stephens (1818-1873)- the mother apparently died of childbirth complications. Benjamin named his infant daughter for his dead mother Agness Smith Robinson.
In 1824, Benjamin w/Agness accompanied his sister Dorothy and her husband Zachary Logan as well as William C Wardlaw family from Abbeville County, SC to Greene County, AL. Benjamin purchased his first 80 acres in Greene County in 1826 - shortly before he returned to SC to marry Margaret Only Wardlaw. Note: William Franklin Henderson (1811-1890) - future husband of Agness - accompanied Benjamin to Greene County in 1824 - apparently, he lived with Benjamin's family for several years.
William Wardlaw purchased 80 acres of land in 1824 - Benjamin purchased 80 acres in 1826. The two plots were adjacent to each other. These plots of land are located along County Road 231 about 4 miles NE of Eutaw, AL. The two homesteads were located about 1.5 miles west of the (early Greene County seat but now a ghost town) Erie, AL which was located on east bank of the Black Warrior River.
Benjamin returned to SC in 1826 and married wife #2 Margaret Only Wardlaw (1794-1874) in late 1826. The couple returned to Greene County, AL in 1827 as part of a caravan of immigrants. Benjamin purchased a total of 320 acres (5 purchases) in Greene County, AL between 1826 and 1839. This latter purchase was located just southwest of Bethel Baptist Church at Ralph, AL.
Research suggests that such SC migrants rafted down the Holston/Tennessee River to Huntsville, AL before traveling by land to Tuscaloosa and Greene County.
Note: Benjamin & Margaret Stephens, David & Lavina Henderson plus David's widowed mother, and William & Agness Henderson became members of Bethel Baptist Church at Ralph, AL prior to 1840.
Benjamin married (widow) Margaret Only Wardlaw (1794-1874) in 1826 in SC. Presumably, this was a second marriage for both individuals since Benjamin was 29 and Margaret was 32 when they married in 1826. Also, Margaret stayed in South Carolina when rest of Wardlaw clan emigrated to Greene County in 1824. Benjamin and Margaret had 5 children - all born in Greene County AL:
1. Elizabeth Stephens (1827-1879)
2. James Zachariah Stephens (1828-1909)
3. Richard Stephens (1830-1865)
4. Dorothy Stephens (1832-)
5. Benjamin Waller Stephens (1834-1865)
Benjamin married Unk wife #1 in SC about 1817 and had one daughter, Agness Robinson Stephens (1818-1873)- the mother apparently died of childbirth complications. Benjamin named his infant daughter for his dead mother Agness Smith Robinson.
In 1824, Benjamin w/Agness accompanied his sister Dorothy and her husband Zachary Logan as well as William C Wardlaw family from Abbeville County, SC to Greene County, AL. Benjamin purchased his first 80 acres in Greene County in 1826 - shortly before he returned to SC to marry Margaret Only Wardlaw. Note: William Franklin Henderson (1811-1890) - future husband of Agness - accompanied Benjamin to Greene County in 1824 - apparently, he lived with Benjamin's family for several years.
William Wardlaw purchased 80 acres of land in 1824 - Benjamin purchased 80 acres in 1826. The two plots were adjacent to each other. These plots of land are located along County Road 231 about 4 miles NE of Eutaw, AL. The two homesteads were located about 1.5 miles west of the (early Greene County seat but now a ghost town) Erie, AL which was located on east bank of the Black Warrior River.
Benjamin returned to SC in 1826 and married wife #2 Margaret Only Wardlaw (1794-1874) in late 1826. The couple returned to Greene County, AL in 1827 as part of a caravan of immigrants. Benjamin purchased a total of 320 acres (5 purchases) in Greene County, AL between 1826 and 1839. This latter purchase was located just southwest of Bethel Baptist Church at Ralph, AL.
Research suggests that such SC migrants rafted down the Holston/Tennessee River to Huntsville, AL before traveling by land to Tuscaloosa and Greene County.
Note: Benjamin & Margaret Stephens, David & Lavina Henderson plus David's widowed mother, and William & Agness Henderson became members of Bethel Baptist Church at Ralph, AL prior to 1840.
Benjamin married (widow) Margaret Only Wardlaw (1794-1874) in 1826 in SC. Presumably, this was a second marriage for both individuals since Benjamin was 29 and Margaret was 32 when they married in 1826. Also, Margaret stayed in South Carolina when rest of Wardlaw clan emigrated to Greene County in 1824. Benjamin and Margaret had 5 children - all born in Greene County AL:
1. Elizabeth Stephens (1827-1879)
2. James Zachariah Stephens (1828-1909)
3. Richard Stephens (1830-1865)
4. Dorothy Stephens (1832-)
5. Benjamin Waller Stephens (1834-1865)
Benjamin was born in Orange County, VA to Edmund Waller Stephens (1777-1864) and Agness Smith Robinson (1779-1802). His family moved to Abbeville County, SC (near Hodges) where Agness was one of several family deaths from an unknown disease, likely typhoid.
Benjamin married Unk wife #1 in SC about 1817 and had one daughter, Agness Robinson Stephens (1818-1873)- the mother apparently died of childbirth complications. Benjamin named his infant daughter for his dead mother Agness Smith Robinson.
In 1824, Benjamin w/Agness accompanied his sister Dorothy and her husband Zachary Logan as well as William C Wardlaw family from Abbeville County, SC to Greene County, AL. Benjamin purchased his first 80 acres in Greene County in 1826 - shortly before he returned to SC to marry Margaret Only Wardlaw. Note: William Franklin Henderson (1811-1890) - future husband of Agness - accompanied Benjamin to Greene County in 1824 - apparently, he lived with Benjamin's family for several years.
William Wardlaw purchased 80 acres of land in 1824 - Benjamin purchased 80 acres in 1826. The two plots were adjacent to each other. These plots of land are located along County Road 231 about 4 miles NE of Eutaw, AL. The two homesteads were located about 1.5 miles west of the (early Greene County seat but now a ghost town) Erie, AL which was located on east bank of the Black Warrior River.
Benjamin returned to SC in 1826 and married wife #2 Margaret Only Wardlaw (1794-1874) in late 1826. The couple returned to Greene County, AL in 1827 as part of a caravan of immigrants. Benjamin purchased a total of 320 acres (5 purchases) in Greene County, AL between 1826 and 1839. This latter purchase was located just southwest of Bethel Baptist Church at Ralph, AL.
Research suggests that such SC migrants rafted down the Holston/Tennessee River to Huntsville, AL before traveling by land to Tuscaloosa and Greene County.
Note: Benjamin & Margaret Stephens, David & Lavina Henderson plus David's widowed mother, and William & Agness Henderson became members of Bethel Baptist Church at Ralph, AL prior to 1840.
Benjamin married (widow) Margaret Only Wardlaw (1794-1874) in 1826 in SC. Presumably, this was a second marriage for both individuals since Benjamin was 29 and Margaret was 32 when they married in 1826. Also, Margaret stayed in South Carolina when rest of Wardlaw clan emigrated to Greene County in 1824. Benjamin and Margaret had 5 children - all born in Greene County AL:
1. Elizabeth Stephens (1827-1879)
2. James Zachariah Stephens (1828-1909)
3. Richard Stephens (1830-1865)
4. Dorothy Stephens (1832-)
5. Benjamin Waller Stephens (1834-1865)
Benjamin married Unk wife #1 in SC about 1817 and had one daughter, Agness Robinson Stephens (1818-1873)- the mother apparently died of childbirth complications. Benjamin named his infant daughter for his dead mother Agness Smith Robinson.
In 1824, Benjamin w/Agness accompanied his sister Dorothy and her husband Zachary Logan as well as William C Wardlaw family from Abbeville County, SC to Greene County, AL. Benjamin purchased his first 80 acres in Greene County in 1826 - shortly before he returned to SC to marry Margaret Only Wardlaw. Note: William Franklin Henderson (1811-1890) - future husband of Agness - accompanied Benjamin to Greene County in 1824 - apparently, he lived with Benjamin's family for several years.
William Wardlaw purchased 80 acres of land in 1824 - Benjamin purchased 80 acres in 1826. The two plots were adjacent to each other. These plots of land are located along County Road 231 about 4 miles NE of Eutaw, AL. The two homesteads were located about 1.5 miles west of the (early Greene County seat but now a ghost town) Erie, AL which was located on east bank of the Black Warrior River.
Benjamin returned to SC in 1826 and married wife #2 Margaret Only Wardlaw (1794-1874) in late 1826. The couple returned to Greene County, AL in 1827 as part of a caravan of immigrants. Benjamin purchased a total of 320 acres (5 purchases) in Greene County, AL between 1826 and 1839. This latter purchase was located just southwest of Bethel Baptist Church at Ralph, AL.
Research suggests that such SC migrants rafted down the Holston/Tennessee River to Huntsville, AL before traveling by land to Tuscaloosa and Greene County.
Note: Benjamin & Margaret Stephens, David & Lavina Henderson plus David's widowed mother, and William & Agness Henderson became members of Bethel Baptist Church at Ralph, AL prior to 1840.
Benjamin married (widow) Margaret Only Wardlaw (1794-1874) in 1826 in SC. Presumably, this was a second marriage for both individuals since Benjamin was 29 and Margaret was 32 when they married in 1826. Also, Margaret stayed in South Carolina when rest of Wardlaw clan emigrated to Greene County in 1824. Benjamin and Margaret had 5 children - all born in Greene County AL:
1. Elizabeth Stephens (1827-1879)
2. James Zachariah Stephens (1828-1909)
3. Richard Stephens (1830-1865)
4. Dorothy Stephens (1832-)
5. Benjamin Waller Stephens (1834-1865)
Inscription
Cemetery was abandoned about 1880 - when Bethel Baptist Church relocated the church building and cemetery to 'top of the hill'. Cemetery soil was so acidic that only a few tombstones survived. Also, seven of these old tombstones (prior to 1880) were later relocated to the new Bethel Baptist Church Cemetery - unlikely that the graves were moved from their original burial site.
Family Members
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