MARY (POLLY) NEWTON HENDRICK GRAVE YARD

This graveyard is located in Cleveland County, No. 6 Township on the
west side or bank of present road running from Shelby to Dixon Bridge
crossing First Broad River to Ab and William (Bill) Cornwell old home
place; and almost opposite present home of George Magness, and about one
quarter of a mile south of old home place of the late Daniel Poston;
present 1 ½ corporate limits of city of Shelby runs some two hundred
feet north of this graveyard; this graveyard was put into cultivation
some eight or ten years ago by George Magness, and is now in cultivation
by him.

About the year of 1800, Mary (Polly) Newton Hendrick, widow of Thomas
Hendrick, moved from Mecklenburg County, Va. to this site then known as
Rutherford County, N.C. with her four children, to-wit: Geo. Hendrick,
Mary (Polly) Hendrick and her husband, Geo. Royster, William (Bill)
Hendrick, and John Hendrick. She bought land and settled a few hundred
yards west of this graveyard site near an old spring in present
corporate limits of city of Shelby. Here Geo. Royster lived with his
mother-in-law until his young wife died, by whom he had four children:
Shop, Dick, Charles, and Neelie. After the death of his wife, Geo.
Royster and his youngest son (Charlie) went back to Va. where Geo.
Royster was married to Miss Matildia Wiles.

The following known persons were buried in this graveyard:

 Mary (Polly) Newton Hendrick, wife of Thomas Hendrick
 John Hendrick, aged about 17, son of Thomas and Mary Hendrick
 Mary (Polly) Hendrick Royster, wife of Geo. Royster and daughter of Mary (Polly) Hendrick
 and Thomas Hendrick
 Dick Royster, a young boy and 2nd child of Geo. Royster and wife, Mary Hendrick Royster


I am advised by members of the family that until recently these graves
had markers, but no trace of some can now be found. Also, my
information is that some 40 or 50 people were buried there.

--Data by P. Cleveland Gardner, County Historian, June 1, 1939--