THE PLANTATION FAMILIES OF LAFAYETTE COUNTY MISSISSIPPI 1832 - 1865

These are the major known families who operated the early plantations in Lafayette Co MS. There were over 116 who owned more than a section of land, (A section = 640 acres). There were more than 606 slave owners in Lafayette County according to the 1860 US Federal Census of Lafayette Co.

The largest slave owner and second largest property owner was Washington Price whose plantation house is still livable and has been moved off the original plantation property on which it was build in 1842-45 period. Property totaled 4500 acres plus over 100 slaves.

W. F. AVENT of Lafayette Springs and Cypus aka Cypress Creek area was the largest property owner with 4700 acres, also with over one hundred slaves.More to come on the Avent family.

The PRICE Family Cemetery is being protected by the Murchisens Descendents who now own five acres of the original Price Plantation north the Yocona and Comish Communities here in Lafayette Co., MS. on the old Delay road.
They will gladly conduct tours of the old Price cemetery. They graciously took me on a tour a month or so back, the cemetery and its tombstones are now online.

The local History and Genealogy Society of which I am a member does not wish to share their Price Cemetery pictures and information which Mr Murchensen so graciously shared with them.

Oak Grove, the Price plantation house, is featured in the heading of Lafayette Co MSGenWeb Project. (see title above)(Photo and newspaper article, Oxford Eagle 1960)

The next popular known Plantation owners were the Bowles Families, who inherited the lands of their father's James E. Bowles and his sons James H. Bowles and Etheldred Bowles. .
The original BOWLES PLANTATION which was divided between the children at time of the father, James E. BOWLES death [WILL proven in Nov term of Court in 1840] was abt. 1280 acres, [Section 6, Township 8S , R 2W and Section 12, T. 8 S R. 3 W. on both sides of the Old Woodson Ridge Road now known as C. R. 215. His son, Green Berry Bowles Plantation was between Graham Mill creek and Cambridge Church with abt 4500 acres. Green Boles Sr.'s Plantation was northeast Quality Ridge now known as Woodson Ridge as well as some property near College Hill.
I have been unable to find a picture of their Homes, other than Ammadell which Bem Price and his wife Della Bowles Price bought in Oxford MS. This house is known as AMMADELL. More about this home on its own page.

Mary Delle (Della spelling found in Bem Price's estate records folder # A) Bowles Price (Mrs. Bem) was the daughter of James Robert Bowles and granddaughter of Lafayette County Plantation Owner, Green Bowles Sr.
According to the 1880 census she operated a Boarding House, being a subsitute mother to the many University boys who lived there.
Bem and Delle Bowles Price bought Ammadelle from the Charles Roberts heirs according to item 19 page 43 written by Thomas Webb and Louise Avent,in the Lafayette County Heritage book, who is said to have stated "We have relied on OXFORD LEGENDS as handed down by family and friends who are old time Oxonians and to some extent on the American Guide Series publication "Mississippi"."

"Realizing that some fiction has probably slipped in among the fact we offer this for the enjoyment of the visitor to the Oxford scene , hoping that they may be touched by the charisma of this town so dear to our hearts." by Thomas Webb and Louise Avent. PLEASE, TAKE NOTE OF THE ABOVE QUOTE OF WEBB and AVENT, "Realizing that some FICTION has probably slipped in . . .". [Concrete sources are written records not legends depending on old timers' memories. If another published works is used , their sources should be doubled checked, also. emc]

I will soon include the links to the Samuel Ragland's Plantation information.

Other major Plantations owners included W. F. AVENT, who owned 4700 acres and over 100 slaves;
W. D. PETTUS who owned 4000 acres and many slaves;
ROBERT PROPHET had 2800 acres which equal to more than one section.
J. THOMPSON owned 2500 acres plus slaves;
T. W. JONES also owned 2500 acres plus Slaves;
T. E. S. PEGUES owned 2420 acres around the Lafayette Springs area.
John BROWN owned 2200 acres also slaves,
John TAYLOR owned 2200 acres in south west Lafayette Co which was also known as TAYLOR's DEPOT and now simply TAYLOR, MS. He also owned many slaves.
Yancy WILEY who owned 2100 acres, was the last of the major property and slave owners according to the 1860 US Federal Census of Lafayette County and a chart found on pg. 18 of LAFAYETTE COUNTY HERITAGE; THE HERITAGE OF LAFAYETTE COUNTY MISSISSIPPI 1986 .

35 men owned between 1000 to 1860 acres, with slaves.
Samuel Ragland was among these owning only 1290 acres in the Yocona (Yonky) River bottoms east of Delay MS. (source of Plantation owners was the topic "Landowners and Slaveholders" pgs. 17 and 18 of Walker Coffey's History of Lafayette County found in the Lafayette County Heritage.)
Researcher, author and submitter: Evelyn Crocker, Lafayette County MS County Coordinator.
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