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Rosemont Plantation
History: Rosemont Plantation was established by the parents of Jefferson Davis in 1810. They had come from Kentucky to Mississippi then further South to Bayou Teche near Franklin, Louisiana in 1808 - 1809. Jefferson had been born in Christian County Kentucky in 1808 before the move to the Deep South by his parents.
Finding the climate disagreeable in Louisiana they moved to Wilkinson County Mississippi where their older son, Joseph E., had settled. Upon their arrival to the Mississippi Territory they received a U.S. patent on approximately 300 acres of land about a mile east of Woodville, Mississippi. The building of the home was begun and it is there that Jefferson said that "my memories began". Jefferson was two years old. He said that his parents "camped out" while the home was being built.
The house was, for its time, very spacious and designed with great style. Jefferson's mother, Jane Cook Davis, loved flowers and gardens and her granddaughter later wrote that her grandmother was unusual for a woman on the frontier, inasmuch as she cultivated gardens and flowers and had the walks in the yard lined with 'sweet pinks'.
Samuel Davis, Jefferson's father died on a trip to the older son's plantation home named 'Hurricane' in 1824. He was buried in the cemetery at Hurricane.
Jane Davis lived as a widow at Rosemont for the remainder of her life. She died at Rosemont in 1845 and is buried in the cemetery on the grounds of Rosemont - as are approximately 25 other members of the Davis family. She was 84 years old at her death and before her passing; she was confirmed into the Episcopal Church at Rosemont by Bishop-General Leonidas Polk who was a close friend of her son Jefferson. All of the Davis family were members of St. Paul's Episcopal Church. This church was built in 1824 and is in Woodville, about a mile from Rosemont.
Young Jefferson was sent to school in Kentucky at a young age, but returned to Rosemont and later to Washington, Mississippi to complete his elementary education. He was later to attend Transylvania University in Kentucky and West Point Military Academy. At this same time, his two young nieces lived with his mother at Rosemont. Their mother, Mary Ellen Davis married a Robert Davis (no relation) and this young couple both died young and left their children in the care of Jane Cook Davis. The girls were like sisters to young Jefferson. One of the girls, Ellen Mary married a Mr. Anderson and the other girl Lucinda, married a Hazelwood Farish. His brother, Claiborne Farish married another niece of Jefferson's - Anna Aurelia Stamps.
In the late 1830's Lucinda Davis Stamps and her husband, William Stamps, moved back to the Davis family home to live there with the elderly Jane Cook Davis. They lived at Rosemont until their deaths in 1873 and 1878.
During the lives of Mr. and Mrs. Stamps, their daughter Anna Aurelia Farish, and her husband Claiborne Farish they lived at Rosemont. Their daughter Lucy married a neighboring planter's son by the name of Tom Bradford and lived nearby until Lucy's untimely death at a very early age. Their children then lived with the Farish grandparents until 1896 when Anna Stamps Farish died and Rosemont was sold.
The Davis, Stamps, and Farish families lived at Rosemont for 85 years. Their family cemetery is adjacent to the main house where five generations of the family are buried.
Rosemont was sold to a Mrs. Clarisse Fenner Pendleton of New Orleans who was undoubtedly a friend and admirer of President Davis. She maintained the home for a few years before placing it into the hands of a very old and prominent Mississippi and Louisiana family. Henry Johnson's family home 'Grove' Plantation in Wilkinson County Mississippi burned around 1900. This was one of the more opulent plantation mansions in Mississippi. Henry was the young son of its owner and he and his wife Louise Tigner Johnson, bought and moved into Rosemont in late 1900. They lived at Rosemont from 1900 until their remaining son, Joseph Johnson, sold it to Percival Beacroft in 1971.
Mr. Beacroft was born in Brazoria County, Texas and at the time of the purchase of Rosemont, was an attorney in New York City. His mother's ancestry was from the Mississippi Territory and the early days of Texas. Interestingly, the Johnson's were well acquainted with the Davis family and Joseph Johnson also had family connections with the family of Mr. Beacroft in Texas.
Hence, Rosemont has never been sold to 'strangers' and has been preserved with many of the original things remaining in the home. It is lived in as a private home to this day.
Finding the climate disagreeable in Louisiana they moved to Wilkinson County Mississippi where their older son, Joseph E., had settled. Upon their arrival to the Mississippi Territory they received a U.S. patent on approximately 300 acres of land about a mile east of Woodville, Mississippi. The building of the home was begun and it is there that Jefferson said that "my memories began". Jefferson was two years old. He said that his parents "camped out" while the home was being built.
The house was, for its time, very spacious and designed with great style. Jefferson's mother, Jane Cook Davis, loved flowers and gardens and her granddaughter later wrote that her grandmother was unusual for a woman on the frontier, inasmuch as she cultivated gardens and flowers and had the walks in the yard lined with 'sweet pinks'.
Samuel Davis, Jefferson's father died on a trip to the older son's plantation home named 'Hurricane' in 1824. He was buried in the cemetery at Hurricane.
Jane Davis lived as a widow at Rosemont for the remainder of her life. She died at Rosemont in 1845 and is buried in the cemetery on the grounds of Rosemont - as are approximately 25 other members of the Davis family. She was 84 years old at her death and before her passing; she was confirmed into the Episcopal Church at Rosemont by Bishop-General Leonidas Polk who was a close friend of her son Jefferson. All of the Davis family were members of St. Paul's Episcopal Church. This church was built in 1824 and is in Woodville, about a mile from Rosemont.
Young Jefferson was sent to school in Kentucky at a young age, but returned to Rosemont and later to Washington, Mississippi to complete his elementary education. He was later to attend Transylvania University in Kentucky and West Point Military Academy. At this same time, his two young nieces lived with his mother at Rosemont. Their mother, Mary Ellen Davis married a Robert Davis (no relation) and this young couple both died young and left their children in the care of Jane Cook Davis. The girls were like sisters to young Jefferson. One of the girls, Ellen Mary married a Mr. Anderson and the other girl Lucinda, married a Hazelwood Farish. His brother, Claiborne Farish married another niece of Jefferson's - Anna Aurelia Stamps.
In the late 1830's Lucinda Davis Stamps and her husband, William Stamps, moved back to the Davis family home to live there with the elderly Jane Cook Davis. They lived at Rosemont until their deaths in 1873 and 1878.
During the lives of Mr. and Mrs. Stamps, their daughter Anna Aurelia Farish, and her husband Claiborne Farish they lived at Rosemont. Their daughter Lucy married a neighboring planter's son by the name of Tom Bradford and lived nearby until Lucy's untimely death at a very early age. Their children then lived with the Farish grandparents until 1896 when Anna Stamps Farish died and Rosemont was sold.
The Davis, Stamps, and Farish families lived at Rosemont for 85 years. Their family cemetery is adjacent to the main house where five generations of the family are buried.
Rosemont was sold to a Mrs. Clarisse Fenner Pendleton of New Orleans who was undoubtedly a friend and admirer of President Davis. She maintained the home for a few years before placing it into the hands of a very old and prominent Mississippi and Louisiana family. Henry Johnson's family home 'Grove' Plantation in Wilkinson County Mississippi burned around 1900. This was one of the more opulent plantation mansions in Mississippi. Henry was the young son of its owner and he and his wife Louise Tigner Johnson, bought and moved into Rosemont in late 1900. They lived at Rosemont from 1900 until their remaining son, Joseph Johnson, sold it to Percival Beacroft in 1971.
Mr. Beacroft was born in Brazoria County, Texas and at the time of the purchase of Rosemont, was an attorney in New York City. His mother's ancestry was from the Mississippi Territory and the early days of Texas. Interestingly, the Johnson's were well acquainted with the Davis family and Joseph Johnson also had family connections with the family of Mr. Beacroft in Texas.
Hence, Rosemont has never been sold to 'strangers' and has been preserved with many of the original things remaining in the home. It is lived in as a private home to this day.