Many of my ancestors rest at a cemetery in southeastern Randolph County, NC that lies on property owned by cousin in the extended Cox family. The marker refers to it as the Old Stone Graveyard, but growing up I heard it called the “Soapstone Graveyard,” “Mill Creek Cemetery,” and “Cox Graveyard.”
My sixth great grandfather, William Cox (1692-1767), is likely one of the first few people buried there, but his headstone is long lost. It likely it was a simple stone with no markings as was common among Quakers. Eventually the graveyard was replaced by the cemetery at Holly Spring Friends Meeting a few miles west, and Parks Crossroad Christian Church on the other side of Deep River to the east.
The article below (written in the 1980s by deceased Randolph County Historian Ralph Bulla) describes the graveyard as being “a thicket of trees, shrubs, briars, grass, and weeds.” The site has since been cleared and maintained by members of Holly Spring. However, there isn’t a complete record of every burial at the site.
Recently while visiting my cousin Emily Cox Johnson, she shared a map and partial inventory of graves compiled by her mother in the 1990s. By the 1800s, initials and year of death were being added to the simple headstones. A few of the original stones were subsequently replaced with more complete markers with name and dates of birth/death. The image slideshow below contains copies of Evelyn’s files. (I apparently failed to copy one of the detail sheets).
It takes a bit of detective work to match names with initials. For example, there are three markers with the initials “HC.” The 1803 “HC” is Henry, and infant son of another William Cox and Lydia Branson Cox. The HC of 1813, is almost certainly Harmon Cox, and the HC of 1812 is probably Hannah Cox, wife of Thomas.
Emily also had a copy of gravestone rubbing of our 3rd great grandfather Nathan Cox.
Nathan”s wife Sarah outlived Nathan 15 years. Her headstone is unfortunately broken, but otherwise in good condition.
Sources of note:
Forebears and Kinfolks 
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