Thomas Gleaves Cemetery

Hermitage, Davidson County, Tennessee

Directions:

• From Nashville go east on I-40 to exit 221B in Hermitage, TN.
• Turn north onto Old Hickory Blvd
• Go 0.2  mile to the intersection with Central Pike and cross over Central Pike. 
• At the top of the hill on the right is the Burning Tree Apartment Complex.
• Turn in here and bear left, passing the office, and go to the top of the hill.
• Turn onto the first street on the right.
• The cemetery is located inside the cyclone wire fence on the left.
• Park behind the building containing units H 213-239 just beyond the fence.

Graves:

Notes:

• Gleaves family members currently care for this cemetery.
    2012 Activities.
    2011 Activities.

• This cemetery has been difficult to name since several markers are missing or have been destroyed.  Besides the four graves listed above, there are several large stone slabs and 62 fieldstones that cannot be identified; these may be either footstones or headstones.

• The Thomas Gleaves, who owned this land and is referred here, was born March 18, 1771 in Cripple Creek, Wythe County, Virginia and died 1848-49-in Davidson County, Tennessee.  He married Sarah (Sallie) Smith on March 13, 1797 in Davidson County, Tennessee and he was the older brother of Absalom Gleaves.

• A large monument existed several years ago and was thought to be the grave of Thomas Gleaves. Only a base remains today.

• Reasons to believe that this cemetery should be named for Thomas Gleaves:

1. The cemetery is on the land that Thomas Gleaves owned.  His land adjoined that of Absalom Gleaves and the Stewart family on the other side. Absalom's property ran back toward New Hope Baptist church. Absalom's son gave an acre of the land that he had received from his father to New Hope Baptist church. The Stewart family property was off Dodson Chapel Rd. going in the opposite direction.  For Thomas' property to have joined Absalom's and the Stewart property, it would have had to be the property in between and that would include the property where Burning Tree Apts. is located. Thomas had the following land:
   • 640 acres - Source: Deed Book D, page 21 - 640 acres from Donelson
   • 187 acres - Source: Deed Book I, page 416
   • 374 acres - Source: Deed Book N, page 431
   • 22 acres - Source: Deed Book Q, page 208
2. He gave land to his sons:
   • James Robertson Gleaves (166 acres). James R. Gleaves built his home on this land and gave part of it for the Gleaves-Clements Cemetery.
   • John G. Gleaves (145 acres). This land is on Mill Rd. where the John G. Gleaves Cemetery is located and is about 2 blocks as the crow flies from Burning Tree Apts.
   • William B. Gleaves (208 acres) 
3. Thomas had (121 acres) of the above tract plus the Baker tract left which he gave to Felix R. Gleaves and Benjamin F. Gleaves. 
   • Felix received the land adjoining his brother John G.
   • “and the balance of my land on which I now live and all the Balance of the Baker tract of land not given to Felix; I give to my son Benjamin F. Gleaves.”  This means that Benjamin F. received the part where Burning Tree Apts. is located.  
   • Source: Will Book 14, Page 490-493-Davidson Co., Tenn. Written Dec. 5, 1846-proved April 1849.
4. It is not known for sure that the missing tombstone was Thomas’.  But it is reasoned if Thomas owned the land next to his brother Absalom and at the time he made his will he was living on that land, then he would be buried there.  He willed this land to his son Benjamin F. Gleaves.   Benjamin F. Gleaves has a son buried in the cemetery at Burning Tree Apt. on land that he received in his father’s will.
5. Thomas’ sons John G. and James Robertson Gleaves have average size markers in their respective cemeteries, but Thomas' brother Absalom has a big marker. Thus it is strongly believed that the large missing marker at Burning Tree Apts. was that of Thomas.

Therefore the cemetery should carry Thomas’ name as it was his property and homeplace.

• Davidson County Cemetery Survey
      Listed as HE-21 at this site.

Directions via GoogleMaps

Thomas Gleaves Cemetery Relationships

Note: This is NOT a complete tree for these families.
(This is a .pdf file.  See the Miscellaneous section for help using .pdf files)