Martha Godfrey Cemetery - Double Bayou, Chambers County, TX - Churchyard Cemeteries on Waymarking.com

Headstones: Martha Godfrey Cemetery

Martha Godfrey

"Born about 1812 in Tennessee, probably in Williamson County, Martha Godfrey came to Texas around 1838 as a slave with the family of Garner and Elizabeth (Jackson) Mayes. The family and their slaves established the plantation on Double Dayou. One of several family servants, Martha was married sometime after 1852 to Zacariah “Zach” Godfrey. The rest of her years were spent in that same area, where she became a pillar of the black community which developed at Double Dayou after the War Between the States. She and her husband lived on a 160-acre tract of land donated to him by the State of Texas in 1871. She was one of several black midwives working in the county during that period, providing an invaluable service in the days when doctors were few and far between. Never very wealthy in the eyes of the world, Martha's name and local history was none the less secured through her generous spirit. After her husband's death in the early 1870s, Martha donated one acre of her land “to be used, maintained and disposed as a place of divine worship for the use of the ministry and membership of the Methodist Episcopal Church.” This church was later named St Paul United Methodist Church. An additional acre of ground adjacent to this site was given for the use as “a graveyard for the colored people.” These conveyances took place in 1877 and 1878. Martha Godfrey is believed to have died around 1905 and was probably buried in the cemetery she donated and which today bears her name. (Wallisville Heritage Park)"

The Texas Historical Marker in front of the church reads:

St. Paul United Methodist Church

This church was established in 1869 by a group of former slaves who had settled in the rural Double Bayou community. Land at this site was deeded to the congregation in the 1870s by charter member Martha Godfrey, who also donated the original tract of the nearby cemetery. Born about 1812 in Tennessee, Martha had been brought to Texas as a slave of the Mayes family, early area pioneers who settled here in the 1830s. St. Paul United Methodist Church has served as a focal point of the surrounding area for well over a century. The Double Bayou Community School was held here from the early 1880s until 1920, when a new schoolhouse was built. Church events have become important social activities, and the Martha Godfrey Cemetery, long associated with the congregation, has been the burial place of many area leaders. Funerals here have traditionally included the ringing of the church's toner, a small bell with a muffled sound. One of the oldest churches in Chambers County, St. Paul United Methodist Church has played a vital role in the area's development. the fellowship's growth continues to reflect the ideals of the Freedmen who founded it shortly after the Civil War. (1982)

Name of church or churchyard: St. Paul United Methodist Church Approximate Size: Large (100+)

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