Emily Brown Cemetery
Mont Belvieu, Chambers County, Texas
Marker Inscription
In 1870, Elizabeth Barrow deeded a house and 198 acres of land to Thompson and Emily (Hulbert) Brown in exchange for their care of her in her old age. Both Thompson and Emily were born into slavery, and Emily served as midwife for many area families. The Browns gave land to the Old River Methodist Episcopal Church in 1881, and from that donation came this cemetery. Thompson (d. 1897) was first to be interred here; other burials include Emily, their son Hazard, and his descendants. The church changed its name to St. Emily in Emily’s honor, and it continues to maintain the site. Historic Texas Cemetery - 2005
Erected by Texas Historical Commission
The Story
In 1870 Elizabeth Barrow deeded a house and 198 acres to Thompson and Emily Brown in return for her care in old age—an arrangement that gave the formerly enslaved couple land of their own just years after emancipation. Emily served as a midwife to families across the area, and in 1881 the Browns donated ground to the Old River Methodist Episcopal Church, from which this cemetery grew. The congregation later renamed itself St. Emily in her honor and still tends the graves of the Brown family.
Why it matters
This burial ground is a tangible record of Black landownership and community-building in the fragile years after slavery, centered on a woman whose midwifery knit a whole neighborhood together.
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Related people
- · Emily Brown
- · Thompson Brown
- · Elizabeth Barrow
Themes & tags
Nearby & related markers
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