Monmouth Historic Inn

old monmouth historic inn

new monmouth historic inn

1818 - Monmouth is built in 1818, by Natchez postmaster, John Hankinson.

1824 - John A. Quitman purchases Monmouth as home for his wife Eliza Turner and newborn daughter, Louisa.

1833 - Cholera claims Quitman’s infant sons, John and Edward. An enslaved woman at Monmouth named Aunt Dicey is put into service as a nursemaid to Eliza and John Quitman’s children.

1834 - Quitman purchases fifty slaves. A house slave at Monmouth name Harry Nichols is put into service as personal valet to John Quitman.

1836 - Harry Nichols travels with Quitman to Texas. Quitman participates in Texas Independence over Mexico. 

1842 - John and Eliza’s family grows to seven children. Aunt Dicey is “banished” to Springfield Plantation by Eliza for “misbehaving.”

1846 - John Quitman serves as a victorious general in the war with Mexico he is assisted by “faithful” Harry Nichols. Quitman procures a daguerreotype of Harry.

1850 - John Quitman becomes Governor of Mississippi. A Monmouth house slave named Belle Vessels assists at the “White House of Mississippi.”

1856 - Aunt Dicey is allowed back at Monmouth. Viola Vessels, a Monmouth house slave, is bridesmaid at the wedding of enslaved couple at neighboring Melrose, a suburban estate owned by Quitman’s law partner, John McMurran. Viola is married the following year to Marcellus Brannick, a house slave at Melrose.

 1858 - Quitman dies at Monmouth. His wife Eliza dies at Monmouth one year later. Daughters Annie Rosalie, J. Antonia, and Louisa marry and remain at Monmouth.

1861 - The state of Mississippi secedes from the Union. The Quitman daughters see their husbands off to war. Monmouth slaves are asking, “how’s master”?

1862 - Natchez surrenders to the Union Army. Monmouth house slaves begin to run off, including Monmouth house slaves Charles Vessels, Richard Austin and Isaac, all of whom join the Union Army.

1863 - Monmouth is occupied by Union Soldiers whereupon extensive looting occurs. Harry Nichols joins the Union Army, and then returns to Monmouth “demanding wages”. Quitman daughters begin paying wages to eight former house slaves. Aunt Dicey and Old Sarah are compensated in their old age.

1865 - The only staff left at Monmouth is “Fred and his family along with Harry and his wife”. Surviving Quitman daughters sell off Monmouth’s household possessions to former Monmouth enslaved to supplement their income.

1875 - A Lease/Lien agreement is signed with John Williams, giving the Quitman daughters a lien on any cotton grown on Monmouth premises for the payment of rent.

1887 - John Quitman’s granddaughters, Eva C. Lovell and Alice Lovell, move back to Natchez and take up residence at Monmouth. Viola Vessels Brannick’s daughters, Corinne and Hester, childhood companions to Evan, return to Monmouth as paid staff.

1902 - Belle Vessles, a former house slave to Governor Quitman at the “White House of Mississippi”, lives at the edge of Monmouth where she and her husband rent Monmouth land for crops. One year later Quitman’s daughter, Annie Rosalie Quitman Duncan, sells a half acre of Monmouth to Viola Brannick (a widow) for the sum of $200.

1912 - Corrine Scott “a colored woman” who grew up at Monmouth purchases from Rose Duncan one-half acre of Monmouth property as “her residence for the sum of $100”. Former house slave, Charles Vessels also purchases a portion of Monmouth property.

1914 - Annie Rosalie Quitman Duncan, the last surviving child of John and Eliza Quitman, dies at Monmouth, leaving Monmouth to her nieces, Eva Lovell and Alice Lovell. Descendents of Monmouth enslaved and staff, Corinne Scott, Frank Tolles, Viola Brannick, and Kitty Austin are listed as beneficiaries in “Aunt Rose’s” will.

1924 - Monmouth passes from the hands of Quitman descendants when it is sold to Annie Gwen. Corrine Scott sells her portion of Monmouth to Mamie Davis for $500.

1978-2012- Ronald and Lani Riches purchase and begin restoration of Monmouth after decades of neglect.  After 3 years of restoring the main house and original kitchen, work begins on the 26 acres.  With archeological digs indicating where original buildings once stood, new buildings for the hotel use are placed on these footprints. 

2012-present - Nancy and Warren Reuther are the current owners of Monmouth Historic Inn & Gardens.  With extensive experience in the Hotel and Tourism industry, they continue to make sure every modern comfort has been provided in the 30 elegantly appointed spacious rooms and suites, yet carefully integrated as not to spoil the historic architectural virtue.