USA > South Carolina > Marion County > A history of Marion county, South Carolina, from its earliest times to the present, 1901 > Part 25
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perous citizen, married a Miss Platt, daughter of the late Rev. John B. Platt; they have, I think, ten children, seven sons and three daughters; the older sons are L. Boyd Smith, Rembert Smith and others, names not remembered. The two oldest . daughters, Florence and Leila, are married. Florence to W. F. Norton; they have no children. Leila married P. S. Cooper, a first-rate business man at Mullins; they have had two child- ren, both dead. The third daughter, Polly, named for her grand-mother, now a little girl. L. Boyd Smith married a Widow Gibbes, in Macon, Ga .; they are living at Mullins; he is in the saw mill business; is a graduate of Wofford College. S. Elmore Smith, a first-class business man and an excellent citizen, married a Miss Montgomery, of Williamsburg County ; has a large family, sons and daughters, mostly daughters. Has one daughter married; she married a Mr. Love, of Wilming- ton; think they are now residing in Mullins; has a son grown, named Eugene; has other daughters grown. S. Whiteford Smith married a Miss Boatwright, daughter of the late Thomas W. Boatwright; by this marriage are two children- a son, Fleming, who, I think, is married, and a daughter, whose name is Bessie; think she has arrived at womanhood. White- ford Smith is a business man and good farmer; was County Superintendent of Education for four or six years; retired from that position and was immediately elected as a Repre- sentative of his county in the State Legislature. In whatever position he has been placed, he has met public expectation-a man of strict integrity every way, and perfectly reliable. J. Emory Smith, the youngest son of old Stephen and Polly Smith, married a Miss Williamson, a daughter of Joseph Wil- liamson, and has a family coming on. It seems that J. Emory has not succeeded so well as his older brothers; he is young and may yet win, outstrip them in the race of life. Mrs. Lizzie Martin and her family of four sons have already been noticed herein or among the Martin family. Mrs. George W. Rogers, another daughter of Polly Smith, nee Huggins, has raised a nice family of sons and one daughter; the writer is not posted as to the particulars of this family. I know three of the sons, Leroy, Lucean and Chalmers; they are promising young men, and in the race of life will be very apt to be among
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the winners in the race. Leroy married a Miss Gore, in Wil- mington ; she died a few days ago, leaving an infant. Chal- mers Rogers married Miss Laura Smith ; they have two child- "ren. Willis Huggins, the cousin of old John Huggins, whose progeny we have been tracing, was a very respectable and good citizen; married some one and raised a family-one son and three daughters. The son, Jesse Huggins, was a promising young man ; was Captain of the Maiden Down militia company, a position then much sought by our best men; he was killed by John Martin, hereinbefore mentioned; he never married. Willis' daughters were Nancy, Elizabeth and Polly. Nancy Huggins married the late John Norton, father of the Hon. James Norton ; she had three children, one son and two daugh- ters. The son is John W. Norton, now of Mullins; he married, first, a Miss Carmichael; by her he had one child, a daughter, named Ira, who was killed by the band-wheel of a gin, when a girl; he afterwards married the Widow Car- michael; by her he had one daughter, named Minnie, who died when about grown. The second wife died, and he married, a third time, a Miss Ivey; by whom he now has four children, two sons and two daughters, all small. John W. Norton went through the Confederate War. Some years before the war he enlisted in the regular army of the United States and served in the frontiers for five years. Lizzie Norton married Aaron Oliver, of Robeson County, N. C., by whom she had three sons and four daughters. One of the latter died unmarried; another daughter is now the second wife of John C. Sellers. Mrs. Lizzie Oliver is dead. The second daughter of old John Norton and his wife, Nancy, married Lewis Huggins; her "name was Caroline; they had several children, sons and daughters. Lewis Huggins and family emigrated to Georgia some years ago; have lost sight of them. Elizabeth, the second daughter of old Willis Huggins, married, first, a Mr. Lupo; Lupo died childless, and his widow married John Hill, for whom she had two children-a son, Charles, and a daughter,. Adaline, when the mother died. Charles Hill is on Bear Swamp. Adaline married a Mr. McCormic, of Cotton Valley ; know nothing further of them. Polly, the youngest daughter of old Willis Huggins, never married, and is dead. There are
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other Huggins in the county, of whom the writer knows but little. The Huggins family and their connections are exten- sive, and especially the descendants of old John. The old house he lived in and raised his family stands yet, near Hug- gins' Bridge ; it is a unique old building, weather-boarded with shingles-was very old and dilapidated. The other Huggins alluded to above are sons, and, perhaps, daughters, of the late Neill C. Huggins (I think that was his name) ; he married a daughter of old Squire Neill Carmichael, near Carmichael's Bridge, on Little Pee Dee; he has long since died, either in the war or soon after, from wounds received in the war or from exposure; he left a good large family; was a coming man, doing well; his sons, as known to the writer, are D. A. Hug- gins, Neill Huggins and Judson Huggins, who are among our citizens; whether the mother is dead or alive, is unknown to the writer.
HAYES .- The next family to be here noticed is the Hayes family, of Kirby Township. The first of this family in this county were James Hayes, John Hayes, William Hayes and Ebben. Of these, Ebben did not remain here, but emigrated West ; nothing further is known of him. They all came from Virginia, and were of English descent. The other three mar- ried and settled in this county. This family came here during or before the Revolutionary War. Don't know who any of these old Hayes married. James Hayes had four sons, whose names were Levi H. Hayes, William Hayes, John G. Hayes and Mills Hayes. The first, William Hayes, had three sons, Ebben, Dwight and Henry Hayes. Ebben Hayes, known to many living, was a local Methodist preacher, and represented his county in the State Legislature after the war and during the Reconstruction period; he was twice elected, served two terms or four sessions of the Legislature, and died at an ad- vanced age a few years ago. Dwight Hayes, a brother of Ebben, became a Baptist preacher of some note; he died many years ago. Henry Hayes grew up and married Miss Marina Dew, a daughter of old Christopher Dew ; his wife was a sister of his brother Ebben's wife; he died comparatively young, leaving a widow and several children, who with their children
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and grand-children are now among us. We have thus traced the sons of the three brothers (leaving Ebben out, who went West), James Hayes, William Hayes and John Hayes. Of old James Hayes' children, Levi H. Hayes married a Miss Whit- tington, and by her had seven sons, James N., Levi G., Benja- min F., Erastus W., Hamilton R., A. G. and Robert H. Hayes. Levi H. Hayes had two daughters, if no more. One became the wife of Joel Meggs, who, perhaps, raised a considerable family; only two sons, William H. and John L. Meggs, are known to the writer; and a daughter, who married Dr. N. C. McLeod. Another daughter of Levi H. Hayes, named Ann Elizabeth, married John A. Dew, who died and left his widow childless ; she still lives. Of the sons of Levi H. Hayes, James N. and Erastus W., are dead, but left families. Levi G. Hayes married a Miss Jackson, and went West many years ago. A. G. Hayes married, also, a Miss Jackson, sister to his brother L. G. Hayes' wife. A. G. Hayes, called G. Hayes, died or was killed in the war. Erastus W. Hayes married a Miss George; think he died in the war. James N. died some time before the war. B. F. Hayes married a Miss Dew, daughter of Wilson Dew; has only one child, a son, our good fellow-citizen, Rich Hayes. Hamilton R. Hayes married a Miss Harper; has four sons, Charles W., James Adger, Hum- bert and Hamilton R. Hayes, Jr ; and six daughters, names not known. One married W. H. Meggs; one married Rich Hayes ; one married Tracy Fore; one married Andrew Tart; one mar- ried a Napier ; one married Wilson Berry ; and one is unmar- ried. Of his sons, Charles W. married a Miss Hill; James Adger married a Miss Napier ; Hamilton R., Jr., and Humbert are unmarried. William Hayes, a son of old James, married some one, but do not know to whom; he has been dead many years; and of John G. Hayes and Mills Hayes the writer knows nothing. The late Ebben Hayes married a daughter of old Christopher Dew, as before related ; he had seven sons and several daughters; the sons were Jessee H., Ebben, Wilson, Joseph D., Nicholas W. and John David; these, with their sis- ters, are all married, have children and grand-children, and are among our many good citizens. Old John Hayes, one of the first comers, married a Miss Berry, an aunt of Cross Roads
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Henry, and raised a family ; his sons were Newton, Coburn, John C. and David S. Hayes. Of Coburn, nothing is known. Newton married a Miss Clark, and had a family of sons and daughters, but of them nothing is known. Newton Hayes died some twenty years ago, over eighty years of age. John C. Hayes married a Widow Lindsay, whose maiden name was Mary Ann Stubbs, an excellent woman she was; by this mar- riage he had five sons, who lived to be grown-Lewis E., Henry C., James S., Thomas C. and John C .; the latter was born one month after the death of his father ; these are all now living, and among our best citizens. Of the daughters of John C. Hayes, Sarah Jane first married an Adams, of Marl- borough, who died in a year after the marriage, leaving her with one child, a daughter, named Dora, who is now the wife of Jasper C. George, and who has now five sons. The Widow Adams afterwards married the late James DuPre; she still sur- vives. Another daughter of John C. Hayes-Ann Eliza, I think, was her name-married Philip B. Meekins; they went to North Carolina; know nothing more of them. Another daughter, Mary Ellen, married Elihu Berry; by this marriage were born one son, named Elihu Lide Berry, and another son, Thomas, both of whom are single; and four daughters, Tela- tha, Emma, Lucy and Leilah ; of whom Telatha married J. W. Davis, went West, and died, leaving twin daughters, whom her mother now has, and is raising. Emma Berry married Mont- calm Dow Atkins; they have now two children. Another daughter of John C. Hayes married Charles Miles ; they moved to North Carolina. Another daughter married Sydney E. Jackson ; they now live at Dillon, and have seven or eight child- ren, two daughters grown. Jackson is a good citizen and doing well. Another daughter, Addie, married James Green- wood; had one child, and died ; the child then died ; Greenwood is a widower of ten or fifteen years; he inherited the entire estate of his wife, is a business man and is doing well. Of the sons of John C. Hayes, Lewis E. married a widow (name forgotten). Henry C. Hayes married a Miss Legette, daugh- ter of the late James B. Legette; they have a family, don't know how much. Thomas C. Hayes is yet unmarried. John C. Hayes, Jr., married, first, a Miss Stubbs, of Sumter; she
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died a few months ago, leaving five or six children, one quite an infant; he married a few days ago, the second time, Miss Rebecca Fore, daughter of the late Willis Fore. David S. Hayes, the youngest son of old John Hayes, married, rather late in life, a Miss Fladger, daughter of old Hugh Fladger ; by this marriage two daughters were born ; one died unmarried, at about twenty years of age. The other, named Ida, is the wife of John B. Moore, of Latta ; they are doing very well, and have some children; don't know how many, a daughter grown. David S. Hayes died some twenty years ago, and left a good landed estate to his daughter, Mrs. Moore. The information the writer obtained as to the old Hayes did not extend to the females; but was confined exclusively to the males. The writer knows from other sources that old John Hayes had one daughter, at least, named Mary; she became the wife of old man Isham Watson, and in turn became the progenitress of most of the Watsons in the county, and their connections, hereinbefore mentioned. I will close this notice of the Hayes family with the relation of an incident in that family, as told to the writer some years ago by old Aunt Fama Tart, who was, in many respects, the most remarkable woman with whom he ever met; old Aunt Fama was a grand-daughter of James Hayes. She related that during the Revolutionary War in Virginia, her grand-uncle, William Hayes, was drafted to go into the war; that his wife was a large and portly woman, and had considerable beard upon her upper lip; that when the time came for her husband, William Hayes, to report to his com- pany to go into camp, she donned his clothes, cut off her hair in man's style, and went and reported to the officer as William Hayes ; she was accepted, went into camp, and for several days performed all the duties of a soldier in camp life, until such time as she thought her husband had gotten out of the reach of the officials, when she disclosed her sex to the officer in charge. She was discharged from service, made her way back home, and in the progress of time got a hearing from her husband in South Carolina, where he had fled, and she then made her way to him. From this narrative, the writer infers that James Hayes, an older brother, had previously came to South Caro- lina, and that William fled from Virginia to South Carolina,
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to join his older brother, James, there; and as soon as the wife, left in Virginia, ascertained that he had made good his escape and had reached his brother, James, that she then put off to join him. According to the account we have of the family, this heroine of a wife was the mother of the late Ebben Hayes, and the grand-mother of all his children and also of Henry Hayes' children.
DEW .- Another family may be noticed here-the Dew fam- ily, once pretty extensive, but not so much so now. The two old Dews, of whom the writer has any knowledge, were Christopher and Absalom. The writer has heard of one old John Dew, but what became of him or of his family, if he had one, he knows not. Cross Roads Henry Berry bought his land more than sixty years ago, and he seems to have disappeared from the county. Old Christopher Dew seems to have been a man of some note in his day; he bought and owned a vast barony of lands on the Great Pee Dee River and in and out of the "Slashes;" he lived on the Pocosin, and died there, 18th December, 1827. The late Bryant Lane married his youngest daughter, Henrietta, that day, whilst her father lay a corpse in the house. This remarkable coincidence was related to the writer, many years ago, by old Bryant Lane himself; hence the precise date is remembered and here stated. Old Christopher was a prosperous man; he married a Miss Berry, daughter of the first old Andrew Berry, who was in the settlement at "Sandy Bluff," about 1735, as hereinbefore stated. That it may be better known, old Christopher's wife was the aunt of Cross Roads Henry Berry; they raised a family of three sons and five daughters, as known to the writer; the sons were Wilson, Christopher and Abraham Dew; the daughters were Marina, Nancy, Mary (Polly), Charity and Henrietta. Wil- son Dew married his cousin, a daughter of old Stephen Berry, and sister of Cross Roads Henry Berry; he raised a family ; only one son is known, Christopher T. Dew, called "Little Chris," who married some one not known to the writer; had a family of several sons and, perhaps, daughters; he moved to Horry many years ago, with his family; was alive a year or so ago-an old man, eighty or more. Wilson Dew had
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A HISTORY OF MARION COUNTY.
daughters, how many is not known. One married her first cousin, the first wife of the late Captain S. D. Lane; she died childless, some forty years ago; and in November, 1865, he married again, Miss Flora Bethea, a daughter of the late Rev. S. J. Bethea. Captain Lane died childless, 5th July, 1899, and his widow, Flora, died a month or so ago. Another daughter of Wilson Dew married B. F. Hayes, as has been already stated herein; they have only one child, a son, Rich Hayes; I think another daughter married the late Samuel Berry; if so, it is already noticed herein in or among the Berry family. Christopher Dew, Jr., son of old man Christopher, married a Miss Jones, sister of Bryant Jones, which has already been noticed in or among the Jones family. Abraham Dew, the third son of old Christopher, lived to a good old age in a state of single blessedness. Of the daughters of old Christopher, Marina and Nancy have already been noted herein, in or among the Hayes family. Charity married a Mr. Wise, and he died, leaving her with several children, James C., Finklea G. and Thomas Aquilla ; and, perhaps, some daughters-one, I know, a Mrs. Wetherford, and, I believe, another, the wife of John G. Kirby. James C. Wise died a few years back, at an old age, eighty years or more, leaving a large family. Finklea G. Wise lives in Wahee, a very old man; don't know to whom he married-think his wife is dead ; he raised some family. A. G. Wise, of Wahee, a son of his, is one of the best citizens of that township, a very reliable man every way; he has a family of several children, sons and daughters, grown; they are quite respectable. Thomas Aquilla Wise was idiotic; he had some property, and Finklea G. Wise was appointed by the Court a committee to look after him and his property; Aquilla died some years ago. Another daughter of old Christopher Dew, Mary (Polly), marrie Jesse Perritt; she died childless, years ago, as has already been noticed in or among the Perritt family. The youngest daughter of old Christopher, Henrietta, married Bryant Lane, as above stated, the day of her father's death; they made a good living, raised a family of four sons-Stephen D., Joseph, Robert L. and Bryant. Stephen D. Lane married, first, his cousin, Miss Dew, daughter of Wilson Dew; she died childless, and he married again, Miss Flora Bethea, as
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A HISTORY OF MARION COUNTY.
above stated ; he was a first-class, good citizen. Joseph Lane was killed in the war, or was wounded and died. Robert L. Lane, now of Dillon, another first-class good citizen, married Miss R. C. Gaddy, daughter of the late Hardy Gaddy; by this marriage six or seven children have been born, mostly sons, none of whom are known to the writer, except the oldest, Ver- ner, who was one of the late volunteers in the 2d South Caro- lina Regiment for the Spanish War. His uncle, Stephen D. Lane, willed to Verner his home place, which, I suppose, Verner will soon occupy, with a Miss Somebody as a helpmate. Bryant Lane, Jr., was an idiot, and died a few months ago, at his brother's, R. L. Lane, who was committee for him and his property. The daughters of Bryant Lane and wife were four-Miss Kesiah, now an old maid, Mary (called Polly), Anne and Flora Ellen Lane. Hartwell C. Dew, one of our best citizens, married, first, Mary (Polly), and had by her six or seven children-Preston L., John L., Duncan M. and Joseph H. Dew, and two daughters, Roberta and Dora. Preston L. Dew married Miss Eugenia Allen, daughter of Rev. Joel Allen; they moved to Greenwood some years ago, having several children. John L. Dew, now of Latta, married a Miss Cot- tingham, daughter of Daniel Cottingham, and has one child, a son; is at Latta, merchant and postmaster. Duncan M. Dew married, first, a Miss Thornton; she had one child, and died, afterwards the child died ; and he married, a second time, a Miss Chappel; don't know where from; they reside at Latta, and have some children; he is one of the leading merchants at Latta-a man of fine character, wholly reliable and trustworthy. Joseph H. Dew, as will be seen elsewhere in this book, is a graduate of Furman University, and, I believe, of the Baptist Seminary at Louisville, Ky .; is a preacher of reputation in the Baptist denomination; married some lady foreign to this county ; stands well among his people; don't know where he is. Miss Roberta Dew married Wylie Berry; they reside at Latta; have one child, a daughter; they are doing fairly well. Dora Dew married H. E. K. Smith, on Buck Swamp; he is a successful farmer, doing well; have some children, don't know how many. Hartwell C. Dew lost his first wife, Mary (Polly), and he married again to Anne Lane, a sister
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of his first wife; by her has had several children-Mollie, Isla, Julian, Lawton, Janie, Harvey and another son, name not known; his second wife, Anne, died; he survives, and has not again married. Hartwell C. Dew is one of our plain, honest and successful men; has amassed a good property, is well ad- vanced in life-I suppose, over seventy years old. His daugh- ter, Mollie, by the last wife, married a Dr. Baker, from Georgia, and resides there. Isla married Rev. Mr. Crumpler, who died in a year or two, leaving her a widow, with one child. Janie married a Mr. Kinard, of Newberry ; they reside in that county. Julian, Lawton, Harvey and Lawrence, are all unmarried, and still remain under the parental roof. Flora Ellen Lane, the youngest daughter of Bryant Lane and wife, married James R. Watson; they now reside in Dillon, and have already been no- ticed in or among the Watson family. The other old Dew, men- tioned in the beginning of this notice of the Dew family, was Absalom Dew. Whether he was brother to old Christopher Dew or not, is not known to the writer-think, however, that he was; he also married a Miss Berry, daughter of the first old Andrew, of the "Sandy Bluff" settlement, and sister to the wife of old Christopher, and aunt of Cross Roads Henry Berry. Never knew or heard of but two of his children, sons, named William and Alexander. William Dew married a Miss Cole- man, sister to the Rev. John D. Coleman, well known in this county as a Baptist minister ; by this marriage there were three sons, Leonard M., Hartwell C. and John, and two daughters, Ann Eliza and Martha. Of the sons of William Dew, the oldest, Leonard M., married a Miss Miles, a daughter of John M. Miles ; by this marriage, three sons, Calvin (called Cad), Frank and Dennis, and, perhaps, a daughter, were born, when the father died, and left his widow and children; she being what is usually called a smart woman, raised her children creditably ; they moved some years ago to North Carolina. Calvin married Mary Jane Brown, daughter of the late Wil- liam.M. Brown; she died within a year or two, and left no child; Calvin himself died a few months ago. Know nothing of the other two boys, Frank and Dennis. Hartwell C. Dew has already been noticed above herein. John Dew, the young- est son of old William, went off into the war, and has never
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been heard of since. Ann Eliza Dew married Mr. John Atkin- son, below Marion, and had one child, Thomas Atkinson, when she died. Thomas Atkinson married a daughter of the late Stephen A. Hairgrove, and is now one of our good citizens. Martha Dew married another Atkinson, below Marion, and by him she had a son, W. B. Atkinson, when Atkinson died, and left her a widow ; she still survives and has not remarried ; her son, W. B. Atkinson, resides with her on the old William Dew homestead, and is one of our most enterprising and successful citizens; he married a Miss Gaddy, daughter of Samuel T. Gaddy, and has a considerable family ; think they have already been noticed in or among the Gaddy family. This closes the notice of the Dew family, an old and respectable family of the county. Much more might be said of some of them, but space will not permit ; enough has been said to enable future genera- tions to trace their ancestry.
NICHOLSON .- The next family to be noticed is the Nicholson family. The first of the name known in the county was John M. Nicholson; he came direct, as I think, from Scotland; don't know how it was that he came to South Carolina, but think he came with some of the old Sinclairs. He was a black- smith ; whether he learned that trade in Scotland or after he came to this country, is not known ; he was a large, strong and muscular man, unpretentious, made no display, personally or otherwise; honest and upright in his dealings with others, jealous of his own rights, while he accorded to every man the same rights which he claimed for himself; was not querulous, but would not be imposed upon ; was of equable temperament, until he was aroused, then an antagonist might look out; physically he was a powerful man. He married, I think, a Miss Sinclair, and had and raised, as known to the writer, three sons, Archibald, Duncan and Walter Nicholson-may have had other sons ; these are all that the writer ever knew. He had one daughter, Nancy ; she married Mr. Elly Greenwood, a sec- ond wife of his ; they have some family. Old man Nicholson may have had other daughters. Archie Nicholson, now in the Mullins region, married a Miss Martin, daughter of Matthew Martin, and by her has several children, and is doing well-a
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