Charleston County SC Genealogy

Slave Narrative of Anna Scott

Interviewer: Viola B. Muse Person Interviewed: Anna Scott Location: Jacksonville, Florida Anna Scott, an ex-slave who now lives in Jacksonville near the intersection of Moncrief and Edgewood Avenues, was a member of one of the first colonization groups that went to the West coast of Africa following the emancipation of the slaves in this country. The former slave was born at Dove City, South Carolina, on Jan. 28, 1846, of a half-breed Cherokee-and-Negro mother and Anglo-Saxon father. Her father owned the plantation adjoining that of her master. When she reached the adolescent age Anna was placed under the direct care … Read more

Slave Narrative of Uncle Dave White

Interviewer: Laura L. Middleton Person Interviewed: Dave White Location: Charleston, South Carolina An Old Time Negro Uncle Dave White, one of the waning tribe lives in a simple homestead down a dusty and wind-swept curved country lane on the out skirt of McClenville, forty miles North of Charleston rests the simple shanty of David White, aged Negro, affectionally known to the Negro and white population for many miles around as “uncle Dave”. His quiet unadulterated mode of living and his never changing grateful disposition typifies the true Southern Negro of pre-Civil War days; a race that was commonplace and plentiful … Read more

Register of St. Philip’s Parish, South Carolina

This is a collection of birth records from St. Philip’s Parish in South Carolina, beginning in 1711. It documents births in chronological order, providing the names of the parents, the date of birth, and sometimes additional information like the time of birth or whether the child was baptized. The records highlight the demographics of the parish during the 18th century, showcasing the names, family structures, and even the occasional instances of births outside of marriage.

Slave Narrative of Prince Smith

Interviewer: Augusta Ladson Person Interviewed: Prince Smith Location: Wadmalaw, South Carolina Experiences Of An Ex-Slave On Wardmalaw Island Massa Wus Kind to Slaves Prince Smith, a man who is said to be over a hundred years of age, has lived on Wardmalaw Island practically all of his life. His experiences during slavery are very interesting and true to life. An interview with him revealed the following: “I was bo’n an’ raise’ on dis island and was only frum here when de Civil War had begun. W’en Fort Sumter wus fired on mossa carried seventy of us to Greenville, South Ca’lina … Read more

Joseph W. Williford

Private 1st Class, M. G., Co. A, 30th Div., 115th Regt.; of Charleston, S. C.; son of L. C. and Mrs. A. O. Williford. Entered service July 4, 1917, at Gastonia, N.C. Sent to Camp Sevier, S. C. Sailed for France July 13, 1918. Promoted to 1st Class Private Sept. 1, 1917. Returned to USA March 8, 1919. Mustered out at Camp Lee, Va., April 8, 1919.

Slave Narrative of Tena White

Interviewer: Martha S. Pickney Person Interviewed: Tena White Location: Mt. Pleasant, South Carolina Everybody in the town of Mt. Pleasant, Christ Church Parish (across the Bay from Charleston) knows “Tena White, the washer,” “Tena, the cook,” “Maum Tena” or “Da Tena, the nurse”—the same individual, accomplished in each art, but best as a nurse. The house where Tena lives is the second in a row of Negro houses. The writer, calling from the gate, was answered by Tena, a middle-sized woman of neat figure. As the writer ascended the steps a friendly cur wagged itself forward and was promptly reproved … Read more

Slave Narrative of Alexander Robertson

Interviewer: W. W. Dixon Person Interviewed: Alexander Robertson Location: White Oak, South Carolina Age: 84 Ex-Slave 84 Years Old Alexander Robertson lives as a member of the household of his son, Charley, on the General Bratton plantation, four miles southeast of White Oak, S.C. It is a box-like house, chimney in the center, four rooms, a porch in front and morning glory vines, in bloom at this season, climbing around the sides and supports. Does Alexander sit here in the autumn sunshine and while the hours away? Nay, in fact he is still one of the active, working members of … Read more

Slave Narrative of Ned Walker

Interviewer: W. W. Dixon Person Interviewed: Ned Walker Location: Winnsboro, South Carolina Place of Birth: Winnsboro, South Carolina Age: 83 Ned Walker lives in the village of White Oak, near Winnsboro, S.C., in a two-room frame house, the dwelling of his son-in-law, Leander Heath, who married his daughter, Nora. Ned is too old to do any work of a remunerative character but looks after the garden and chickens of his daughter and son-in-law. He is a frequent visitor to Winnsboro, S.C. He brings chickens and garden produce, to sell in the town and the Winnsboro Hill’s village. He is tall, thin, and … Read more

South Carolina Women in the Confederacy

Carlo Botta, the Italian historian, in his History of the War for Independence, says: “In that fierce struggle, the War of the American Revolution, the women of Carolina presented an example of fortitude more than manly. I know not the history, ancient or modern, which has recorded a story of devotion exceeding or equaling that exhibited by these heroic beings to their American country. Far from considering the epithet a reproach, they gloried and exulted in the name of Rebel women. Their example was inspiring, and it is owing principally to the firmness of these patriotic Carolinians that the name, … Read more

Slave Narrative of George Pretty

Interviewer: Viola B. Muse Person Interviewed: George Pretty Location: Vero Beach and Gifford, Florida Age: 84 George Pretty of Vero Beach and Gifford, Florida, was born a free man, at Altoona, Pennsylvania, January 30, 1852. His father Isaac Pretty was also free born. His maternal grand-father Alec McCoy and his paternal grand-father George Pretty were born slaves who lived in the southern part of Pennsylvania. He does not know how his father came to be born free but knows that he was told that from early childhood. In Altoona, according to George, there were no slaves during his life there … Read more

Slave Narrative of Joe Rutherford

Interviewer: G. Leland Summer Person Interviewed: Joe Rutherford Location: Newberry, South Carolina “I was born about 1846, ’cause I was in de war and was 19 years old when de war was over. I went to Charleston with my master, Ros Atwood, my mistress’s brother. My mistress was Mrs. Laura Rutherford and my master at home was Dr. Thomas Rutherford. We was on Morris Island. “My father was Allen Rutherford and my mother Barbara Rutherford. My daddy had come from Chili to this country, was a harness maker, and belonged awhile to Nichols. We had a good house or hut … Read more

Slave Narrative of William Rose

Interviewer: C. S. Murray Person Interviewed: William Rose Location: Edisto Island, South Carolina Going Down To Die (Folklore) Story Told By Ex-Slave Boss Man, you talk about de brave soldier who been in de last big war and how dey look death in de eye and spit on him. I ain’t see dat war. It been ‘cross de water. But I know sump’en ’bout de Civil War. I been young lad when de big gun shoot and de Yankee pile down from de north. Talk ’bout being brave. De bravest thing I ever see was one day at Ashepoo junction. … Read more

Biography of John Congreve

John Congreve, one of the well-known business men of Riverside and San Bernardino County, with which he has been identified for many years, is the general manager of the Riverside branch of the Pioneer Lumber and Mill Company, one of the largest and best known lumber enterprises in Southern California. The Riverside branch was established in January 1886, under the firm name of William H. Perry Lumber and Mill Company, and continued until January 1, 1887. The present company was then organized with M. A. Murphy as president, and S. H. Moot, secretary, and at that time Mr. Congreve took … Read more

Biography of Gillis Q. Lake

Gillis Q. Lake has been in the drug business at Kansas City, Kansas, for the past eighteen years. Most of the people of that city know how he had built up the two finest drug stores in Kansas City, Kansas. The druggist is both a professional and business man, and Mr. Lake had apparently been equally strong in the professional and practical side of his business career. He was born at Wooster in Wayne County, Ohio, August 14, 1863. His parents were Constant and Ann (McDonald) Lake, the former a native of Ohio and the latter of Charleston, South Carolina. … Read more

Charleston County, South Carolina Census Records

Charleston County, South Carolina was formed from Marion and Washington counties in 1800. While it was an official county in 1800, it appears to have had a census taken of some part of it’s territory in 1790. 1790 Charleston County, South Carolina Census Free 1790 Census Form for your Research Hosted at Ancestry.com – Ancestry Free Trial 1790 Charleston County, Census (images and index) $ Hosted at Census Guide 1790 U.S. Census Guide 1800 Charleston County, South Carolina Census Free 1800 Census Form for your Research Hosted at Ancestry.com – Ancestry Free Trial 1800 Charleston County, Census (images and index) … Read more

The Discovery Of This Continent, it’s Results To The Natives

In the year 1470, there lived in Lisbon, a town in Portugal, a man by the name of Christopher Columbus, who there married Dona Felipa, the daughter of Bartolome Monis De Palestrello, an Italian (then deceased), who had arisen to great celebrity as a navigator. Dona Felipa was the idol of her doting father, and often accompanied him in his many voyages, in which she soon equally shared with him his love of adventure, and thus became to him a treasure indeed not only as a companion but as a helper; for she drew his maps and geographical charts, and also … Read more

Slave Narrative of Dave Taylor

Interviewer: Jules A. Frost Person Interviewed: Dave Taylor Location: Tampa, Florida A Marine In Ebony From a Virginia plantation to Florida, through perils of Indian war-fare; shanghaied on a Government vessel and carried ’round the world; shipwrecked and dropped into the lap of romance – these are only a few of the colorful pages from the unwritten diary of old Uncle Dave, ex-slave and soldier of fortune. The reporter found the old man sitting on the porch of his Iber City shack, thoughtfully chewing tobacco and fingering his home-made cane. At first he answered in grumpy monosyllables, but by the … Read more

John Isaac Love – Notes on the Will

Notes on the Will of John Isaac Love, the son of Thomas Dillard Love, taken from a memorandum of my Father, Robert Love, now in my possession-F.D. Love John I Love died on the ________ of ________ leaving Will made on ________ of __________ 18___, in which he gives all his personal estate to his brother, R. Love, and likewise his entire landed interest. However, he requires or conditions in the bequest a sale; that his brother, R. Love, shall pay his nephew, R.L. Dulaney, five hundred dollars when he arrives at the age of 21, and if he dies … Read more

Slave Narrative of Rosa Starke

Interviewer: W. W. Dixon Person Interviewed: Rosa Starke Location: Winnsboro, South Carolina Date of Birth: 1854 Age: 83 Occupation: Farm work, hoeing and picking cotton. Rosa’s grandfather was a slave of Solicitor Starke. Although she has had two husbands since slavery, she has thrown their names into the discard and goes by the name of Rosa Starke. She lives in a three-room frame house with her son, John Harrison, two miles south of Winnsboro, S.C., on the plantation of Mrs. Rebecca V. Woodward. She still does farm work, hoeing and picking cotton. “They say I was six years old when … Read more

Biography of Mary Morrall Darling

Mrs. Mary Morrall Darling is the daughter of Wamego’s pioneer physician, Dr. Albert Morrall, and she is now living in the same house where she was born May 14, 1872. The Morralls were English people and were colonial settlers in the Carolinas. Her great-great-grandfather was Daniel Morrall who married Lydia Savanen. Her great-grandfather was John Morrall. Her grandfather, George Washington Morrall, was born at Georgetown, South Carolina, August 17, 1786, became an attorney by profession, and practiced at Grahamville and at Beaufort, South Carolina, dying in the latter city February 22, 1836. He married Phoebe Jenkins Tripp, who was born … Read more