New Orleans daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1851-1866, 1866-02-23
The Last of the Pinckneys.

The New York Herald says: The last news from
Charleston brings us intelligence OF the death Of
Mrs. Rebecca Doyley Pinckney, who was we be-
leve, the last person who bore that famous
| name.
| A short time since the famous old Pinckney
mansion. which the founder of the family in this
country had built in 1857, and which had become
one OF the landmarks and relics of Charleston
was destroyed by fire, and Mrs. Pinckney was
owned a family residence. From the exposure in
cident to this change very severe on lady Of her
advanced age and infrmities, she caught cold, and
dled on Christmas day, aged nearly ninety years
She outlived all the friends of her youth, had
been for thirty-two years widow, and of seven
children who arrived at mature years she survived
al put TWO, both of whom were females. She had
lost her sight almost entirely, and her hearing
much impaired. She retained her Intellectual
| faculties in great measure to the last.
Ihe family which has thus become extinct was
among the most famous in our history. Thomas
finckney, its founder, emigrated from Lincoln.
SHIRE, England, IN sixteen hundred and eighty
father Of three sons, each of whom attained some
local celebrity. His first child, Thomas Pinckney
was an ensign in the 18th Regiment Royal Ameri.
cans OF the colonial army organization. His second
son was Charles, better known in history as Chief
Justice Pinckney, having been made Chief Justice
and Kings Councillor Of the province Of South
Carolina in seventeen hundred and ifty-two His
wi wife was the " original rice planter" having been
- ~ PNisoiA " apLVHpb bHe CuitlNhtIGH Ot tQAl
important staple in this country. Chief Justice
Pinckney died in seventeen hundred and fifty nine
The third son Of Thomas Pnckney was William
who was at one time the Royal Master in Chan.
The first son died childess; Charles had two sons
and William one. This latter is unknown to fame
but the sons of Charles both became famous and
are now known as :" the Pnckneys Of Revolution
ary fame" 054 2
These sons were St. Charles Cotesworth Pinck
ney, born IN l746 and led in 1925; an officer in the
national army during the revolution a member 0
the constitutional convention of l7s7, Minister tt
France and Federal candidate for Vice Presiden
with John Adams in 1900 In 1904 Mr. Pinckne,
was candidate for the Presidency but was badly
beaten by Jefferson, receiving only the votes q
Connecticut and Delaware. In 1908 he was de
ieated Tor the same office by James Madison, and
never afterwards figured in national politics.
Thomas Pinckney, the second son of the Chief
justice and brother of the last mentioned has ais
a revolutionary fame.
Henry Laurens Pinekney, his son, has national
reputation. He was in the State legislature from
1916 to 1882; was editor Of the Charleston Mer-
curry IN 1878; mayor of Charleston during the null
hhcatlon excitement, and in 1888 represented that
district IN Congress. He was reelected in 1885
In lS39-40 he was again elected mayor of Charles
ton. His literary reputation depends chiefly on
his editorial career, though he published memoirs
OF Gen. jackson, Robert Y. Hayne {Who was his
brother in-!aw) and of jonathan MaIey. he vas
prominent as Conf aderate, and died at Charies
toain 1858.
The husband of the lady whose death has served
as the text for the revival Of these ola remn-
iscences, was William Cotesworth Pinckney, VINO |
had tbe misfortune to be a valetudnarian, and
whose s success sss in practical life not At all
mensnrate with his abilities. The world was not
his oyster, and he welded no sword to open it, but
preferred the privacy of his library, and was
better skilled with his pen than sword. He was
for a time Speaker of the South Carolina House of
REPRESENTATIVES and it is related of him that his
love Of the classics and old forgotten lore was
sufficient English to be ntegble to ordinary hear.
ers His exact relation TO the famous members of
the family is not known, though he was descended
from the Charles Cotesworth branch of the Pinck-
uey family, .5Fl~5 gL Il III