The Lancaster news. [volume] (Lancaster, S.C.) 1905-current, 1915-11-09
SOME HISTORICAL FACTS
OF WAXHAW SECTION
True Story of the Death
of Rev. William
Richardson
TOLD BY MIR. G. l.. NISBET.
Mrs. Richardson's Second Marriage
to Mr.. George Dunlap and Sub
sequent Happenings.


To the Editor of The News:
The newspaper comment, relevant
and otherwise, on the approaching
second marriage of President Wilson
and Mrs. Gait, and especially that
element of it which processes to be
shocked at the Presidents seeming
lack OF respect to the memory of his
former wife, calls to mind the dis
agreeable results of a certain other
too hasty second marriage among
people well known in the early his
tory of this section of the Carolinas.
In this case. however. it was a woman
who was guilty of the indelicacy. il
such 1t were.
Every one who is at all familiar
with the early history of this section
knows something of the life and
work of Rev. William Richardson.
uncle and foster father of William
Richardson Davie, and a brother-in-
INV OF John c. Calhoun's father, both
OF them marrying daughters of Rev.
Alexander Craighead, of Rocky River.
Sugar Creek and Old Waxhaw: but
the story of his death Is not so we'll
known. 1t has been told In several
versions. but the one here given is
the most plausible and generally ac-
cepted as true.
Mr.. Richardson came to Waxhaw
In the year 1853, after abandoning
mission to the Cherokee Indians to
which he had been sent by a Presby-
terry in Virginia, and for twelve
years labored as pastor of Old Wax
haw and Fishing Greek churches. He
was very active man and his field
lay over wide scope of territory.
He was often called by messenger to
go on long trips. preaching and bap-
tizing. On one such trip which last
ed about four weeks and covered a
good part of the state of South Caro-
lima, he baptized abut two hundred
and sixty children. He always came
from hese trips with large amounts
or money. The story OF his death
and subsequent happenings, follows:
Mrs. Richardson had gone early in
the day to social gathering,
quilting" leaving Mr. Richardson
alone. Some months before this he
had been forced by failing health to
give up large part of his itinerary
work, and had fitted up the upper
room in his home as a kind OF study
or library. Thither he repaired inn
mediately after his wife left that
morning. During the day he was
visited by his brother-in-law, Mr..
Archibald Davie, who saw nothing
unusual in his appearance or con-
duct. Late in the evening a gentle
man from a congregation in Chester
county, which desired Mr.. Richard
son to come and preach for them,
drove up, and just as he arrived Mrs
Richardson came home. In answer
to his inquiry for her husband, she
replied that he would probably be
found in his study, with which she
fastened to the kitchen to prepare
supper for her guest. The gentle
man, a Mr.. Boyd. being desirous OF
an interview, knocked at the study
door. and upon getting no response,
ventured to peep through the key
hole. He saw Mr.. Richardson kneel-
ing by chair. apparently at his
prayers. After waiting what he
thought a sufficient ime he protested
to Mrs. Richardson about her hus-
band keeping him so long and she
went up to see what the trouble was.
Upon entering the room she uttered
scream that brought Mr.. Boyd to her
side. They found Mr.. Richardson
kneeling by chair, with one hand
appraised and with a horse bride Sc
cureiy knotted about his neck. Near
neighbors were called and the facts
made known. Fearing that the cause
of religion and the fair fame OF =
good man would suffer If the whole
truth were told. the circumstances OF
the bride was suppressed and the
story given out was that he died at
his devotion.
Mrs. Richardson was woman of
beauty and rare personal charm and
It was inconeeivable that she should
remain a widow. So before the year
was out she married Mr.. George
Dunlap. a worthy gentleman and a
friend of the family Then trouble
started. There were Mos" VINO