The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1920-12-01
HISTORICAL SKETCH OF
CLARENDON COUNTY
Read Before Tho Manning Social
And Literary Circle by Mr.. J. H.
Lesesne, September Is, 1897.

AeSeSflos O0DsehttaeE 10, A6Sl.
A history Of Clarendon County and
the Town of Manning, if written at
length and as a complete history,
would be a much longer paper than
it 10 proposed, on this occasion to
produce. A running sketch, at this
time, it is hoped, will suffice.
A history Of Manning is history of
the County, and q recital of the deeds
of their sons will be history of them
both. will be pardoned, then, for
treating them jointly.
The County Of Clarendo mis- not
an aged creation, when compared
with the lives Of her sisters, and the
Town Of Manning is slightly the
junior of the County. Clarendon
County is fortw-two years old, and
derived her birth from Sumter Dis
trict. Prior to the year 1866 Sum.
ter District, or perhaps to speak more
accurately, Sumter County, was COM
posed of two Districts of nearly
Claremont and Clarendon. Clare
mont comprised the upper portion of
Sumter County, while Clarendon
comprised the lower or Santee por-
ton. Just why Sumter County was
divided into Districts is not known,
but we suppose that each originally
had its courts Of authority, or Mag
istrate's courts, as, about seven miles
southwest of Manning, near the place
Of the late Capt. T. j. Davis, there
was an old court house, where it is
supposed that cases not capital were
passed upon. "Court House Branch"
derives Its name from this old time
"temple of JUSTICE" not vestige of
io1, 10 soiI>
The origion Of the name Claremont
| the writer does not know, and as he is
not writing a history of that section
he will not take time to inquire
But the name Clarendon, it is ac-
cepted by the best authorities on his
tory, was given in honor of Edward,
Earle of Clarendon, at one time Lord
High Chancellor of England, and one
of the lords proprietors. He received
grants to immense territories on the
| newly discovered American CONT
nent. Thus, it will be seen that in
name, if for nothing else, Clarendon
is entitled to place Of distinction
But this is not all the distinction that
she can claim. During the time that
Clarendon District belonged tC Sum-
ter County, and since she was created
a County to stand alone herself, she
has furnished many men who figured
yonspicuously in history and politics.
Five Governors have been furnished
South Carolina from within her
borders. In 1902 James B. Richard
son, wealthy planter, from the Clar-
endon District of Sumter County,
was elec,ed Governor Of the COM
monwealth Of South Carolina. In
1924 Richard I. Manning, another
planter from almost the same neigh
borhood of the same District, was
elected to the same position. In
1910 John P. Richardson, of Claren-
don District, was made Governor,
and in the year 1852 John L. Man
ming, one Of the most cultured and
polished gentlemen who ever graced
a Gubc,natorial chair, was taken
| from Clarendon District and given
the rcins of the State Government.
In 1880 John Peter Richardson, of
Clarendon County, was made Gov
ernor and served four years until
| 1890.
Prior to the year 1855 (the year
that Clarendon was cut off from Sum-
teri there were many reasons which
stirred the people of this section and
made them long for county govern
ment of their own. In addition to
the desire for new County, in or
be gratified, that more Offices. would
be created, and the same set Of men
could not control the pilitics Of so
large section, there were other rea-
sons. Persons who lived on the SAM
tee River, for instance, were put to
great Inconvenience in going so far
to the county seat at Sumter to pay
taxes, attend court, and attend to the
ordinary business which people usu-
ally have with county officials. Con-
sequcntly there arsoe general de-
mand for a separation and a creation
Of the now county, which was granted
by the Legislature.
1t is said that quite fight oc-
Cured in the Legislature over the
separation. Old Mr.. A. G.. Spain, a
noted and prominent figure in Sum-
ter County, opposed the measure
with all his force, and made the
charge that the effort to cut off the
new county was only for the purpose
lof honoring Governor John l.. Man.
ming. This the Ex-Governor resented
in strong speech, in which he scored
} Mr.. Spain very severely, and the
mesure was passed, carrying with
it the appointment of a commission,
composed Of several gentlemen, for
the purpose of locating the county
seat. The writer is not certain that
tho following five names compose
the entire commission, but they were
prominent mombers OF it, and prob
ably were all Of the commissioners
appointed by the Legislature for the
purpose. of saying where the court