Marlboro County, South Carolina - Chapter 20, 1897

Chapter 20

The journals of the State Senate and also of the House of Representatives have been carefully searched, with the desire to obtain a correct list of the men who have represented Marlboro in the Legislature from the Revolutionary War to the year 1890 ; and it is thought that the following meets the requirement. It is to be remembered that before, and for some years after the formation of the three counties, Chesterfield, Darlington and Marlboro, out of the territory comprising the "Old Cheraw District,'* the members were elected as from the old district, or "St. David's Parish," and even after the Representatives began to be chosen from the counties separately, for a number of years, till about 1805, the three counties (or districts as they were called) continued to be a single senatorial district. Therefore, it will be observed that in a few instances, men residing outside of Marlboro are put down as representing it in the Senate ; but as at almost every election one or more Marlboro men were returned along with others from the other counties to the House, only such as appeared from Marlboro are enrolled in the list of the lower House :

It is interesting to observe that of these seventy men whom the people have honored with their suffrages, ten have rendered service in both branches of the Legislature. One of them, B; K. Henagan, practiced medicine. Mr. McCall has been a successful merchant, having at the same time an extensive farming interest, which was also true of Dr. Henagan. Fifteen of the seventy were lawyers, three of whom were elevated to the bench. Several of them devoted much attention to their farms. But taking these from the list there are left fifty-two farmers; a little more than three- fourths of the whole; and some of those who served longest were of this class. One of them was six times elected; another five times. Four were four times, and four others three times; while only one lawyer has been able to carry his election the fourth time, and two others reached a third term. So that if Marlboro is and has always been an agricultural county, so has it been in all the years of its history a government of farmers, and yet in most of the members of the bar that have represented her interests in the councils of the State, she has honored herself in honoring them. Time was, indeed, when the voters of Marlboro scarce thought to inquire into the profession or calling in life, of the man that sought their suffrages. Is he worthy f Is he capable? No doubt mistakes were made, but it was not when a lawyer was in the Senate that "poor Marlboro'* rang in the corridors of the capitol. That people is in danger, that allows one class to array itself against another. Just as in the world of nature, we need variety, and can only have the grandest perfection of beauty and utility; so in social, political and industrial affairs we need various classes, industries and callings to give strength, order and success to the whole. As the old men of seventy years ago looked upon the manly form of Gillespie or Robert B. Campbell, and heard their stirring words, they may have felt, these are the men to move senates, sway juries, and impress judges; or, as they met the polite, modest youthful Evans, or laughed over the anecdotes and pleasantries of Ervin, they hardly thought or cared to remember that these were young lawyers, destined to impress themselves upon their country; or later on, when Ellerbe and David met upon the stump, who cared whether he voted for the farmer or the lawyer? Both commanded the respect of his friends for what he was^ in himself, and few men cared as to his calling, so he honored himself in its pursuit.

The following is thought to be a full and correct list of the Sheriffs, Clerks and Ordinaries who have held office in Marlboro»from the Revolution to date:

Sheriffs Of Marlboro. Clerks Of Court

In 1868 a new constitution was adopted and the office of Ordinary was abolished, and the office of Probate Judge instituted. Jeremiah Grant was elected first to the office in 1868 and served till 1872.