Hi... I sure hope someone is collecting these wonderful stories and fileing them somewhere available... There are a couple of doozies today, and eventho I am not related to them... They are fine reading of life in SC. Maybe there could be a site for just SC stories... Thanks for the entertainment,,,Earnest.... ----- Original Message ----- From: <wargreen@ix.netcom.com> To: <SCSUMTER-L@rootsweb.com> Sent: Friday, February 11, 2000 9:51 AM Subject: [SCSUMTER-L] Mayrant > Judith, > > Here is what Scott writes about the Mayrants: (this is a priceless > story!) > > "On a fine sunny morning in May, 1806, a gay party of young > folks,both male and female, assembled at the residence of Alexander > Bell, Sr., in Granby, to take and excursion on horseback some 10 > miles up the river to the ferry on Saluda,then known as Kennerly's, > just above which James Kennerly Esq. resided; his dwelling, a > roomy, rambling country house, being on the East bank of the river, > so close to it that a heavy body dropped from one of the windows > would fall into the water. > > Among the gentlemen present were John Caldwell of Newberry, and > John Mayrant of Sumter, both then in college, and it was arranged > that they, with two of the girls, should pass the night and part of > the next day at Kennerly's, while the rest of the cavalcade, after > all had enjoyed themselves boating and fishing in the river, were > to return to Granby at the close of the day. The two collegians > were rivals for the favor of one of the young ladies who remained > behind when the others had gone back. They were dressed in the tip > of the prevailing fashion, but Mayrant rejoiced in the display of a > magnificent ruffled shirt, got up in better style and of finer > material than usual, so that it attracted the attention and excited > the applause and admiration of the fair sex, and, as Caldwell > thought, gave its owner an advantage that he was not otherwise > entitled to. At bedtime they were put into the same room with > several other young men who had called to see the belles from > Granby, and Mayrant, to save his shirt from being rumpled pulled it > off and hung it upon a chair. This was observed by Caldwell, who, > instigated by the demon of mischief and jealousy, and counting all > means fair in love and war, resolved to put the offending garment > out of the way. Accordingly, at the dead of night, while all the > others were asleep he rose stealthily, and, wrapping the object of > his hate around a brick, threw it from one of the windows as far as > he could into the river. Next morning when Mayrant arose his shirt > was missing and, after a thorough and fruitless search, he was > forced to button up his vest and coat and, leaving an apology to > the ladies and family for his sudden departure to order his horse > and take the road to Columbia, leaving Caldwell in full possession > of the field. Whether he suspected his rival of any agency in the > mysterious disappearance of the garment was not know; but Caldwell > said twenty years afterward that he could never muster up the > courage to tell Mayrant what had become oif his shirt. Neither of > then succeeded in gaining the young lady - a Miss Bell - who was > first married to a Mr. Heron and afterward to Major Benjamin Hart." > > Columbia - 1817-1822 > > "Major James S. Guignard (many years ordinary and clerk of the > court) had a large dwelling on the Northwest corner of Bull and > Gervais Streets and owned the entire square, on which he planted an > orchard, nursery and vineyard. His progeny, mostly daughters, > intermarried with Gibbeses, Mayrants and other prominent families." > > > > ==== SCSUMTER Mailing List ==== > Rootsweb has a search engine available for its mailing lists. > If you don't know which list you'd like to search, check out the list > of lists hosted by RootsWeb at: http://www.rootsweb.com/~maillist/ > You can search the message archives of the SCSumter list at: > http://searches.rootsweb.com/cgi-bin/listsearch.pl > >