The following may be of interest: SURNAME: SINGLETON. Take a look at http://www.upapubs.com/guides/plantj3.htm The Singleton home - "Kensington" - in eastern Richland County, SC has been beautifully restored in recent years. -----Original Message----- From: Tom Land <[email protected]> To: Sumter List <[email protected]> Date: Thursday, January 29, 1998 10:27 PM Subject: [SCSUMTER-L] The Ruins >Hi, > >To add to what Cindy said: > >Marion Videau Singleton was the daughter of Richard Singleton, a wealthy >planter, and sister of Sarah Angelica Singleton who married Abraham, son >of President Martin VanBuren and served as First Lady for the widowed >President. You can find her picture on the First Ladies page of the >Whitehouse homepage. > >Marion is given a large share of credit for developing the beautiful >grounds and gardens of "The Ruins" and perhaps naming it. When her >husband purchased it, it was quite dilapidated, thus the name. She left >it to her daughter Marion. Marion died with issue. Marion adopted her >great neice Amelia at age 4 and left her "The Ruins" in her will. She >married second Augustus L. Converse, a northern man with one wooden >leg. He was Rector at the Episcoal Church at Statesburg, SC and >possibly taught school. After Marion signed an agreement giving him a >share of her wealth for life if he should survive her he bagan >mistreating her and the daughters. Later she escaped and eventually >dropped the name Converse. > >Some of this info is in the Historical Sketches of Sumter Co., SC. >Tom Land > >-- >When you shake the family tree wondrous stories pour forth! >(Also some fruits & nuts!!) Tom Land [email protected] >Searching SINGLETON, LENOIR, CHISM & VEST everywhere! >Always pleased with new info, always willing to share. >List Owner of the SINGLETON and VEST research groups. >* To subscribe send e-mail with: 'subscribe' in body, >* no subject or signature to the appropriate list address: >[email protected] OR [email protected] >Visit: >My Family Homepage: http://www.geocities.com/Heartland/Estates/8081/ >The RootsWeb homepage: http://www.rootsweb.com/ >The Official SINGLETON home page: http://astrodawg.com/gen/singleton/ >