The fourth book published in a series of six that detail South Carolina families and their ties to historic moments heavily features Clarendon County.
Recently published by June M. Gardner, “Pop and the Gardners of Clarendon County,” details the descendants of Nathan Gardner, who settled in the Jack’s Creek area on the Santee River in the 1700s. A number of his descendants still live in Manning and Clarendon County to this day.
“Pop and the Gardners of Clarendon County” begins with the story of Greer L. Gardner, known as “Pop” or “Pert,” father-in-law of the author, who was born Oct. 11, 1909, in Summerton. He was a son of Marvin Gardner, who also grew up in Clarendon County, as did his ancestors.
Marvin was one of 10 children of Lizzie and William Pinckney Gardner. He and his brother, Willie, attended Levi Institute. Included is the story of each of their 10 children and a listing of their grandchildren.
Marvin became a carpenter and a blacksmith. After building his home in Sardinia, he, his wife and three sons migrated northward to the upstate of South Carolina, where he became a builder of truck bodies in Boiling Springs before he died in 1955.
“Pop and the Gardners of Clarendon County” tells not only the story of the Gardner ancestors who can be traced only as far back as Nathan and Amelia Vickers Gardner — settlers in the Jack’s Creek area of the Santee River, but also gives information about the history of Clarendon County and the nine communities where the Gardners lived.
All of the Gardners were Methodist, and included is the history of Methodism in Clarendon County and the five churches where they worshipped.
From Jack’s Creek, the Gardners moved to the Taw Caw area and worshipped at St. Paul Methodist Episcopal Church before it disbanded. Afterward, the land was deeded to the trustees of St. Paul Cemetery under the leadership of Billy Rowe of Summerville, whose grandmother was Margaret “Maggie” Gardner Rowe. “Pop and the Gardners of Clarendon County” includes pictures of the beautiful cemetery.
Also featured is the story of the Richbourgs, Pop’s great grandmother, Elizabeth Richbourg, whose ancestor was Claude Phillippe de Richbourg, the French minister who came to America to avoid religious persecution and settled in the Santee area.
“Pop and the Gardners of Clarendon County” is the fourth of a series of six South Carolina-based family history books, entitled “Faith of Our Fathers,” written by June McManus Gardner, wife of retired pastor Norman Russ Gardner, former pastor of Alice Drive Baptist Church in Sumer.
The first book, “From Harleyville to Beulah Land,” written in 2012, is about the Harley family, and Irving Harley, grandfather of Travis “Brownie” Brown of Manning.
Each book is indexed and contains pictures, charts and maps. These books are intended not only to be enjoyed by readers today, but to be passed down to future generations.
A copy of “Pop and the Gardners of Clarendon County,” as well as the other books in the series, can be ordered at junegardner1.wix.com/book.
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