Marlboro County ScArchives History - Books .....Chapter XXI Scottish Settlers 1897
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Book Title: A History Of Marlboro County

CHAPTER XXI.
SCOTTISH SETTLERS. McCOLLS AND McLAURINS.

  After the battle of Culloden, which occurred in 1746, many Scottish families
emigrated to America. The two Carolinas were fortunate in having some of these
valuable people to make their homes within their borders.

  Among those ranked as rebels in that conflict several came to the Pee Dee who
were destined to distinction in after time; of those the McIvers and McIntoshs
are worthy of mention. It is likely also that about the same time the McLeans,
McLaurins, McRaes, McColls and others who happened to be on the losing side,
crossed the waters, in search of liberty and peace; and settled in the country
between the Cape Fear and Pee Dee. But the ancestors of the names at the head of
this chapter seem to have come at a later date, soon after the Revolutionary
War. The writer is largely indebted to his old friend, Mr. John L. McCall, for
valuable information. Mr. McColl,* now seventy-eight, is still vigorous and
strong, in body and mind, intelligent, thoughtful, accurate, and greatly
interested in having the traditions of the old families preserved, has himself
been an active participant in the affairs of the country. He was born in Marion,
came to Marlboro a boy of twelve, spent the prime of his life in farming and
mercantile pursuits, mostly at Clio, and in its vicinity. He was elected Tax
Collector for Marlboro in 1862, and assisted Messrs. McRae and Weatherly in the
same service in earlier years. His wife was a daughter of Mr. Archie Sinclair,
who came from Isly in Scotland, and a highly respectable family of sons and
daughters honor the training of the excellent couple. Among them are Mrs. H. H.
Newton, T. D. and C. S. McCall of Bennettsville.

  * Since dead.

  When volunteers were called for to go to the Seminole War in 1835, Mr. McCall
was serving an apprenticeship in a tailor's establishment, but at once enlisted
in the company of Capt. Elmore, of Columbia. He remembers how his youthful mind
was impressed with the wealth, liberality and patriotism of the elder Wade
Hampton, who offered to furnish twenty horses if the company could be mounted
and go as cavalry. That brief service fully satisfied the martial ambition of
the young aspirant for fame, and made him content to follow ever after the
pursuits of peace. May his last days be as calm as the setting sun, and all that
bear his name rise up to bless his memory.

  John, the father of the above, came from Appin Scotland in 1791, being then in
his fourteenth year. With him were several relatives, and they first found
shelter under the hospitable roof of a kinsman, David McCall, who had come over
earlier, and was living at what has long been known as the Daniel Graham place,
near the North Carolina State line. John McColl lived at what was then called
Mt. Washington, now Tatum. Subsequently did business at Marlboro Old Court
House. He married a Miss Curry, had but one son, besides our friend, to grow to
manhood, and he was killed by a horse.

  An uncle named Daniel, died in this country. Hugh G. McColl is also remembered
as a native Scotchman, who came over about the same time with the others, was
related to them, and settled on Little Pee Dee and is represented in this
country yet in the descendants of John C. and Nancy McColl. The old people were
fond of talking of "Big Solomon," who married a daughter of "David the first."
Tradition represents him as a school teacher, a "man of learning." He was the
father of "Long Hugh," who is remembered as a soldier of the War of 1812, the
father of David, Solomon, John and Christian. This second David is the father of
D. D. McColl of Bennettsville "Big Solomon" was also the father of Peter McColl,
who for twenty-five years was the Clerk of the Court for Marlboro and died in
office in 1871. He also conducted before the war the first branch bank ever
established in this county, being part of the Bank of Cheraw. The neatness of
pensmanship of the Clerk's office during his occupancy is a monument to his memory.

  Another, Hugh, called "Steady Hugh," came about the same time with the others,
from whom is descended Mrs. Effie McLaurin, mother of the excellent young men,
John F., Hugh L., Luther and W. B. McLaurin, sons of Capt. L. L. McLaurin. D. D.
McColl is also a grandson of this "Steady Hugh," on his mother's side. Another
Solomon, called "Little Solomon," of about the same age as Big Solomon, was the
father of Hugh D., better known as a deaf mute, who also has representatives in
the county. The old people will remember that John "Gurly" was a brother to Hugh
D., who married a Miss Cameron, and from whom was descended John, Hugh and
Malcom McColl, citizens of the Judson community. "Stumpy" Duncan was the father
of that excellent old man Lock B. McCall, who, when near four-score years, was
drowned in Beaver Dam Creek, near his residence, while bathing. He was honest,
inoffensive and kind of heart. He, too, was a soldier of the Seminole War, a
private in the company of Capt. Williamson in Harllee's Battalion. A brother of
his named John has left descendants behind him.

  Major John McColl, a brother of "Stumpy" Duncan, who commanded the Lower
Battalion in the Marlboro Regiment for a time, was a man of excellent character,
pleasing manners, and was the father of those worthy men of the Judson
neighborhood, Lock and Joseph McColl. It is told of the Major that (like a good
many other militia officers in olden time) he did not enjoy an extensive
knowledge of "tactics," and that on one occasion, when his battalion was on
review, he gave a command which either was awkwardly given or not understood,
and the left wing doubled upon itself in much confusion. The Major was quite a
short, small man, but was well mounted upon a charger richly caparisoned. Seeing
that the left flank was in a tangle, he endeavored to put spurs to his horse,
but his heels only reached the lower part of the saddle skirts, but by dint of
coaxing and spurring he galloped down the broken lines and cried out in his
broad Scotch, "What the dickens got you into sich a hickelty-pickelty? Git ye
straight again."

  Mr. John A. McColl, exemplary man, splendid, useful citizen, who only a few
years ago sank into the grave, full of years, and full of the praises and
affections of his countrymen, especially of Hebron and Clio, where he lived so
long and lived so well, is said to have sprung from a branch of the family that
settled upon Mountain Creek, and his relationship to the foregoing was not so
close. John A. McColl's grandparents, John and Margaret McColl, and their
children, came from Scotland to America in 1775. They landed at Wilmington and
settled near Mountain Creek, in Richmond County, North Carolina. His maternal
grandparents, John and Mary Cameron, • and their children, came from Scotland to
America in the ship Mary Ann, and likewise settled at Mountain Creek, North
Carolina. Dougald McColl, his father, married Jeannette Cameron and came to
Marlboro about 1819. John A. had two brothers, Daniel, who died in Louisiana, on
the Red River, an overseer, and Hugh, who was younger. John A. was the father of
nine children. Four only are now alive, Wellington, Alex, Mrs. Lewis Spears and
Miss Nancy McColl.

  But our friend from whom so much of this information was obtained mentioned
two other families of McColls of Marlboro, whom he claims as of the same stock
with those above named. One of these, in the childhood of the writer, lived in
the Brownsville community, a venerable Scotch lady, we all honored as "Granny
McColl." A maiden daughter, Miss Katy, and a son, James, lived with her, and
close by lived another son, David R., who was the father of that substantial and
highly respected gentleman now living a few miles below Society Hill, my old
schoolmate, Mr. John S. McColl. The other family lived for many years upon the
"Three Creeks," five miles below Bennettsville, but, so far as the writer knows,
no member of it bearing the name is left in Marlboro. But the well-known and
much respected late A. C. McInnis married Miss Flora, a handsome granddaughter
of the old man _______ McColl, a native of Scotland, who lived and died about
half a mile from what was long known as "McColl's Cross Roads." S. J. McInnis is
the first born of this interesting couple of pure Caledonian blood. By the way,
the intermarriage of Scot with Scot has been especially characteristic of the
McColls. Attached to the old "clan," proud of their pure blood, they have
married and intermarried until they are all kin, more or less. Some of them
spell the name with an A, others retain the O, but nearly, if not quite all of
the name in Marlboro, in one line or another, may trace their origin back to
Appin. The McLaurins of Marlboro, if not quite so numerous, have, nevertheless,
occupied a conspicuous place among its best citizens. They, also, as far as can
be ascertained, came to this country soon after the War of Independence and
settled on the Little Pee Dee, some on one side, some on the other, so it has
been in all these years that both in Richmond and Robeson Counties in North
Carolina, and in Marion and Marlboro in South Carolina, men have lived who have
contributed their full share to the prosperity and enterprise of the country.
The older people in the eastern part of the State fondly remember three brothers
of excellent character, Daniel C., John L. and " Little Hugh" McLaurin, all of
whom have left large and respectable families. Daniel C., who lived where the
late J. W. Roper resided, kind-hearted, hospitable, and ever ready to serve his
country in any position with conscientious fidelity, we all mourn his death as
the loss of a valuable citizen. John L. McLaurin, who lived where his son, the
late John B., lived, was not less useful, less loved, and perhaps more
enterprising and successful. He, too, like his brother, served his people quite
acceptably upon the district boards. A son of his, P. B. McLaurin, was returned
to the Legislature before the war, and another son, John B., has been elected
once since. The third brother, Hugh, spent most of his life in North Carolina, a
few miles from Laurinburg, but his sons have several of them been for a longer,
or shorter period citizens of Marlboro. L. B., Jack, Duncan and the late Jas. R.
were sons of this old man. He and his brothers were sons of a native of
Scotland. His name was Laughlin, and his wife was a Miss McColl, a sister of one
of the John McColls mentioned on a previous page. So that it is not alone of
late that the young McLaurins and McColls fell in love with each other.

  Another honored old man of this name, John McLaurin, who came over in 1784,
married a Miss McNair, of Richmond, N. C, and was the grandfather of Capt. Lock
and John J. McLaurin*; the former a man of uncommon energy and push, of fine
mind, good judgment, and modest worth; John J. one of the best of men, a
universal favorite as a young man, as an old one, cheerful, kind-hearted,
venerated and loved. The Captain's wife was Miss Effie McColl, and John J.
married a daughter of Daniel C. McLaurin. "Hurricane Daniel," another McLaurin
of this stock, strayed off to Sumter County, and his large and respectable
connections are among the best in our sister county.

* Both dead.

  Daniel, the head of this latter branch of the family, came to America when his
son John was about twenty years old and settled at first near Campbellton, now
Fayetteville, N. C. After a few years spent in boating on Cape Fear, the old
patriarch came to Marlboro and established himself near where his grandson, John
J., now lives. And the impression seems to be that Laughlin, the ancestor of the
three brothers, Hugh, Daniel C, and John L., came about 1791 and settled at Red
Bluff. In all the years since, the descendants of these old Scotchmen have clung
to the grounds where their fathers first felled the forests and built their
altars-quiet, unobtrusive people, yet valuable members of society they have
always been.


Additional Comments:
Extracted from:

A HISTORY OF MARLBORO COUNTY,
WITH
TRADITIONS AND SKETCHES OF NUMEROUS FAMILIES.

REV. J. A. W. THOMAS, AUTHOR.

A wonderful stream is the river Time
  As it runs through the realms of tears 
With a faultless rhythm and a musical rhyme,
And a broader sweep and a surge sublime
  As it blends with the ocean of years.
                        —TENNYSON.

ATLANTA, GA.:
THE FOOTE & DAVIES COMPANY,
Printers and Binders.
1897.


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