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of Manning, South Carolina at death- sha had 2 additional grandchildren- Nicole H. Murray and Amelia F. Harper- who are their parents? jkh at death- she had 11 great-children- where do they go? jkh
Talk at Sumter Genealogical Society on 18 Nov 2002. STATEBURG PLANTATION TOPIC AT GENEALOGICAL SOCIETY- ¶ Amelia DeSaussure Barnwell Harper will speak on “Growing Up at the Ruins” at the Nov. 18 meeting of the Sumter County Genealogical Society. The meeing is set for 7:30 p.m. at Swan Lake Presbyterian Church. ¶ The land on which The Ruins stands dates to an original grant of 200 acres to Peter Matthews on March 6, 1770. The property then passed to John Adamson and James Lesesne, who united it with an additional 100 acres granted to Isaac Hilton and sold to Benjamin Waring. In 1802, General Thomas Sumter sold to John Mayrant, who gave a “mortgage excluding by agreement The House of residence of John Mayrant and fourteen acres being part of two lots designated in the plan of Stateburg, on one of which the said House stands.” ¶ Later it passed to WIllis W. Alston, a schoolmaster, who used the large home as The Hawthorndean Seminary for young ladies. In 1838, Alston sold it to John A. Colclough, who six months later sold it to Robert Marion DeVeaux. DeVeaux was married to Videau Marion Singleton, daughter of Colonel Richard Singleton. ¶ Deveaux lived only a short time after moving in The Ruins, leaving his wife a wealthy widow with four small children. ¶ After a disastrous second marriage, followed by years of litigation Videau finally retrieved her rightful property. She has gone down in history as the very first woman in South Carolina to obtain a legal divorce. She and her children moved back to The Ruins, which was occupied by her descendants for many years.
¶ Harper is the daughter of St. Julian Mazyck Barnwell and Amelia Nott Moore. Moore was the daughter of Marion DeVeaux Moore and Caroline Naylor Parker and the great granddaughter of Videau Marion Singleton DeVeaux. Amelia Nott Moore inherited The Ruins through her father’s aunt, Mrs. James S. Pinckney, by whom she was reared. Amelia Nott Moore Barnwell died intestate in 1928. By law, her husband inherited one-third of her estate, and her children, Amelia D. Barnwell, St. Julian Mazyck Barnwell, Jr. and Marion Pinckney Barnwell, inherited two-thirds. The Ruins was owned by the family and descendants of Videau Marion Singleton DeVeaux for 146 years, from its purchase in 1838 until 1984, when it passed from the Barnwell family. ¶ Amelia D. Barnwell Harper attended WInthrop College. In 1948, she married Arthur Lide Harper in the Church of the Holy Cross in Stateburg. They have five children. Mrs. Harper’s presentation will detail traditions, legends and everyday life as she lived it at The Ruins in Stateburg. She will display photographs, scrapbooks and several pieces from the Esther Marion china, which was made in England before 1800. The china, a double set of 550 pieces, was purchased in England by Robert Marion, who was the nephew of General Francis Marion, for his bride, the former Mrs. Esther Gignilliett DeVeaux. It was once divided, and through the years many pieces were given as gifts. Yet, many serving pieces and plates are in Harper’s possession. of Sumter, South Carolina she was from Stateburg, South Carolina
Museum to display historically important portrait
PHOTO PROVIDED
Museum to display historically important portrait
Ginny Newell, left, and Rickie Good unveiled the James DeVeaux portrait of Videau Marion Singleton Deveaux at The Ruins during a meeting of the Sumter County Historical Society. The portrait, donated to the Sumter County Museum by Amelia Barnwell Harper, was restored by Newell of Columbia's Renewell Restorations Inc. Good is interim director and curator of collections at the museum.
Posted: Sunday, October 30, 2011 6:00 am | Updated: 9:38 pm, Sat Oct 29, 2011.
BY IVY MOORE ivym@theitem.com
A portrait of significant importance to Sumter's history was unveiled during the Oct. 23 meeting of the Sumter County Historical Society. An oil on canvas painting of Videau Marion Singleton Deveaux by the noted early 19th-century artist James DeVeaux of Charleston was unveiled by Sumter County Museum interim director Rickie Good and Ginny Newell of Renewell Inc. restoration.
A gift to the Sumter County Museum by Amelia Barnwell Harper, the portrait depicts her "many times great-grandmother."
Videau Marion Singleton Deveaux, who lived from 1815-1867, was the daughter of Col. Richard and Rebecca Singleton of Home Place. When DeVeaux painted her in 1839, Videau was married to Robert Marion Deveaux of St. Stephens Parish and of Sumter District; they lived at The Ruins plantation in Stateburg, where Newell and Good unveiled the portrait. It is believed that there is no blood relationship between the artist and his subject's husband.
In addition to the newly acquired portrait, the museum collection includes several artifacts owned and used by Videau at The Ruins, including several pieces of the Marion china inherited from Esther Marion of St. Stephens Parish. Videau was the sister of Angelica Singleton van Buren, daughter-in-law of President Martin van Buren.
The artist DeVeaux lived from 1812 to 1844; his patrons included members of the Gibbes, Hampton and Preston families, whose support enabled him to study in Philadelphia and to make two trips to Europe. It is speculated that the relationship between the Hamptons and the Singletons led to his having been commissioned to paint portraits of Videau and her sister-in-law, Mrs. John S. Coles. DeVeaux's portraits can be found in public and private collections, many in South Carolina.
Richard Jenrette, owner of Millford Plantation, purchased a DeVeaux portrait of Susan Hampton Manning more than 12 years ago for $50,000. The New York Metropolitan Museum also has a traveling exhibit that features at least two other DeVeaux portraits.
Following its restoration by conservator Ginny Newell and its reframing, the portrait of Videau Marion Singleton Deveaux will hang in the museum's Williams-Brice House. Good said the frame was made to duplicate that of a similar portrait of Angelica van Buren.
Harper also donated a small portrait of Deveaux's son, Robert Marion Deveaux, who died in a train accident at the age of 12. The accident also claimed the life of Col. Singleton.
At first the picture was believed to be a graphite sketch by Anne Peyre Deveaux, daughter of Videau and Robert Marion Deveaux, Good said, "But when Ginny (Newell) examined it closely, it turned out to be a very early photograph on paper. It's still with her in Columbia while we decide if and how it can be restored."
Good added that the museum received funding from the Sumter County Historical Society for the restoration of the Videau Deveaux portrait and from the Sumter County Historical Commission for the purchase of the frame; donations were received from individuals, as well.
The James DeVeaux portrait of Videau Marion Singleton Deveaux can be seen at the Sumter County Museum during regular operating hours, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Thursday-Saturday. Admission is $3 for adults, $1 for young people ages 6-17.
The museum is located at 122 N. Washington St., across from Tuomey Regional Medical Center. Reach the museum at (803) 775-0908 or through its website, www.sumtercountymuseum.org.
Posted in Local news, News on Sunday, October 30, 2011
50 YEARS AGO - 1962
Sept. 15-21
The entire seven-member Arthur Harper family of Sumter was hospitalized after a collision with another car driving on the wrong side of the road occurred on Highway 521 about two miles south of Sumter, killing two of the occupants and injuring two others. The dead were identified as John F. Walker, 24, and John Herndon, both of James Island; injured were Albert Galloway, 28 and Joe Walker, 20, addresses unavailable. In addition to Mr. and Mrs. Harper, their injured children were Betty, 13, Anne, 11, Cathy, 9, Arthur Jr., 6, and Bobby, 5. According to S.C. Highway Patrolman R.K. Nettles, who investigated the accident, the Harpers were traveling south on Highway 521in their station wagon while the other car was headed north "at a high rate of speed" when the "terrific collision" occurred around dusk during clear road conditions. All of the injured are expected to recover. Coroner Guignard DuBose is planning an inquest.
AMELIA BARNWELL HARPER
Posted Friday, May 22, 2020 6:00 am
Amelia deSaussure Barnwell Harper, 92, died on Wednesday, May 20, 2020, at McLeod Health Clarendon, Manning.
She was a daughter of the late St. Julien Mazyck Barnwell and Amelia Nott Moore Barnwell. Mrs. Harper was a lifelong member of Holy Cross Church in Stateburg. She served 30 years as treasurer of the Historic Preservation Trust. She served on the vestry, was the first female senior warden, and also served on the altar guild, the ECW, as a choir member and as cemetery trustee. She was a charter member of the Daughters of the King. She was a member of the Trian and Cotillion Clubs, the Huguenot Society, the National and S.C. Colonial Dames Society, Daughter of the American Colonist and the Stateburg Literary and Musical Society.
Surviving are three daughters, Elizabeth Harper Anderson and Catherine Harper Wallace, both of Sumter, and Anne Harper Lee of Manning; two sons, Arthur L. "Bud" Harper III (Betsy) of Pawleys Island and Robert Dupre Harper (Marie) of Drexel Hills, Pennsylvania; 10 grandchildren, Louise Lee Hughes (Ted), David L. Lee III, Amelia "Aim e" H. Anderson, Frances H. Snipes (Forrest), Benjamin L. Harper (Jami), Nicole H. Murray, Amelia F. Harper, Emily W. Wallace, Eva W. Wallace, Deloris K. Cromartie (Brad) and Elizabeth K. Gaylord (Brittain); 11 great-grandchildren, Edward Webb Hughes Jr., Charles Barnwell Hughes, Caroline Forrest Snipes, Liam James Harper, Madelyn Alyse Harper, Isabella Marie Murray, Matthew Murray, Lillian Cromartie, J.B. Cromartie, Norvey Gaylord and Sydney Gaylord; 13 nieces and nephews.
She was preceded in death by her stepmother, Elizabeth McLaurin Ryan Barnwell; two brothers, Marion Pinckney Barnwell of El Segundo, California, and St. Julien M. Barnwell of North Charleston; and one son-in-law, Richard Anderson.
Private graveside services will be held at the Holy Cross Church Cemetery in Stateburg.
Honorary pallbearers will be Charles J. Whaley, Benjamin L. Harper, David L. Lee III, Edward Webb Hughes, Charles Barnwell Hughes, Forrest Snipes, Col. Rett Summerville and Richard K. Moffitt.
Memorials may be made to the cemetery fund of the Church of the Holy Cross. 335 N. Kings Highway, Sumter, SC 29154.
Online condolences may be sent to www.sumterfunerals.com.
Elmore Hill McCreight Funeral Home & Crematory, 221 Broad Street, Sumter, is in charge of the arrangements (803) 775-9386. [2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 9] |
1927 - 2020 (92 years)
