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Black Heritage in the Upper Piedmont of South Carolina

Vance-Robinson Cassette 1 Side 1

Media

Part of Interview: Vance-Robinson, Lenora

Title

Vance-Robinson Cassette 1 Side 1

Source

Lenora Vance-Robinson Interview

Date

1990-07-23

Description

Cassette 1

Side 1

00:53--Mrs. Vance Robinson begins the interview by discussing some of the oldest members of her family. Her maternal great-grandmother was Martha Burt. Martha's parents were Sydney (1824-1889) and Cora Burt. Sydney Burt was the first black businessman in Pendleton, SC. There he operated his own blacksmith shop. Mrs. Vance Robinson goes on to detail some archeological findings at the site (Tony Bennett of Anderson oversaw the dig).

3:44--Speculation is offered as to who may have owned Sydney Burt when he was a slave.

4:40--Her great-grandmother Martha Burt was born in 1852.

7:36--She believes that the original home place of Sydney and Cora Burt may have been constructed in a way in which the blacksmith shop was actually part of the structure.

8:45--Mrs. Vance Robinson is unsure of where Sydney and Cora Burt were buried.

9:37--According to the 1870 census, Sydney and Cora had five children: Elsie, Mandy, Martha, Ellen, and Sydney, Jr.

10:33--According to documents Megginson has seen, Sydney Burt was registered to vote in 1868.

11:20--Her great-grandfather was Augustus T. Vance (1849-1924). His parents were "Dandy" and Priscilla Galliard Vance. They had a daughter named Grace, and two sons named Augustus and C.B., respectively. Cornelia Thompson Alexander (member--Kings Chapel AME) said that Augustus T. Vance was a fine minister, and she was converted under his tutelage. He also did farming work. He was the first minister ordained at Kings Chapel AME Church. Mrs. Vance Robinson names the members of the first Board of Trustees at the church. She also produces a document that states that Augustus T. Vance was married on December 26, 1878 at St. Paul's.

17:17--Mrs. Vance Robinson produces documents that detail Augustus T. Robinson's purchases at Hunter's Store in 1902. She also reads from a Report to the Elder's dated 1902 regarding church statistics.

22:25--Education--Mrs. Vance Robinson begins to recall aspects of the school that is located next door to her house on Vance Street [the name of the school is not given]. The school had already closed by the time she was a little girl. She reads from the deed: land was purchased from Dr. H.C. Miller. Cora Reid was a teacher at this school.

26:40--Anderson County Training School may have been the old Rosenwald School.

27:25--Church/religion--she states that the congregation may have originally started meeting in the home of Simon Robertson. She goes on to give dates and locations of the Kings Chapel AME buildings, along with physical appearances.

32:49--Audio ends.

Rights

Interviews may only be reproduced with permission from Clemson University Libraries Special Collections and Archives. All rights to the interviews, including but not restricted to legal title, copyrights and literary property rights, have been transferred to the Clemson University Libraries Special Collections and Archives.