MARY VERNON
Mary Vernon was the second wife and widow of Henry Vernon, who first married Florida Guerry, of Sampit, in 1808. Florida died sometime before 1818 when her brother, Isaac Guerry and husband, Henry Vernon fought in court over two slaves left Florida in her mother’s will. [Henry Junius Nott, David James McCord, Nott and McCord's Reports of Cases Determined in the Constitutional Court of South Carolina: Containing Decisions from November Term, 1817, to November Term 1820, Inclusive (M'Carter & Dawson), 1860, 1:42: See Isaac Guerry v. Henry Vernon.] There is an entry in Records of the Georgetown Methodist Church 1811-1897 that notes the baptism of Rachel Francis Vernon, the daughter of Henry Vernon and Mary his wife, in 1822.
Henry Vernon died in 1839. On December 23, 1841, Mary Vernon advertised slaves for hire from Henry Vernon’s estate in the Winyah Observer. In the same issue, she advertised a house and lot for rent "near the Baptist Church at present occupied by Mrs. Mary Vernon.” Seven years later, on Wednesday, May 10, 1848, the Winyah Observer published a public notice of “sale by order of the Court of Ordinary” (William Porter, applicant vs. Mary Vernon, Lewis Rebb, and H.N. Vernon) in regard to a 290 acre tract of land from the estate of the late Henry Vernon. This property, located on the east side of the Sampit, was to be sold in front of the Courthouse.
Then in March of 1858, a notice appeared in the Pee Dee Times regarding the property that is now the Kaminski House. It reads: “Under Decree in Equity, Georgetown, S.C., Mary Vernon vs Henry Vernon, J. B Thomas, et al.: On Tuesday 6th of April next at 12 o'clock, in front of the Court House in Georgetown. I will sell all that lot of land, better known as the Keith's lot, pleasantly situated in that part of the town known as the hill near the Sampit and with a river front. Also the following very valuable negroes—Toney about 30 years of age, who has been employed on one of the Steam Boats as a fireman, Sam aged about 40 years, Mariah a cook and washer, about 35 years, Susan about 5 yrs., a house servant, Isabella aged about 30, a cook and washer, Scipio about 7 yrs., of age, Hannah 2 yrs., old, and Simeon about 1 year old. Terms—the cash, and the balance on a credit of 12 months, secured by Bond with approved personal security bearing interest from day of sale payable Treasury from day of sale payable annually, and a mortgage of the premises. Purchasers to pay for papers. S. T. Atkinson, Com in Equity, March 24—2.”
It is unclear exactly what happened to Mary Vernon or her enslaved workers after 1858.
However, she did own the property until 1866, when she sold it Thomas Daggett.
by Jennie Holton Fant