Taken from Historic Camden, Vol. I (Trantham descendants moved into Pickens County, AL. Old Trantham graves are in Trantham cemetery located off Hwy. 14, on Upper Vienna, near Shady Grove Church.) The Tranthams came from Wales about the close of the 17th or early 18th century, and settled in Virginia. In 1702, a German girl, whose maiden name is not now known, came to Virginia and married a German named Eppinger. Upon his death, she married Martin Trantham, and came to South Carolina, prior to the Revolution, and settled in what is now Kershaw County. They reared a large family of sons and daughters, whose descendants may be found in several Southern States. One of the sons, Martin II, remained in Kershaw County, was a man of means and had one son, John. Both father and son were patriot soldiers in the War. Martin lived to be a very old man, dying about 1800. John died in 1820, at the age of about 55 years. He married Nancy Dunlap, and was the father of Dr. John I. Trantham, born in 1820, who was a highly esteemed physician in the upper part of Kershaw, and was the progenitor of those in our midst now worthily bearing the name. Dr. Trantham married Elizabeth, daughter of Col. William Drakeford, son of Richard Drakeford. He died in 1881. Mrs. Elizabeth Trantham, the German girl who came to America in 1702, lived to be considerably over 100 years of age, and died, early in the 19th century in Lincoln County, TN, where there are many of her descendants. John Drakeford and his brother, Richard, came from Fairfax County, VA. And settled on Flat Rock Creek, in the upper part of Kershaw County, about the middle of the 18th century. The old land titles show that John was here as early as 1754. The two brothers were gallant patriot soldiers in the Revolution. Richard was desperately wounded by a sword cut o n the head, but he recovered and raised a large family. One of his sons was Col. William Drakeford mentioned above. Richard died in 1825. John lived to a great age, dying about 1850. The first Drakefords came to this country from England. Many in South Carolina and Alabama trace their lineage to the branch of the family that settled here. |