The Eptings: A Documented History 1700-ca. 1920
                       ~ Second Edition, 2005.
    
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 Introduction    Acknowledgements  

Introduction

This Second Edition of The Eptings, a Documented History is a continuing effort to document Epting records from the time of the family’s voyage to America through about 1920. I really want those of you who are interested in your ancestors to be able to go "to the source" and see the records for yourself. It is exciting to be able to do that! [Plus, you can flush out any errors I may have made in this tedious typing extravaganza, and you can correct them in your book!] This edition includes everything the first edition had, plus a little more, and some parts have been rearranged. My sister Anne suggested, rightfully so, that I should call it a "work in progress" because new information keeps popping up all the time.

After filling four boxes of files with copies of original records from the Newberry and Lexington Courthouses, the S.C. State Archives, and literally taking a volunteer job at a local research room to get more research time at their facility, I still don’t have a simple answer to the question: "Can you prove beyond a shadow of a doubt who the father (or fathers) of Adam (b. 1771-4); John (his mark "JE", b. 1777); John, Sr. (b. 1778); David (b. 1783); George (b. 1790-4); Margaret (b. ca. 1790); and Jacob Epting (who died in 1821) were?" However, progress has been made, and with the help of recently discovered records in private ownership, four of the Eptings named above have been confirmed as siblings. We still need more! Bible Records from the Lohner Family would be most helpful, and any Bible Records pertaining to the earliest Epting names will be cherished! Please search your attics!

My first genealogy instructor advised her students to "Follow the Land," when tracing ancestors. Finding her advice to be wise, my book is heavy with Epting land records, abstracted to cull out the legal jargon, but complete enough to show family relationships. Often, several seemingly unimportant deeds will be listed in a series that will eventually prove a relationship. To glean specific genealogical dates, this book should be read, if possible, in conjunction with Ted Epton’s book, A History of the Eptings and Eptons of S.C., and my 1990 book, The Epting Family and Their Descendants. Both books are available at the public library in Newberry, S.C. and the South Caroliniana library in Columbia, S.C. This present book does not duplicate those records but primarily uses public records to document Epting activities.

It is my greatest desire that you will find joy in reading the combination of these discoveries, and that you will contact me when you have proof of an early family link that I have been unable to find. It goes without saying that you will find omissions and errors (especially in punctuation), but they are not intentional. Even though I have aimed for perfection, I found out quickly that I cannot attain it. I ask now for the reader’s help. Will you post corrections on one (or all) of the Epting Genealogical Internet sites? Also, make notes for your children in this book! My ultimate goal is accuracy for the descendants.

In closing, several genealogy charts are scattered throughout this book.

Hopefully, they will help untangle the many Eptings who had the same Christian names.

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 Acknowledgements

I wish to thank the following people from the bottom of my heart for their help in getting this book together. These people, listed below in alphabetical order, make me happy; and if you see them, thank them for all they do!

Robin Asbury, Director of Public Relations for Newberry College, who gave me permission to use Epting-related material found in the College Library;

Lora Blocker, for providing photographs;

L.H. Buff, Jr., Betty Bundrick, Edith Greisser, Margaret Sease Jayroe, and the volunteers of the Dutch Fork Genealogical Association, the Lexington Genealogical Exchange, and the Old Newberry District Genealogical Society for their publications and

books from which Epting information was gathered;

Mr. Cline Epting for sharing his family records;

Mr. Ralph Epting for locating the home of Jacob and Mary Ann Chapman Epting,

my great-great grandparents (later their son Ed Epting’s home);

Ted Epton, for his wonderful book about the Eptings and Eptons, and for sending me countless copies of original records he collected while compiling his book. He also sent me Epting photographs and proofread a chapter of my book;

Susan Harrison, who provided me with many Epting stories and tromped through the woods with me to hunt for Sally Epting’s Spring. She also proofread several chapters of my book;

Mrs. Theresa Hicks, an experienced researcher and writer, for providing background information about the Dutch Fork, and lending her experience in many other areas;

Richard Long for sending Epting records, photographs, and maps and for helping me locate David Epting’s old home site and headstone;

Susan Epting Longshore, who tromped through the woods with me on several occasions looking for grave sites and Sally Epting’s Spring;

Tom Longshore who acted as my official Newberry County guide on many occasions and helped me locate churches, tombstones, records, and aerial photographs;

Newberry County Probate Judge Kelly B. Nobles, and staff, Rebecca A. Allen, Wendi B. Koon , and Amelia W. Shields for providing me with countless estate records;

Dr. Carl W. Nichols, for his expertise in South Carolina land records and for brainstorming with me about Epting relationships;

David Sease, who sent many Bible records with Epting names in them, proofread a chapter for me, and answered many questions I had about Epting relationships;

Joel Shealy, for sharing Rish family data;

Linda Smith, an experienced genealogist, who helped me with theories and sent records to me from the S.C. Archives. Linda even sent Epting records and books that she ran across in her own research, and she was invaluable in my getting this book finished;

The S.C. Archives staff: especially Paul Begley, Marion Chandler, Wade Dorsey, Patrick McCawley, and Robert Mackintosh who helped me copy many microfilm records and answered thousands of my questions. Wade Dorsey and Marion Chandler went to great lengths to help me understand and interpret Barbara Hebding’s interesting land records and suits;

Tucky Neel Taylor, Librarian at the Newberry County Library, Mr. and Mrs. Richard Berley, and Buck Stuck, who helped me locate the remote headstone for Mary Eve Zieglar Epting which was deep in the woods;

Madge Warner, who catalogued all my microfilms at the LDS research room near Atlanta, and gave me "my own drawer;"

Michelle Wolfe, my computer guru, who taught me how to index this book and make better use of my computer. (She had a green, green student.)

Most of all, my admiration and thanks go to my dear and faithful husband Fred Blackmon who tromped through woods to find graves, who tirelessly wound reel after reel on the microfilm machines and made countless copies for me; who found hotels and food while we researched for records in South Carolina, who kept silent while I thought through complicated theories, who brought me sandwiches while I typed, and who dedicated two years of his life to my book! I will never be able to repay him!

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