Marlboro County, South Carolina Genealogy Trails Transcribed by Dena Whitesell for Genealogy Trails  Adamsville Source:  A History of Marlboro County: With Traditions and Sketches of Numerous Families, 1897   Adamsville township is not so named because all the people living within its bounds are named Adams, but a goodly number do bear that name, and most of those bearing the names of Newton, Fletcher and Gibson are related to the Adams family either by blood or marriage; so that it is not inappropriate that the township should take its name from the Adams family.    The township lies in the northeastern portion of the county and in  every respect is a favored land.    The farmers in no section of Marlboro excel those of Adamsville in successful, careful, remunerative farming.    Nowhere  are more comfortable dwellings and neater out-buildings seen than in  Adamsville.    A large proportion of the land is under cultivation and hence you can often have in sight several different farms, the  handsome dwellings, well-kept out-buildings, and fruit-laden orchards indicating thrift and prosperity. By painstaking methods and the intensive system of culture, the farmers of Adamsville have made themselves equal, if not superior to any other section of the county, in successful,  remunerative, "all-round  farming."  Mr. John C. Fletcher, one of the young farmers of Adamsville, has just been awarded a prize of one hundred dollars by the News and Courier for the best "all-round farming" in the State of South Carolina for the year 1896,  where the contestants were allowed to produce "anything and everything that can be grown or raised on a farm and consumed on a farm or sold for profit."    The purpose of the contest, as explained by the News and Courier, "was to prove that diversified and all-round farming pays in South  Carolina; to exhibit the proof, and  give  public recognition to the farmer who makes the best showing." It is quite complimentary to Adamsville, and especially so to John C. Fletcher, to carry off the prize where all the farmers of the State might have been contestants. It is to be hoped that his success in "diversified, all-round farming," may be an incentive to others to adopt the same method pursued by him, and thus bring prosperity to themselves and to the county. The plantation now owned by B. F. Moore, when purchased by his father, had been "run down" by slipshod methods of farming till it produced only a few "nubbins" per acre; and Wm. Moore was doubtless warned by his friends that starvation would be his certain fate if he undertook to make a living on the place. He not only made a living, but prospered, and "Ben Frank" is to-day making as much cotton and fine corn per acre as any of his neighbors, and constantly bringing his land up to a higher degree of cultivation. Capt. Breeden's father, Lindsay Breeden, "in his day was considered zgood farmer." But it is, perhaps, safe to say, that Capt. Breeden on the same land cultivated by his father, makes ten bales of cotton where his father produced one; and other crops doubtless in the same proportion. For a continuous stretch of four miles or more along the Bennettsville and Adamsville road the land is owned by the Breeden family. Sheriff Green's plantation is included, but he married a Breeden. On plantations embraced in that stretch Andrew and Wm. K. Breeden lived and died. Their plantations were admirably and judiciously worked by them, and now by their sons after them. Capt. Breeden, J. L. Breeden and T. J. Breeden, while not residing in Adamsville, are partial to Adamsville dirt. The late James B. Breerhn was a native of Adamsville. No man perhaps who has lived in the county has had a more abiding faith in Marlboro land than he. He continually bought land, but seldom sold it.    When he purchased a plantation he immediately built comfortable tenant houses, stocked it with mules and began to farm it at a profit. While he was successful as a merchant, yet he had practically retired from active mercantile pursuits, and at his death, March 3d, 1891 ,was devoting his fine talent to farming on a very large scale. And he made it pay, for, according to his own valuation, his estate was worth one hundred and seventy-five thousand dollars. He was among the first farmers, if not the very first, to try the lavish use of fertilizers under crops. It must have paid him or he would have discontinued it. Chief among the many plantations which he owned when he died was the beautiful "Beauty Spot" plantation in Adamsville, a large part of which is now owned by his nephew, J. Frank Breeden, who knows as well how to work it as did his Uncle, James B. But there are other fine plantations in Adamsville besides those named. The lack of time and space will forbid the mention of others. The truth is they are nearly all fine and well worked, and the owners drive sleek, fat horses, plow fine mules, kill fat hogs, and have barns filled with home-raised corn. This chapter would not be complete without a sketch of the Adams family. Jonathan Adams, the first of the name to place his feet upon Marlboro soil, came from Ireland   prior   to the   Revolutionary War, and was  of Scotch-Irish descent.    He married Miss Mary ------ and lived not far from the "burnt factory," a few miles above Bennettsville. He fought through the Revolutionary War as a Whig, and after the struggle had ended, and when within two days' march of home, sickened and died. He left three sons, William, Shockley and John, to perpetual the name, and a daughter, Divinity. Wiltom Adams was married four times. His wives were Mary Marine, Julia Bullard, Elizabeth Gibson and Patsy Easterling. William and Mary Marine had three sons, Jonathan, John P. and William, and three daughters, Bede, Hannah and Mary. Jonathan married Mary Bright, and was the father of the venerable Rev. Andrew Adams, a local preacher in the M. E. church who married Miss Margaret Smith. Andrew Adams had several sisters who have married and left many respectable representatives among the Fletchers, Gibsons, and others. John P. married Julia Newton, sister of Rev. Cornelius Newton, and daughter of Younger Newton, Sr. Their son, Jackson, also married a Newton, Miss Elizabeth. The daughters of John P. married Newtons, Pates, etc. There are none of the Adams of this branch living except a grandson, Archie Adams and his family. The only surviving child of John P. is Mrs. Ann Pate, widow of Travis Pate, deceased, and mother of John A. Pate. William (called "Branch Billie") of Adamsville, married Sallie Newton and Sallie Fletcher, and Jonathan and Eb. are his sons. His daughters married among their neighbors and kinfolk, Robertson married Miss Betsey Fletcher and lived near Boykin church, of which church he was a consistent member. His son lives at the old homestead. Shocks ley married Miss Martha Fletcher, who left several children living in North Carolina. Shockley belongs to the ministry of the M. E. church. Jephtha also married a Fletcher, Miss Annie, making four brothers who went to the same house to get wives. Jephtha's children are found in the communities of Gibson Station and McColl. Wyatt Adams married Miss Nancy Leggett and lived in Robeson County, North Carolina. The daughters of William Adams, Sr., have descendants in Marlboro and Richmond counties. The descendants of Shockley Adams, son of the first Jonathan, are found among the Malloys and Mclntyres, of Richmond County, North Carolina. John Adams, son of Jonathan, and brother to William and Shockley just mentioned, has descendants in Marlboro. His children were Welcome, Mrs. W. K. Breeden and Mrs. Bethea, mother of B. F. and Welcome A. Moore. Robert Peele came from Wayne County, North Carolina, with Joshua Fletcher about 1817. He married Mary, the daughter of William Adams. This couple had sixteen children, and now they are so numerous one of the family remarked that it would be impossible to count them. They are thrifty, industrious people and have much force of character, and, being of Irish extraction, they have their share of wit and humor, as well as intellect. They live in upper Marlboro and lower Richmond. The Adams were formerly Quakers but now are mostly Methodists. This is a FREE website. 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