After the battle of Culloden, which occurred in 1746, many Scottish families emigrated to America.  The two Carolinas were fortunate in having some of these valuable people to make their homes within their borders.

     Among those ranked as rebels in that conflict several came to the Pee Dee who were destined to distinction in after time; of those the McIvers and McIntoshs are worthy of mention.  It is likely also that about the same time the McLeans, McLaurins, McRaes, McColls and others who happened to be on the losing side, crossed the waters, in search of liberty and peace; and settled in the country between the Cape Fear and Pee Dee.  But the ancestors of the names at the head of this chapter seem
 to have come at a later date, soon after the Revolutionary War.  The writer is largely indebted to his old Friend, Mr. John L. McCall, for valuable information.  Mr. McColl*, now seventy-eight, is still vigorous and strong, in body and mind, intelligent, thoughtful, accurate, and greatly interested in having the traditions of the old families preserved, has himself been an active participant  in the affairs of the country.  He was born in Marion, came to Marlboro as a boy of twelve, spent the prime of his life in farming and mercantile pursuits, mostly at Clio, and in its vicinity.  He was elected Tax Collector for Marlboro in 1862, and assisted Messrs. McRae and Weatherly in the same service in
 earlier years.  His wife was a daughter of Mr. Archie Sinclair, who came from Isly in Scotland, and a highly respectable family of sons and daughters honor the training of the excellent couple.  Among them are Mrs. H. H. Newton, T. D. and C. S. McCall of Bennettsville.

     When volunteers were called for to go to the Seminole War in 1835, Mr. McCall was serving an apprenticeship in a tailor's establishment, but at once enlisted in the company of Capt. Elmore, of Columbia.  He remembers how his youthful mind was impressed with the wealth, liberality and patriotism of the elder Wade Hampton, who offered to furnish twenty horses if the company could be mounted and go as cavalry.  That brief service fully satisfied the martial ambition of the young aspirant for fame, and made him content to follow ever after the pursuits of peace.  May his last days be as calm as the setting sun, and all that bear his name rise up to bless his memory.

     John, the father of the above, came from Appin Scotland in 1791, being then in his fourteenth year.  With him were several relatives, and they first found shelter under the hospital roof of a kinsman, David McCall, who had come over earlier, and was living at what has long been known as the Daniel Graham place, near the North Carolina State line.

  John McColl lived at what was then called Mt. Washington, now Tatum.

  Subsequently did business at Marlboro Old Court House.  He married a Miss Curry, had but one son, besides our friend, to grow to manhood, and he was killed by a horse.

     An uncle named Daniel, died in this country.  Hugh G. McColl is also remembered as a native Scotchman, who came over about the same time with the others, was related to them, and settled on Little Pee Dee and is represented in this country yet in the descendants of John C. and Nancy McColl.  The old people were fond of talking of "Big Solomon," who married a daughter of "David the first."  Tradition represents him as a school teacher, a "man of learning."  He was the father of "Long Hugh," who is remembered as a soldier of the War of 1812, the father of David Solomon, John and Christian.  This second David is the father of D. D. McColl of Bennetsville "Big Solomon" was also the father of Peter McColl, who for twenty-five years was the Clerk of Court for Marlboro and
 died in office in 1871.  He also conducted before the war the first branch bank ever established in this county, being part of the Bank of Cheraw.  The neatness is a monument to his memory.

     Another, Hugh, called "Steady Hugh", came about the same time with the others, from whom is descended Mrs. Effie McLaurin, mother of the excellent young men, John F., Hugh L., Luther and W. B. McLaurin, sons of Capt. L.. L. McLaurin.  D. D. McColl is also a grandson of this "Steady Hugh," on his mother's side.  Another Solomon, called "Little Solomon", of about the same age as Big Solomon, was the father of Hugh D., better known as a deaf mute, who also has representatives in the county.

  The old people will remember that John "Gurly" was a brother to Hugh D., who married a Miss Cameron, and from whom was descended John, Hugh and Malcom McColl, citizens of the Judson community.  "Stumpy" Duncan was the father of that excellent old man Lock B. McCall, who, when near four-score years, was drowned in Beaver Dam Creek, near his residence, while bathing.  He was honest, inoffensive and kind of heart.  He, too, was a soldier of the Seminole War, a private in the company of Capt. Williamson and Harllee's Battalion.  A brother of his named John was left descendants behind him.

     Major John McColl, a brother of "Stumpy" Duncan, who commanded the Lower Battalion in the Marlboro Regiment for a time, was a man of excellent character, pleasing manners, and was the father of those worthy men of the Judson neighborhood, Lock and Joseph McColl.  It is told of the Major that (like a good many other militia offers in olden time) he did not enjoy an extensive knowledge of "tactics," and that on one occasion, when his battalion was on review, he gave a command which either was awkwardly given or not understood, and the left wing doubled upon itself in such confusion.  The Major was quite a short, small man, but was well mounted upon a charger richly caparisoned.  Seeing that the left flank was in a tangle, he endeavored to put spurs to his horse, but
 his heals only reached the lower part of the saddle skirts, but by dint of coaxing and spurring he galloped down the broken lines and cried out in his broad Scotch, "What the dickens got you into such a hickelt y-pickelty?  Git ye straight again."

     Mr. John A. McColl, exemplary man, splendid, useful citizen, who only a few years ago sank into the grave, full of years, and full of praises and affections of his countrymen, especially of Hebron and Clio, where he lived so long and lived so well, is said to have spring from a branch of the family that settled upon Mountain Creek, and his relationship to the foregoing was not so close.  John A. McColl's grandparents, John and Margaret McColl, and their children, came from Scotland to
 America in 1775.  They landed at Wilmington and settled near Mountain Creek, in Richmond County, North Carolina.  His maternal grandparents, John and Mary Cameron, and their children, came from Scotland to America in the ship Mary Ann, and likewise settled at Mountain Creek, North
 Carolina.  Dougald, McColl, his father, married Jeannette Cameron and came to Marlboro about 1819.  John A. had two brothers, Daniel, who died in Louisiana, on the Red River, an overseer, and Hugh, who was younger .  John A. was the father of nine children.  Four only are now alive,
 Wellington, Alex, Mrs. Lewis Spears and Miss Nancy McColl.

     But our friend from whom so much of this information was obtained mentioned two other familes of McColls of Marloro, whom he claims as of the same stock with those above named.  One of these, in the childhood of the writer, lived in the Brownsville community, a venerable Scotch lady, we all honored as "Granny McColl."  A maiden daughter, Miss Katy, and a son, James, lived with her, and close by lived another son, Daivd R., who was the father of that substantial and highly respected
 gentleman now living a few miles below Society Hill, my old schoolmate, Mr. John S. McColl.  The other family lived for many years upon the "Three Creeks," five miles below Bennettsville, but, so far as the writer knows, no member of it bearing the name is left in Marlboro.  But the well-known and much respected late A. C. McInnis married Miss Flora, a handsome granddaughter of the old man - McColl, a native of Scotland, who lived and died about half a mile from what was long known as "McColl's Cross Roads."  S. J. McInnis is the first born of this interesting couple of pur Caledonian blood.  By the way, the intermarriage of Scot with Scott has been especially characteristic of the McColls.  Attached to the old "clan," proud of their pure blood, they have married and intermarried until they are all kin, more or less.  Some of them spell the name with an A, others retain the O, but nearly, if not quite all of the name in Marlboro, in one line or another, may trace their origin
 back to Appin.

     The McLaurins of Marlboro, if not quite so numerous, have, nevrtheless, occupied a conspicuous place among its best citizens.  They, also, as far as can be ascertained, came to this country soon after the War of Independence and settled on the Little Pee Dee, some on one side, some on the other, so it has been in all these years that both in Richmond and Robeson Counties in North Carolina, and in Marion and Marlboro in South Carolina, men have lived who have contributed their full share
 to the prosperity and enterprise of the country.  The older people in the eastern partof the State fondly remember three brothers of excellent character, Daniel C., John L. and "Little Hugh" McLaurin, all of whom have left large and respectable familes.  Daniel C., who lived where the late J. W. Roper resided, kind-hearted, hospitable, and ever ready to serve his country in any position with conscientious fidelity, we all mourn his death as the loss of a valuable citizen.  John L. McLauri
 n, who lived where his son, the late John B., lived, was not less useful, less loved, and perhaps more enterprising and successful.  He, too, like his brother, served his people quite acceptably upon the district boards.  A son of his, P. B. McLaurin, was returned to the Legislature before the war, and another son, John B., has been elected once since.

  The third brother, Hugh, spent most of his life in North Carolina, a few miles from Laurinburg, but his sons have several of them been for a longer or shorter period citizens of Marlboro.  L. B., Jack, Duncan and the late Jas. R. were sons of this old man.  He and his brothers were sons of a native of Scotland.  His name was Laughlin, and his wife was a Miss McColl, a sister of one of the John McColls mentioned on a previous page.  So that it is not alone of late that the young McLaurins
 and McColls fell in love with each other.

     Another honored old man of this name, John McLaurin, who came over in 1784, married a Miss McNair, of Richmond, N. C., and was the grandfather of Capt. Lock* and John J. McLaurin*; the former a man of uncommon energy and push, of fine mind, good judgment, and modest worth; John
 J. one of the best of men, a universal favorite as a young man, as an old one, cheerful, kind-hearted, venerated and loved.  The Captain's wife was Miss Effie McColl, and John J. married a daughter of Daniel C. McLaurin.  "Hurricane Daniel," another McLaurin of this stock, strayed off to Sumter County, and his large and respectable connections are among the best in our sister county.

     Danie, the head of this latter branch of the family, came to America when his son John was about twenty years old and settled at first near Campbellton, now Fayetteville, N. C.  After a few years spent in boating on Cape Fear, the old patriarch came to Marlboro and established himself near where his grandson, John J., now lives.  And the impression seems to be that Laughlin, the ancestor of the three brothers, Hugh, Daniel C., and John L., came about 1791 and settled at Red Bluff.  In
 all the years since, the desscendants of these old Scotchmen have clung to the grounds where their fathers first felled the forests and built their altars - quiet, unobtrusive people, yet valuable members of society they have always been.
------
* Since dead.

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