Williamsburg County Genealogy
Williamsburg County was originally named for King William III of England. Originally it was a part of Georgetown District and became it’s own district in 1804. The county seat was Kingstree. Originally the township of Williamsburg had been laid out in 1736 where the settlement of Kingstree was. In 1888, parts of Williamsburg County were used to form Florence County. Several of Francis Marions’ Revolutionary Soldiers came from this area. The Revolutionary war battles of Black Mingo, Mount Hope Swamp and Lower Bridge all took place in Williamsburg County.
The story of Kingstree is somewhat interesting. In laying out the township of Williamsburg, there was a part of the Black River where a White Pine tree stood straighter and taller than the surrounding pines. This tree was marked with the “King’s Arrow” by one of the surveyors and was planned to be taken for a ships mast. The tree was never cut for a mast and became known as the King’s Tree. The town that developed nearby called Kingstree became a central village in the settlement and today is the county seat of Williamsburg County.
When the settlers arrived in this area of the backcountry, they lived in the area along with several groups of indians: the Wee Nee, the Wee Tee, the Chickasaw, the Creek, the Waccamaw, and the Pedee tribes all occupied this area.
Williamsburg County SCGenweb site
Cemeteries
USGS listing of cemeteries in Williamsburg County
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Cities and towns of Williamsburg County:
Greeleyville
Hemingway
Kingstree
Lane
Stuckey
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