He was the only son of honest and industrious parents. There were three sisters. His father, Paul Stroman, who married Ann Baltziger about 1775, was a soldier of the Revolution and lived to the age of 93. We have heard that his father was quite a physically robust man who was proud of his strength and pleased to display his skill in breaking a fence rail across his knee. At the age of 93 he attempted to perform this feat and although he was successful in breaking the rail, the rebound of the broken piece struck him in the side, breaking two ribs—an injury from which he died shortly afterwards, on September 2nd, 1844.
Of my Great-grandmother I have heard little except that perhaps toward the middle of her life she was troubled with a cancer of the nose. That some one offered a remedy which she tried and completely cured the cancer which never retuned. These are the only incidents with them that I recollect. There were of Dutch origin, born in this country and plain country folks. Mr. Alex Salley, State Historian, and of the same family asserts that they were of Dutch origin, emigrated to Switzerland and from there came to America. Grandfather was raised in Orangeburg County, South Carolina.
When I was a child I remember finding an old blank book, which he had used when at school and in which were the examples he much have performed. I remember noticing the clean, neat pages. Each example correct. I saw no erasures or blots, the figures distinct and even, the periods all in their right places. I heard that he was accustomed to use a gourd to drink from and are with his knife and three pronged fork.
When quite a young man, he was stricken with rheumatism which made him a prisoner in doors for a year. While unable to do outside work, a party of Gypsies came by, from whom he learned how to make shoes, so the time spent in doors was turned to advantage and he made and sold shoes. At the end of the year he recovered. I have never heard that he had a return of rheumatism. He must hat now have returned actively to farm work.
The three sisters all married well. I have heard that they were all notable housekeepers and admirable women.
Grandpa Stroman first married a Miss Millhouse, a woman noted for her business energy. Only one child lived to be grown, a daughter Ann, who afterwards married her first cousin, Paul Felder. She was also noted for her business ability. She lived to be an old lady. I met her occasionally, when I was a child. By the death of their parents, Grandfather was made guardian of his first cousins, Rebecca and Selina, taking care of their property. One of the cousins, Rebecca, became his second wife. My father's mother, Rebecca, seems to have had a very poor health and to have led a feeble life. She died while my father was still a small boy, leaving her husband with two children - a daughter Ann, nearly grown, and a son, my father, about 5 years old.
By this time Grandfather had acquired considerable property in the shape of lands and slaves. The land he bought, I believe, mostly from the State in uncultivated form and to which he devoted indomitable energy in clearing and ditching and improving. He had now built Rocky Swamp House in which he lived the remainder of his life and which still stands, owned by my brother.
In a business way things went well with him and he continued buying land - the most valuable in the count and clearing it and improving it until he was (I have been told) the largest landowner in Orangeburg County. The same honest precision marked his business arrangements as was seen in his school boy book of examples. He owned a hundred slaves who lived in two long rows of white washed houses, strung straight along the road side of the house. The slaves were trained to be first class workers, cooks, housemaids, butlers, coachmen, plowhands, field workers, ditchers, carpenters, shoemakers, butchers. The women had a special house arranged in which to do the plantation sewing and making of garments for the negroes. There were seamstresses for the house and laundresses and those who milked the enormous herd of cattle, made butter and attended to the large brick dairy in the yard by the well. The cattle were kept in the swamp pasture. So much butter was made that the surplus was sent to market. At the mill, which with its pond, was on his place, a scant mile from the house down the steep red hills in front, were sawed logs for shipment to Charleston and also lumber for use on the place. There were also attached to this a grits mill and a cotton gin.
I have heard that Grandfather, on riding out one day, met the lady who became his third wife. Whether they had been acquainted before I do not know. However, he proposed that she should marry him and she agreed, so he took her up behind him on the saddle and they rode to the Preacher and were married. She was the widow of Dr. Amaker and formerly a Miss Tarrant. She was fond of and indulgent with the children but never had any of her own.
She had the reputation of being a thorough housekeeper. The house was kept in scrupulous order by the numerous servants under her direction. The flower garden in which she delighted was correctly laid out, bordered with box-wood and contained a collection of beautiful plants. In my girlhood days I recollect the lovely abundance and variety of the roses on neglected, overgrown bushes - and the box-wood hedges.
Grandfather gave to his only son, my father, the advantages of a good education. He sent him to several small boarding schools, then to the University of Virginia, which he attended until his graduation at the institution. After that he was given a course in law and admitted to the bar.
Grandfather was well known throughout the county, continuing to increase the extent of his possessions and rapidly improving his land. I have heard that he purchased a plantation in Alabama, holding it a number of years, but later selling it. For his daughter Ann, (Mrs. Felder) he purchased a plantation near Orangeburg, making her a present of it. He bought the magnificent plantation of Dean Swamp, paying for it in gold, and gave it to my father.
I believe he was raised in the Methodist Church, of which he became a member, always remaining in good standing until his death.
He gave land for the Methodist Church, called the "Rocky Swamp" Church, also contributing most of the material and having the work done by his own carpenters. It looks as if he was very unselfish in the choice of location as it was built fully five miles away from his dwelling, and as he and his family were regular attendants they had to drive five miles and back on Sunday. Rev. Lorie Pierce was an old Preacher without a settled home, so Grandfather invited him to live at his home for the remainder of his life and engaged him to preach regularly to the slaves on the place. Rev. Pierce accepted his offer and became a highly respected member of the family. At his death he was buried in the family graveyard a short distance down the road.
His wife made a cheerful, unselfish hostess. The house was often crowded to its utmost capacity for accommodations -- beds even being made on the floor of a smaller room when the crowd was great. He received and entertained distinguished gentlemen of the State, sometimes the Governor would come and look over with him his excellently arranged plantation. A train of vehicles containing invited guests, usually followed his carriage home to dinner on Sunday. I have been told that at times there would be twenty- five different vehicles in the train.
The plantation produced home made provisions in such variety and abundance that Grandpa was heard to remark at the table, that they raised all their provisions except salt.
He paid strict attention to his orchard and sought to gather and cultivate a great variety of fruit trees. He was quite proud of a cork tree which he had obtained and planted in the flower garden. Then there was a great variety of grapes, apples, peaches, pears and several pomegranates and figs.
My brother in looking over some old papers, found an account of sales of his cotton crop amounting to $16,000.00 a year.
They were accustomed to going to Charleston and Columbia on shopping expeditions; to the latter city they would drive in the carriage, making the trip in one day.
Perhaps about the time of the son's return from college the life sized portraits, now hanging in the parlor of his house, were painted - one of Grandpa about fifty years of age and one of my father. I have often gazed at each. That of Grandfather showed a stout gentleman with florid complexion and white hair, marked features and very bright eyes.
At the age of 27, my father Charles Jacob Stroman was married to Caroline Juliet Millar, eldest daughter of Mr. & Mrs. Robert Millar of Charleston, SC. The young couple took up their residence at Grandfather's.
Grandfather was noted for having a very loud voice and strong lungs; he being in the habit of calling his orders to the miller at the mill, perhaps 3/4 of a mile distant. Then I heard that Grandfather and Father were hunting in the swamp once and, having killed a bear, he called to a servant at the house to bring the wagon to him. The call was met with a ready response. The swamp is one and a half miles from the house.
The house was furnished in good style. The silver kept in beautiful order on the sideboard, was very valuable. Grandpa seemed to have a constitutional dislike to affectation of all kinds and prided himself on his plainness of speech. At his table was always laid the silver and glass furnishing for his guests and home folks, but at his plate the knife, three pronged fork and gourd he had used all his life. This habit he refused to give up.
His wife, known to the children as Grandma Stroman, must have been an excellent person of agreeable, cheerful disposition - kindly and obliging. When the grandchildren came, Grandpa and Grandma took great interest in them.
All of my Mother's children, of which there were five, were born under Grandpa's roof, except myself who was the youngest. There being barely 13 months between the first two girls. Grandma took charge of the first baby and kept her until she was twelve years old. A separate little colored girl was provided as nurse for each of the children.
Grandpa was in the habit of rising early and roasting potatoes in the fireplace. The children were, as soon as dressed in the morning, brought in and feasted on potatoes which he peeled and fed them.
He was distressed by the Civil War and apprehensive of the freedom of slaves and destruction of property, but.1 do not think that his loss was great as far as household goods went. Nor did he suffer serious financial embarrassment as great numbers of slaves remained on the place of their own will as hired laborers.
My Father and Mother moved to their own plantation, Dean Swamp, leaving the oldest child with Grandpa and Grandma. Within a few years the youngest child, myself, was born. When I was five months old, my Mother died of pneumonia, leaving five children. My Mother's Mother, Grandma Millar and Mother's Sister, Aunt Hattie Millar took me. My Father kept the three others, two girls and a boy.
About three years later he married Miss Rosa Odum of Orangeburg County.
Grandfather continued hale and hearty till about 84 years of age, when he was stricken with paralysis. There were three separate strokes. When I was about 7 years old I paid my first visit home to Dean Swamp and then to visit Grandpa at Rocky Swamp. I remember one summer day going to Grandpa's and being taken to a large front bedroom where I saw Grandpa for the first and only time. He was sitting in a large armchair near the window, dressed in a white suit, fanning with a palmetto fan. He was paralyzed and it was with great difficulty that he could speak at all. I was presented as "Charlie's Child." And he asked "Is this Edith who stays with her Grandma Millar?" Someone answered "Yes," and he nodded in recognition. This was almost all I ever heard him say. One of his servants was in constant attendance upon him.
The next year I heard one day that there was a notice in the Charleston paper that Grandpa had died. He lived to the age of 89 years. The Will left provision for his wife and two children. There was also 50 acres of land left to George Baxter, his servant who waited on him whose heirs are, I believe, still living on the place.
Edith Stroman Lofton.
DEAN SWAMP PLANTATION - 5000 ACRES
Stroman Family
Copy of letter written by Mr. Alex Salley, State Historian, to Edith Lofton Bonner.
Columbia, S. C.
Dec. 29th, 1941
Dear Edith,
Your Mother’s grdat-grand father was Paul Stroman, who married Ann Baltziger about 1775 or perhaps later. He died Sept. 2nd, 1844, aged ninety-three, so that made his birth year about 1751. He was a soldier of the Revolution and we have his pay record here. His son, Jacob, your mother’s grandfather, was born Jan. 15, 1787 and died December 11, 1877. Jacob Stroman was three times married. His first wife left children who all died unmarried Ann Margaret, who married her first cousin Paul Stroman Felder. The second wife was his cousin Rebecca Eliza Stroman. She was the mother of your grandfather Charles John Stroman, who was born April 17th, 1831. He had a borhter and sister who died in Childhood. The third wife had no children. She was the only one that your Mother and I ever saw. She lived to a good old age herself.
Your Great-grandfather, Paul Stroman, was the son of John Jacob Stroman who came to Orangeburg as a boy in 1735 from Zelingin, Switzerland and who married, July 18, 1748, Anna Margaret Shaumloffe. The name of his father is given in a book here in the Library on Swiss emigrants to America but I haven’t a note of it.
Jacob Stroman’s sister, Caroline Lois the mother of my father’s mother. She married William Murrowe and had two daughters.
(signed) A. S. Salley
*****
Paul Stroman – born 1751 (a soldier of the Revolution) died Sept. 2, 1844*****
Jacob Stroman – born Jan. 15, 1787 – Died Dec. 11, 1877*****
Charles J. StromanRobert Miller married Jane Shaw, who later married Mr. Childs
Robert Shaw Millar married Caroline Juliet Pemble(This is from a letter written to Edith Stroman Lofton by her cousin, Miss Hennie Leckie)
Our Grandmother’s name was Jane Shaw before her marriage. Robert Millar was her first husband and Childs her second husband.
Cousin Jane H. Millar was named for her (Jane Childs Millar) also my sister was named for her, Jane Millar Leckie. Our Grandmother’s sister was named Shaw, also. She married Uncle Crow. Uncle John was named John Crow Millar of Aunt Crow’s husband. Your Aunt Hattie was named Margaret Harriett Miller for Aunt Crow. Your Grandfather’s name was Robert Shaw Millar. He was Grandmother’s oldest child and my mother was the youngest. Grandmother had five children.
Robert Shaw Millar – your GrandfatherThis letter was written by Cousin Hennie Leckie – aged 81