City Directories and History: This once very fine piece of architecture was acquired by John Robert Patrick (1821- 1905), the father of T.G. and John Robert Patrick,
R&R HISTORY LINK: the Rev. Mr. ARCHIBALD WHYTE
circa 1875, after moving to White Oak from York County, S.C., where they were prominent farmers. The home once featured a revolving front gate and lovely boxwood gardens. Other occupants of the home have been members of the Cockrell, Brice, Mitchell and Patrick families.
Also see numerous other pages on the Patrick family here in Fairfield County as well as in York County, S.C.
Mill’s Map of the Cockrall Community near present day White Oak, S.C.
This is most likely the location of the home of John Cockrell, the individual who gave the name to the White Oak community, which was often called Cockrell’s prior to the Civil War. He was connected to the tar and feathering of the Rev. Thomas Kendall. A Kendall descendant provided the following information: “Any history of Archibald Whyte should include why he left the Associate Presbyterian Church. Doing a current study of an ancestor Rev. Thomas Kendall I found information in a letter written by Thomas Kendall in 1840. He was recently returned to Ohio. He had been sent by the Synod to visit churches in the Carolinas and dispense ordinances from the church. A group of about 20 angry men denounced him as incendiary. Mr Kendall tried to defend himself, where someone in the crowd said,”We don’t want to hear from a — abolitionist.” It appeared that they were going to hang Mr. Kendall. After Mr. Kendall tried to explain he was following the Bible and the law of the United States they took him to the home of John Cockrell eight miles north of Winnsborough where he was locked for the night. The next day a group of thirty to forty men took him to a secluded area and tarred and feathered him. Some names from this group of people include; John Cockrell, John L. Young, Thomas McClintick, Dwight, Debousk, Bell and Sterling. Their striker ‘in Kendall’s words’ was Archibald Whyte, he was not in company with these ruffians but Kendall was shown a letter from Mr. Whyte alerting the men of Smyrna (Chester County area of SC), that Kendall was arriving preaching doctrines contrary to the laws of South Carolina and ought to be stopped. Mr. Kendall continued to preach against slavery.”
The Rev. Archibald Whyte of York County, S.C. – Courtesy of AFLLC
Another contributor to R&R stated that the Rev. Kendall moved to Tennessee, where he established a church but later migrated to Oregon with his congregation.
Click on the More Information link, found under the images column to read an article by historian Paul Gettys on Rev. Archibald Whyte. Also see Mill’s Map of Fairfield Co., for Col. Cockrell’s home location. Also be sure to enjoy the link Archibald Whyte Home in York Co., S.C.
Also see link: Fairfield County History / Sites and Structures
*** Historian, Harvey S. Teal’s S.C. Post Office History, 1989 states: “John Cockrell, Postmaster, from 1850 – 1851, the White Oak Post Office.”
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R&R HISTORY LINK: The Old Patrick Store at White Oak, S.C.
R&R HISTORY LINK: PATRICK’S ANTEBELLUM HISTORY
R&R HISTORY LINK: SMYRNA PRES. CHURCH – CHESTER, SC
Please enjoy this structure and all those listed in Roots and Recall. But remember each is private property. So view them from a distance or from a public area such as the sidewalk or public road.
Do you have information to share and preserve? Family, school, church, or other older photos and stories are welcome. Send them digitally through the “Share Your Story” link, so they too might be posted on Roots and Recall.
User comments always welcome - please post at the bottom of this page.
I would love for Mr. Lyles to share information on the home of Arromanus Lyles located near Lyles Ford on the Broad River (present day Blair, SC). This home was built after the Revolutionary War by Colonel Lyles, has undergone various additions and renovations and is currently sitting vacant and in disrepair.
I am a Cockrell descendant through my 5th Great Grandmother Agnes (Nancy) Cockrell Liles m. John Liles d. 1790. They owned lands and lived just north of the house you mention, on both sides of the Little Sandy River (called Flinton’s Creek in those days) just west of Blackstock off present day Trussell Rd. in southern Chester County. Two of their daughters married Trussells. It is believed that Thomas Cockrell was Agnes’ brother.
Hi Mr. Liles,
R&R remains extremely interested in learning a great deal more about the Rev. Thomas Kendall. Besides the valuable information you have thus far shared, can you lend any information on his move to Tenn., and later the Northwest Territory? Where is he buried…….?
Wade @R&R