Page:The Stephenson Family (1906).pdf/16

 lives with his gentle, affectionate wife and interesting children at Clover, in the northern part of York County, South Carolina. He has in his charge three churches. He is a man of splendid Christian character, a good pastor, and a very excellent man in his calling, standing high in his church, as well as in his community and State.

The name Stephenson originally was spelled with "ph," but sometimes "v" is used and sometimes it is spelled "Stee'nson" and sometimes "Stinson." All these variations are used for and by different families of the same name and origin. The Stephensons on Rocky Creek, in Chester County, were known as Stinsons. Stinson is the Scottish vernacular for Stephenson. William Stephenson, my great-grandfather, and his brother, Capt. James Stephenson, were enrolled in the Colonial army from South Carolina as William and James Stinson. But the proper and original spelling was Stephenson.

Robert Stephenson, 1st, reared a family of five children, three sons and two daughters, at Ballymoney, Ireland. William, the oldest, my great-grandfather, was born about 1744; James was born 1746; Elizabeth was born 1748; Nancy was born 1750, and Robert was born 1752. The early history of this family is not well known by historians, prior to the year 1773. But after George Stephenson, the son of Robert, 2nd, invented the locomotive and promoted its usefulness, 1814 to 1830, the history was sought for, but without much result.

When the children of Robert Stephenson, 1st, grew up they joined the branch of the Presbyterian Church called "Covenanters." The Covenanters were those "who during the seventeenth century bound themselves to establish and maintain the Presbyterian doc-