William Pegues Pollock
b. 9 December 1870, d. 2 June 1922
William Pegues Pollock, 1870-1922
- Father: Alexander Anderson Pollock b. 1 May 1832, d. 30 June 1898
- Mother: Rebecca Irby Pegues b. 6 August 1834, d. 13 September 1918
- The following appeared in.
- William Pegues Pollock was born on 9 December 1870 in Chesterfield County, South Carolina, near Cheraw.
- Alexander Anderson Pollock and Rebecca Irby Pegues appeared in the US federal census of 1 June 1880 in Cheraw, Chesterfield County, South Carolina, and also Robert, age 12 (?). Other members of the household included William Pegues Pollock, Ella Harrington, Robert A. Pollock, Nannie Seay Pollock and Virginia Stratton Pollock.
- The following appeared on 13 June 1896 in The State: The secretary of State yesterday issued a commission to the South Carolina Braiding company of Cheraw. The capital stock is to be $50,000, divided into shares at $100 each. The corporators are C. L. Ramsdell of Scituate, R. I; George L. Downing and Ernest A. Palmer of Providence, R. I; W. P. Pollock, E. W. Pegues, R. D. Harrall and T. E. Wannamaker of Cheraw. The company proposes to manufacture cotton roping, braiding and similar goods. [Note that R. D. Harrell may actually be Lemuel D. Harrell, brother-in-law of Wm Pollock, Waddill Pegues and Theodore Wannamaker.]
- Rebecca Irby Pegues appeared in the US federal census of 1 June 1900 in Cheraw, Chesterfield County, South Carolina, and eleven boarders, including a teacher, a telegraph operator, three civil engineers, a bank clerk, a stock dealer, and a baseball pitcher (Craw? Sanders) and a catcher (Dick Sullivan).. Other members of the household included William Pegues Pollock, Ella Harrington, Nannie Seay Pollock and Nancy S. Pegues.
- He was a lwayer, according to the 1900 census.
- He married Elizabeth Salley on 5 November 1902.
- The following appeared on 8 September 1918 in The Sunday News:
William Pegues Pollock.
Candidate for U. S. Senator (Short Term).
William Pegues Pollock, son of Alexander A. Pollock and Rebecca Irby Pegues, was born near Cheraw, in Chesterfield County, December 9, 1870. Educated in the Cheraw schools and at the University of South Carolina. At the end of his junior year at the University of South Carolina taught school one year in Chesterfield County and one year at Lydia, in Darlington County. Studied law while teaching and returned to the university for his senior year in the fall of 1891, passed examination for senior class in law and carried on the senior course in both the law and literary courses until the spring of 1892, when he was appointed by the late Congressman John J. Hemphill as clerk of the committee on District of Columbia, which position he held during the Fifty-second Congress.
Returned to South Carolina and passed the examination for admission to the bar in May, 1893, and immediately commenced the practice of law in Chesterfield County, where he has continued to practice his profession since that time.
Was elected to the South Carolina Legislature in 1894 and was reelected in 1896. Was unsuccessful candidate for Congress in 1898. Was again elected to the Legislature in 1902 and served until 1906.
Was chairman of committee on rules and chairman of committee on railroads and was a member of the judiciary committee.
Secured the passage of the first act which levied a tax on property for the building and improvement of public roads when the only provision for building and maintaining roads was through the warning out of hands and the collection of a commutation tax. Was largely instrumental in rewriting the fertilizer laws so as to require all fertilizers to come up to the published analysis. Introduced as first provision for State aod tp the weak common schools by offering an amendment to the general appropriation bill appropriating $200,000 for the purpose. While this did not pass at the time it had since been adopted as the fixed policy of the State and he now advocates federal aid to the common schools. Procured the passage of an act which placed the Cheraw and Darlington Railroad on the tax books. Was the author of the present law which provides separate coaches for the races on trains, he having offered what is now the law as a substitute for the bill which originally provided for separate apartments in coaches for the State.
Was presidential elector in 1896 and has been president of the county Democratic conventions of Chesterfield County a number of different years. Was a delegate at large to the last National Democratic Convention at St. Louis, which renominated Woodrow Wilson. Was president of the State Democratic Convention which met in May, 1918, and made the speech which sounded the keynote for the campaign in South Carolina this year.
He was urged by people from all parts of the State to become a candidate for the United States Senate to succeed Senator Tillman, but gave out a statement declining to run on account of the fact that the country was at war and Senator Tillman could be of more service to the State and nation at this time than any new man could be.
In 1914 he canvassed the State against Cole L. Blease as a candidate for the United States, saying that he thought it the duty of some fearless man to expose the record of Blease, and that while he did not expec to be elected at that time unless Senator Smith should completely collapse, he felt that there was an opportunity for service to his native State.
After the death of Senator Tillman he was urged from every county in the State for the unexpired term of Senator Tillman, afd from the date of his entrance into the campaing he attended every campaign meeting and defended the administration in its war policies.
Mr. Pollock also farms quite extensively. He married Miss Bessie Salley, of Orangeburg, S. C. - William Pegues Pollock died on 2 June 1922 at age 51 in Cheraw, Chesterfield County, South Carolina, at his residence.
- His wife Elizabeth Salley became a widow at his death.
- He was interred at Old Saint David's Episcopal Church Cemetery, Cheraw, Chesterfield County, South Carolina.
- The following appeared on 3 June 1922 in The Charlotte Observer: (Columbia, S.C., June 2) Former United State Senator W. P. Pollock, of Cheraw, died at his home at 7 o'clock this morning of apoplexy. He had not been ill long.
Senator Pollock served in the senate from December, 1918, to March, 1919, filling the unexpired term of Senator Tillman. He was prominent in county and state political circles, having been at one time candidate for governor.
- Last Edited: 22 Feb 2015