Edward Pringle

Ancestors

Problems/Questions Profile manager: John Britton Boney [send private message]

Biography

Edward was born in 1879. He passed away in 1967.

• Ed was born at home as Edward Witherspoon Pringle (but 1880 census lists him as Edgar W.) and later changed his name to EJP for either or both of two reasons: (1) it was the middle name of an older brother who died at age 10 and/or (2) he did not like a certain Mr. Witherspoon in the greater community. In those days, people often modified their names...even before adulthood...without the expense of a legal process.

He graduated Sumter High School (probably class of 1895) in Sumter, S. C. when it was in the Washington Street building in current Monument Square (http://www.edmundshigh.com/schoolhistory.html). He worked then in a grocery store in the small town of Alcolu, S. C. He then left Sumter at a young age to go to New York city & subsequently enrolled in Eastman Business College (https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eastman_Business_College) in Poughkeepsie, N. Y. Ed worked during the day and attended the business school at night.

Melle Rice (a Charlestonian) was working in a hat shop in Sumter. Ed was visiting Sumter from New York and staying at his sister, "Iddy's" (the nickname the young nieces & nephews called her after they tried her real nickname of "Lizzie") boarding house on Kendrick Street in Sumter, where lunch was also served. Ed was sitting on the front porch with his brother, "Bubba" (another Samuel McBride Pringle). Melle came to the boarding house for lunch; and, as she got out of the carriage, Ed commented to Bubba on how attractive she was. And they met that day at lunch, and their relationship began.

After he and Melle married (most probably at St Pauls church in Charleston, where most of her family went and still attends), they lived in New York for a year while Ed worked in an office; but Melle yearned to return to S. C. Then they moved to Columbia as Ed opened a Pontiac dealership there with two Shaw brothers from Sumter. But, the Cotton Depression and early phases of The Great Depression ruined the business; and it closed. Then they moved to Charleston and moved in with "Auntie" (who was Florence Roach)....she was Melle's aunt who was never married and who managed the office of the Southern Railroad on Vanderhorst Street near the Francis Marion Hotel. Ed began selling pianos wholesale (with Starr Piano Co.) by the train-car load to retail dealers (second son, Sam, born during this time). In 1928 (son, Sam, was 1 year old), they moved to the Shaw's Crossroad property (25 acres) on Brewington Road outside of Sumter. After retirement, he ran Bradford's News Stand (newspapers/magazines) located before the bridge on South Main just before the "overhead bridge".

Sources

• *Find a Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com : accessed 11 August 2020), memorial page for Edward Judson “Ed” Pringle (2 Aug 1879–13 Sep 1967), Find a Grave Memorial no. 94237256, citing Concord Presbyterian Church Cemetery, Sumter, Sumter County, South Carolina, USA ; Maintained by Ervin Shaw (contributor 47632367) .