unsuccessfully sought spiritual support from the Methodist Church. From humble beginnings her motivation carried her through to founding a church that would meet women’s needs like hers. Once she became a member, she met Louisa Jane Merriman a well-off woman who like herself had married young and had young children. Together, they likely urged the group to make young mothers with young children priorities and include women like this on the list of those traveling preachers needed to regularly visit. Villagers in my estimation seemed drawn to Caroline Rebecca’s character, perhaps because her motives were clear or integrity was part of her makeup. When the Mounce family arrived in Greenwood village, they fit solidly in the social and economic status to which Caroline Rebecca’s family, who had lived there more than 10 years, belonged. Her Osborn half-brother was a harness maker and a third Osborn half-sister’s husband was a tailor. 14 From the Byrd Street home, Caroline Rebecca likely operated a seamstress business and then specialized in dressmaking. Her clientele included Mary Vance, wife of a wealthy planter who lived on Main Street, now East Cambridge Avenue. In time, she worked exclusively for Vance. Like her Osborn half-sister Emily who had lived and worked in the Thomas B. Byrd home, Caroline Rebecca lived and worked in the Allen Vance home. No record identified the kind of work she did. She possibly had supervisory responsibility for the entire household including students who boarded with the family. If she were a dressmaker, her role possibly included supervising slave seamstresses to keep the mistress of the house and her daughters dressed in the latest fashion. 15 14 1850 U.S. census, Savannah River Regiment, Abbeville District, South Carolina, industry schedule, p. 640, line 12, Milton Osborn; digital image, Ancestry.com (access through participating libraries : 24 April 2019); citing Archive Collection Number AD287, roll 17. Also, 1850 U.S. census, Savannah River Regiment, Abbeville District, South Carolina, industry schedule, p. 640, line 14, Willis B. Cason; digital image, Ancestry.com (access through participating libraries : 24 April 2019); citing Archive Collection Number AD287, roll 17. 15 1850 U.S. census, Abbeville District, South Carolina, population schedule, p. 116, dwelling 1785, family 1788, Emily Orsborn [Osborn] in Thomas B. Bird [Byrd] household; digital image, Ancestry.com (access through participating libraries : 20 December 2018); citing NARA microfilm publication M432, roll 848. Also, 1860 U.S. census, Abbeville District, South Carolina, population schedule, Greenwood Post Office, p. 104 (penned), dwelling 769, family 744, Rebecca C. Mounce in Allen Vance household; digital image, Ancestry.com (access through participating libraries : 29 November 2017); citing FHL microfilm 805212. The value of Vance’s personal estate was $125,000 and real estate was $73,000.
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