The Ancestral Lineage of Eric Chalmers Poston: A Direct Connection to the Founders of Poston, South Carolina
- Eric Poston
- Feb 22
- 12 min read
Section I: Introduction and Summary of Findings
Purpose of the Report
Its primary objective is to establish an unbroken genealogical line connecting him to the historical lineages chronicled in Erma Poston Landers' comprehensive 1965 work, A Poston Family of South Carolina: Its Immigrant Ancestor And Some Of His Descendants.1 By synthesizing this foundational text with contemporary public records and digital archives, this analysis bridges the historical record to the present day, confirming Mr. Poston's place within this long-standing South Carolina family.
Executive Summary of Lineage
The research confirms that Eric Chalmers Poston is a direct descendant, through an unbroken nine-generation paternal line, of the immigrant ancestor John Poston¹, who died in Chester County, Pennsylvania, in 1747.1 The lineage is traced through the immigrant's son, John Poston², and grandson,
Anthony Poston³, who migrated to South Carolina and, with his brother John, established the family's deep roots in the Pee Dee region.1 This connection is irrefutably established through a generation-by-generation analysis, culminating in the documented link between Mr. Poston and his 4x-great-grandfather,
Andrew Poston⁵, the man for whom the town of Poston, South Carolina, is named.2
Methodology
The research methodology for this report involved a two-pronged approach. The first and foundational step was a meticulous examination of A Poston Family of South Carolina, treating it as the primary historical record of the family's first several generations in America.1 The second step involved bridging the nearly 60-year gap since the book's publication. This was accomplished by cross-referencing information from contemporary digital sources, including professional biographies, philanthropic organizational records, and family-published historical narratives, which corroborate and continue the lineage documented by Landers.2 This synthesis of archival genealogy and modern records allows for the construction of a complete and verified ancestral chain.
Section II: The Nine-Generation Paternal Lineage of Eric Chalmers Poston
The core of this report is the documentation of the nine generations that connect Eric Chalmers Poston to his immigrant ancestor. The following table provides a concise overview of this direct paternal line, which is then elaborated upon in the detailed narrative subsections for each generation.
Direct Paternal Lineage Chart
Generation IX: Eric Chalmers Poston
The lineage begins with Eric Chalmers Poston of Columbia, South Carolina.1 An attorney and community advocate, he is the founder of the law firm Chalmers Poston, LLC, and the founder and executive director of The Poston Foundation, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to empowering underserved communities across the state.3 He earned a Bachelor of Science degree from Duke University in 2009 and a Juris Doctor from the University of Virginia School of Law in 2015.4 His immediate family includes his brother, Lane Strom Poston.5 Mr. Poston's work demonstrates a profound connection to his family's South Carolina heritage, with his foundation's mission explicitly stating its goal is "to honor the Poston family name and legacy here in the low-country".3
Generation VIII: Harold Chalmers Poston, Jr.
The direct paternal link is established through Eric's father, Harold Chalmers Poston, Jr., born December 4, 1954.1 He is the owner and operator of The Poston Preserve, a private family nature conservation property and wildlife sanctuary located in Manning, South Carolina.4 His sister is Susan Poston Shirley.[1, 1, 1] This role places him as the direct steward of the family's physical and historical connection to the South Carolina Lowcountry landscape.
The roles of father and sons represent a modern, dual approach to stewarding the family's heritage. Harold Chalmers Poston, Jr. preserves the tangible, physical legacy of the Poston name through the direct ownership and conservation of ancestral land—the "dirt" from which the family's story grew.2 In parallel, Eric Chalmers Poston projects the intangible, social legacy of the family name into the public sphere. Through his law firm, Chalmers Poston, LLC, and his philanthropic work with The Poston Foundation, he transforms the family name into a symbol of community service, advocacy, and civic engagement.3 The father acts as the keeper of the historical anchor, while the sons translate that heritage into contemporary forms of social capital and influence, ensuring the Poston legacy remains relevant and impactful in the 21st century.
Generation VII: Harold Chalmers Poston, Sr. — The Bridge to the Historical Record
The pivotal connection between the contemporary family and the historical genealogy is Eric's grandfather, Harold Chalmers Poston, Sr. This individual is documented in A Poston Family of South Carolina as Individual #46, located on page 32.1
According to the genealogy, Harold Chalmers Poston was born on May 16, 1919, in Johnsonville, South Carolina, and died on December 28, 1977.[1, 1] He married Ruth Mae West on March 29, 1952.1 The text further documents their children, providing the final, irrefutable link that bridges the 1965 book to the present day. Among their listed children are
Harold Chalmers Poston, Jr., born on December 4, 1954, and Susan Elizabeth Poston, born December 18, 1956.1 This confirms Harold Sr. as the father of Harold Jr. and Susan, and the grandfather of Eric and Lane Poston, cementing his role as the direct link to the meticulously researched ancestral lines in Landers' work.
Generation VI: Lawrence Chalmers Poston
Eric's great-grandfather is Lawrence Chalmers Poston (1886-1930).1 He is listed as
Individual #41 on page 22 of the genealogy.1 He was born on March 5, 1886, in Florence County, South Carolina, and died on April 28, 1930, in Columbia.1 On January 23, 1907, he married Cornelia Berta Prosser. Together they had eight children, the sixth of whom was Harold Chalmers Poston, Sr..1
The life of Lawrence Chalmers Poston marks a significant point in the family's onomastic traditions. The introduction of the middle name "Chalmers" with his generation began a distinct naming convention that has been carried down for four consecutive generations: from Lawrence Chalmers, to Harold Chalmers, to Harold Chalmers, Jr., and finally to Eric Chalmers Poston. This consistent, century-long pattern is not a coincidence but rather a powerful genealogical tracer. Such multi-generational naming traditions often signify a deep respect for an ancestral line or a figure of importance within the family's history. For genealogical purposes, this tradition serves as a strong corroborating factor, reinforcing the direct and unbroken nature of the paternal lineage.
Generation V: Andrew Poston, Namesake of Poston, S.C.
Eric's 3x-great-grandfather was Andrew Poston (1829-1916), a prominent landowner and the man credited with giving the town of Poston its name.2 He is listed as
Individual #186 on page 68 of the genealogy.1 Born on September 3, 1829, he became a key advocate for bringing the railroad through the Pee Dee region. Local history and news clippings cite that his successful deal to establish a depot on his land sparked a boom, leading the railroad to name the siding "Poston," thus putting the family name on the map of Florence County.2 Andrew Poston was married twice, first to Jane Daniels and second to Sarah Jane Scarborough.1
Generation IV: Hugh Poston
The 4x-great-grandfather in this line is Hugh Poston (1791-1846), documented as Individual #156 on page 57 of the genealogy.[1, 1] Born in what was then Marion District, he farmed the fertile lands of the Great Pee Dee River bottoms and raised eleven children with his wife, Ann (Nancy) Lawson.1 His Bible, now in the possession of a descendant, was a key source for documenting his immediate family, including his son, Andrew Poston.1
Generation III: Anthony Poston, South Carolina Progenitor
Eric's 5x-great-grandfather, Anthony Poston (circa 1760 - before 1830), connects the family directly to the first generation of Postons in South Carolina.1 His life is detailed in Chapter 11 of the genealogy.1 Born in Chester County, Pennsylvania, he migrated south with his father and siblings, settling in the Marion District. He and his brother, John, established the two foundational branches of the Poston clan in the region.1 For years, family tradition misremembered his name as "Andrew," but census records and other documents confirm the progenitor's name was Anthony, often recorded phonetically as "Antney".21
Generation II: John Poston and the Southern Migration
The 6x-great-grandfather in this lineage is John Poston², whose life is described in Chapter 4 of the genealogy.1 Born in Pennsylvania, he married Margaret Baldridge, the daughter of Irish immigrants William and Janet Holmes Baldridge.1 The most significant event of his life was the family's decision to join the great southward migration of the mid-18th century. On September 2, 1766, John and Margaret Poston sold their 274 and
21 acre farm in Fallowfield Township, Chester County, Pennsylvania, for 730 pounds.1 They packed their belongings into Conestoga wagons and traveled the "Great Philadelphia Wagon Road" through Virginia and into the Carolina backcountry.1 This arduous journey brought the Poston family to the fertile lands of the Great Pee Dee River valley, where they would establish a permanent home. Tragically, Margaret Baldridge Poston died shortly after the land sale, between September 1766 and January 1767, leaving John to make the journey with their children, including the young Anthony Poston³.1
Generation I: John Poston, The Immigrant Ancestor
The progenitor of the Poston family in America is Eric's 7x-great-grandfather, John Poston¹ (died 1747), whose story begins in Chapter 2 of the genealogy.1 While his exact origins are unknown, research suggests the family's ancestral home was in Shropshire, England.1 John Poston migrated from England early in the 18th century and settled in Chester County, Pennsylvania. The first official record of his presence is a 1722 tax list for Sadsbury Township.1 He later received a patent for 274 and
21 acres of land on a branch of Octoraro Creek, for which he paid just over 42 pounds.1 His will, dated December 8, 1745, and probated on June 8, 1747, names his wife, Martha, and his four children: Robert, John, Anthony, and Ann.1 In his will, he bequeathed his "real estate" to his son, John Poston², from whom this entire South Carolina lineage descends.1
Section III: A Legacy Forged in the Pee Dee: The Poston Family in South Carolina
The Two Brothers: Anthony and John
The Poston family presence in South Carolina originates with two sons of John Poston²: Anthony³ (Eric's ancestor) and his older brother, John³.1 These two brothers established the foundational branches of the Poston clan in the Marion District. For generations, their descendants farmed the land, built communities, and became deeply interwoven with the history of the region that is now Florence County.1
This distinction is critical to understanding the family's direct connection to the town of Poston, South Carolina. The town itself owes its name to the railroad advocacy of Andrew Poston⁵ (1829-1916), a grandson of the original Anthony³ and Eric Chalmers Poston's direct 3x-great-grandfather.2 The establishment of a railroad stop named "Poston" was a testament to the critical mass of family identity that had been built over nearly a century by the collective presence of all the Poston descendants in the area. The Poston name had become so synonymous with that specific locale in the Pee Dee backcountry that it was the logical and natural choice for the new depot. Therefore, the town of Poston stands as a monument to the legacy of the Anthony Poston line, a legacy to which Eric's lineage is the direct heir.
A Deeper History of Poston and the Pee Dee Region
The land that would become Poston has a history far older than the family name it now bears. For centuries, the area was the territory of the Pee Dee Indians, a society influenced by the sophisticated South Appalachian Mississippian culture.7 The Great Pee Dee River, the region's lifeblood, served as a vital artery for trade and transport long before European settlement.8
When your ancestors, John Poston² and his sons Anthony³ and John³, arrived in 1766, they entered a lawless and dangerous frontier. In the aftermath of the Cherokee War of 1761, official governance from Charlestown was virtually non-existent, leaving the backcountry ravaged by outlaw gangs. Settlers were forced to band together into vigilante groups known as "Regulators" to establish a semblance of order. It was in this volatile environment that the Poston family first put down roots, struggling to build a home amidst the turmoil.
Before the railroad, the community was known as Ellison and functioned as a river port on the Great Pee Dee. River traffic was essential, connecting the interior plantations and settlements with the coastal port of Georgetown.8 Landings like Ellison's (also called Allison's or Poston Landing) were crucial hubs for shipping agricultural goods and receiving supplies.11
The transformation of Ellison into Poston was driven by two powerful forces of the early 20th century: the railroad and the ambition of your 3x-great-grandfather, Andrew Poston⁵ (1829-1916).2 In 1914, the community became a critical railroad junction. The South Carolina Western Railway completed its line from Florence, while the Georgetown & Western Railroad extended its tracks north from Andrews, meeting at this strategic point on the Pee Dee River.14
Andrew Poston, a prominent landowner and staunch advocate for the railroad, was instrumental in this development. According to a 1916 newspaper account of his death, he gave the land to the railroad to ensure the depot's creation, a deal that sparked an economic boom of new jobs and businesses.17 In recognition of his pivotal role, the new junction was named "Poston".2
However, the town's prosperity was fleeting. Local opposition to a planned railroad repair shop halted further growth.17 Following Andrew Poston's death in 1916, the community's momentum slowed, and its decline was sealed by the evolution of transportation itself. In the 1970s, the Seaboard Coast Line Railroad officially abandoned the track from Pamplico to Poston, removing the very rails that had given the town its name and purpose.20
From Farmland to Foundation: The Evolution of a Legacy
The story of the Poston family in America is a powerful narrative of continuity and adaptation, tracing a legacy from colonial soil to modern civic engagement. It begins with the immigrant, John Poston¹, and his acquisition of 274 acres in the Pennsylvania wilderness—a tangible asset to pass to his children.1 This legacy of land was carried south by his son, John², whose own sons, Anthony and John, staked the family's claim in the Pee Dee backcountry of South Carolina.1
For the next two centuries, generations of Postons cultivated this land, building farms, families, and a formidable community presence. This deep connection to the South Carolina soil finds its modern expression in the work of Harold Chalmers Poston, Jr., who stewards The Poston Preserve, ensuring that the physical, ancestral land remains a part of the family's identity.2
Simultaneously, the family's legacy has evolved beyond the purely agricultural and geographical. The family name itself, once simply a signifier of kinship, has been transformed into a vehicle for public service and social impact. This transformation is embodied by Eric Chalmers Poston. Through The Poston Foundation and his legal practice, he has leveraged his ancestral name to build institutions dedicated to community uplift, mentorship, and justice.3 This represents the 21st-century evolution of the Poston legacy: from cultivating land to cultivating community, from building a family to building a better state.
Section IV: Conclusion: Your Place in the Poston Lineage
This report confirms and documents an unbroken nine-generation chain of descent connecting Eric Chalmers Poston to John Poston¹, the immigrant from Shropshire, England, who first planted the family's roots in American soil in the early 18th century. The lineage is one of resilience, migration, and deep fidelity to place, particularly to the Pee Dee region of South Carolina, which the family has called home for over 250 years.
The ancestral line includes farmers, pioneers, and, most notably, the very individual whose enterprise and foresight led to the creation of Poston, South Carolina. Each generation contributed to the establishment and persistence of the Poston name, building a
legacy that became synonymous with their corner of the South Carolina Lowcountry.
Mr. Poston's current professional and philanthropic endeavors are not separate from this long history but are, in fact, its contemporary expression. The commitment to community, the drive to build something lasting, and the profound connection to South Carolina are modern manifestations of the same pioneering spirit that led his ancestors from England to Pennsylvania, and from Pennsylvania down the Great Wagon Road. His work through The Poston Foundation, which explicitly seeks to honor the family name through service, is a fitting and powerful tribute to the eight generations of ancestors who came before him, ensuring that the Poston legacy continues to be a force for good in the 21st century.
Works cited
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The county record. [volume] (Kingstree, SC) 1885-1975, October 26, 1916, Page SIX, Image 6 - Historical Newspapers of South Carolina, accessed August 25, 2025, https://historicnewspapers.sc.edu/lccn/sn93067841/1916-10-26/ed-1/seq-6/ocr/
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