Richardson Waltz
The General Assembly noted that this “beautiful and soulful” dance music had been created and preserved for generations by members of the Richardson family, “descendants of General Richard Richardson . . . who came from Virginia as a surveyor to settle in South Carolina.”
State waltz. The “Richardson Waltz” was designated South Carolina’s official state waltz in legislation signed by Governor James Hodges on July 21, 2000. The General Assembly noted that this “beautiful and soulful” dance music had been created and preserved for generations by members of the Richardson family, “descendants of General Richard Richardson . . . who came from Virginia as a surveyor to settle in South Carolina.” Richard Richardson was a colonial legislator and important military leader during the Revolutionary War who pacified the backcountry Tories in 1775 and then served with General Benjamin Lincoln at Purrysburgh in 1778. He founded an important political family and was the lineal ancestor of six governors of South Carolina.
Since the eighteenth century, members of the Richardson family were known in Clarendon and Sumter Counties, and elsewhere in South Carolina, for their hospitality, entertainments, and love of dancing. A family member whose identity has been forgotten composed the waltz, which was played at family balls and passed down “by ear” for more than two centuries.
In 1985 the music was written down by Mary Richardson Briggs of Summerton in order to insure its preservation. Briggs copyrighted the melody in 1986. Its adoption as the state waltz was successfully promoted by the Elizabeth Peyre Richardson Manning Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution. On the day that Governor Hodges signed the bill before a large audience in the State House rotunda, the waltz was played and danced.
