He Lived in Bermuda For Some Time
Rainey went to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1859, where he met and married, Susan, a free woman from the West Indies, who like him was also of African and French descent. They returned to South Carolina and had three children, Joseph, Herbert and Olivia. In 1862, following the start of the Civil War, Rainey and his family escaped to Bermuda, settling in St. George’s, a town founded in 1669 by William Sayle, who was the first governor of South Carolina in 1670. Rainey worked in Bermuda as a barber, while his wife became a successful dressmaker with a shop. In 1865, the couple moved to Hamilton, Bermuda. Rainey worked at the Hamilton Hotel as a barber and a bartender. His customers were mostly white and he and his family were respected members of the community. Rainey prospered in Bermuda. He returned to South Carolina following the end of the Civil War.
