The South Carolina Historical and Genealogical Magazine
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6i6i i nr THE /JQUTH C AROLINA HISTORICAL AND GENEALOGICAL MAGAZINE PUBLISHED Q UARTERLY BY THE SOUTH C AROLINA HISTORICAL SOCIETY CHARLESTON, S. C. VOLUME X X, No. i JANUARY, 1919 Entered a t the Post-office at Charleston, S. C, as Second-Class Matter PUBLICATION C OMMITTEE. .Joseph W Barnwell, Henry A. M. Smith, A.. S Salley, Jr. FEDITOR O THE MAGAZINE. Mabel L. Webber. CONTENTS The A shley River: Its Seats and Settlements 3 Marriage a nd Death Notices from the Charleston Morning Post a nd Daily Advertiser 52 Extracts f rom the Journal of Mrs. Ann Manigault 1754-1781, 57 The R egister of Christ Church Parish '. .. 64 . H istorical Notes , 74 N.. B — These Magazines, with the exception of No. 1 of Vol. I, are $1.25 to any one other than a member of the South Carolina Historical Society. Members of the Society receive them free. The Membership fee is $4.00 per annum (the fiscal year being from January to January), and members can buy back numbers or duplicates at $1.00 each. In addition to receiving the Magazines, members are allowed a discount of 25 per cent. on all other publications of the Society, and have the free use of the Society's library. s Any m ember who has not received the la*t^umber will please n otify the Secretary and Treasurer. Miss M abel L. Webber, South C arolina Historical Society, Charleston, C . S. THE SOUTH C AROLINA HISTORICAL AND GENEALOGICAL MAGAZINE PUBLISHED Q UARTERLY BY THE SOUTH C AROLINA HISTORICAL SOCIETY YEDITED B MABEL LOUISE WEBBER VOLUMEX X BALTIMORE W ILLIAMS & WILKINS COMPANY 1919 OFFICERS OFHE T SOUTH C AROLINAHISTORICALSOCIETY January, 1 919 —January, 1920. President, H on. Joseph W. Barnwell. 1st V ice-President, Hon. Henry A. M. Smith. 2nd V ice-President, Hon. Theodore D. Jervey. 3d Vice-President, Hon. F. H. Weston. 4th Vice-President, Hon. John B. Cleveland. Secretary and Treasurer and Librarian, Miss Mabel Louise Webber. Curators: Langdon C heves, Esq., D. E. Httger Smith, Esq., .Charles W Kollock, M. D., Prof. Yates Snowden, M. Alston Read, Esq., Prof.. C J. Colcock* Henry S. Holmes, EsQ.f A.. S Salley, Jr., Esq., Frank R. Frost, Esq. Boardf o Managers, FALL O THE FOREGOING OFFICERS. Publication C ommittee, Henry A. M. Smith, Joseph W. Barnwell, A.. S Salley, Jr. *Prof.. C J. Colcock died April, 1919. fHenry S. Holmes, Esq. died March, 1919. The S outh Carolina Historical and Genealogical Magazine VOL.X X JANUARY, 1919 No. 1 THE A SHLEY RIVER: ITS SEATS AND SETTLEMENTS By Henry A. M. Smith An a ccount of the Ashley River, and the settlements on its southern or southwestern bank, as far as Cuppain Creek including old Charles Town has been given in a former number of this Magazine.1 An account of the settlements on the northern or northeastern bank as far up as Ashley Ferry has also been given in a former number.2 The present article will continue the de scription of the settlements on the river to about the site of the old village of Dorchester also treated of in a former number.3 The A shley River is a comparatively short river which flows through a practically level country. It is navigable by small boats as high up as Bacon's bridge about thirty miles from the City of Charleston. Some three miles above Bacon's bridge the stream is crossed by another bridge known as Slann's bridge. Above this point the stream is no longer called the Ashley River but its bed spreads out, and forms a large swamp, known as the Cypress swamp, which curves in a semicircle towards the north, and after a distance of some eight or nine miles merges in a still larger swamp called the Wassamassaw swamp, which continues for some distance, and up to another large flat swamp or depres sion called Black Tom Bay. This Black Tom Bay is about the 1 V ol. XVI, p. 1. 2 V ol. XIX, p. 1. •Vol. VI, p. 62. 3 4O. S CA. HISTORICAL AND GENEALOGICAL MAGAZINE dividing s hed between the head of Ashley River, and the head of the Western branch of Cooper River, which two thus starting at a point so close, then diverge widely in their courses to the sea, and again meet at the City of Charleston. The watershed thus drained by the Ashley River is quite considerable for so short a river. Below the site of old Dorchester, which is about twenty-six miles from the City of Charleston, the river receives no great contribution to its waters. The land on both banks is generally higher along the river. On the southwestern side the drainage, except within a short distance from the river, is towards the large interior swamps or savannahs, and through them down to Rantowle's Creek into Stono River. On the northeastern side the drainage below Dorchester is generally towards Goose Creek and into Cooper River. The influence of the tide extends even beyond Bacon's bridge to such an extent that in periods of great drought, when there is not sufficient water coming down the swamps to maintain a current or flow of fresh water in the river, the salt water ascends with the tide up to and beyond Bacon's bridge, and at low tide the bed of the river at Bacon's bridge is practically bare. Thus the difference in elevation between tidal low water mark at Charleston and that at Bacon's bridge must be slight. In times of excessive rainfall the volume of water that comes down the Ashley is great. The writer has thrice seen the bridge at Bacon's bridge swept away, which means a rise at that point of fifteen or more feet. The force of this large current of fresh water maintains the river fresh down a number of miles. The level of the river rises and falls under the tidal pressure even when the current is still always downward and the water itself fresh and even potable. The soil on the sides of the river is in general light, sandy and not fertile. Their accessibility by water from Charles Town rendered the settlements along the river very desirable, and in time many of the wealthier inhabitants of the Province, who either carried on business in Charles Town, or de rived their incomes from more desirable and fertile lands else where situated, made their seats and residences on the Ashley River. Many if not most of the residences survived until the war of 1860-1865 — when they were burned and destroyed by predatory bands of the invading Federal army; but three of any note being spared so far as the writer knows viz: "Archdale" THE A SHLEY RIVER 5 and " Jenys" on the north side, and Drayton Hall on the south side, (avoided by the enemy as it was reported occupied by small pox sufferers). Ashley Hall, was said to have been set fire to by its owner Mr Wm Izard Bull to escape the certain fate that awaited it. Takingp u the settlements on the northeastern side from the point where the article in the January number 1918 ended, there comes: ANDREWSR O LIBERTY HALL Benjamin A ndrews arrived in the Province in November 1673 and on 27 June 1674 a warrant was issued to lay out to him 100 acres.4 This was evidently laid out on Ashley River for the grant to Thomas Rose of Fetteressa in 1677 bounds on Benjamin An drews.6 Another warrant to Benjamin Andrews was issued 19 April 1679 for 240 acres,6 and on 14 June 1679 a grant was made to Benjamin Andrews and Elizabeth Brant for 270 acres on Ashley River.7 This grant either escheated, or was transferred to Joseph Oldys for a new grant was later made to Joseph Oldys for the 270 acres, and under his will was devised equally to his son Joseph and his three daughters Arabella, Elizabeth, and Margaret Oldys. Arabella Oldys married William Cantey Junr and on the division of the plantation received one fourth or 67$ acres, to which was added the two fourths of her sisters Elizabeth and Margaret ac quired by her husband from them, and for the whole aggregating 202§ acres a new grant was on 3 November 1703 made to William Cantey Junr.8 The motive for obtaining a new grant seems to have been to escape accumulated quit rents, for the new grant declares that it is free of such and that the quit rents would com mence at a future date. On 8 April 1704 William Cantey Junr "Yeoman" and Arabella his wife conveyed the 202§ acres to An drew Russ;9 who on 20 May 1709 conveyed the same to Jonathan Fitch Senr.10 * P rinted Warrants, 1672-1679, p. 77. * T his Magazine, vol. XTX, p. S3. • P rinted Warrants, 1672-1679, p. 197. 7 P roprietary Grants, vol. 38, p. 66. 8 O ff. Hist. Com., Bk. F, 1707-1711, p. 7. • I bid., p. 8. 10 M emo. Bk. 3, p. 303. 6O. S CA. HISTORICAL AND GENEALOGICAL MAGAZINE On 1 M ay 1708 there was granted to William Williams 250 acres adjoining the 202§ acres.11 William Williams by his will 2 November 1710 devised the 250 acres to Henroydah English (Hannah English alias Williams was the grantee of the neigh bouring plantation called Stony Point) who as Henroydah English "Gentn" conveyed the 250 acres on 17 September 1712 to Eben- ezer Taylor, who on 12 October 1714 conveyed to Jonathan Fitch who had already acquired the 202$ acres.12 This Jonathan Fitch appears to have been the son of the first Jonathan Fitch who was in the Province in April 1678,13 and was termed Jonathan Fitch Senr in March 168314 and who died prior to 1691 leaving a son Jonathan, and at least two daughters Sarah who married John Norton, and Rachel who married James Stanyarne.16 Jonathan Fitch, the second, at his death left three sons — Jonathan who married Ann Elliott, Tobias who married Marianne Du Gue, and Joseph who married Constant Williamson.