USA > South Carolina > A sketch of the history of South Carolina to the close of the proprietary government by the revolution of 1719. With an appendix containing many valuable records hitherto unpublished > Part 34
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our heirs, Successors and assigns. They also complain that they are required to begin their Divine worshipp at the same time the English doe, which is inconvenient to them in regard to severall of their congregations living out of the Towne are forced to come and goe by water, & for the conveniency of such, they begin their Divine Worship earlier or later, as the tide serves, in which we. would not have them molested. They Complain, alsoe, that they are told the mearriages made by their ministers is not lawfull, because they are not ordained by some bishop, and that their children begotten in such marriages are bastards. We have power by our Patent to grant liberty of Conscience in Carolina, and it is granted by an act of Parliament here, and persons are married here in the Dutch & French Churches by ministers that were never ordained, and yett we have not heard that the children begotten in such marriages are reputed unlawful or bastards, and this seems to us opposite to that liberty of conscience their magesties have consented to here, And we, pursuant to the power Granted to us, have Granted in Carolina. Wee desire these things may be removed, and that their Complaints of all kinds be heard with favour, and that they have cqual Justice with Englishmen, and & enjoy the same privileges ; it being for their magesties Service to have as many of them as we can in Carolina, Wee would have them receive all manner of Just encouragement whatsoever. And we would have yon send for the Chief of them and give them assurance of itt. Wee finde that Mr. Joshua Hobson, Deputy to Mr. Grimball in the Secretary's Office, did suffer for the refusing to submit to the usurped authority of Mr. Sothell, wherefore we are willing that he should be encouraged, and would not have him hindered from pleasing the Proprs. [Proprietors] there as well as assisting him as Deputy in the Secretary's Office. The which we doe in favor to the said Joshua Hobson, as well as to ease our Secretary, who being to send us constant copies of all that passeth in the Councill and Parliament there, for which he hath no fees, we would not have his charge augmented by forcing him to allow Mr. Hobson a greater salary to incourage him to contine his Deputy, and this we would have done, unless you can give us some very substantial reasons to the contrary. We observe in the act abont the fines of those Jurymen that do not appear are appointed to be paid to the Treasurer, & to be disposed of as the General Assembly shall direct. We do not find one precedent that the Parliament of England have ever reserved any money out of either Taxes or forfeitnres to be disposed of by themselves, and by our Grant from the Crowne, the Laws of Carolina are to be as near as may be agreeable to the Laws of England ; Wherefore we desire you to be cautious how yon pass any such laws for the future, for we shall Consider very well. before we pass any such. All public money in Carolina must be disposed of by our consent or order. And we alsoe desire that in all acts or other public writeings, you
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give us the same stile [style] that is given us by the Crowne in our Patent of the true & absolute Lords, which title gives us no more power than the Patent itself doth, nor doe we claim any more thereby. We have thought fitt to appoynt Mr. Thos. Smith to be Sheriffe or Chief Judge of Berkley County, by which employ- ment we do not understand that he is incapacitated to serve as Deputy, but may continue in that Station alsoe.
We comit you to the Protection of Almighty God, & Rest Your very affectionate friends,
CRAVEN, Pall. [L. s. ] A. ASHLEY, [L. S.] P. COLLETON, [L. S.] THOMAS AMY, [L. S.]
To the Governor & our Deputies at Ashley River in Carolina.
Att A General Assembly mett at the House of Mr. Francis Fiddling at Charlestowne, on the 30th day of January, 1696.
William, Earle of Craven, Pallatine, and the rest of the true and absolute Lords Proprietors of the Province of Carolina :
To Robert Gibbs, High Sheriff of Berkley County, Greeting :
Whereas by our Proclamation on the 29th day of November, inst., made and published for reasons therein expressed, we have thought fitt to dissolve the late General Assembly, and notwith- standing all our designs and endeavours to settle this Province in Peace and tranquility, have by the obstinate majority of the House of Commons been frustrated, and willing as far as in us lyes, to gratify and comply with the request of some, but the more modest and reasonable of the members of the House of Commons, and other well meaning inhabitants of this Province by their address for that end to us signified, We, therefore, hereby, dispensing with our Power to us Granted by our Charter and former Prece- dents, Command you to Summon all the King's Leidge subjects, the freemen Inhabitants of Berkly County to be and appear together with all the rest of the freemen as aforesaid of this part of our Province, at Charlestowne, on 19th day of December next, then and there by a majority of their voices to agree to and ascer- taine the number of their Representatives for this part of the P'ro- vince, to consult and advise with us about making such laws, as shall be necessary for the safety and defence of this Province, whence as often as wee shall see occasion to call them theirs. Witness John Archdale, Esq., our Governor, Admirall and Capt. General of our said Province, and the rest of our Deputies at Charlestowne, this 30th day of November, 1695.
W.M. HAWETT, STEPHEN BULL
JOHN ARCHDALE, JOSEPH BLAKE, PAULL GRIMBALL, STEPHEN BULL, JAMES MOORE.
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The Humble Petition of the House of Commons. May it Please Your Honors :
The Rt. Honble. the Lords and absolute Proprietors of this Province not requiring from the people any rent till the year 1690, gave the first settlers of this Place such encouragement that they laboured under a Continental watch and Guard to defend it and themselves from the attempts of the Spanyards, and state that they were so much employed therein, that for many years they could not make sufficient Provisions for themselves, but suffered the want of Bread, and went through many difficulties, even to the dispair of their lives, at last, it Pleased God, by his divine Good- ness, Soe to bless the endeavours of the People of this Settlement, that they not only made their own Provisions, but in Some measure, supplied their neighbours, by which means the fame of this place, beyond the Seas, encouraged many People in Europe and other Parts to come hither and settle, and they did readily and willingly take the Conveyance for lands that was then granted, and cheerfully joyned hand in hand with their neighbours in set- tling and defending this Place to the Great Honor of the Lords Proprs and the joy and strenghthening of the first Comers in soe much, that doubted not but all difficulties were over, and that every one should sitt down under his own vine in Peace. But those Halcyon days did not continue long, their Lordships were Pleased in the year one thousand six hundred and eighty-two to alter the first Grant and order a new conveyance for Lands to the great dislike of the People, which occasioned some old settlers and may new comers to leave this Settlement, and some that stayed spent their substance wayting in expectation when the said Grievance would be removed, others that were compelled to Settle in the woods, were descouraged to plant and improve their Plantations, for want of complete titles to their Lands. Their Lordships also left the Government of this Settlement uncertaine, and were pleased frequently to alter the same, those mutations happening on the neck of another occasioned beart-burnings and discontents amongst the inhabitants, and kept many in doubt whether they would settle here or not, which not only kept them from improving, but occasioned the wastings of their Estates, and so impoverished this settlement, That if your Honors make the people pay their arrears of their rent, it will endanger the ruin of the greatest part of the Planters, and force them to suffer their lands to revert to their Lordshipps, all which we make known and lay before your Honours. And further add, since now the con- siderable trade of Charlestowne hath gained it the reputation of a wealthy place, (which we are credibly informed and have reason to believe) hath encouraged several pirates to attempt the plun- dering and burning of the same, which cannot be prevented but by fortifying itt, which is now under our consideration, but cannot be
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done without very great charge to the inhabitants of this their Collony, which, notwithstanding being sensible of the necessity thereof, we are willing to accomplish, therefore we humbly beg your Honors, that for the reasons aforesaid, your Honors will be pleased to forgive the arrears of rent to the Inhabitants of this part of their province, it will the better encourage and enable us- to undertake the Great but necessary charge of fortifying Charles- ton, the only place of trade and strength in the whole Province, & which being lost will necessarily unsettle & ruine this now thriving Colony, & will oblige us to provide for the certaine pay- ment of their rents hereafter, & make the collection thereof very easy.
The Humble address and remonstrance of the members of the House of Commons of the South West part of this Province.
Feb. 1698-9.
Your Lordshipps Gracious and Condesending Powers to our Late Governor, John Archdale, Esqr., to enact, with the advice and consent of your Deputies and General Assembly, such Laws as they shall think Expedient, and to alter any former Laws that should be thought fitt to be altered, hath by the laws made and altered by virtue of the said powers, been so advantageous to all the inhabitants of this your Collony, that wee are and ever shall be obliged to recognize your Lordshipps favour thereby, and doth further encourage ns to remonstrate to your Lordshipps our pre- sent Grievances, and to address you for the removal of them, and your assents to some new Laws which your Deputies says they have not power to joine with us to remove and enact. They are soe indifferent to your Lordshipps interest, different from the fatherlike care which you have shown to us, and soe agreeable to your Lordshipps Royall Powers and Prerogatives, Granted to you by your Charter, and not disagreeable to the Laws of the King- dome of England, but soe generally conduceing to the welfare, Peace and Prosperity of the Inhabitants of this your Collony, That wee will not doubt of your Lordshipps Complyance with those little things compared to those many and Grand favours you have done us. Its true some of them are of that nature, that we know that your Lordshipps camot doe them yourselves, & that your Lordshipps Interest with his most gracious magesties is great enough to secure them for us.
Ist. That the Governor & your Lordshipps Deputies have not with the advice & consent of the General Assembly, that power to repeale such Laws (if thought expedient, ) confirmed by your Lordshipps, & alsoe are so limited by instructions, that they want such power as is necessary for the better Government of this your Lordshipps Collony.
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2nd. That the Government pretends to putt in practice & force an act, entitled an act for the restraining of Privateers & Pirates, dated the day of which was never made according to any of your Lordshipps instructions, Rules of Government & Con- stitutions, nor with the consent of the major part of the Delegates. of the people, and which also wants a confirmation, under hand &. seal in open Assembly.
3rd. That the high Sheriff is continued in office longer than one year.
4th. The office of high sheriff & Judges of the Court of Pleas is conferred upon one & the same person.
5th. That there is not an exemplified copy in this Government of the King's most Gracious Charter.
6th. That such great Tracts of land are taken up & yett per- mitted to be taken up in one entire piece to the great prejudice of this your Lordshipps Collony & the inhabitants thereof.
7th. Wee therefore request your Lordshipps, that for the future that no greater quantities than one thousand acres of Land may be taken up in one. entire piece, which will much strengthen this Settlement.
8th. That your Lordshipps would also condescend & Grant for the further encouragement of the Inhabitants of this your Collony, the freedom of your Loyalty of whale fishing for one & twenty years.
9th. And with humble submission to your Lordshipps we fur- ther request that your Lordshipps would condescend to give and order us the liberty of coyning here, which power & Royalty we have great reason, tho, not particularly expressed, to believe His late Majestic in his Letters patent hath granted to your Lord- shipps.
10th. That your Lordshipps would interceed with his most Gracious Majesty for the taking of duty off Rice, turpentine, pitch & tar imported from this Province, & such further en- couragement for the importation thereof, as your Lordshipps shall think requisite & necessary for the advancement of this your Collony.
11th. And also that your Lordshipps would procure some Zant & other late ripe Grapes, both plants and seeds, with Capers, French Prunellas, Smirna Carrans, & the severall sorts of rice, all which we are in great hopes may be produced here.
12th. That your Lordshipps would procure & send us, by the first opportunity, a modell of a Rice mill,
All which we refer to your L'dshipp's consideration, and doubt- ing not but your Lordshipp's will redress our grievances & all things that lies in your L'dshipp's power for the advancement of this your Collony, & us the Inhabitants thereof, with great assur- ance. We believe you will use your utmost power to procure.
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S. P. O. PROPRIETIES, B. T., VOL. 3, p. 171.
E. Randolph to the Lords of Trade, 16 March, 1698-9.
May it please yr. Lordships,
After a dangerous voyage at Sca, I landed at Charles Town, in the Province of So. Carolina, & soon after my arrival, I adminis- tered the Oath to Mr. Jos. Blake, one of the Proprictors & Governor of this Province. But he is not allowed of by his Matys. Order in Council to be Govr., the Act of Parl. for preventing frauds being not taken notice of by the Proprietors.
There are but few settled Inhabitants in this Province, the Lords have taken up vast tracts of lands for their own use, as in Colleton County & other places, where the land is most com- modious for settlement, which prevents peopling the place, & makes them less capable to preserve themselves. As to their civil Governt., 'tis different from what I have met with in the other Propricties. Their Militia is not above 1500 Soldiers White men, but have thro' the Province generally 4 Negroes to I White man, & not above 1100 families, English & French.
Their Chief Town is Charles Town, and the seat of Govt. in this Province, where the Governor, Council & Triennial Parliamt. set, & their Courts are holden, being above a league distance from the entrance to their harbour mouth, wen. is barred, & not above 17 foot water at the highest tide, but very difficult to come in. The Harbour is called by the Spaniards, St. George ; it lyes 75 leagues to the Northward of St. Augustine, belonging to the Spaniards. It is generally laid down in our English maps to be 2 deg., 45 min., within the southern bounds of this Province. In the year 1686, one hundred Spaniards, wth Negroes & Indians, landed at Edistoe, (50 miles to the southward of Charles Town,) & broak open the house of Mr. Joseph Moreton, then Governor of the Province, & carried away Mr. Bowell, his Brother-in.law, prisoner, who was found murdered 2 or 3 days after ; they carried away all his money & plate, & 13 slaves, to the value of £1500 sterling, & their plunder to St. Augustine. Two of the Slaves made their escape from thence, & returned to their master. Some time after, Govr. Moreton sent to demand his slaves, but the Govr. of St. Augustine answered it was done without his orders, but to this day keeps them, & says he can't deliver them up w"out an ordr. from the King of Spain. About the same time they robbed Mr. Grimball's House, the Sec. of the Province, whilst he attended the Council at Charles Town, & carried away to the valne of above £1500 sterl". They also fell upon a settlement of Scotchmen at Port Royal, where there was not above 25 men in health to oppose them, The Spaniards burnt down their houses, destroyed & carried away all that they had, because (as the
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Spands. pretended) they were settled upon their land, and had they at any time a superior force, they would also destroy this Town built upon Ashley & Cooper Rivers. This whole Bay was called formerly St. George's, which they likewise lay claim to. The Inhabitants complained of the wrong done them by the Spaniards to the Lords Proprietors, & humbly prayed them (as I have been truly informed ) to represent it to His Maty., but they not hearing from the Lord Proprs., fitted out two vessels with 400 stout men, well armed, & resolved to take St. Augustinc. But Jas. Colleton came in that time from Barbadoes with a Com- mission to be Govr., & threatn'd to hang them if they proceeded, whereupon they went on shore very unwillingly. The Spaniards hearing the English were coming upon them for the damages, they left their Town & Castle, & fled into the woods to secure themselves. The truth is, as I have been credibly informed, there was a design on foot to carry on a Trade with the Spaniards.
I find the Inhabitants greatly alarmed upon the news that the French continue their resolution to make a settling at Messasipi River, from [whence ] they may come over land to the head of Ashley River whout opposition, 'tis not yet known what care the Lord's Prop's intend to take for their preservation. Some ingenious gentleman of this Province (not of the Council) have lately told me the Deputies have talked of maks an Address to the Lords Propre for relief, But 'tis apparent that all the time of this French War they never sent them one barrel of powder or a pound of lead to help them. They conclude they have no reason to depend upon them for assistance, & are resolved to forsake this Country betimes, if they find the French are settled at Meschasipi, or if upon the death of the King of Spain these Countries fall into the hands of the French, as inevitably they will (if not timely pre- vented), and return with their families to England or some other place where they may find safety & protection. It was one of the first questions asked me by several of the Chief men at my arrival, whether His Maty. had not sent over some soldiers to preserve them from the French, saying they might all live in this plentiful Country if Ilis Maty, will please to allow them half pay for 2 or 3 years at furthest, that afterwards they will maintain themselves & families (if they have any) in making Pitch and Tar & planting of Indian Corn, His Majesty will thereby have so many men seasoned to the Country ready for service upon all occasions, five sneh men will do more service by sea or land than 20 new raisd men from home, they may be brought hither in the Virginia outward bound Ships, 100 or 150 men in a year, till they are made up 1000, it will save the charge of transporting so many another time 2 or 3000 leagues at sea. I heard one of the Conneil (a great Indian Trader, & has been 600 miles up in the Country west from Charles Town) discourse that the only way to discover the Mes-
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chasipi is from this Province by land. He is willing to undertake it if His Maty. will please to pay the charge weh will not be above £400 or £500 at most; he intends to take with him 50 white men of this Province and 100 Indians, who live 2 days journey east from the Meschasipi, and questions not but in 5 or 6 months time after he has His Mat>> commands & instructions to find out ye mouth of it and the true latitude thereof.
The great improvement made in this Province is wholly owing to the industry & labour of the Inhabitants. They have applied themselves to make such commodities as might increase the revenue of the Crown, as Cotton, Wool, Ginger, Indigo, &c. But finding them not to answer the end they are set upon making Pitch, Tar & Turpentine, and planting rice, & can send over great quantityes yearly, if they had encouragement from England to make it, having about 50,000 Slaves to be employed in that service, upon occasion, but they have lost most of their vessels, which were but small, last war by the French, & some lately by the Spaniards, so that they are not able to send those Commodi- ties to England for a market, neither are sailors here to be had to man their vessels.
I humbly propose that if His Maty. will for a time suspend the Duties upon Commodities, and that upon rice also, it will encour- age the Planter to fall vigilantly upon making Pitch & Tar, &c., ych the Lords Proprs. ought to make their principal care to obtain from Ilis Maty. being the only way to draw people to settle in their Province, a place of greatest encouragement to y" English Navy in these parts of ye world. Charles Town Bay is the safest port for all Vessels coming thro' the gulf of Florida in distress, bound from the West Indies to the Northern Plantations; if they miss this place they may perish at sea for want of relief, and having beat upon the coast of New England, New York, or Vir- ginia by a North West Wind in the Winter, be forced to go to Barbadoes if they miss this Bay, where no wind will damage them and all things to be had necessary to refitt them. My Lords, I did formerly present Your Lordships with proposals for supplying England with Pitch & Tar, Masts & all or Naval Stores from New England. I observed when I were at York in Septr. last, abundance of Tar brot. down Hudson's River to be sold at New York, as also Turpentine & Tar in great quantities from the Colony of Connecticut, I was told if they had encouragement they could load several Ships yearly for England. But since my arrival here I find I am come into the only place for such commodities upon the Continent of America; some persons have offered to deliver iu Charlestown Bay upon their own account 1000 Barrels of Pitch and as much Tar, others greater quantities provided they were paid for it in Charles Town in Lyon Dollars passing here at 54. pr. piece, Tar at 8. pr. Barrel, and very good Pitch at 12s. pr. Barrel, & much cheaper if it once
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became a Trade. The season for making those Commodities in this Province being 6 mos. longer than in Virginia and more Northern Plantations ; a planter can make more tar in any one year here with 50 slaves than they can do with double the number in those places, their slaves here living at very easy rates and with few clothes.
The inclosed I received from M. Girard, a French Protestant living in Carolina. I find them very industrious & good hus- bands, but are discouraged because some of them having been many years Inhabitants in this Province, are denied the benefit of being Owners & Masters of Vessels, which other the Subjects of His Majesty's Plantations enjoy, besides many of them are made Denizons. If this Place were duly encouraged, it would be the most useful to the Crown of all the Plantations upon the continent of America. I herewith enclose to Your Lordships a Draft of the Town and Castle of St. Augustine, with a short description of it by a Gentleman who has been often there. It's done exactly true, more for service than for show. The Spaniards now, the French, if ever they get it, will prove dangerous neighbours to this Province, a thing not considered nor provided against by the Lords Pro- prietors. I am going from hence to Bermuda, with His Maty. Commissioners, to administer the Oath to the Govr. of that Island, with a Commission for the Judge and other Officers of the Court of Admiralty crected there, from whence I believe it necessary to hasten to the Bahamas Islands, where a Brigantine belonging to New England was carried in as a wreck. The Master & Sailors being pursued by some persons who had commission from Govr. Webb, believing they were chased by Spaniards, forsook their Vessel & went on shore among the Natives to save their lives.
All which is humbly submitted by
Your Lordship's
Most humble Servant,
ED. RANDOLPHI.
The want of a small Vessel to support the loss of the Frigate, which was appointed by the Lords Commiss's. of the Admiralty to transplant me from one Plantation to another, makes me stay a great while at one place for a passage to another, which is uncer- tain, difficult & dangerous.
I have by the extreme of cold last Winter in Maryland and Pennsylvania, & by my tedious passage in the Winter time from New York to this place, got a great numbness in my right leg & foot. I am in hopes this warm climate will restore me to my health. I have formerly wrote to your Board & the Commiss"s. of II. M. Customs, the necessity of having a Vessel to transport me from one Plantation to another.
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