History of Williamsburg; something about the people of Williamsburg County, South Carolina, from the first settlement by Europeans about 1705 until 1923., Part 18

Author: Boddie, William Willis, 1879-1940
Publication date: 1923
Publisher: Columbia, S. C. : The State Co.
Number of Pages: 678


USA > South Carolina > Williamsburg County > History of Williamsburg; something about the people of Williamsburg County, South Carolina, from the first settlement by Europeans about 1705 until 1923. > Part 18


Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).


Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30 | Part 31 | Part 32 | Part 33 | Part 34 | Part 35 | Part 36 | Part 37 | Part 38 | Part 39 | Part 40 | Part 41 | Part 42 | Part 43 | Part 44 | Part 45 | Part 46


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liam McCallister, William Turner, and William Cock- field.


John Pressley dated his will May 14, 1821. He men- tions his wife, Mary B .; sons, William J., John B., and James F .; daughters, Martha and Eliza. Witnesses, Thomas McConnell, William S. Brockinton, and Thomas Hiddleston. Appraisers, Thomas McConnell, William S. Brockinton, and John Gotea.


Jannet Patterson dated her will September 18, 1818. She mentions her daughters, Jean Murphy and Jannet Wizner; son-in-law, Robert Greene; grandsons, Robert P. Greene, Robert P. Wizner, and Robert James Patterson ; and granddaughters, Margaret Patterson, Jane Hamil- ton Patterson, and Mary M. Flagler. Executors, Andrew Patterson and Samuel Gaskin.


Samuel Haselden's will is dated August 1, 1822. He mentions his wife, Ann; sons, James and Samuel Wyatt; daughter, Violetta L. Haselden. "Two acres of land I give for the use of the church, whereon the Methodist Church now stands." Witnesses, William W. Johnson, Samuel Marsh and Thomas Haselden. Appraisers, John Murphy, John Tharp, and Asa Brown.


David McClary dated his will October 5, 1827. He mentions his wife, Mary; sons, Samuel G. and William D .; daughters, Mary Elizabeth Hiddleston, Sarah F. Wilson, Margaret S. McGill, and Louisa J. Dollard. Wit- nesses, John B. McClary, Samuel Fluitt, and James B. McGill.


Archibald Murphy's will is dated September 18, 1827. He mentions his wife, Jane; son, John; daughter, Eliza- beth, who married Fleming; daughter, Janet, who mar- ried Thorp; and Mary and Catherine.


Sarah Singleton dated her will April 17, 1829. She mentions her brother, William Purse, Sr .; son, Thomas D. Singleton ; granddaughters, Esther Gibson Singleton,


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Mary Magdalene Burgess Singleton. Witnesses, William J. Gamble, R. G. Ferrell, and William Purse.


James Ward dated his will March 10, 1829. He men- tions his daughter, Eliza, wife of Thomas Hetchinhan. Witnesses, James S. Donnelly, Robert James, Sarah Ken- nedy, and Archibald Kennedy.


John Singletary dated his will January 16, 1826. He mentions his granddaughter, Sophronia Pervis Single- tary; daughter, Martha Dickey; mother, Sarah Single- tary; wife not named. Executors, son-in-law, James Dickey, and cousin, Elam T. Mills.


Thomas Mccutchen's will is dated December 13, 1822. He mentions his wife, Nancy ; sons, Robert George, Joseph White, and Thomas; daughter, Mary Julina. Executors, wife, Nancy, Hugh Mccutchen, George Mccutchen, Jr., Thomas Williams, Jr., and George W. Cooper. Wit- nesses, Alexander McKnight, William Cooper, and George Gotea Cooper.


Robert Frierson's will is dated July 31, 1827. He mentions his wife, Hesther; grandson, Samuel Flavale Wilson; nephew, Daniel Frierson; brothers, William and Samuel; sister, Jane Smith. He bequeaths to the Bethel Congregation $100.00.


Hugh Paisley dated his will August 5, 1827. He men- tions his wife, Janet; son, William; daughters, Sarah G., Elizabeth, and Susannah.


Daniel Epps dated his will May 28, 1826. He mentions his wife, Martha; sons, Edward, Daniel, James, Peter, John, David, and Robert. He did not name his daugh- ters, but made a bequest "to each of my daughters."


Nancy McCottry dated her will March 20, 1826. She mentions her daughter, Nancy Mccutchen; son-in-law, George Mccutchen; granddaughter, Elizabeth W. Mc- Cutchen; grandson, George W. Cooper. She gives the Indiantown Congregation $20.00. Witnesses, D. D. Wil- son, William Cooper, and William E. James.


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Elizabeth Graham dated her will October 18, 1826. She mentions her son, John; and daughter, Mary Ferrell. She named Mary Frierson's children, Mary S. Frierson, Robert G., Benjamin T., and William Ferrell; and Catherine L. Blakely.


Isaac Keels, Sr., dated his will July 2, 1821. He men- tions his wife, Susannah; sons, Samuel John, Isaac, and George W .; daughter, Catherine Gamble; grandchildren, John Isaac James and Peter R. Keels. Executors, wife, Susannah; son, Samuel John; Morgan Sabb, and Wil- liam Salters. Witnesses, Morgan Sabb, Joseph Holding, and P. M. Oliver.


John Montgomery dated his will October 9, 1824. He mentions his wife, Jane; his brothers, Isaac, William, James, Samuel S., and Henry; his sisters, Rachael Ma- cauley, and her two daughters, Amarynthia Macauley and Mary Jane Plowden. Witnessed by Isaac Bagnall, John B. Bagnall, Henry James, and Samuel Montgomery.


Robert Cade dated his will March 2, 1823. He men- tions his wife, Violet; sons, John, Charles, Andrew, Eras- mus, and Felix Brown; daughters, Jane, Agnes, Eliza- beth, and Adeline. Witnesses, James Fulmore, Violet Cade, and Jannet C. Cade.


Robert. Lowry dated his will July 1, 1825. He mentions his nephew, Robert Lowry, in Statesville, N. C., and his brother, Joseph, in Ireland; John Lowry, studying medi- cine under Dr. Dollard; and Sarah Douglass, Elizabeth Douglass, and Isaac Matthew Douglass; children of his brother, David Lowry; and of his brother, William Lowry ; and of his brother, Samuel, who lived in Sumter. He also mentions his sister, Elizabeth, wife of Joseph Caswell, and their two sons, John and Samuel Caswell, who lived in Ireland.


William McConnell dated his will January 23, 1829. He mentions his wife, Margaret; the following children by his first wife: sons, William Gibson and Robert


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Franklin; daughters, Mary Bradley, Ann Elizabeth, and Frances Jane. Witnesses, Charles Barrineau, Francis Gowdy, and James Gowdy.


Thomas McCrea dated his will January 23, 1832. He mentions his wife, Esther; daughters, Sarah, Mary Cooper, Catherine DuBose McDowell, Esther L. Wither- spoon, and Mary E. White. Witnesses, William S. Brockinton, William Burrows, and James Gamble. Ap- praisers, James McFaddin, George Mccutchen, and Al- exander Cunningham.


William Hiddleston dated his will March 7, 1834. He mentions his son, John Hiddleston, and his grandsons, John and William Hiddleston; his daughter, Margaret Nesmith, wife of Samuel, who first married Gibson.


James Folly dated his will June 12, 1835. He men- tions his son James Lafayette Folly; and daughter, Margaret Ann Folly. Witnesses, William Turner, Robert Spring, and James Carraway.


John McClary dated his will January 12, 1831. He mentions his sons, John J. McClary, and his children, Mary, James, John Calvin, Alexander, David Manton, and George Frierson; and his daughter, Mary F. Duke, wife of Thomas; the children of said Mary, David Mc- Clary, Sarah Thermutas, and Mary Eleanor; his son, Samuel Blackwood, and the children of the said Samuel, Margaret H., John Milton, Hannah R., Sarah Black- wood McClary ; and his son, David Sidney McClary. Wit- nesses, John J. Tisdale, Samuel Tisdale, and William Tis- dale. Appraisers, H. D. Shaw, P. G. Gourdin, and Robert Strong.


Jane Wilson dated her will May 30, 1828. She mentions her son, David D. Wilson ; her grandsons, Robert Harvey, David Edward, and John Calvin; her granddaughters, Jane Isabella, Sarah Elmira, and Mary Louisa ; her step- daughter, Mary Greene. Witnesses, John Gordon, Wil- liam Hiddleston, and James H. McElveen.


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Daniel Mckenzie dated his will August 22, 1815. He mentions his sons, William, Samuel, Peter, and John; his daughters, Nancy and Mary. Executors, Thomas Rose and William Kennedy. Witnesses, Thomas Ken- nedy, Ann Kennedy, and David Muldrow.


William J. Pressley dated his will September 17, 1830. He mentions his wife, Elizabeth; daughter, Sarah, and one other child, not named. Executors, his uncle, Wil- liam S. Brockinton, his brothers, John B. Pressley and James F. Pressley.


William Frierson, Jr., dated his will September 9, 1830. He mentions his grandson, William Frierson Rodgers; brother, Samuel Frierson, in Alabama; his nieces and nephews, Susannah Chandler, John H. Smith, Martha Kennedy, Rebecca McElveen, James Frierson, and Daniel Frierson; and his brothers, Joshua and George, in the State of Tennessee. Executors, Henry D. Shaw, William Lifrage, Jr., and Joseph Chandler. Witnesses, Henry J. Smith, Hampton Draughn, and W. C. Reardon.


Jane Murphy dated her will January 3, 1831. She mentions her son, John Murphy ; daughters, Jannet, Mary, and Elizabeth. Her grandsons, Andrew James, John, James Calvin Murphy. Her granddaughters, Sarah Jane and Mary Catherine Murphy; and her grandchildren, Hesther Jane and Henry Singletary.


George McConnell dated his will April 13, 1832. He mentions his sons, William Scott, and Thomas James; his daughters, Catherine Ann, Mary Rachael, Sarah Elizabeth, and Margaret Eleanor.


Sarah Graham dated her will June 13, 1834. She mentions her husband, John Graham; son, John Graham; her nieces, Sarah McConnell, Mary McCutchen, Elizabeth Gotea, and Jannet P. Duke.


William S. Brockinton dated his will September 7, 1832. He mentions his wife, Louisa; his children, John Fowler, William Robinson, James Screven, Burrows


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Pressley, Caroline Matilda, and Martha Ann; brother, John.


Thomas D. Singleton, Sr., dated his will May 11, 1826. He mentions his wife, Mary Magdalene; sons, Thomas Day and Henry B .; daughters, Esther, Mary, and Susan- nah Elizabeth Gourdin, wife of Peter G. Gourdin. He requested to be buried in the family burying ground on Santee, along side the remains of his father-in-law, Henry Blanchard.


John Watson dated his will June 10, 1821. He men- tions his wife, Mary F .; son, John; and daughter, Sarah Ann.


John Belin's will is dated June 18, 1821. He mentions his brothers, James F. and Cleland Belin ; his sister, Mary Gamble; his niece, Esther J. McDonald. Witnesses to this will, William S. Brockinton, Mary B. Pressley, and Martha Brockinton.


James McConnell dated his will January 25, 1816. In the beginning of this will, he speaks of his wife, Mary. Later in the will, it is written "my wife, Sarah." He mentions his sons, George and Thomas; and his daugh- ters, Jannet Dick, Mary McCottry, and Elizabeth Gotea.


Robert Strong dated his will May 13, 1821. He men- tions his wife (second) Sarah; his sons, Robert, William, and James; and his daughter, Amea Byrd, children by his second wife.


Martin Staggers dated his will October 10, 1822. He mentions his three brothers, William, John, and George. Witnesses, William Salters, Thomas D. Singleton, Jr., and William Dollard.


Martha Brockinton's will is dated April 3, 1822. She mentions her sons, John and William S .; daughter, Mary B. Pressley ; grandson, William Burrows.


William Graham's will is dated June 14, 1821. He mentions his wife, Susannah; daughter, Mary Turner, wife of William Frierson; Jannet M., Susannah, and


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Sarah; his sons, Aaron Frierson, Samuel E., William J., John F., Daniel B., Charles N., and Alexander J. W.


John Montgomery dated his will July 7, 1821. He does not name his wife nor his three daughters but his two sons, John Milton and William Rue.


James McDaniel dated his will September 19, 1810. He mentions his wife, Catherine; his daughters, Honour Bow, Catherine, Mary, Elizabeth, and Isabella, wife of Thomas B. Abrams; sons, James, Enos, Randol; son-in-law, Tho- mas B. Abrams; grandson, William James Cooper. Ex- ecutors, wife, Catherine; and son, Enos. Witnesses, Hugh Mccutchen, Samuel James, and Robert W. James.


Rachael McConnell dated her will April 1, 1824. She mentions her nieces, Eleanor Douglass, Sarah McCon- nell, Jane M. Miller, Catherine Gordon, Rachael Connor; and John H. McConnell, her nephew. Executors, ne- phews, George McConnell, son of James, and John Miller. Witnesses, Henry Miller and John G. Hewitt. Apprais- ers, Stephen Miller, William Morris, and Thomas Steele.


Elizabeth Wilson's will is dated January 19, 1822. She mentions her sons, John Wilson, David Wilson, Samuel J. Wilson, and Robert Wilson, in Louisiana; daughter, Elizabeth James, and her husband, John James; grand- children, Elizabeth M. Wilson, Martha Wilson, Robert D. Wilson, children of John, by his former wife, Jane. Executors, David and Samuel J. Wilson. Witnesses, Samuel McGill and Samuel James.


John James dated his will June 16, 1824. He mentions his wife, Elizabeth, (books formerly of her father, Robert Wilson.) ; sons, William E., Robert W., John T .; daugh- ters, Mary E., who married Greene; E. Lavinia, and Sarah Ann James; grandson, John L. Wilson, son of William ; and granddaughter, Mary L. Wilson. He gives to his sister, among other things, a tract of nine hundred acres granted to Henry Perineau, dated April 28, 1732, at Indiantown. Executors, wife and three sons, Robert


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W., John T., and William E. James, and brothers-in-law, David and S. J. Wilson. Witnesses, Samuel James, Mary Ann McGill, and Elizabeth A. McGill. Appraisers, Ben- jamin Britton, George Barr, Samuel McGill, Thomas McDaniel, and William Cooper.


Robert Sutton's will is dated October 6, 1824. He mentions his daughters, Elizabeth, Ann, Margaret, Doro- thy, Magdalene; and son Robert Edward Glenn; his wife, Mary; and Sarah Tamplet. Executors, wife, Mary, and Dr. William J. Buford. Witnesses, John Perdreau, Peter Michau, Jr., and John Lequeux. Appraisers, Isaac Barrineau, Samuel Guilds, John Perdreau, and Francis W. Perrett.


James Gibson's will is dated June 16, 1825. He men- tions his daughters, Jannet Greene, Margaret Cameron, Martha Gibson, and Mary Fluitt; sons-in-law, George Greene, Henry Cameron, and Samuel Fluitt; and grand- son, Robert James Patterson. Executors, Samuel Fluitt and James Gamble. Witnesses, A. J. McGinnis, Benja- min Blanchard, and Charles Lesesne.


William Johnson's will is dated October 3, 1823. He mentions his wife, Celia; children and grandchildren, not named. Executor, Francis Johnson, son. Witnesses, Dotson Stone, John Frost, and David D. Dawsey. Ap- praisers, John Barr, Austin Stone, and Samuel W. Haselden.


Ann Perrett's will is not dated. She mentions her granddaughters, Ann Budden and Martha McColl; grandsons, John Lequeux, James Budden, and Solomon Budden. Executor, Peter E. Perrett, friend. Witnesses, Benjamin Whitfield, Elizabeth Frances and Sarah Bar- rineau. Appraisers, William Lifrage, Jr., Samuel Guild, and James Ward.


James Campbell's will is dated March 4, 1825. He mentions the following beneficiaries, Susannah Covert, Laura Covert, and Isaac Nelson ; nephew, William Camp-


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bell; sister, Agnes Brown, Elizabeth Todd, and Mary Campbell. Executors, William Salters, Isaac Nelson, and S. Covert. Witnesses, T. D. Singleton, Morgan Sabb, and P. M. Oliver. Appraisers, Morgan Sabb, Robert Frierson, Sr., and James G. McGill.


Lemuel Nesmith dated his will August 29, 1820. He mentions his brother, Robert Nesmith, and his children. Executor, Robert Nesmith. Witnesses, John Baker, Wil- liam North, and John Pressley.


George Mccutchen, Sr., dated his will July 1, 1826. He mentions his sons, Hugh, George, and William; daughter, Jannet Barr; and grandchildren, Robert George, Joseph White, Mary Julina, and Thomas Mc- Cutchen. Executors, Hugh and George Mccutchen and George Barr. Witnesses, John S. Dick, Jannet B. Dick, and Thomas S. Thomson. Appraisers, Alexander McCrea, James McFaddin, and Samuel Scott.


Elizabeth James dated her will July 10, 1820. She mentions her daughters, Sarah Ann James, Mary E. Greene, and Elizabeth L. James; sons, Robert W., Wil- liam E., and John T. Executors, John T. and William E. James, and son-in-law, Samuel Greene. Witnesses, J. M. Witherspoon, W. Lifrage, Jr., and Samuel James.


Joanna Ferdon's will is dated February 14, 1820. She mentions her daughter, Mary Ann Blackwell; sons, Tho- mas B. Hamlin, John P. Ferdon, and William Ferdon ; grandsons, John William Ferdon Gamble and John Fer- don Nesmith; and daughter, Maria A. Nesmith. Execu- tors, Samuel Nesmith, John P. Ferdon, and William Ferdon. Witnesses, J. Dozier, R. R. Gamble, and Leonard Dozier.


Mary Parsons dated her will November 3, 1825. She mentions as her beneficiaries: nephew, David Parsons, Jr .; and Joseph Parsons, nephew ; brothers, David Par. sons, Sr., and Solomon Parsons; niece, Mary McDonald ; children of her sister, Isabella McDonald, deceased, viz .:


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James McDonald, Enos McDonald, Randal McDonald, Isabella Abrams, and Elizabeth Eaddy; children of bro- ther, William Parsons, viz .: Elizabeth Powell, Josiah Parsons, and Ann Parsons. Executors, David Parsons, Sr., and Jr., and witnesses, John Gotea, George Gibson, and Thomas McCants.


James Blake dated his will October 11, 1826. He men- tions his wife, Mary; and his daughters, Margaret Ann Norton, Sarah Bates, and Jane Blake; and his son, John Blake. Executors, Miles Norton and William N. Dicker- son. Witnesses, Joseph Dickerson, Tobias Bates, and Margaret Norton. Appraisers, John Mims, William Craps, and Jobe Driggers.


Samuel Eaddy's will is dated January 28, 1827. He mentions his daughter, Jenny Eaddy; son, James A. Eaddy's children: Margaret D., Elizabeth M., Samuel J., and Frances Eaddy ; son, James A. Eaddy. Executor, son, J. A. Eaddy. Witnesses, Philip Stone, James H. Stone, and Jacob Singletary.


Gavin James dated his will October 2, 1816. He men- tions his nephew, William; nieces, Mary Wilson, Jannet Scott, and Mary Ann McGill, wife of Samuel; grandnieces and nephews, not named. Executors, John McGill and Alexander McCrea. Witnesses, Samuel Scott, D. D. Wilson, and William Cooper.


CHAPTER XX.


ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL LIFE, 1783-1830.


The original settlers of Williamsburg Township did all the pioneer work with their own hands. The first Afri- can slave in the Township was a negro "fellow" named Dick, imported by Roger Gordon in 1736. From that time the men of the Township began to buy a few slaves. During the Revolution, there were more negro slaves than whites in the Township. No herdsman or planter owned very many, yet every one owned a few. A great many of these slaves escaped or were taken away by the British during the War, yet a large majority remained loyal to their masters and refused to leave their planta- tions.


Many of the French Huguenots on the Santee and the English and Scotch on Black Mingo had a considerable number of negro slaves. These Africans, at this time, were useful only for the cultivation of the soil; and until the production of cotton and tobacco assumed consider- able proportions, emancipation was seriously considered and contemplated. There was an unwritten as well as a written law in the State that slaves should not be taught mechanic trades. This was later annulled by com- mon consent.


In 1790, Theodore Gourdin was the largest slave owner in Williamsburg. He had one hundred fifty slaves of his own, and thirteen belonging to the estate of John James. Stephen Ford owned ninety-eight; Moses Mur- phy, eighty-seven; John Baxter, eighty-three; Anthony White, seventy-three; William Goddard, seventy; Ben- jamin Porter, sixty-seven; Allen McKnight, fifty-eight; Susannah McCrea, fifty-two; Hugh Montgomery, fifty-two. None of these, except Mrs. McCrea and Mr. Montgomery, lived within the Township; and their plantations were


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in the extreme northeastern corner near the rice plant- ing district in Williamsburg.


In 1790, there were eighty men in Williamsburg who owned more than twenty slaves. These men rapidly in- creased the number of their slaves; and most of them, within the next thirty years, became wealthy planters.


James Snow did not own any slaves, but he had seventy- seven free persons on his plantation. The term "free persons" then included those bound for a term of years to service. Mr. Snow was a man of considerable wealth. He sold his slaves and experimented with indentured labor. In so doing, he lost much of his property and was not regarded with favor by the community.


Theodore Gourdin was probably the wealthiest man in Williamsburg prior to 1830. It is said that at one time he could walk from Lower Saint Mark's Church on the Clarendon-Williamsburg line to the town clock in George- town, a distance of about seventy-five miles, without stepping off his own land. Mr. Gourdin was a useful, public spirited citizen. He served the district and the State in many capacities. He was a man of culture and owned a large library.


Colonel John Baxter was one of the heroes of the War of the Revolution. He was a man of liberal learning and a successful planter. He owned land all over Williams- burg and Georgetown Districts.


Colonel Anthony White lived in the Indiantown sec- tion. He was an enthusiastic churchman as well as a successful planter. He was Colonel of the Williamsburg- Georgetown regiment of militia and sheriff of the dis- trict in 1798.


William Goddard lived in the northeastern section of the County. His name died out in this County nearly a century ago, but he left a large number of descendants among the Britton, Nesmith, and other clans in the County.


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Allen McKnight lived near Indiantown. His clan name still lives in Williamsburg and he has a number of de. scendants of other names who are now prominent.


Susannah McCrea was the widow of Alexander Mc- Crea. Her husband's estate had been divided at this time and her several sons and daughters had already received their share of the slaves. Her son, Thomas McCrea, Jr., soldier in the Revolution under Marion, became one of the largest landowners and planters in the district. When one begins to abstract titles to land in Williams- burg County, he will probably think that Thomas Mc- Crea, Jr., must have inherited an enormous quantity of land and purchased all that was offered for sale in his day.


Stephen Ford lived near the Georgetown line and finally moved to the town. A large number of his de- scendants live now in Georgetown.


Moses Murphy lived in the Indiantown section. He has hundreds of descendants now living in Williams- burg County.


Benjamin Porter lived on Black River, south of the Black Mingo. Hugh Montgomery's plantation was a part of that now owned by the heirs of W. J. B. Cooper.


In 1800, the Williamsburg District was almost entirely an agricultural and a cattle raising section. The people had just begun to cultivate cotton and tobacco in con- siderable quantities. But few slaves had been required for the production of indigo and for the herding of cattle. They were necessary to cultivate cotton and tobacco. From the beginning of the production of these two commodities on a large scale, the value of slaves in Williamsburg increased rapidly and the planters began to import as many as they could purchase.


There were several tobacco warehouses in the State where this product was inspected. Williamsburg sold most of its tobacco in Charleston and in Georgetown. The


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planter in Williamsburg packed about twelve hundred pounds in a strong hogshead, through which hogshead he ran an axle, placing two wheels and a pair of shafts. Between these shafts he hitched a mule, and this hogs- head was rolled to Charleston over Murray's Ferry or to Georgetown over Brown's Ferry. This tobacco was a heavy variety, somewhat resembling burley, produced at the present time in Kentucky. It was cured in the sun. It averaged about seven cents per pound. Sometimes, however, the price was much greater. In 1823, it sold for forty cents per pound.


Nearly all of the planters in Williamsburg purchased their supplies from Georgetown during this period. Some of them, however, did their business in Charleston. It was their custom to send their cotton and tobacco to factors in these two cities and draw drafts on these factors for whatever money they needed, and to give orders to merchants for what they desired. Settlements were made with these factors and merchants once a year. If the planter did not feel disposed to make a settlement once a year, his factor and his merchants allowed him to carry over his account until the following year. At this time, nobody in Williamsburg even considered paying accounts oftener than annually, and this custom was almost binding for a century. It resulted in serious con- sequences to the commercial interest of Williamsburg and its hang-over influence, even unto this day, is a disturb- ing factor.


In Kingstree, there were few establishments called stores. Patrick Cormick, William Bracey, Samuel Fluitt, and Thomas Rodgers owned these places. These mer- chants carried lines of hunter's supplies, which consisted largely of rifles, powder, shot, and knives. All of them had large stocks of whiskey. In fact, this whiskey was their principal excuse for being. Kingstree was hardly a village at that time. Nearly every plantation in the


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district had about its mansion house more buildings than in 1810 could be found within the territory now making up the corporate limits of Kingstree. In 1810, Kings- tree was made a postoffice. Very few pieces of mail came through the office for many years. One of the first of these was a letter from William Gordon Flagler, who was attending school in Concord, N. C., to his parents, Captain William and Mrs. Margaret Gregg Flagler. This letter is now in the possession of the grandson of this student, Alonzo W. Flagler, a venerable citizen of Wil- liamsburg.




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