USA > South Carolina > Charleston County > Charleston > The Jews of South Carolina; a survey of the records at present existing in Charleston > Part 6
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Leaving the records let us now look at the Jews of early South Carolina, in their private life. As we have seen, the Jew here has never labored under any civil or religious disability whatsoever. As early as 1703 it is on record that Jews voted at the popular election for members of the Commons House of Assembly. This tolera- tion on the part of the Established Church party in South Carolina brought forth a protest from the bigoted Dissenters of that day. who complained that "At this last election, Jews strangers, sailors ser- vants, negroes and almost every French- man in Craven and Berkeley counties came down to elect, and their votes were taken; the persons by them voted for were returned by the Sheriff."
(Rivers, "South Carolina," quoted by MeCrady in "South Carolina' Under the Proprietary Government," p. 391.)
It is a pity that we cannot get a glance at the answer to this protest. It would be interesting, indeed, but It is unfortunately not available.
The next point of interest in our inves-
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tigation is the question of how the Jews made a living in those early days. Here the Gazettes will help us.
There were exceedingly few professional men in the Province in those days-doc- tors, lawyers and clergymen. With the exception of a few handicraftsmen and planters, the entire population subsisted by trade. Competition must have been very keen. for everybody seems to have had almost the same things for sale and to have advertised them in the very same way. Let us look at the advertisements in the South Carolina Gazettes, between the years 1731 and 1750.
The earliest Jewish names that I have found in the Gazettes occur in an ad- vertisement of August 17, 1131, when Messrs Carvallo & Guttores announce that they "have to dispose of "Good Old Bar- bados Rum. Good Madera Wine. Musco- vado Sugar & Limejuice; Likewise some dry goods, &c, living in Church street, where formerly the printing office was." I am not quite certain that these were Jews.
In the Gazette of November 22, 1735, Mr Carvallo advertises for sale "a very good Rhode Island Pacing-Horse."
On September 14, 1738, Isaac De Pas in Union street offers to sell "Good White Sugar, very good Barbados Rum & very fine Citron Water," etc, etc. On February 20, 1744, he advertises his wares at his shop on Broad street, and on March 19, 1744. he announces to his patrons that "All gentlemen that have rice to dispose of may have two Parts in ready Cash and the Balance in Cordials of all sorts or any other goods that I have to sell."
On August 25, 1739, we read the follow- ing: "To Be Sold in Union St, by Moses de Mattos, White, Milk, Ship, Middling & Brown Bread & Loar Sugar. The same
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may be had of Mr Tobias on the Bay. Also good Esopius Flour." He is still in Union street, on November 1, 1742.
In the Gazette of April 3, 1742, there is an announcement of the "Half-Yearly Festival of the right worthy & amicable Order of UBIQUARIANS. Moses Solomon. Esq, is one of the Aedils.
On December 16, 1715, Solomon Isaacs ad- vertises as the administrator of an estate, and on the same date Joseph Tobias an- nounces that as he intends to leave the Province in March, he would like those in- debted to him to come and settle. In the meantime, "I have most kinds of Cordial Drams to sell by Wholesale or Retail, Checks, Oznabrugs, hard Ware, Linnens & sundry other Goods.
The last advertisement is that of Solo- mon Isaacs & Co. on October 10, 1748, They offer for sale Negro Cloth. woollen and linen goods, etc. "at the House on the Bay, in which Capt Colcock lives."
So far the Records and the Gazettes. Summing up. then. our inquiry thus far We have found a Jew in Charleston in 1605. I believe that he came from Jamaica, where Jews have lived from a very early date. We also found other Jews here be- fore 1700. I believe that they came from London. We have followed the Jew in his daily life and as a citizen. We have seen how, socially and religiously, he was at peace with his neighbors. He lived the same life and followed the same occupa- tions that they did, taking his full part in the burdens as well as in the privileges of citizenship.
There were other Jews in Charleston in the year 1750. Of these I shall tell in my next article. Till now, it is the Records in Charleston that have been speaking.
THE JEWS OF
SOUTH CAROLINA . .
A Survey of the Records at Present Existing in Charleston,
.. . BY .. ,
Dr. BARNETT A. ELZAS,
Rabbi of K. K. Beth Elohim.
II
1750-1783.
The Jews of South Carolina ...
1750-1733.
A sympathetic critic, referring to the style in which my notes are being pub- lished, remarks that "a history written in this marner would dismay the stoutest heart." Of course it would. But i am not writing history now. I am merely render- ing the data out of which alone history can be written, avallahw for the future historian. Without facts there can be no history. After I have set out at length ali that is known, it will be easy enough to put this material into proper shape. Even row I try to make the dry facts as interesting as I can. If I am uninterest- ing. it is not because I have not tried to be otherwise.
There is another reason why I am going into minute detail. The old records are going to pieces. Twenty years from now, many of the documents to which I refer will no longer be legible. Some of them are already crumbling. The ink on the pages of many of the Gazettex is fading and if I have by my work preserved per- manently only a few records of the Jews of this State, the dulness of detail will be more than compensated.
Let me further offer in extenuation this fact: By far the greater part of my ma- terial is unindexed. Even with accurate references to the Gazettes, the future worker may have to spend hours in look- ing up a single reference, for many of these papers were misplaced by the cars-
less binder. I have therefore striven to attain absolute accuracy in every one of my printed references and have confirmed each one of these references before re- printing my articles. My object in re- printing and distributing these pamphlets is merely to allow future correction and revision from material that may exist in the hands of others. When my material is in shape, I shall rhen attempt my his- tors. My present article will cover the period from 1750 till the end of the Revolu- tion. reserving for a special chapter the Jews in the Revolution.
In my last article, I showed that quite a number of Jews lived in Charleston prior to 1730. In the list of members of the St Andrew's Society of the City of Charles- ton for 1710-1748, there are the names of David Franks and Moses Solomons. We have already made the acquaintance of the latter in 1742 and 1743.
Georgia was colonized in 1,35 and we are told that a few days after its first settle- ment forty Jews arrived in Savannah, So illiberal was the policy of the Trustees of the Colony that in 1741 the bulk of the Jews left it. Some went to Pennsylvania. others to New York and four, viz: Morde- cai Sheftall. Levi Sheftall, David de Oli- vera and Jacob de Olivera came to Charles Town. We do not meet with any of them, however, in the records prior to 1:50.
We have already seen that in 1748 there had been an idea discussed in London, of making a settlement of Jews in Charles Town. The original documents which I have published show that the negotiations came to nothing. In 1700, however, several Jews name to Charles Town and we read: ("Occident Vol. 1. p. 3ST. See also Year Book for 1883, p. 301,) that in that year the following Jews lived here :
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Moges Cohen. Isaac Da Costa Abraham De Cosm. Joseph Tobias, Meshod Tobias. Moses Pimenta, David de Olivera, Morde- dal Sheftall, Levy Shaftall, Michael Laza- rus, Abraham Nupez Cardozo and Philip Hart. This same year till) saw the first beginnings of the Congregational history of K. K. Bath Elohim.
The lara Mr Nathanie: Levin, who wrote both the sketch in the Year Book and that in the "Occident." Dsel the ohl record- book of Beth Elohim as the source of his information. The volume is unfortunately no longer in existence. It recorded the ract that at the conclusion of the Jewish New Year , a meeting was called for the purpose of organizing a congrega- tion. Moses Coten was elected Chief Rab- bi. Isaac Da Costa Reader, and Joseph Tobias. President The name selected for the Congregation was the same which it still brars: "KAhal Kadosn Beth Clo- him." The Holy Congregation Beth Elo- him.) About the same time, the Hebrew Benevolent Society was established-g so- viety that still exists and carries on the work of its founders. The Congregation was strictly orthodox and its ritual that of the Spanish and Portuguese communi- ties is practiced in London and Amister- dam.
There is no-necessity for me to enter here into the details of Its internal econo- my or to refer to the various buildings in which the Congregation worshipped. These details are fully given in the articles be- fore mentioned and will be discussed. when I write my history. I will state, however, that the best account of the early communal history of the congrega- tion is that given in the report of the State vs Ancker in Richardson's South Carolina Law Reports. Vol 2, pp. 215-256. FIRST CHIEF RABBI MOSES COHEN.
The organization of the Congregation
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Beth Elohim was brought about through the zeal of Moses Cohen. . Who Moses Coben was I do not know. He came from London in 1:50 and we have seen that in that year he was elected the Grat Chief Rabbi. His full title was "Haham w Ab Beth Din, (Chief Rabbi and Chief of the Beth Din or Ecclesiastical .Court.) This was probably nothing more than a high- sounding title in imitation of the old Synagogue of the Spanish and Portuguese Jews at Bevis Marks, London, of which the Congregation Deth Elohim is a direct offshoot. Of his activity in this com- munity I likewise know nothing, If he has left any Htetary remains, I am una- ware of them. The only references to him in the contemporary .lterature that I have been able to find occur in two advertise. ments in the South Carolina Gazette. In the Supplement to the Gazette of August 15, 1753, he advertises for "a runaway Dutch servant-girl about 10 years of as- and 4 feet 6 inches high," and on October 21, 1756, his name is mentioned in a list of unrecorded plats. In my search amongst the records in Columbia. I found three grants made to him in the "Grant Book." dated 1.35 and 1759.
Moses Cohen, or as he is described on his tombstone, "The Right Reverund Moses Cohen, D. D." died on April 19, 1752. He is interred in the Coming Street Cems- tery, which at that time was not yet the property of the Congregation Beth E:o- him, but the private burial ground of the family of Isaac Da Costa. He was much esteemed by nis Congregation and in the Constitution of 1820 it is especially en- acted (Rule XX) that "On every Kippur night perpetually, the first sescaba (prayer for the dead) shall be made for the Reverend Moses Cohen, deceased, be- cause he was appointed and confirmed the Reverend Doctor of this Congregation
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from its first establishment. and as such it is conceived every mark of respect is due to his memory."
This custom has not been kept up in my time. When I came here in 1824, the list of those of whom special mention was to be made was not here and there was no one who could restore it. It was lost until I recently recovered it in New York.
The next man to whom I devote atten- tion is an exceedingly interesting charac- ter -- Isaac Da Costa. As we have seen he was the first Reader of the Congregation Beth Elohim.
ISAAC DA. COSTA.
In the "Literary Diary" of Ezra Stiles, Vol 1, p. 453, under the date August 2. 1774, there is the following interesting item:
"In the Afternoon I was visited by Mr Acosta a Jew Huzzan of the Synagogue in Charleston. So Carolina. He is aet. 52. born in London & educated under Hochem Rabbi Nieto there till aet. 29. Then ha came to America & in 1754 instituted a Synagogue at Charleston." (See Kohut: "Ezra Stiles and the Jews,' p. 134.)
This entry is particularly valuable be- cause from it, together with the data given in his death notice, we can positive- ly establish the date of his arrival in Charles Town as 1750.
Though Isaac Da Costa was trained as a Reader for the Synagogue and officially occupied that position, we find him short- ly after his arrival engaged in trade. We meet with him first as a shopkeeper, io the South Carolina Gazette of July 92, 1751. On May 28, 1:52, he is on Broad street. On November 26, 1753. he advertises as an administrator of an estate. In this year I find his name on the records of King Solomon's Lodge, No 1-the oldest regu- larly constituted Lodge in South Carolina. On October 21, 1:58, his name occurs in a
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"list of unrecorded plats." On June 30, 1757, he is still on Broad street, where he advertises "European and Indian goods." On November 17, 1758, he is in partnership with Thos Farr and the firm is now Da Costa & Farr. On April 7, 1,59, he adver- tises as treasurer of Solomon's Lodge. On January 14, 1761, the firm is still Da Costa & Farr. They are extensive ship agents, (Nov 28, and Dec 5, 1761,) On Oct 30, 1762, Isaac Da Costa advertises alone-it is no longer Da Costa & Farr In 1:64, having some misunderstanding with his Congre- gation. Isaac Da Costa resigned his posi- tion as Reader From an advertisement or. Aug 3, 1755, he seems to have met with misfortune in business. On July 14, 1768. he advertises again. On April 2, 1772, he is agent for the Spanish Transport "The Diana." He is on King St. on April 13. 1.3. On July 4, 1774, he embarked for Rhode Island and on Dec 12, he returns with Miss Da Costa and Mr Abraham Jacobs. In the Gazette of the State of South Carolina of July S, 1775, we find him in partnership with his son, and on Nov 25 of that year he is away from town- there are three letters waiting for him at the Post Office. On July 21, 1770, we read that "At the last anniversary meeting of the Palmetto Society, Isaac Da Costa was elected one of the stewards." From the Royal Gazette of Mar 14, 1781, we learn that his estates were seized and confis- cated by the British. In the "Diary of Josiah Smith, Jr-one of the exiles from Charlestown to St Augustine, during the British occupation, 1780-1781," (unpublished MISS) he is mentioned among the "heads of families banished, who would not take protection." The date of his arrival in Philadelphia is here given as Dec 31, 1:31. In 1742 we find his name, as well as that of his son enrolled among the original members of the Mikveh Israel Congrega-
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tion of Philadelphia. {Morais "Jews of Philadelphia, p. 15.) In 1783, he returns to Charleston and in February of that year he establishes the "Sublime Grand Lodge of Perfection." (Mackey's "Cryptic Ma- sonry, p. 151.) He died on Sunday, the 23rd of Nov, 1739. in the 62nd year of his age. Here is the notice of his death in the Gazette of the State of South Carolina." for Nov 27, 1783:
"On Monday died, after a few days' ill- ness, by the wound of a splinter in his hand. Mr Isaac Da Costa. Sen, a respecta- ble and valuable citizen."
Isaac Da Costa is buried in the private burial ground at Hanover street that still bears his name. He left no will, but letters of administration to his estate were granted to Mrs Sarah Da Costa, Jo- seph Da Costa and Samuel Da Costa on Mar 31, 1794.
DA COSTA-PIMENTA.
I do not know quite as much about Abraham Da Costa. He is, however, men- tioned in one of the most interesting doc- ments that have till now passed through my hands. It is a marriage agreement that reminds us of mediaeval times.
In M. C. Records, Vol MIM for 1763-7, p. 222, and bearing the date Feb 13, 1765. there are the Articles of Agreement be- tween Abraham Da Costa and Rebecca Pimenta and Leah Pimenta. her mother" * * Abraham Da Costa, "with the consent and good liking of the said Leah, cove- nants, promises and agrees to take Rebec- ca Pimenta to wife according to the rights and ceremonies of the Jews without por- tion to be demanded or required, within the space of three months from the date of these presents * ** the said partles binding themselves each to the other in the sum or penalty of £3000 current money of South Carolina."
In the Vol. "Miscellaneous" for 1:87-1771. p. 473, there is a marriage settlement of Abraham Da Costa to Rebecca Pimenta. He seems to have had a business in Georgetown, for in the South Carolina and American General Gazette of Mar 26. 1773, he "informe his town and country friends that since the late dreadful fire. he is under an obligation to open a. store at the upper end of King st. where he has to sell a great quantity of the goods late- ly sold at Georgetown, and some of the remains saved out of the above tire." In the Royal Gazette of May 22, 1.82, he an- nounces that he has opened the "Irish Coffee House" on Broad st. I find his name only once in a real estate transac- tion, in 1779. (M. C., Vol B 5, p. 90.)
Of Darid de Olivera I find no mention in the records. Jacob Olivera died in Charles Town soon after 17.0 and there is an inventory of his effects in the Probate Records. (Inventories 1751-3, pp. 409-10.) There is no reference to Abraham Nunez Cardozo, except the notice of his death in the S. ( G. for Nay 20. 1762. Here it is: VOV 1th .- This day died, Abraham Car- doxo, first cousin to Madam Sarah Da Costa, of a hurt received the 10th instant, in Rebellion-Road, to the great grief of his wife" HANNAH CARDOZO
JOSEPH TOBIAS.
I have already referred to Joseph To- blas, the first President of Beth Elohim. We found him here in 1739. There is this item concerning him in Columbia amongst the documents from the State Paper Of- fice in London: "List of persons qualified according to the Act for naturalising Pro- testants in his Majesty's Colonies in America. Joseph Tobias.a Jew Certificate. Recorded 11 December, 1741." We meet with him several times In the office of. Mesne Conveyance. He died Jan 2, 1701, aged 76.
x.
Mascad Toblas (pronounced Meshod) was the son of Joseph Tobias. He died on Feb 27. 1708, aged 37 He must therefore have been born in Charleston ..
Joseph Tobias had a son Jacob. who died in 1773. He had another son Joseph whose son. Jacob Tobias was a member of Capt Drayton's Militia Company in 17.5. HA died on Nov 16. 1775, aged 26. He could therefore hardly have seen service in the Revolution.
Moses Pimenta. we are told, was "a man learned in the law and a teacher of the Jewish youth." In the "Inventories" 1756-8. estate of Solomon Isaacs, there is a note of his. Moses Pimenta apparently learnt by experience that teaching Jewish youth is by no means an easy road to affluence.
Mordecai Sheltali and Levi Sheftall were the sons of Benjamin Sheltall, one of the original Jews who settled in Savannah. They are more closely connected with the history of that community, though they did business and for a while lived in Charleston. In the M. C. Records O 3, p. 501, Mordecai Shefta !! , of the Province of Georgia, makes a marriage settlement, dated 1761. to "Frances Hart, of Charles Town, the daughter of Moses Hart, at present in the Hague in Europe." In the Volumes M 5, p. 308, and Z 4, p. 272, dated 1779, Levi Sheftall is described as being "of Charles Town." I shall give an inter- esting notice of one of these brothers in my next article.
Of Michael Lazarus I know very little. He is in business on King st, on April 24. 1762. This is the only notice I have of him. I believe that the was the father of Marks Lazarus, whom we meet later, but I am not certain of this.
PHILIP HART.
Philip Hart, a native of Poland, was one of the officials of Beth Elohim. He was
also a merchant (S. C. G., May 00, 1781.) He was a partner in the business of Sam- uel Isaacs, too, at Georgetown, (S. C. G., Jan 17, 1761.)
I shall now proceed as far as possible chronologically. In the S. C. G. of Aug 17, 1752, we find an advertisement of Solo- mon Isaacs. We already met with him in 1745. He advertises again on April 24 and on Oct 9, 1755. He died before July 14, 1:57, for in the Gazette of that date Peter Bacot advertises for the debts due to his estate. His will, proved Jan 11. 175%, men- tions his newphew. Samson Simson. of New York, as one of his executors,
In the South Carolina Gazette of Aug 10, 1756, we have the first notice of Moses Lindo-the most conspicuous Jew in South Carolina in Provincial days. I have al- ready written of him in detail, and, there- fore. will only mention an exceedingly in- teresting reference to him in a contem- porary diary: "Journal of a voyage to Charlestown in So Carolina, by Pelatiah Webster in 1765." Here is the entry:
"Monday, 3. Dined this day with Mr Thomas Liston, a reputable mercht born here; is a man of great openess & polite- ness, of generous sentiments & very gen- teel behaviour; passed the afternoon very agreably in his sumer house with him & Mr Lindo, a noted Jew, inspector of Indi- go here."
LIEUT JOSEPH LEVY.
In the volume "Wills," 1754-8, p. 705, there is a "Commission from his Excellency to Joseph Levy to be Lieutenant of Captain Gaillard's Company in the said Regiment ut supra." (South Carolina Regiment of Foot under the command of Lieut Col Probart Howarth.) This commission is dated Sept 3, 175%.
In the S. C. G. of April 11, 1761, we read that "Lieut Levy Is arrived at Congarees with 32 recruits for Col Middleton's Regi-
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ment from North Carolina." This Lieut Levy was one of the offers in the South Carolina Regiment in the Cherokee war of 1760-1. A copy of his commission, dated Sept 23, 1760, is in the office of Mesne Con- reyance here.
We meet with this Joseph Levy in the Gazettes He advertises on November 13. 1762. His last advertisement appears in the S. C. G. of Aug 6, 1772.
In the S. C. G. of Oct 20, 1750. Isaac Levy makes a claim of titie to lands in Savan- nah which have been announced for sale and gives notice to intending purchasers that they will buy lands without a clear title. He is going to petition his Majesty. On Nov 24, he publishes papers in proof of his own title. This Isaac Levy was a na- tive of New York who lived for some years in England. The full story of this case and its sequel is told in a paper read before the American Jewish Historical Society by Dr Herbert Friedenwald. (Vol 9. pp. 57-62.)
In the Vol "Inventories," 1:58-1763, p. 233, there is a document of Israel Levy, mer- chant of Charles Town, dated Nov 29, 1759.
In the S. C. G. of Dec 16, 1760, Isaac Pinto advertises as a wholesale wine mer- chant. He advertises also on Feb 21, 1761, and on Jan 23, 1752.
On Dec 11, 1,62, we meet with Simon Hart.
On Sept 25, 1762, we meet with Imanuel Cortissoz. I believe that I found him ear- ler, but I did not recognize his name at the, time.
In the Gazette of April 24, 1702, we first meet with Joshua Hart "on the Bay" He advertises steadily till April 28, 1777. On November 18, 1m77, there is this notice:
SEIXAS-HART.
'The same day (Wednesday) Mr Abra- ham Mendez Sexlas, of the State of Geor-
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gia, was married to Miss Ritcey Hart, a young lady of the most amiable qualifica- tions, daughter of Mr Joshua Hart, of this town."
This notice is interesting as an early ex- ample of inter-marriage between Portu- ghese and German Jews. Such intermar- riages were by no nieans uncommon here in the early days. In later days they are exceedingly rare.
In the Gazette of Sapt 10, 1763, we meet with Jacob Jacobs. He leaves for Savan- nah, but is back again on April ", 1779.
On December 31, 1744, Dr Andrew Judah, a physician from London, advertises. His next advertisement states that he is from Holland. I am not certain whether he is a Jew.
In the Gazette of Ang 15. 1700, we read: "On Friday, on the ship Queen Charlotte, Capt Reeves, from London, arrived (among others) Mr Mordecai Sheftall (for Georgia) and the Rev Mr Alexander."
Who is this Rev Mr Alexander? He is possibly the Abraham Alexander who succeeded Isaac Da Costa as Reader of Beth Elohim, though Mr Levin in the "Occident" gives the date of his appoint- ment as 1764. We cannot always accept the statements in the "Occident," how- ever, The old writers were not so partic- ular about a year or two and many of their successors seem to be equally indif- ferent as to dates. He served Beth Elo- hím without remuneration till 1784. when he resigned. In the Constitution of 1820 (Rule XX) it is directed that "the sev- enth "escuba" shall be made for Mr Abra- ham Alexander, sen, deceased. who volun- teered his services to perform divine ser- vice." He, too, engaged in commercial pursuits and was highly respected in the community He was one of the founders of Scottish Rite Masonry in Charleston, He died in 1816.
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In M. C. Records, Vol M. MI., 1765-7, p. 432, there is a deed of Solomon Levi. He mentions in it Bernard De Young. On p. 579, there Is a promissory note of Henry Isaacs, dated June 18, 1805, and on p. 420 there is a deed of Isaac De Lyon, of Charles Town, dated Tune 11, 17%. The deed mentions Emanuel Abranams. whom we meet with prominently later.
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