WILLIAM RHETT’S HOUSE, _58 Hasell Street_: Wade Hampton, South Carolina
hero of the Reconstruction period after the War for Southern
Independence, acclaimed as the savior of his state, was born in the
house wherein lived William Rhett, captor of Stede Bonnet, notorious
pirate, and his fellows, who were hanged, in 1718. William Rhett was a
great man in the early Carolina and Wade Hampton in the later. Rhett’s
large square house was in excellent condition in 1722, says Joseph
Johnson, M.D., in his _Traditions of the Revolution_. It is in good
condition in this year, 1939. It is entered through a broad piazza on
the west side and contains four large rooms on each floor. Colonel Rhett
is remembered chiefly for his capture of the pirates, but other marks in
his record are lustrous. He commanded the little fleet that in 1706 put
down the harbor against a hostile French fleet under Le Feboure: the
Frenchman weighed his anchors and went to sea without offering a single
shot. A few days later Rhett’s flotilla, a short distance up the coast,
captured a French vessel; among his prisoners was the chief land
officer, Arbouset. Rhett was born in London, September 4, 1666, and came
to Charles Town in November of 1694; he died here in June of 1722. On
his tomb in St. Philip’s western graveyard, it is chiseled that “he was
a person that on all occasions promoted the public good of this colony
and several times generously and successfully ventured in defense of the
same.... A kind husband, a tender father, a faithful friend, a
charitable neighbour.”
QUAKER GRAVEYARD, _138 King Street_: Graves among the oldest in Carolina
are in the yard of the old Quaker Meeting House property. The first
Quaker house of worship was built on this site in 1694. John Archdale,
Quaker, Proprietor and Governor, came to Charles Town in 1695, and
attended services with his fellow Friends. The property is a parcel of
the old Archdale Square, nowadays bounded by King, Queen, Meeting and
Broad Streets. It was just outside the town in those early years. This
building was blown up in July, 1837, to stop a fire. The rebuilt Meeting
House was destroyed in the conflagration of 1861. Quakers came to
Charles Town while it was across the Ashley River. A letter from
Shaftesbury, dated June 9, 1675, said: “There come now in my dogger
Jacob Waite and two or three other familys of those who are called
Quakers. These are but the Harbingers of a greater number that intend to
follow. ’Tis theire purpose to take up a whole colony for themselves and
theire Friends here, they promised me to build a Town of 30 Houses. I
have writ to the Gov’r and Council about them and directed them to set
them out 12,000 acres.” The Society of Friends owns this property, but
there is now no meeting house in Charleston. The name of Governor
Archdale is preserved in the street of that name, on which are the
Unitarian and St. John’s Lutheran Churches.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account