Upper Ashley and Mutations of Families

Date: 1681 to 1876
Location: Charleston, Charleston, South Carolina
Surnames/tags: Axtell Blake

The following is excerpted from Henry A.M. Smith, "The Upper Ashley; and the Mutations of Families," in The South Carolina Historical and Genealogical Magazine, South Carolina Historical Society., Volume 20, No.3, July 1919 - South Carolina (Google eBook; accessed 22 May 2015), page 159-165: Newington

Newington

“West of the Dorchester grants lay the Axtell property. Daniel Axtell was a merchant in London. There was a Daniel Axtell a competent officer in Cromwell’s army who was in command of the guard at the trial of King Charles I, and who, after the Restoration, was tried in 1660 as one of the regicides and executed. The life of him given in the Dictionary of National Biography does not state whether he left any descendants, and there is nothing on the record here, save the identity of name, on which to base a conjecture of relationship between the London merchant and the officer who was executed. [Wrong; subsequent documentation has been found and was published in 2004.] Daniel Axtell the merchant together with Joseph Morton seems to have taken a great deal of interest in forwarding the settlement in Carolina. In a letter from the Proprietors to the council in Carolina dated 18 October, 1690, they refer to “Landgraves Morton and Axtell who brought five hundred people to Carolina in a month.” [citing Col. St. Papers Am. and West Ind., vol. 1689-1692, p 331.] Exactly when he first came to Carolina the writer has not found on the record, but on 13 December, 1680, a warrant was issued to lay out 3000 acres to “Mr. Daniel Axtell, of London Marcht one of ye settlers of this province.” [citing Printed Warrants, 1680-1692, p. 23] In August 1681 he was created (at the same time with Joseph Morton) a Landgrave. His patent, which is in Latin, on record bears the date of 10 August 1681. [citing Off. Hist. Comm., Bk. “Grants 1692-1739,” Appendix, p. 48] His appointment was on motion of John Archdale then acting as one of the Proprietors. [citing Ibid., London MS., vol. 1, p. 12] He does not seem to have lived long after arriving in the Province. On 23 February, 1683/4, a warrant was issued for land to his only surviving son Holland Axtell as “Holland Axtell Esqr Landgrave,” [citing Printed Warrants, 1680-1692, p. 144] so his father must have been then dead. Before his death Landgrave Daniel Axtell seems to have had run out to him a tract of land on the Edisto River as the place of his intended settlement for in a warrant dated 9 February, 1690 to lay out to Seth Sothell a seigniory of 12,000 acres, it is directed to be laid out in Colleton County ‘beginning att a creek above Londonople and about a mile Distant from ye said Towne & from thence running up all along by the riverside to & above the tract of land Landgrave Axtell marked to be laid out for himself upon parts of which he sett up a frame of a house.’

“No grant appears to Landgrave Axtell for this tract; it may have been covered by some later grants made to his widow on Edisto River, or as seems indicated by the language of Sothell’s warrant, it was abandoned. The probability is that Landgrave Axtell fixed his settlement (if he fixed any before his death) at the spot afterwards occupied by his widow and early known by the name of ‘Newington.’

Landgrave Daniel Axtell left a will dated 3 August, 1678, in the probate of which in England he is described as late of Stoke Newington, Middlesex but at Carolina deceased.[citing This Magazine [The South Carolina Historical and Genealogical Magazine], vol. IV, p. 235] He left in Carolina his widow Rebecca Axtell frequently referred to on the records and deeds of the time as ‘Lady,’ ‘Dame,’ and ‘Madame’ Rebecca Axtell, or simply Lady Axtell. In his will he mentions two sons, Daniel, and Holland, and five daughters, Sibella, Mary, Rebecca, Elizabeth, and Anne.[citing Ibid., and vol VI, p. 175] Not all of these came to Carolina. Daniel his eldest son died at sea before 3 May 1681.[citing Off. Hist. Comm., Bk. 1672-1692, p 82-83] In December 1686, a warrant was issued to lay out to Dame Rebecca Axtell 2900 acres for the arrival of Landgrave Daniel Axtell, said Lady Axtell, John Hulton, Mary Hulton, Rebecca, Holland, Elizabeth, and Ann Axtell, William and Daniel Hulton.[citing Printed Warrants, 1680-1692, p. 196] Sibella does not seem to have come, nor Mary at that time,(unless Mary Hulton was Mary Axtell and Daniel Hulton her son named after his grandfather). Holland Axtell died in 1691. In his will he mentions his mother, his brothers in law John Alexander and Francis Turgis, and his sisters Ann Alexander and Mary Cuthbert.[citing SCHGM, vol VI, p 176, and vol. VIII, p. 169] If Mary Hulton was Mary Axtell then she must in the interim have married Cuthbert. Ralph Izard who arrived in Carolina 3 October, 1682,[citing Off. Hist. Comm., Bk. 1682-1692, p 304] (about the same time as the Axtells and was possibly one of the settlers procured by Morton and Axtell) had some connection with one Robert Cuthbert or Cutbert,[citing Ibid., Bk. 1696-1703, p. 124] the only one of the name in the Province at that time known to the writer who may have married Mary. Rebecca Axtell (the daughter) seems to have married John Moore, who in 1683 had been appointed Secretary and on Septr 1683 Receiver General of the Province, and to have removed with her husband to Philadelphia.[citing Prob. Ct. Charleston, Bk. 1747-1752, p. 459] Elizabeth married first Francis Turgis, and after his death Governor Joseph Blake. Anne married first John Alexander, and second Joseph Boone. In addition to the warrant for 2900 acres already mentioned the record shows the following warrants to Lady Axtell:

16 December 1696 for 1000 acres

7 October 1704 – 1000 acres

4 September 1707 – 500 acres

2 April 1711 – 640 acres

7 May 1711 – 640 acres [twice same day]

“The grants under these warrants do not all appear on the record, and there were later grants to her for warrants which do not appear on the record. It is probably that the settlement at Newington was under the original warrant to Landgrave Axtell for 3000 acres or to her for 2900 acres. It was evidently there she made her residence and home and it was generally known as Newington as early as 1696,[citing SCHGM, vol VI, pp 66, 67] and no doubt was so called after Stoke Newington where Landgrave Axtell had formerly resided. In April 1711 Lady Axtell donated Newington to her daughter Lady Blake, the certificate of William Bull the surveyor declaring that he had laid out 1000 acres ‘part of 2500 acres formerly run out to Lady Rebekah Axtel… which sd 1000 acres is distinctly known by the name of Newington or the Hill C. and which by request of Lady Rebekah Axtel is laid out unto Lady Elizabeth Blake the 15 April, 1711.’[citing M.C.O. Charleston, Bk. E, p. 357] At the same time she laid out an adjoining 100 acres known as Hill B. for her daughter Mrs. Boone. Lady Axtell seems to have died soon after 1720 leaving according to the recitals in several deeds a will dated 5 April, 1720.[citing Memo.Bk.3, p. 47]

No copy of this will appears on the record here. In the New England Historical and Genealogical Register for April 1899 in an article on the Axtell family in America it is stated that there was ‘a clause in Lady Axtell’s will leaving property to her ‘kinsman Daniel Axtell in New England.’ There may thus be a copy of her will extant in New England. If so, and the clause is correctly quoted, then it is good evidence that there was some relationship between Landgrave Daniel Axtell, and the Daniel Axtell who came from new England with the Dorchester settlers, lived not far from Lady Axtell, and afterwards returned to Massachusetts. [citing SCHGM, vol. VI, p. 77] In her will Lady Axtell confirmed her donations and devised the two tracts to her daughters. Lady Elizabeth Blake the daughter of Lady Axtell had married for her first husband Francis Turgis of Cedar Grove. After his death she married the Honourable Landgrave Joseph Blake who was the son of Admiral Benjamin Blake, a brother of the celebrated Admiral Robert Blake. Admiral Benjamin Blake with 21 persons (including no doubt his son Joseph) arrived in the Province in 1681 and established his settlement at the ‘New Cut,’ at the junction or meeting point of the Stono and Wadmalaw Rivers, where he and his son had a fine settlement composed of two adjoining tracts of 1000 acres each called on ‘Plainsfield’ and the other ‘Pawlett.’ Joseph Blake was afterwards one of the Proprietors and a Governor of the Province. He married first (apparently in England) Deborah Morton, a daughter of the first Landgrave Joseph Morton, by whom he does not appear to have had children, and second Elizabeth, daughter of Landgrave Axtell and widow of Francis Turgis. Governor Blake died in 1700 leaving surviving him his widow, one daughter, Rebecca, and a posthumous son afterwards known as Col. Joseph Blake. His daughter Rebecca married George Smith, second son of the second Landgrave Thomas Smith. Governor Joseph Blake during his life had his residence at ‘Plainsfield,’ but after his death his widow, after the gift to her in 1711 of Newington, seems to have made that place the home of her children and herself. Lady Blake died in 1726 and by her will devised her real estate to her son Joseph Blake,[citing Prob. Ct. Charleston, Bk. 1726-1727, p. 70.] who seems to have made Newington his home and residence in lieu of Plainsfield. It was probably by Col: Joseph Blake, who was one of the wealthiest men in the Province that was constructed the fine, large, capital brick mansion oat Newington which, according to Mrs. Poyas, (who says she was often there in her childhood) contained one hundred windows on its front.[citing Days of Yore, part I, p. 13.] The outhouses and offices were also of brick, and the garden, and grounds, and ornamental waters carefully and elaborately laid out. The avenue possessed a double row of live oaks on each side, a very unique feature in live oak avenues in South Carolina. This feature has led the writer to suppose that Newington may have been the country seat alluded to by Miss Eliza Lucas in her letter to Miss Bartlett in 1742.[citing Eliza Pinckney, ed. Of 1909, p. 55.] with a ‘large double row of Oaks, on each side of the Avenue wch leads to the House, and seems designed by Nature for pious meditation and friendly converse.’ The writer has also speculated as to whether the naturalist Catesby referred to the house at Newington in his account of the rattlesnake.[citing Vol. 2, p. 41] [quote omitted] …

“To Newington as given by Lady Axtell to her daughter in 1711 was added an adjoining tract devised by Lady Axtell in her will to Lady Blake and later a tract of 550 acres granted in 1705 to Moses Martin and purchased by Col. Blake, all which with a smaller adjoining tract added by Daniel Blake carried the acreage of Newington up to some 1838 acres. Col. Joseph Blake died in 1751 and by his will devised to his eldest son Daniel Blake ‘the plantation I love on called Newington.’[citing Prob. Ct. Charleston, Bk. 1747-1752, p. 448] Daniel Blake was born about 1731 the son of Col. Joseph Blake by his wife Sarah the daughter of Daniel Lindrey. He inherited a large estate, and lived at Newington as his country sear, and residence, and died about the 29 December 1780. He left no children and by his will he devised Newington to his widow (Elizabeth, daughter of Joseph Izard) for life, and then to his brother William. Mrs. Elizabeth Blake continued to make Newington her home and died there in 1792. William Blake lived mostly in England and it does not appear that after his sister-in-law’s death he ever resided for any length of time at Newington. At his death in 1803 he devised Newington to his son Joseph Blake and grandson William Blake[citing Ibid., Bk. D., p. 514] who do not seem ever to have resided at Newington, and on 23 March, 1837 sold Newington to the late Henry A. Middleton.[citing M.C.O. Charleston, Bk.N.,No.10, p 474] A full account of the Blake Family of South Carolina has been published in a former number of this Magazine.[citing SCHGM, vol. I, p 153] According to Mrs. Poyas’ recollection the house at Newington was destroyed by fire about 1845.[citing Days of Yore, part I, p. 9] According to the statement of an old Methodist Circuit Preacher (he being then over 80 years of age), who was reared in the vicinity, made to the writer in 1889, the house was burned in 1817, but as Mrs. Poyas knew the house well in childhood her recollection is most to be relied on, and the late Henry T. Peake of Summerville himself told the writer that as a boy he had been through the house which entirely supports Mrs. Poyas’ recollection. The old walls stood, an imposing old ruin, until 1876 when they were taken down to make use of the bricks. It was found however that so firmly were they held by the old mortar that it was impossible to clean them for use. Shortly before 1761 party of deer hunters from Summerville took refuge in the old basement from a violent rainstorm, when one of the party exploring a recess found that by removing some plaster and bricks an old closet was opened in which there still remained a number of bottles of old madeira wine which thus concealed had escaped the flames. The site of the old grounds and garden was leased by Mr. Middleton in 1876 to the United States Government for an experimental tea farm and the plough passed over the area. The magnolia walk, the holly walk, the garden lines are all gone, the old terraces obliterated and the ornamental lake an empty quagmire, and only a mass of broken bricks mark the side of the old residence, but to the writer remains the memory of the delightful days before their entire destruction spent in wandering through the mazes of the old grounds and the terraces sloping to the old rice fields and around the walls of stately Newington.