Arthur Middleton (1681 - 1737)

Born 29 Oct 1681 in Province of Carolina

Ancestors

Husband of Sarah (Amory) Middleton — married 29 Oct 1706 in South Carolina

Husband of Sarah (Wilkinson) Middleton — married 3 Aug 1723 in Province of South Carolina

Descendants

Died 17 Sep 1737 at age 55 in Goose Creek, Berkeley, Province of South Carolina

Biography

Arthur Middleton was a South Carolina colonist.

Arthur Middleton (October 29, 1681 – September 17, 1737) was a South Carolina planter and Acting Governor of South Carolina^[1] from May 7, 1725 to December, 1730.^[2]

In 1678, Middleton's father Edward, and his uncle, Arthur, moved from Barbados to South Carolina,^[3] and settled on 1,780 acres of land 14 miles north of Charles Town. His father, Edward had purchased his uncle's share of the land grant, plus another 3,130 acres, then settled with his wife, Sara, naming their property The Oaks Plantation at Goose Creek.^[4]

Public Life

A well-established member of the Carolina gentry, Arthur was also a respected member. In 1710, he traveled to London to discuss the political problems in the Carolinas.^[5] As noted above, Arthur Middleton was also acting Governor of the South Carolina Province.^[6]

Marriage

Arthur Middleton married in 1707 Sarah Amory, who was the mother of his children William, Henry, Thomas, and Hester. She died in 1722.^[7]

On 3 August 1723 he married Sarah Wilkinson, widow of Joseph Morton. They had no children.^[7]

Plantation

Middleton’s father, Edward, died in 1685, leaving to his wife, Sara, and their young son, Arthur, the Oaks Plantation.^[3] They learned to cultivate rice in fresh water swamps, with slave labor. By 1720, the estate consisted of over 5,000 acres and Middleton owned over 100 slaves.^[5] Arthur Middleton had at least 2 other plantations, the Wassamsan (sp?), and the Whampee, as shown in his probate paperwork.^[8]

Property

Arthur received a grant in Berkley Co, SC for 356 acres 28 Mar 1732.^[9] In 1735/36 he received another 890 acres in Berkley Co, SC. ^[10] These may be the two properties he mentions in his will, Wassamsan and Whampee.

Death

Arthur Middleton died on September 17, 1737 at the age of 56, and at that time he owned a large number of slaves. Though he had eight children, only three survived. His widow, Sarah Middleton died on September 24, 1765.

Arthur wrote his will 7 Jun 1734, and it was proven in court 7 Dec 1737.^[11]

Arthur Middleton is buried in Saint James Goose Creek Cemetery, Berkeley Co, SC^[12]

Slaves

Arthur Middleton's estate inventory names 115 enslaved persons.^[8]

• Wassamsan (sp?) Plantation shows 30 enslaved persons
• Whampee Plantation shows 25 enslaved persons
• unnamed (Oaks Plantation) shows 60 enslaved persons

Sources

1. ↑ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_colonial_governors_of_South_Carolina
   • No.22 Arthur Middleton
2. ↑ Encyclopedia of American Biography New Series, Volume 9, 1934 https://www.google.com/books/edition/Encyclopedia_of_American_Biography/qYEbAQAAMAAJ?hl=en&gbpv=1&bsq=Arthur%20Middleton
   • p.253
3. ↑ ^{3.0 3.1} Plantations of the Carolina Low Country By Samuel Gaillard Stoney, 1989, https://www.google.com/books/edition/Plantations_of_the_Carolina_Low_Country/MTuJ9pTlslsC?hl=en&gbpv=1&bsq=Arthur%20Middleton
   • p.56, see map on p.8
4. ↑ This should not be confused with the Middleton Place, or the Oaks plantation in Beaufort Co, SC.
5. ↑ ^{5.0 5.1} Africans in America - Arthur Middleton https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/aia/part1/1p282.html
6. ↑ Arthur Middleton - Royal Governor of South Carolina Province 1724 to 1729 http://www.carolana.com/Carolina/Governors/amiddleton.html
7. ↑ ^{7.0 7.1} “Middleton of South Carolina.” The South Carolina Historical and Genealogical Magazine 1, no. 3 (1900): 230-32. http://www.jstor.org/stable/27574919
8. ↑ ^{8.0 8.1} South Carolina Probate Re...d Loose Papers, 1732-1964: "South Carolina Probate Re...d Loose Papers, 1732-1964"
   Catalog: Charleston District, South Carolina estate inventories, 1732-1844 1732-1736 1732-1743 1736-1738
   Image path: South Carolina Probate Records, Files and Loose Papers, 1732-1964 > Charleston > Probate Court, Estate inventories > 1736-1739 > No File Description Available > image 548 of 586
   FamilySearch Image: 939L-J69H-5N (accessed 26 May 2022)
   • 1738 the enslaved of Arthur Middleton, estate Bk 1736-1738 p.277-286
9. ↑ South Carolina land plats, 1731-1861; indexes, 1688-1872: "South Carolina land plats, 1731-1861; indexes, 1688-1872"
   Catalog: South Carolina land plats, 1731-1861; indexes, 1688-1872 [1] Index to land plats, A-Z 1688-1787
   Film number: 007763719 > image 394 of 640
   FamilySearch Image: 3Q9M-CSMQ-V3KR-8 (accessed 26 May 2022)
   • Land Plat Index Bk p.205
10. ↑ South Carolina land plats, 1731-1861; indexes, 1688-1872: "South Carolina land plats, 1731-1861; indexes, 1688-1872"
    Catalog: South Carolina land plats, 1731-1861; indexes, 1688-1872 Land plats, [1] v. 3, ca. 1732-37
    Film number: 008616170 > image 192 of 274
    FamilySearch Image: 3Q9M-C34D-WSNZ-R (accessed 26 May 2022)
    • 1735 plat book Vol 3 p.368
11. ↑ Wills and miscellaneous probate records, 1671-1868: "South Carolina Probate Re... Bound Volumes, 1671-1977"
    Catalog: Wills and miscellaneous probate records, 1671-1868 Wills v. 3-4 1731-1740
    Image path: South Carolina Probate Records, Bound Volumes, 1671-1977 > Charleston > Wills, 1731-1740, Vol. 004 > image 318 of 347; Citing Department of Archives and History, Columbia.
    FamilySearch Image: 939L-J69P-QF (accessed 26 May 2022)
    • 1737 will of Arthur Middleton, Charleston Co, SC, Will Bk 4 p.306
12. ↑ Find a Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/186145313/arthur-middleton : accessed 26 May 2022), memorial page for Arthur Middleton (29 Oct 1681–7 Sep 1737), Find a Grave Memorial ID 186145313, citing Saint James Goose Creek Cemetery, Goose Creek, Berkeley County, South Carolina, USA ; Maintained by Saratoga (contributor 46965279)

• Wikipedia.com (Shows Arthur's birth/death dates & location, as well as wife's name and her birth/death dates and location).

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