Slaves of Archibald John Calder 1804, South Carolina

Date: [unknown] to 1804
Location: Edisto Island, Charleston, South Carolina
Surnames/tags: Calder Slavery

Contents 1 Background 1.1 Plantations 1.2 Slaves 2 Sources

Background

Archibald John Calder lived on Edisto Island in South Carolina. He died 20 April 1804.^[1]

Archibald John Calder of Edisto Island wrote his Will on 9 April 1804. He left his cousin Charles Palmer Jr six slaves and his land on the mainland. His cousins Ann Seabrook, Elizabeth Baynard, Ephraim Mikell Jr., and Maryann Seabrook were left the remainder of his slaves and all his land on Edisto Island. His executors were his cousins Ephraim Mikell Jr., William Seabrook, and Gabriel Seabrook.^[2]

Although Calder's Will was initially proved on 11 May 1804, his uncle Charles Palmer brought a suit in the Court of Chancery in May 1805,^[3] challenging the Will on the grounds that Calder was of unsound mind due to "the use of ardent liquors" and that he had previously stated that he would not leave anything to his Mikell relations. The suit states that he left no parents, siblings, wife, or child, and that his closest relations were Charles Palmer (brother of his mother), John and William Palmer (grandsons of John Palmer, deceased, a brother of his mother), and the children of his aunt (sister of his father), the late Mrs. Mikell, wife of Ephraim Mikell, who were Ephriam Mikell Jr., Ann Seabrook (wife of Gabriel Seabrook), Elizabeth Mackie (now wife of Mungo Mackie, late wife of William Baynard), and Mary Ann Seabrook (wife of William Seabrook). He also left Mrs. Sarah Baynard (wife of Thomas Baynard), half-sister of his father. The court ruled that the original probate should be revoked and the Will sent back for a new probate.^[1]

Plantations

• Racoon Island Plantation, Charleston County, South Carolina^[4]

Slaves

Archibald John Calder's probate inventory named and valued the enslaved after his death.^[5]

• George, Bella, and five children, $1500
• Cloe and two children $1200, Pompey, Cate, and two children $1300
• Judy and two children $750
• Peg(1), Sary(1) and child, $900, Prince(1), Sary(2), Beck and three children $2000, Bob and Bess $1000

• Andrew and Miley $700, Sam(1) and Eve $750
• Jack and Charlotte $600, Sandy $400, August $400
• Sambo(2) $250, Boatswain $400, Frank $350
• Charles $370, Joshua and Tenah $1000, Smart $370
• Phabe $200, Peggy(2) $400, Dick(1) $350,
• Simon(1) $350, Simon(2), Rinah(1) and five children $1800
• Dick(2) $300, Rinah(2) $350, Little Prince(2) and Mcrrum $600
• Nan and child $600, Harry $200, Peter $500
• Silvia $350

Sources

1. ↑ ^{1.0 1.1} DeSaussure, William Henry, ed. Reports of Cases Argued and Determined in the Court of Chancery in the State of South Carolina…, Vol. II (1817), pp. 342-361 https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=nyp.33433009475306&view=1up&seq=9
2. ↑ Will of Archibald John Calder "South Carolina Probate Records, Bound Volumes, 1671-1977," images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:939L-VQQ3-FP?cc=1919417&wc=M6N4-NWL%3A210905601%2C211860601 : 21 May 2014), Charleston > Wills, 1800-1807, Vol. 029 > image 259 of 396; citing Department of Archives and History, Columbia.
3. ↑ Charles Palmer vs E. Mikell junior, William Seabrook and others https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=nyp.33433009475306&view=1up&seq=356
4. ↑ Spencer, Charles, Edisto Island 1663 to 1860: Wild Eden to Cotton Aristocracy Charleston, SC: The History Press (2012)
5. ↑ 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 1783-1810
   Image path: South Carolina Probate Records, Files and Loose Papers, 1732-1964 > Charleston > Probate Court, Estate inventories > 1800-1810 > No File Description Available > image 985 of 1123
   FamilySearch Image: 939L-VS3M-F8 (accessed 20 May 2023)
   • 28 May 1804 Probate Inventory for Archibald J. Calder, p.264-265