An old raised memorial stone, in a family plot, found in the ruins of an old church yard. The church was an Anglican parish outside Charleston, South Carolina.
There seems to have been a line of John Colleton’s. I believe the Bart here is for the title Baronet. He was given that title, and large land grants in the Bahamas and Carolinas for his service to Charles II in 1661 as reward for his loyalty in the English civil war. . He was one of 7 Lord Proprietors of the area named Carolinas. This is where the South Carolina large plantations started. Land was granted to wealthy families by the Lord Proprietors for plantations, enslaved people were moved to work here from the Bahamas, and the early wealth of planters began. They grew rice, lots of rice which all of England and Europe consumed.
Some of the initial US plantations were along the Cooper and Ashley rivers just upstream from Charles Town (Charleston), South Carolina.
Growing up in the north history was abstract to us. Something taught, read about, but difficult to see. In the Charleston area I go out, find places, talk to others, and can actually touch and photograph the past. Not long ago Ellen and I went by boat through the Santee Delta and had our lunch on the steps of an old rural plantation porch. We shared the porch that also had the Marquis de Lafayette, Francis Marion, and George Washington sitting there.
Found on a walk… very cool
The history there of the plantations and bygone era and people is quite fascinating…I am assuming most plantations are museums and tourist sites.
Some are some are still private residences…or ruins. The big three along the Ashley River are open to tourists. Huge places and money keeps them going 😁, like the old castles in the UK. Magnolia Plantation has the most property though much of it is wild and only a few tourists see it.
Historical buildings, places, and even tombstones like this one are always fascinating. But when they come from a period as historically significant as the one in the area where you’re staying, it must be truly remarkable.
I find it amazing that I can leave home and just go out locally and see/touch/photograph history like this. Certainly not as old as the EU,UK but old for us.