The Direleton Plantation Memorandum Book was kept by James Ritchie Sparkman beginning in the 1850s; changes in handwriting indicate additional authors and additional uses into the 1900s. The book contains slave records. Records includes slave births, slave deaths, purchases of slaves, sales of slaves, family seperation, measurements for clothing, distribution of blankets, and labor tasks. The book also contains lists of first and last names of agricultural workers after the American Civil War and figures, likely wages paid. There are account records kept for purposes of the Internal Revenue Services, Confederate taxes and bonds, personal and agricultural work purchases, and financial transactions with B.M. Grier, Eliza S. Heriot, Dr. R.S. Heriot, A.G. Heriot (with signed receipts), M.E. Heriot (with signed receipts), and G.A. Thorne. There are transactions with other plantations recorded including Cornhill Plantation, Northampton Plantation, and Birdfield Plantation. There is information on livestock, wines removed from the plantation, and rice sales.
The Weston Family Ledger (1764-1769) contains accounts of credit and estates with numerous individuals and businesses. The ledger was also used by an unidentified author as a plantation journal and contains entries and accounts (1830-1847, 1851, 1855) pertaining to Weston family plantations. Many of the 19th century notes list food, clothing and fabric rations distributed to slaves on the plantations.
The Estate General J.W. Allston in Account with A.W. Campbell, 1834-1857, is an account book kept for the estate of Joseph Waties Allston. The first half of the book records payments and bonds paid on behalf of J.W. Allston's estate by executor A.W. Campbell. The second half of the book records payments and bonds paid on behalf of the estate by executor Robert F.W. Allston. Payments include those for the hiring and purchasing of enslaved persons.
1850-1859, 1870-1879, 1860-1869, 1840-1849, 1830-1839, and 1820-1829
Description:
This is the plantation register by Mathurin Guerin Gibbs (1788-1849) for Rice Hope Plantation (January 1, 1824 to December 1844) and Jericho Plantation (December 1844 to 1875). Gibbs, a lawyer before becoming a planter, used the first several pages of the manuscript dating January 1824 to May 1829 for summarizing legal cases. The plantation register primarily documents daily labor activities on the plantation including cultivation and harvesting of staple crops such as corn, cotton (Sea Island Cotton and Santee black seed cotton), rice and potatoes, livestock, and building fences. Gibbes also writes about the use and management of slave labor, the movement of enslaved people between the plantation and Charleston, and selling and purchasing of enslaved people. Slave names are included in portions of the register. Gibbs notes throughout the register the struggles he encounters as a planter including being unable to pay the mortgage of Rice Hope Plantation and the property going into foreclosure. Most of the entries at the end of the register are regarding slave births, slave deaths and distribution of blankets. Gibbs died in 1849 and the management of the plantation was carried out by his son.
The Mulberry Plantation Journal for the years 1853-1857 was kept by Thomas Milliken who reported activities on the rice plantation. Entries note agricultural tasks, quantities of rice winnowed and shipped, number of stock, weather conditions, sickness and deaths among slaves, "allowances" of food given out, and individuals assinged to the nightly watch. The names of the slaves are listed throughout the journal as: Adeline, Alysa, April/Child April, Bella, Ben, Betty, Bristol, Charly/C. Charles/Cow Charly/Young Charles/Young Charly, Carolina, Celia, Clarinda, Daphne, David, Dinah, Fanny, Flora, Francis, Hannah, Isaac, Jack/Carp Jack/Little Jack, Jacob, Jaffey, Jenny, Job, Joe, Joseph, Judy/Little Judy/Young Judy, Lame Harriet/Old Harriet, Lewy, Linda, Mary Ann, Minda, Moses, Myra, Ned/Little Ned, Paris, Patty, Pierce, Prince/Child Prince, Rolla, Rose, Sabrina, Sarah, Shammrock and Venus.
Daily record of the temperature, rainfall total, and barometric pressure, and thrice daily records of the weather conditions and hygrometer readings, including dew point and humidity,Daily record of the temperature, rainfall total, and barometric pressure, and thrice daily records of the weather conditions and hygrometer readings, including dew point and humidity
1850-1859, 1860-1869, 1840-1849, 1830-1839, and 1820-1829
Description:
The Robert F.W. Allston Receipt Book, 1823-1863, records receipts received by Robert Allston for payments made to numerous overseers, carpenters and family members. Examples of receipts found in the book include wages for overseers at Nightingale Hall Plantation, Exchange Plantation and Matanza Plantation, later known as Chicora Wood, as well as purchases of enslaved persons and travel expenses.
