Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Goderich Signal-Star, 1969-06-12, Page 151 1 4r v THEBLUE THUMB BY G. MacLEOD ROSS The fascination of the Carolinas is that here you may still see the warp and woof, the A. karma which went to the making of ant -heaps, of an empire, and $ of buildings which have passed across the face of three centuries. As long ago as 1669, Lord Ashley led his first contingent of. Barbadians - English, Scottish and Welsh -- to settle at Port Royal, a location they instantly rejected in favor of the fine harbor which they ' named • Charles Towne, on the Kiawah river, later named the Ashley. In 1680• Governor Ashley made the contribution which should stand as his finest • memorial, for he ruled that religious liberty should reign in his domain of what became South Carolina. ' In Europe the time was rips for Dissenters from England, Convenanters from Scotland, • Huguenots ; from France, Dutchmen, even Baptists from Maine to . get out frorfi under. Yet, in spite of the Church of England being established there in 1706, with parishes demarcated, the Huguenots e gradually modified their evangelistic beliefs and helped build most of ' the parish churches. All this while the total' population of the State was but 6000; all white, for no negroes .arrived until 1719. Rice had been found to grow pion the low- lying' coastal belt as early. as 1666, but in 1686 a ship's captain brought seed from Madagascar 'which Dr. Henry Woodward planted and seeded, so that by 1696 bumper crops resulted. Rice and respectability it grew together and for 200 years this was the money crop. Its • success originated the belief in free trade. It accounted for the taste of Madiera-wine. Where. rice would not grow, in the pine covered uplands; indigo was found to thrive, so that when the war with France cut off supplies to England _from .r Pondicherry, Martinique and IVlonserrat, the • English government paid Carolina a bounty for it. These money -making crops stimulated ingenuity. At Georgetown in 1775, Johnstone studied, the tide action which ran higher than the "salt points" in the rivers. In' 1790 Lucas, a shipwrecked millwright, devised a rte husking machine and made a fortune. A. man could double his capital in five years; a veritable El Dorado! - Promigeniture still held, but younger sons were sent to England for "education" and to fall , prey to "windy Whig liberalism," returning to the Carolinas primed for mischief.. Patronage gave Provincial, office to "placemen," who made a quick fortune and ° returned to England. Absentee landlords and exhaustion . of the soil gave poorer crops. The malarial mosquito drove the planters to the towns and uplands. Supervision by overseers still further reduced the crops. Meanwhile the Northern States' had 'raised the.- cry of „Independence, which Carolina supported, so that when an English squadron was repulsed off Sullivan's Island in, ,June 1776, the Americans were Sufficiently heartened to declare their Independence of England. In 1779 an English naval force nearly captured 'Charles Towne, but retreated . with 4,000 negroes, pillaging as they went. The following year an English force landed on John's Island,. captured Charles Towne and for two years burnt, plundered Wand pillaged the whole coastal area. Partisans arose and virtual civil war resulted while 25,000 negroes were lost to the planters. The English bounty stopped and South_ Carolina_was_no longer_a. . moneymaking province, but just one of the confederate states. Charles Towne • was respelt Charleston and lost its place as the' de facto capital to - Columbia. 0 l► A, tale of two cl orches . ST. JAMES CHURCH, GOOSE CREEK Reproduced from the Sunday Sketch Book by Laura Peck. Charleston, S.0 News and Courier. ST. JAMES GOOSE CREEK It is against this . brief historical background thatwe turn back to the golden years; to 1711, when St. James at Goose Creek was dedicated; the Oldest church in the State. Here the Bishop of London, as the prelate of all colonial Sees, sent out -,a missionary from the Society for the Propagation of .the Gospel. Today the small burnt brick church bears the mark of West Indian architecture, with its jerkin -headed roof, its stucco ornaments and its traditional, pink coloring. ' Over the main door is the emblem of the "Pelican in her Piety," • the device of the Society for the Propagation of the • Gospel, which sent out the. Rev. Francis Le Jau D.D. as the first minister. Under the pelican is a line, of five flaming hearts,. while over each • window is a cherubim. Inside, the plaster reredos frames the Royal Arms of England, ~_modeled in the round and in full color. The reredos is fronted by t, the pulpit, there being no altar. The old box pews are still in • perfect order and would hold a congregation of perlfaps .100. Over the west ,end a slaves' gallery has been cobbled in at a later date, when negroes were first imported. The walls are adorned with marble plaques. One to Ralph Izard, the wealthy Barbadian parishoner, 'whose armorial crest is displayed on a diamond shaped board on ' the front of- the gallery. .There -is another plaque 'to the succession of ministers and a special one to Francis Le Jau. A short 60 years after the dedication of this church, with. the population of this State now grown to ,140,000 white and 109,000 negroes, .the colonists enriched by their crops, declared for Independence from England. During the 1780 pillaging by English troops St. James Goose creek was spared because the emblem of the Royal Arms was displayed. Today •St. James' congregation has evaporated. A service is held there once a year in French, . on a day close to Easter. Its red brick walls stand hidden in a forest of southern _pine, whilst the low brick wall enclosing the small cemetery is piled high with white Cherokee rose 'bushes. The sexton, discovered in an -adjoining house. with a T.V. set entertaining 'a considerable local audience, appears with the original massive key to unlock the door and let us enter. But even this small backwater, still flaunting its loyalty to the Crown, is threatened by a huge housing project to accommodate a Navy Weapons Center. Let us hope that this little bit of England will not falla prey to "progress," to "development," to a raucous supermarket, etc., for "such milestones are scarce. ST. JAMES OF FRENCH SANTEE GODERICH SUONgeS Aimirlitift$P rv.,.,, But, as previously described, rice in this coastal belt finally met its Waterloo; a prey to over -cropping, coastal t3tonns, the mosquito and competition from Louisialna, ATIptrisas. and Texas as soon as irrigation schemes were provided there. -By 1908. only five to seven thousand acres were being planted around Georgetown. Architecturally this church 'is more pretentious than that at Goose Creek. It has a portico supported on weatherbeaten red brick columns, while the main fabric is in the same brick. Here too, are the original. cypress wood box pews, arranged so that the congregation faces west to a raised table on which the original silver communion service is displayed. The pulpit is at the north end and there is no slave gallery. . It happened that the church had been opened for a' special tour and we were greeted by a parishoner, old Mr. Lucas, who went to the greatest pains to see we missed none of the church's treasures. In a glass case lies a huge Bible, _looted from this church id 1780 by licentious English soldiery during the Revolutionary War. It had ben moven to the church by the plantation family of Rebecca Motte and thus had her named embossed on the cover. Two hundred years later, a resident of Winyah Bay found the Bible for sale in a second-hand bookstores in the Strand, •London. Recognizing the name upon it, it was purchased Jand restored to St. James. It is hereabouts that you look out over the wide flats once irrigated by tidal fresh water, which produced the rice, which in turn brought shipping to ports like Charleston and Georgetown until their productivity was usurped by competition Today many of the great houses are still occupied; surrounded as they are 'with gorgeous live oaks, dripping with moss like great beards; by The second St, James dates from 1768 and was built by Huguenots who settled an area known as French_ Santee, near Wamliaw Creek . and close to Winyah Bay's rice plantations. Some such were the 12,000. acres of Estherville,' granted to Robert Daniell in 1711 by the Lords Proprietor$. Annandale of 5,000 acres, where in 17-92 the first tide -operated rice mill was constructed. Here too are Kinloch, Rice . Hope, Wicklow Ha 11 and- - the Belleisle- plantations. The last was the home of Francis Marion the Swamp Fox of Revolutionary fame. camellias and riots of axsleas and lapped by lagoons in which grow the stately cyp rens,° 8eyorld lie acres and 'acres of low lying marsh where . now poly exotic grasses flourish; -a sad reminder of thedays when Rice I'm King. Sic Gloria Transit. W. J.•Deflomme FLOWE R SHOP Phone 524. 1132 DAY OR NIGHT Agent for 24 -hr. • FILM DEVELOPING T7 A SMART YQUNG GIRL,1111 ONLY 6/VESA MAN ENOUGH ROPE TO RING A WEDD/NG BELL Pe4 HUGILLS For 'BA_._CK-11O1. SERVICE PHONE " 524-7170 BUSINE-SS DIRECT .T1Y I ALL NEW GODERICH RESTAURANT Steak Nouse and Tavern I THIS SPACE R E:ERVED- FOR YOUR AD l � 6 DOUBLE PASSES WIN!. DOUBLE PASSES TO THE PARK THEATRE SKS & STATIONERY Cards For All Occasions • Gifts • Books ,D • Stationery Supplies • Records ANDERON'S� BOOK CENTRE 33'Bast St. Goderich 'East St. Goderich ', BUILDING MAtERSAL PAINT, WALLPAPER 0 • PAINT • WALLPAPER • CARPETS • TILE • LINOLEUM "Your Complete Home Decorating Centre" Mrs. Edward S. Hewitt 132 Huron Rd. MCARTHURand REILLY LTD. West St. Goderich p..IMMINNIMINI yrk 41 FRIGIDAIRE * WESTINGHOUSE * GIBSON * HOOVER Sales and Service Miss E. Brown 109 Napier -St. GERRY'S APPLIANCE The Square — Goderich low Owned and Operated by Chuck .• (Avuall ; EXCELLENT SELECTION Regular or Safety Toa, 14 Different Styles DAVE GOWER'S industrial & Garden Centre Hamilton St. 524-8761 Mrs. John Gdbley • 144 Cambridge St. PIANOS and ELECTRIC ORGANS At The Price You Want To Buy WE SELL THE BEST FOR LESS Our Reputation Speaks For Itself • STRATFORD MUSK�.. • CENTRE LTD. 118 Downie St., Stratford 271-6322 FURNITURE 5248383 THIS SPACE RESERVED- FOR ESERVEDFOR YOUR AD 1 Mr. L. Marshall 9 Bennett St. E. For The FINEST in FURNITURE LODGE Furniture West St. --=- Goderich • TO THE PARK THEATRE The ' Names .Of Six Signal-Stcir, Subscrib' ers Are To Be Fuund In One_ Of These Ads Now Showing .ulnunllnnuunnlpinpuuuulluumuuupunmunlmlnlnitlunnuuunlmunnnuunn ,„„„ WED.,,THURS. and FRI. - JUNE 11.12.13 Starring = • LEYY-GARDNER-LAYEN presents .. - BURT REYNOLDS and WHICISICETZ"CLINT WALKER - COLOR f;y Celoe United Artists ' (Adult, Entertainment) i1111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111110 SEE REGULARAD ON PAGE 5 FOR DATES AND TIMES " THIS SPACE RESERVED . I FOR YOUR AD LADIES WEAR. 10)1(3. WIAI lIM1110 Ground Floor Fabric Centre AA Luggage • MEN'S WEAR For That CERTAIN Flair IN MEN'S WEAR EARL RA W SO N (wuS.t St. MEN'S WEAR Goderich l THIS SPACE RESERVED. FOR YOUR AD SHOE STORES For FASHION RIGHT , S IDES Jas. Remington 211 Britannia W. The Piace To Go Is ROSS SHOES The square Goderich 0' Be Sure To See Our Display Of ORIGINAL OIL PAINTINGS For The Fashion Look , SPROULE SHOES K. DeGroot RR 4, Goderich RESERVED FOR YOUR Ab Footwear For The Family TELEVISION PHILIPS - PHILCO - Colour Television S ALES • and -ERVICE 524-9432 RIVETT'S 1 TELEVISION - RADIO 34 The Square Goderich s TRAVEL SERVICES L11arli liontir YOUR COMPLETE TRAVEL- SERVICE GODERICH 524-8366' i THIS SPACE RESERVED FOR YOUR • AD . , . RESERVED •} THIS SPACE • FOR YOUR AD v D. A. KAY & SON Painting and Decorating Contractors Painting, Wallpapering, Draperies, Floor Sanding 33 Huron Rd. 482-9542 Clinton COIN 9PERATE°D DRY CLEANING 8 Pounds—$3.00 Open 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Daily Except Sunday also Friday Evening Fully- Attended West Street LAUNDROMAT `54 West st. 524-9953 Goderich CONTEST RES Each week the names and,addresses of 6 subscribers will appear In the Business Directory. —Look for your name and address In the ads. - --Take the Business Directory and suitable identification to the advertiser In whose ad your name appeared and —Pick up your 'passes by Saturday night closing. • Only Subscribers to the Signal•Star are eligible.