(Updated 17 January 2022)
Portrait
You probably have heard of BB Sams already. His name and portrait are prominent on Dataw Island. I recently discovered correspondence in our DHF files that clarify the origins of our images of Dr. Berners Barnwell Sams M.D. and his first wife, Elizabeth Fripp. The original paintings belong to a Sams descendant living in the Beaufort area. I assume the couple originally sat for their portraits around the time of their wedding in 1812. It turns out what is hanging in the Dataw Island Club is a professionally painted reproduction of the originals. They were commissioned by Bill Cochrane, the ALCOA VP who developed Dataw after its purchase in the early 1980s. You are welcome to view the reproductions in the DHF History & Learning Center or hanging on the Dataw Island Club foyer wall.
Doctor & Plantation Owner
Berners Barnwell Sams is named after his Great Grandmother Elizabeth Anne (Berners) Barnwell and his Grandmother Bridgett (Barnwell) Sams, according to Sams family descendants. BB Sams was the sixth son of William Sams (1741-1798) and Elizabeth (Hext) Sams (1746 -1813.) According to his grandson’s unpublished family history, he was born in the “Elizabeth Hext House” at 207 Hancock Street, Beaufort. (C.W. Sams) He inherited one-third of his father’s plantation in 1808 when he came of age. Together with his older brother Lewis Reeve Sams (1784 – 1856), they bought out younger brother Edward’s one-third share and split Dataw Island in two. BB became the owner of the southern (western) half, named Datha Inlet, which he held for 47 years until his death in 1855. He famously expanded the old original tabby house by raising it and adding wings on each side. He also added slave dwellings and other out-buildings. You can read much more about his plantation house in Week 12 of this series and Colin Brooker’s book, The Shell Builders.
Dr. Sams had 15 children by his two wives, Elizabeth Hann Fripp (1795 – 1831) and Martha Fripp Edwards (1799 – 1857). The family was fortunate because he was both a doctor and a successful Sea Island Cotton plantation owner. As a medical doctor, he graduated from the College of Charleston. Per the 1850 Agriculture Census, Datha Inlet comprised one-quarter of his 2,097 acres of farmland spread across several plantations. His others were The Bluff and Laurel Hill on Ladys Island. Some reports say he owned as much as 5,000 acres. In any case, Sea Island Cotton certainly was the source of his wealth. For example, in one typical year, his plantations produced 65 bags (26,000 lbs) of cotton worth $7,228 (about $242,000 in 2022 dollars). He also built two Beaufort homes in 1818 on New Street and 1852 near the Green on Laurens Street. A few years before his death, he had 135 enslaved supporting his family and plantations.
Some of these facts about BB Sams you may have heard before. However, today we have a much more colorful understanding of the man. In 2019 we were given a copy of an unpublished family history penned in the early 1900s by Conway Whittle Sams (grandson of BB Sams). This unpublished work contains a first-person description of Dr. BB Sams provided by his daughter, Elizabeth Exima Sams. She was born 16 Mar 1831 in Beaufort, the 11th child of BB Sams and his first wife, Elizabeth Hann (Fripp) Sams (1795 – 1831.) Mrs. Sams died giving birth to Elizabeth. Here are a few reflections by Elizabeth E Sams on her father, Berners Barnwell Sams, while talking to her nephew Conway Whittle Sams in 1905. She was in her 70s, reflecting on her father, who had died 50 years earlier.
Words of Elizabeth E. Sams
“Our grandfather was of middle size, with dark complexion, dark eyes and hair, and had beautiful teeth.
He was fond of reading, medical books particularly, and studied a great, deal. He was a practical man, without much regard to the beautiful. He surrounded himself with his children. He loved his orchard and loved to graft trees. He cared little for politics, but loved to plant. He never made a speech nor address nor wrote anything. He lived a great deal to himself, and his family, did very little visiting. He enjoyed his home with his family, was always at home at night. Never traveled. Never heard of his going out of the State of #South_Carolina. Was a regular attendant at Church and a member of the Vestry.
He took a glass of brandy and water every day at dinner, but did not drink at other times.
The first thing in the morning he would take his coffee and waffle and go over to #Datha. He would spend the night, and come back the next day, getting back about dinner time. Always lay down after dinner.
He was fond of duck shooting, made ponds for them on #Datha. Doves were also shot there, and bull-bats. There were large quantities of ducks, green and blue winged teal; black ducks, and English ducks being the most numerous.
He only practiced medicine with his own family and slaves. His family would have no one else. He was a good physician, a calm man in a sick room, though at other times he had a good deal of temper; he was a high spirited man, really quick tempered. He was as honest as the day was long, and believed in owing no man anything.
He was fond of fishing, would go in April down to #Bay_Point, and marooned for about a week, fishing for drum.
Cotton was his only crop grown for the market. This was sold for him by his factors in #Charleston, Messrs. #Legere & #O_Hear.
He increased his substance by his planting. He inherited the Western half of #Datha from his Mother, it having been her property, belonging to the #Hext family. This was all he inherited. His other property was purchased by him.
His first wife was Elizabeth Hann Fripp, who was from St. Helena Island, near Datha, just South of it, being cut off by Jenkins’ Creek. We do not know where she lived on that Island, and but little about the family. Her brother, James Fripp, my great Uncle, being the only one Aunt Elizabeth knew, the others died long before she was born. He <James Fripp> was a highly educated man, of good family, but lived entirely in the Country, and though a very rich man, saw little of the Beaufort people, and confined himself principally to St. Helena. None of the family live on the island now, they all having passed away.
By this wife he had eleven children, all born in Beaufort except the first two, Washington and Arianna, who died there as infants. She died March 16th, 1831.
He married again in less than a year, a widow lady, Mrs. Martha Fripp, nee Edwards. She was living in Beaufort when married. She was a very nice person, placid, quint and mild, with a sweet face. She had two sons when she married, Lawrence Fripp and Oliver Fripp, both died not long after the War. Lawrence had nine children, five of whom survived him, Anna Fripp being one of them. Oliver had no children.
Our Grandfather <Conway referring to BB Sams> had four children by this wife, Adelaide, Bonham, Clement and Sarah, our half uncles and aunts.
This second wife survived him two years. She died in the big brick house in Beaufort in the East front room, in the year 1857.
He died in Aunt Elizabeth’s house and room, 15 Mar, #Y1855, of pneumonia, caught by standing in the cold wind looking after the building of the brick house. The attack went to his head. He took off his coat sitting in the sitting room, to the surprise of his daughters. He was induced to go to bed and never got up.”
Elizabeth Exima Sams, Feb 21st, 1905
Elizabeth Exima Sams is buried in the Saint Helena Churchyard, Beaufort, S.C. For more on Elizabeth and everything she told her nephew Conway Whittle Sams about her father, see Week 27 – My Father’s Life.
Sources
Lula Sams Bond and Laura Sams Sanders; compiled history of The Sams Family of South Carolina, published in The South Carolina Historical Magazine, Vol. 64, 1963.
Conway Whittle Sams; History of the Sams and Whittle Families, unpublished, circa 1905.
52Sams, Week_03, Berners_Barnwell_Sams (b. 1787 – d. 1855)