3 Images, 2 Moments, 1 Memory
Three Images
The Marquis de la Fayette, portrayed by the remarkable reenactor and interpreter Mr. Mark Schneider, delivered a speech at the John Mark Verdier House in Beaufort, South Carolina, addressing an audience of hundreds who filled Bay Street on March 18, 2025. Photo by Bill Riski
This commemorative plaque, dedicated on March 18, 2025, marks the 200th anniversary of the Marquis de la Fayette’s visit to Beaufort, South Carolina. Lafayette (Mark Schneider) is on the left, and the current Mayor (Phil Cromer) is on the right. The Marquis de la Fayette was in this house two hundred years earlier on this date! Photo by Bill Riski.
Lafayette & current Beaufort Mayor arriving at the Henry C. Chambers Waterfront Park, March 18, 2025. Two hundred years earlier, this spot was in the Beaufort River! Photo by Bill Riski
Two Moments
1741 – WILLIAM SAMS was born on April 18, 1741 on Wadmalaw Island, Province of South Carolina.
In the early days of American history, many remarkable individuals made significant contributions to their communities and enriched their families’ legacies. One such person was William Sams, whose life and efforts left a lasting imprint on South Carolina. Coming from a family with strong ties to the area, William’s journey began with a meaningful marriage, which soon led him to thrive as a successful planter and father with seven sons.
William was the third son of Robert Sams, Sr. and Bridget Barnwell. On February 5, 1761, at age 19 he married Elizabeth Hext, the only child of Francis Hext, Jr., and his wife, Elizabeth Stanyarne. Elizabeth was 15.
William Sams established his Memorial June 18, 1765, registering 490 acres on Wadmalaw Island; there is no mention of land elsewhere. He is also listed in the records of the Colonial Church of St. John’s Parish until 1779.
On May 13, 1783, he purchased from his cousins, Robert and Sarah (Reeve) Gibbes, the 12,000-acre Island of Datha in old Granville County, SC where he continued his endeavors as a wealthy planter, probably of indigo.
William and Elizabeth had seven sons; four born on Wadmalaw Island and three born in Beaufort on Port Royal Island.
He died January 16, 1798, age 56. Elizabeth died fifteen years later on November 8, 1813, age 67. Both are buried in the Sams Family Cemetery on Datha Island.
1741 – The score for the great oratorio Messiah was begun in August 1741 by German composer George Frideric Handel
While it may be tempting to suggest that Handel was inspired by the news of William Sams’ birth, this is merely a coincidence.
George Frideric Handel (1685–1759) was a German-born composer who became one of the leading figures of the Baroque era. This oratorio premiered in Dublin, to great acclaim on April 13, 1742 at Neal’s Music Hall as a charity performance and was met with great acclaim. He had worked on it zealously, starting in August, often neglecting to eat or sleep. In 25 days, he’d created the 260-page score for the Messiah. When he was finished he said, “I think God has visited me… I think I did see all Heaven before me and the great God himself.”
At this point in his life, Handel had been a naturalized British citizen for fifteen years. He died in London in 1759 at age 74 and received a state funeral at Westminster Abbey.
One Memory
History is a guide to navigation in perilous times. History is who we are and why we are the way we are.
David C. McCullough (1933-2022)
American historian