Many former slaves remained on the island as free men and women. The northern portion of Dataw was sold to William Irwin of New York. He divided the land into small parcels and entered into crop-lien agreements with at least eight African American farmers. In those hard times, none o f these families was able to fulfill its liens. Some families likely stayed on, paying rent and working for themselves. The tenant period came to an end in 1928 when Kate Gleason, a New York entrepreneur, banker, and engineer, purchased the island from Samuel Stoney.
Articles from this era address the period 1865 to 1983.
The theme this week is NEWSWORTHY. In Week 7, I told you about the Sams descendants that the Roney’s discovered on a trip to Florida. I ended that article with this statement,
“A Sams descendant owned a controversial painting claimed to be the only portrait Eva Perón posed for in her life! Yes, that Evita!” A newsworthy mystery for sure. The man behind this story is Anderson Childe Bouchelle (1908 – 1993).
The theme this week is WIDOWS. Since June 23rd is International Widow’s Day, I decided to do some analysis on our Sams genealogy database and see what it reveals about widows in the Sams families of the 19th century. Our genealogy database contains over 2500 people. That’s way too many people to sift through and find the widows. The area I’ll be focusing on is a family tree with William & Elizabeth Sams at the top. The second and third generations below them are mostly complete. Still, for about one-third of the women, we have insufficient information to determine if they lived to adulthood and married. I’m going to identify the WIDOWS who are direct descendants in these first three generations of SAMS, counting William & Elizabeth as the first generation.
This week’s theme is UNCERTAINTY. Take, for example, who is buried in the Cotton Dike Cemetery? This story begins in 2004 with an interview with two brothers, then wanders through monuments, ground-penetrating radar, a rededication ceremony, and the British territory of Saint Helena Island. It ends with the recent graveside service of Andrew Robinson. We are grateful to Andrew, his brothers, and his nephew for bringing a measure of certainty to our Cotton Dike cemetery.
From prehistoric times to present day, an island rich in history, mystery, and stunning natural beauty. Experience the beauty and history of Dataw Island, South Carolina in this exquisite, limited edition, historical, coffee table book. With over 200 images – from archaeological findings to Dataw’s ruins and its breathtaking natural vistas, you will enjoy and learn the depth of history that makes Dataw the special place that it is today.
May 16, 2020, is Armed Forces Day. It’s a day to honor Americans serving on active duty in the five U.S. military branches of our Department of Defense. As a retired United States Air Force officer myself, I couldn’t resist focusing this week’s theme of SERVICE on telling you about Sams descendants that spent a career in the USAF or its predecessor, the Army Air Corps.
Fire – Dangerous Necessity
We are fortunate to have in our Sams Plantation Complex Tabby the ruins of several chimneys. Here’s an easy question. How many pre-1820 chimneys can you see on Dataw Island today? The answer is 12!
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Francis William ‘Frank’ Sams, Jr. (1846-1921) was one of four children born to Dr. Frank Sams and his wife, but the only one to live to adulthood. He was born in Palatka, Florida and died in New Smyrna Beach, Florida – where he was “discovered” last year by Joe and Diane Roney on their road trip. From the research Joe Roney and I have done, it’s clear he was a very successful man; Confederate soldier at 15, State senator in Florida at 53.
Sarah Stanyarne Sams Sams (1840-1902) was the daughter, and last child, of Dr. Berners Barnwell Sams (1787 – 1855) and his second wife Martha Edwards (1799-1857). Married her 1C1R John Hanahan Sams (1839-1924) in 1865 and had 8 children. They stayed in the Charleston area for a while after the war, but eventually started new lives in Brevard County, FL.
This presentation on the Sams of Florida was given by Joe Roney in June of 2019. He tells the fascinating story of how Sams descendant M. Seabrook Sams and 3 of his step-cousins walked from Wadmalaw Island, SC to Merritt Island, FL, a distance of over 400 miles, in the 1870’s to start new lives.
The following Chain of Title lists all of the documented owners of Dataw Island from 1682 up through the purchase of Dataw Island by ALCOA South Carolina, Inc. in 1983.
This short news article by Chlotilde R. Martin in 1930 for The News and Courier, Charleston, SC captures the public’s fascination with this dynamic woman. “For three years the people of Beaufort have watched the doings of Miss Kate Gleason with curiosity. If there were no other reason except that one of the world’s multi-millionaires had come to live among them, that fact would be sufficient to hold their interest. But…”