Rice Production at Middleton Place

To conclude my series of three blogs about the Middleton Place near Charleston, South Carolina, I want to share what I learned about rice production.

When I think of “rice” I think of Asia.  I had no idea rice was a huge crop on plantations.  It was introduced to Middleton Place in the 1690’s.  The Middletons did not have the knowledge, but the slaves they purchased from West Africa did.  These slaves were sought after in America and brought a higher price.  In slave-auction advertisements, such slaves were specifically mentioned. With the help of these slaves rice production in Middleton Place expanded and was perfected. In 1698 the plantation exported 12,000 pound of rice, but that amount grew to 18 million pounds in 1730 and 83 million in 1770! 

Rice was planted in March to mid-April.  The planting and harvesting was determined by the migration of bobolink (also called “rice birds”).  If the rice was  planted the rice too soon or harvested too late, these birds would eat up the seed and the plants.  I enjoy the thought that knowledge was gained by observation of nature.

When rice was first introduced to the plantation, they had to clear the land (removing the timber) and adjust the soil to make each field flat. Unlike other crops that can be planted in hilly conditions, for rice production it was very important to have level fields. The fields would be flooded, and they needed the water level to be constant.

You can plant rice yourself at Middleton PLace

Once the fields were prepared, they were hoed into furrows 10” a part.  The women were responsible for the actual planting.  They put seeds in a hole made by their big toe, and covered over it with their heel or a hoe.  Each slave woman planted ½ acre a day. Obviously they walked barefoot and it was often muddy, with mosquitos and even alligators in the ponds and along the Ashley River.  My husband and I saw several, just lounging on the grass by the ponds!

Once the seeds were planted the flooding began. The Middletons found that they couldn’t use the water of the Ashley River because it was too brackish.  Considering the plantation was right on the river this was unfortunate.  But again, they learned from observation and mistakes. They flooded the fields using wooded trunk gates, allowing water in from inland reservoirs.  The used water was eventually be let out into the river.

The crops were flooded three times.  The First Flooding was called the “Sprout Flow” and lasted six days to let the seeds germinate. Once that was accomplished the water was drained out and the field was kept as dry as possible so the seeds could grow.

When sprouts could be seen from 50 yards away it was time for Second Flooding, called the “Stretch Flow” because it was allowing the plants to stretch.  This flooding lasted for 3-6 days, completely submerging the plants in order to kill off the grasses and drown the bugs.

Then came forty days of dry growing.  During this time the fields would need to be hoed to get rid of weeds and aerate the soil. The fields were marked into ½ acre parcels so each women knew the extent of her responsibilities.

The Third Flooding was called the “Long Flooding” or “Harvest Flow”.  This time water was allowed into the fields a little at a time, which gave the plants support to stand upright as they developed their tassels.

Harvest time was between September and November. The plants were cut off at ground level with rice hooks (hand scythes) and left on the stubble to dry.  Once dry, they were gathered into sheaves and taken to a processing area. 

Sheaves are beaten with flails

The next step was also accomplished by the women.  The Threshing separated the rice from the stalks and was done by beating the sheaves with a flail. 

Then the rice was “fanned” in low edged flat baskets, with the women tossing it slightly into the wind, allowing the chaff to blow away. I remember seeing pictures from Biblical times of this kind of fanning.

At this point, this rough rice could be sold but was not edible yet as each kernel still had the husks on it.

To remove the kernel, the women put the rough rice into a large mortar (a low barrel) and beat it with a pestle.  This took off the husk, and created brown rice.  But to be shipped to Europe, the oily bran covering (the nutritious part) had to be taken off.  I’m not sure why.  Perhaps the oily bran would rot on the long trip to Europe?  The bran was beaten and fanned again to polish the rice. The flat end of the pestle was used for getting the husks off, a rounded end for polishing the kernels—a method used in Africa. Again, they were fanned, then packed in barrels made by coopers at Middleton Place, and shipped down the Ashley River and then to Europe.  

By the late 1700’s there were mechanical threshing and pounding machines that were water-powered and then steam-powered. These mechanical innovations obviously made it possible to cut back on the manual labor.

After harvesting, the fields had to be refinished while they were dry. The stubble was burned and plowed under which added nutrients to the soil. They used oxen and horses to pull the plows. This was the only time animals could be used because while the rice was growing the fields were never dry enough for the weight of animals and regular plows. Again, it was important that the fields were kept totally level so when they were flooded the water was even.  This prep-work took until spring when it was time to plant again.

None of this could have been achieved without the knowledge and work of slaves.  After the Civil War, with the abolition of slave labor, rice production ceased.

Middleton Place offers a tour where you can learn about the rice production, and at certain times, participate. I highly recommend a long visit to this fascinating historical plantation.

NANCY MOSER is the best-selling author of 25 novels, including Love of the Summerfields, Christy Award winner, Time Lottery; Washington’s Lady, Mozart’s Sister, The Journey of Josephine Cain, and Masquerade. Nancy has been married for forty years—to the same man. They have three grown children and five grandchildren, and live in the Midwest. She’s earned a degree in architecture; run a business with her husband; traveled extensively in Europe; and has performed in various theatres and choirs. She knits voraciously, kills all her houseplants, and can wire an electrical fixture without getting shocked. She is a fan of anything antique—humans included. Author Website, Footnotes from History Blog, Author Blog/Inspirational humor, Pinterest, Facebook, Twitter, Good Reads  

Read my latest book Love of the Summerfields: 1880 England. The lives and loves of manor and village intertwine. Earl and shopkeeper, countess and clerk—all will be stunned and transformed by a secret that begs to be revealed. When the Weston family returns to Summerfield Manor at the close of the London social season, both village and manor relax into their normal existence. But for four women, turmoil awaits. Each must battle the restrictions of her position as her faith and character are tested. Each will have a choice to make between her own happiness and a truth that will turn their carefully-ordered world upside down.

 

The Slaves of Middleton Place

By Nancy Moser

Last time I posted, I wrote about the Middleton family who owned the plantation called Middleton Place near Charleston, South Carolina.  Today I’d like to share information about the slaves who lived there, who labored to build, maintain, grow and harvest the crops that provided the revenue to let the plantation survive for hundreds of years.

In the years between the Civil War of the 1860’s and the 1970’s when the plantation was opened to the public, the issue of slavery was an awkward subject.  It’s hard to admit that ancestors were a part of such a despicable institution.  It was the elephant in the room. Yet many slave descendants still live in the area.

It’s hard to know all the facts because there are few written records created by slaves, and even oral history is marginal.  Yet here’s the main fact:  In the late 1600’s Edward Middleton and his brother began a legacy of owning up to 25 plantations in South Carolina encompassing 63,000 acres!  How could they possibly do the work to run these properties?  By owning 3500 slaves.

Rice was the main crop in these low-lying lands, and the Middletons perfected the process.  In 1698 they exported 12,000# of rice, by 1730 they were exporting 18 million pounds, and by 1770 the number had risen to 83 million!  I will share how rice was planted and harvested in an upcoming blog.

The Middleton plantation was also in the timber business, dealing with its byproducts of pitch, turpentine, and tar.  They also made blue dye out of indigo and raised cattle.

Where did the Middletons get their slaves?  The slave trade was going strong in Western Africa even in the 1400’s, but as the Americas were populated by Europeans, the need for laborers grew.  Slavery boomed.  Yet slavery was a part of African life even before the Europeans got there.  Tribes would steal people from enemy tribes, enslaving them.  Yet that was obviously different than the European slave-trade that took people away from their families and homeland, relocating them across the world.

Yet the European slave traders did their business by trading with African rules, goods for slaves.  In the trade the rulers got white sugar, alcohol, iron, copper, and brass objects, carpets, spices, fish hooks, needles, and pins.  And guns.  The European slavers got the rulers’ enemies who’d been captured in battle, along with ivory, gold, and animal hides.  The African rulers brought their people-commodity to the coasts.  Rarely did the European slavers have to go inland to get slaves.

The  journey of the slaves was long and miserable. When they were captured by the rival tribe, the rulers would take them to coastal forts to await the European traders. Then they were tightly packed onto ships for the “Middle Passage” across the Atlantic which could take from 4 weeks to 4 months.   They were fed, but the food was of poor quality.  Fresh water became scarce.  The slaves were forced to exercise, but there was no sanitation so disease spread.  There were many suicides.

The sugar plantations in Brazil were the largest market for slaves, taking 35% (almost 4 million). Other slaves would go to the West Indies, and then to North America. Sixty-percent were dispersed among the Caribbean islands (5.8 million) and 5% (500,000) continued on to North America.  Charleston was the main port of entry.  Add all these numbers up and you have 10.3 million slaves!  By the time the direct importation of slaves from Africa was made illegal (in the 19^th century) most slaves traded were born in the Caribbean or in North America.  They were many generations away from their African roots.

South Carolina plantation owners had their preferences as to the origin of the slaves they purchased.  Slaves from Upper Guinea brought the highest price because they had knowledge of rice cultivation and livestock.  But Calabars, Whydah, Ibo, Bonny from Bights of Benin, and Biafrans were small and slender, “recalcitrant” and had a “tendency to suicide.” Thomas Middleton imported and sold slaves.

In South Carolina the slaves had to adapt to their new circumstances or die.  To preserve their identities and their tribal traditions they created the Cullah-Geechee culture.

Slave clothing was distributed in December and though cloth was loomed at Middleton, some of the cloth was bought and then made into clothes on-site.  Shoes, handkerchiefs, and hats were factory made.  Fancy livery uniforms were made by tailors in Charleston. Coachmen wore the livery and often spread news (back and forth) between the plantations and Charleston.

Rice was the main food and recipes for African pilafs and gumbos were introduced to the Middletons by their slaves and soon became staple Southern dishes.  Other foods brought from Africa were yams, okra, field peas, millet, and peanuts.  There’s a letter from a Middleton daughter who was living in Philadelphia, asking about a slave recipe:  “Pray, dear Mama, send me . . . a receipt for making Pillaw [pilaf] in which Peter [the Middleton cook] excels I think—and which nobody understands here.”

At Middleton Place (and elsewhere) there was a “task system” where each slave was assigned a task—similar to being given a quota for a particular job—and once they’d accomplished that task, their time was their own.  During their free time they could plant private gardens, hunt, fish, and have family and social time.  Some of the tasks were Hoeing Rice—1/2 acre, or Cutting Wood—1 cord, or Mortising Posts: 60 posts.

The slaves brought medicinal knowledge with them, mixing herbs into “physicks”.  These potions were often embraced by the white families.  The slaves made these concoctions in small clay pots, which were broke after using once.  Three-thousand shards of such pots were found in Middleton Place in the 1970’s.  Similar pots were also used for food, and were called Colonoware.

Although the slaves brought their idols and rituals with them, in later generations Christianity was embraced, or a mixture of religious beliefs and traditions.  On Sundays services were attended in the chapel.

Carolina law did not recognize slave marriages, but at the Middleton plantations, they were recognized and celebrated. The Middletons wanted their slaves to marry, for a married slave was less likely to run away.  Sometimes they would marry between plantations, with each spouse living on their own plantation. The husband was allowed to occasionally visit.  Any children born became the property of the wife’s plantation.  Weddings were big celebrations at Middleton Place with feasts of foods supplied by master and prepared by slave cooks.  The slaves at Middleton Place often got three days off at Christmas, a free day after hoeing the rice field or plowing, and after harvest. 

Most slaves at Middleton were field hands—strong men and women.  In the early days, fields had to be cleared of timber and the land made ready for the planting of rice, which is a very labor-intensive crop.  As was representative of the way things were done in Africa (in all civilizations) where tasks were divided by age and gender.  Men cleared the fields, women sowed the seed, cultivated the plants, and harvested them.  And children shooed away birds from the seeds.

The slaves had to develop many skills as the plantations tried to be as self-sufficient as possible: carpenters, brick-layers (bricks were made on-site), engineers, coachmen, gardeners, seamstresses, and cooks to name a few. Most slaves combined old African ways with American methods. Schooners from Middleton would go up and down the Ashley River taking and bringing goods to other plantations and to town. These schooners were manned by slaves and even captained by slaves. Slave labor built the Middleton Place homes and other buildings. Slaves developed their specialty talents that were often subbed out to other plantations. Many took pride in their skills and their work.

The lush gardens and ponds at Middleton Place were created by slave labor, with exotic plants grown in the greenhouse, and the terraces and formal gardens toiled and tended.  House servants included house “wenches” (maids), cooks, seamstresses, a barber/doctor, hairdressers, and house servants who served like a butler and housekeeper.  It’s interesting to note that in a 1793 estate inventory, a slave Daphne, who was a seamstress, is listed as being worth 5£ more than her husband, the house’s steward/barber/doctor.  Having a talent had its advantages, as the slaves were able to feel some satisfaction in using their skills, not just laboring.

Another problem for the master was too many slaves with not enough to do. In such a case, Henry Middleton moved some of his slaves from Middleton Place to one of his other plantations.  There are some interesting notations by Henry in 1779 for slaves moved from South Carolina to Georgia and East Florida:  “Wanney:  Gone with the Hessians to York”, “Pompey: Gone to back part of So Carolina”, “Will:  Used to stay with Miss MacIntosh”, and “Buck: Died at the lines in Charleston”, along with various mentions of death due to small pox.

The Middletons also had a home in Charleston (16 miles away).  Henry Middleton was the governor of South Carolina and took house slaves with him to Charleston.  When the family traveled away from both homes, the domestic slaves staying at the Charleston house could be hired out for special dinners and such.  Law said they had to wear a metal badge that said SERVANT and specified the work they could perform.  These badges cost between $2 and $7.  The master took the money, but often gave a portion to the slave.  Rarely masters gave the slaves all the money.

What happened with slaves that were too young or too old to work?  They were often assigned tasks that would support the other workers.  They took care of the slave children, and made meals for the workers that were taken out to the fields. 

Perhaps the hardest job on the plantation—not physically, but emotionally—was that of being a “Driver”. When I first saw this term I thought they meant a coach-driver.  But no, it’s a slave-driver, the slave whose job it was to oversee the work.  These were men with administrative skills.  They needed to be leaders, who were strong, smart, and able to motivate others.  They were not the same as the overseer—who was white.  But they were the middle-man between master and overseer, and the slaves.  They were both respected and feared.  And the hard task of punishment was passed to them—usually whipping.  The only person feared more was the white overseer. The Driver was trusted by the master, yet not completely since he was one of “them.”

How did slaves rebel?  They slowed down their work.  But with the task-system this often backfired as they needed to get done a certain amount of work in the day and slowing it down gave them less free time. 

At Middleton Place, in “Eliza’s cabin”—the cabin used after the Civil War by a freed slave—is open to visit.  There you can see a list of the slaves of the Middletons, divided by plantation and years, listing their names, often their ages, their skill, and what they were worth.  Included is a list of six escaped slaves in the mid-18^th century, listing the reward for their capture.  Studying the lists the most expensive slave was Carolina, worth 200£ with most men listed at about 100£ except for Sam who was worth 150.  Most women were worth between 30 and 100.  Smaller sums (10 and 15£) probably were children.  In 1815, the driver July was listed as worth $1000, and in 1846 “ole Tyra” had a worth of zero. 

Skills are listed:  “John:  A very fine bricklayer”, “Die his Wife a Washer ill in Bed.”, “John Baptist, Bricklayer (old Fellow)” “Mary, House wench & Pastry Cook”, and under “Beck, seamstress” was this notation:  “Her son Insane supposed to be rather an encumbrance” had a listed worth of zero. 

Although these lists are disturbing because they reveal the bold existence of slavery, the lists also give names to all the anonymous slaves, making them real.  And I love some of the names:  Quash, Doll, Superannuat’d , Cuffy,, Die, Amerinthia, Seipio, Rhynah, Mingo, Shallow, Quaco , Big Rhina, Walney.

During times of war slaves were used for the Cause. In the Revolutionary War they were used to build fortified earth works around Charleston (both sides used them). Some escaped and joined Hessian regiments, where they were known as the Black Loyalists.  After the war they were evacuated to Nova Scotia and New Brunswick as freemen.  In the Civil War the Confederates used slaves to repair railroads and make Charleston fortifications.  

Born a slave, Annette Mays lived as a freewoman
at Middleton Place until the 1930's.

Though the slaves adjusted, they obviously wanted to be free.  Once they were on the plantations, many tried to escape, which forced a South Carolina law that stated no slave could be away from the plantation without being accompanied by a white man, or unless he wore livery (meaning they were a coachman.) If runaways were caught they were punished by their owners or sent to the “Sugar house”, Charleston’s workhouse.  Owners would put announcements of runaways in the newspapers, with detailed descriptions and listing the reward offered.  Here is an ad by Henry Middleton in 1753:  “Runaway . . .a negro fellow named Prince, who is a shoemaker by trade, & is well known in Charles Town having been formerly a drummer to one of the companies of the regiment.”  Another ad from 1761:  “…shoulders, the scar of which is still visible.  Another is a middle-sized fellow, of a yellowish complexion, much marked in the face with his country marks.  The last fellow answers to the name of Scipio, the short fellow is named Will, & the other Jacob.  They had on white negro-cloth jackets & breeches, & caps of the same & carried with them their blankets & an axe…” 

Some slaves were set free by the Middletons.  Henry Middleton set free his slave Caesar upon his death in 1784.  Here is a quote from Henry’s will:  “I manumit & forever set free my Servant Caesar, and as a Testimony of his former good Conduct I direct my Executors to place out on Loan one thousand Pounds Currency and pay him annually the Interest thereof during his Life…”

The Middleton plantations were occupied by Union forces in the early days of the Civil War.  Slaves were known as “contraband” and were encouraged to join the U.S. Army.  Charleston fell to Union forces on February 17, 1865.  Many of the Middleton slaves rejoiced and asked to go with the Union soldiers.

Middleton Place was burned by Union soldiers, and many of the slaves were loaded onto schooners and flats and went to Charleston. After the war, some returned to Middleton and worked on the plantation as free men, for payment of housing and a token wage. Others in Charleston got jobs and raised families.  Times were hard and there was much to rebuild, but the economy had been forever compromised.  There was no way to plant and harvest rice without slave labor, so the plantation faltered as it tried to adjust to the post-war world.  Williams Middleton attempted to mine phosphate, and many former slaves worked for him, but that work was almost more grueling that field work and the business failed.

Middleton Place fell into disrepair until Mr. and Mrs. J.J. Pringle Smith (descendants of the Middleton family) took it over in the 1920’s.  The once manicured lawns and gardens were overgrown and the entire place in need of repair.  Mrs. Pringle Smith worked tirelessly to reclaim the gardens.  Many descendants of slaves worked for the Smiths in the house and gardens.

In 2006 there was a reunion of people with ties to Middleton Place—black and white.  Three hundred people attended.  Middleton descendent Mason Smith said it was “good to be together with others from whom we had traditionally been separated by law and custom.”  After the 3-day event, one of the Middleton Place Foundation trustees said, “How could we ever take Middleton Place family reunion back to Euro-American only?  We have leapt over to a new place with a new momentum and new life.  We have affirmed a larger family, and established a Place to Begin—indeed.”

For more information I highly recommend visiting Middleton Place (see my blog post here.)  Also informational is the book Beyondthe Fields, Slavery at Middleton Place.

NANCY MOSER is the best-selling author of 25 novels, including Love of the Summerfields, Christy Award winner, Time Lottery; Washington’s Lady, Mozart’s Sister, The Journey of Josephine Cain, and Masquerade. Nancy has been married for forty years—to the same man. They have three grown children and five grandchildren, and live in the Midwest. She’s earned a degree in architecture; run a business with her husband; traveled extensively in Europe; and has performed in various theatres and choirs. She knits voraciously, kills all her houseplants, and can wire an electrical fixture without getting shocked. She is a fan of anything antique—humans included. Author Website, Footnotes from History Blog, Author Blog/Inspirational humor, Pinterest, Facebook, Twitter, Good Reads  

Read my latest book Love of the Summerfields: 1880 England. The lives and loves of manor and village intertwine. Earl and shopkeeper, countess and clerk—all will be stunned and transformed by a secret that begs to be revealed. When the Weston family returns to Summerfield Manor at the close of the London social season, both village and manor relax into their normal existence. But for four women, turmoil awaits. Each must battle the restrictions of her position as her faith and character are tested. Each will have a choice to make between her own happiness and a truth that will turn their carefully-ordered world upside down.

Middleton Place

by Nancy Moser

My husband and I were in South Carolina last week and wanted to go to a plantation. We chose Middleton Place just north of Charleston.  We were so glad we did because not only was the house and grounds memorable, but the family who lived there were inspiring. The Middleton family were definitely overachievers: 

Henry Middleton was a president of the First Continental Congress.
*  His son Arthur Middleton, signed the Declaration of Independence
*  His grandson, Henry Middleton was governor of South Carolina, a congressman, and a minister to Russia during the rein of Czars Alexander I and Nicholas I.  Note: this Henry was an avid Unionist.
* His great-grandsons, Williams and John signed South Carolina's Ordinance of Secession, siding with the South in the Civil War, while their little brother, Edward fought in the Union Navy.

The Middleton Place plantation itself is a survivor. After enduring two wars raging around it, hurricanes, an earthquake, and having its houses burned down by the Union army, it was passed through the Middleton family to a direct descendent, J.J. Pringle Smith and his wife Heningham in 1916.  

My husband standing beneath a Live Oak

Starting in 1925 they made it their life's work to restore it to its former glory and make much-needed twentieth century updates to the house. The Smiths lived there until it was declared a National Historic Landmark and was opened to the public in 1972.  Mrs. Smith even worked the gardens herself, reclaiming them from decades of neglect and turning them into the manicured masterpiece they are today. The gardens were the first landscaped gardens in the United States.  Not flower gardens like we may expect, but lawned terraces, ponds, shrubs, and enormous Live Oaks (they have leaves all four seasons of the year, distinguishing them from the more usual oak species.) Yet during their seasons, flowers are abundant: hydrangeas, magnolias, azaleas, roses, and camellias.

Surviving "flanker" building that became family home

The plantation was started in the 1730's by Henry and the main house was built with two "flanker" buildings added on either side that were assigned other uses beyond family dwelling. The buildings were burned by Union troops during the Civil War, but some of the south flanker remained and was restored as the family home. It was occupied by family until the Smiths donated it in 1975.  It is now open to the public for tours.  The ruins of the other two buildings were further leveled in an 1886 earthquake.

The gardens... what struck me was the obvious planned layout, with the view from what was the front door of the main house to the river, allowing terraces on either side, and corresponding ponds leading to rice fields along the river that could be flooded.  Yet I didn't feel like I was in a formal (uppity?) garden as at Versailles or other palaces of Europe, but was experiencing a carefully planned park, with surprises around each bend as hedged paths led further into the woods, or to a bridge, or to a dead-end opening that was home to a sculpture or a bench.  Much of it seemed planned, yet organic, a mixture of man's and nature's plans. It was utterly charming and peaceful. 

Note:  if you want to fully feel the peaceful nature of the gardens without other tourists bothering you, stay at the adjoining Inn at Middleton Place which allows you free access to the plantation grounds--whenever you want.  You simply walk down a wooded trail and voila! You are there! (see my Trip Advisor review and photos here.)

On the plantation there are stables, carriage rides, a petting zoo, alligators sunning by the ponds, slave quarters, a mill, a chapel, other outbuildings, and demonstrations of weaving, pottery, and the like. But beyond the must-sees, two words stuck with me:  family legacy. The knowledge that one family stayed here, grew here, lived and loved here, fought for their beliefs here... that's what drew me in and kept me involved. No matter what they believed, they believed it strongly and lived their convictions. 

Some interesting historical notes:

*  There is an 1842 sketch (above) of the main house and the two flankers, drawn by a daughter-in-law. It's proven to be invaluable in knowing how things looked before the Civil War. The stables are to the right, with the slave quarters behind.

*  Arthur Middleton was schooled in England.  When he came back to the colonies of America, he married a neighbor from across the river, Mary Izard.  Mary had never been out of the colonies, so Henry took her on a three-year honeymoon tour of Europe!  Their first son, Henry, was born on that trip.  A gorgeous portrait of the happy trio is in the house museum, as are many of the silver pieces, china, art, and other treasures they purchased on their trip. This lovely portrait of the family is by Benjamin West.

*  Much of the art that was in the house during the Civil War was set to be burned.  When the Union soldiers came to the plantation with orders to burn everything to the ground, a medical director, Dr. Henry Marcy, was with the troops. Realizing all the art that would be lost with the burning, he sliced the paintings out of their frames, rolled them up, took them north, and hung them in his own home.  After the war, Williams Middleton corresponded with Dr. Marcy and managed to have some (but not all) of the paintings returned--on the condition Williams reimbursed Marcy $10 for the repairs and $30 for the new frames.

*  A son of Arthur and Mary became a painter and renowned archeologist:  John Izard Middleton was proclaimed "American's First Classical Archeologist."


The first Henry Middleton

*  After the Smiths moved in, they found an old trunk in a barn, covered in rotting straw.  Inside, preserved by the camphor wood lining, were items of 18th century clothing, including a gold silk waistcoat and breeches that were worn in a portrait of the first Henry. It's rare to have both the clothing and the portrait in which it was worn survive.

*  As a man loyal to the South, Williams Middleton turned all his money into Southern script--over a million dollars.  Of course, after the war it was worthless.  The family would have lost the plantation if not for Williams' sister, Eliza Fisher who had married a wealthy Northerner.  She provided the funds to keep Middleton Place in the family, and helped it rebuild after the war.

I will share a bit about the slaves at Middleton Place in another blog.  I highly encourage you to visit the plantation and dive into its history.

NANCY MOSER is the best-selling author of 25 novels, including Love of the Summerfields, Christy Award winner, Time Lottery; Washington’s Lady, Mozart’s Sister, The Journey of Josephine Cain, and Masquerade. Nancy has been married for forty years—to the same man. They have three grown children and five grandchildren, and live in the Midwest. She’s earned a degree in architecture; run a business with her husband; traveled extensively in Europe; and has performed in various theatres and choirs. She knits voraciously, kills all her houseplants, and can wire an electrical fixture without getting shocked. She is a fan of anything antique—humans included. Author Website, Footnotes from History Blog, Author Blog/Inspirational humor, Pinterest, Facebook, Twitter, Good Reads  

Read my latest book Love of the Summerfields: 1880 England. The lives and loves of manor and village intertwine. Earl and shopkeeper, countess and clerk—all will be stunned and transformed by a secret that begs to be revealed. When the Weston family returns to Summerfield Manor at the close of the London social season, both village and manor relax into their normal existence. But for four women, turmoil awaits. Each must battle the restrictions of her position as her faith and character are tested. Each will have a choice to make between her own happiness and a truth that will turn their carefully-ordered world upside down.