Tuesday, September 7, 2010

History of Charleston sc -1671 Lord Ashley letter to Sir John

In September of 1671 Lord Ashley wrote to
Sir John, "Above all things let me recommend to you the
making of a Port Town upon the River Ashley," etc.
Sir John was evidently of the same mind as his old
predecessor, and took the first steps by negotiating with
the persons who had taken up the land between the two
rivers. Accordingly in February, 1672, Mr. Henry
Hughes and " John Coming and Affra his wife
"
appeared
before the Grand Council and surrendered their land,
" nere a place upon Ashley River known as Oyster Point
to be imployed in and towards enlarging of a Towne and
Common of Pasture there intended to be erected."
" Mr. John Coming and Affra his wife
"
are perhaps the
most interesting people of that early time, because it is
impossible not to suspect a romance concerning them.
For why should " Mistress Affra Harleston of Mollyns,
daughter of John Harleston Gent., of a family long seated
at South Ockenden Essex, and having estates in Ireland,"
come out to America as servant to Mr. Owens, but for a
sentimental reason? Her father's house, as described in
the inventory, contained "seller, parlour, kitchen, larder,
great chamber, painted chamber, nurserie, butterie, gallerie
to the garretts," etc. Why, having everything thus
handsome about her, did she leave it all, if it were not to
marry John Coming, first mate of the Carolina, and
afterward captain of the good ships Edisto and Blessing?
Coming was a hardy Devonshire sailor of the
race of Drake and Raleigh and Kingsley's heroes. The
family tradition says, that having lost a ship some time
before he had been accused of cowardice, whereupon he
had with his own hands built and rigged a longboat, in
which he had crossed the Atlantic. He must have been
a man of means, for on first arrival he settled a place on
Ashley River and afterward one on the Cooper. His
name lives in " Comings Point," the southern cape of
Charleston Harbour, charted by him in 1671, and in the
fine plantation" Coming-tee," now in possession of his
collateral descendants, the Balls.
This may have been the first runaway match in South
Carolina.

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