Will of George Grumes, Charleston County, SC
Box 48, No 3 Know all men by these Presents that I George Grumes of the parish of St James Goose Creek and the State of South Carolina planter do make and ordain this my last will and testament hereby revoking and making void all former wills by me at any time heretofore made, and first of all I direct that my body be decently interred in the burying ground Known as the Platt burying ground located about one mile to the East of the State road &about 25 miles from Charleston & that my Executors have a suitable monument erected to mark the spot where my dust "rests in hope" And as to such worldly estate as it hath pleased God to bless me with I dispose of the same as follows viz First I direct that my legal debts and funeral expenses be paid as soon after my decease as possible out of the first monies that shall come into the hands of my Executors from any portion of my estate real or personal. Second I do hereby vest in my Executors full power and authority to dispose my plantation or tract of land known as "Travellers Home" or Saw Mill Containing more or less with the Steam Saw Mill now on the place to an approved purchaser for one fourth cash & the balance in four annual installments with interest from day of sale security bond and mortgage with personal security. Third I direct that the plantation implements tools waggons carts mules & houses be sold as soon circumstances will admit or wisdom may point out. Fourthly I direct that my stock of cattle hogs & sheep be gathered at a proper time &be sold to the best advantage. Fifth I give my wife Elizabeth the choice of one of my horses with my Barouchs and harnesses, twenty cows & calves, my household and Kitchen furniture and the entire stock of poultry to be and remain her absolute property. Also the entire portion and property which she heired from her father at his decease. Also I wish her to have the use and income arising from the place or tract of land now known as Grumesville containing 67 acres more or less to be hers during her pleasure or life & the monies arising from the rents of the houses in the village to be paid over to her annually for her support & at the death of my Wife the said place and perquisites with the rents to be propriated for the benefit support and comfort of the Officiating Minister who may have charge of the Goose Creek Baptist Church called Bethlehem for the support of the Gospel at that place. Sixthly after all my debts is paid off I direct that my negroes be sold & my beloved Wife be given one half of the amount of all my property as her portion in addition to the above &the other half of the amount of my property to be equally divided to my first Cousins. Seventhly I request that Mr. Samuel Lynes my brother in law be priviledged to occupy the house and lot which he now resides in as a Summer residence in Grumesville as long as himself or family be pleased to do by paying a rent of ten dollars per annum to be appropriated as already specified. Also after the decease of my beloved Wife Elizabeth I direct that my own house and residence in Grumesville with the lot connected be given to George Lynes the son of George Lynes to him and his legal heirs on the same condition of paying annually the sum of ten dollars to be appropriated as already directed. Eightly I do now appoint as my Executors the Revd Samuel Lynes & John McCullers to carry out my purposes and wishes herein expressed this twenth fourth day of September One thousand eight hundred and forty eight & in witness whereof I sign my name. George Grumes (Seal) Witnesses E. Nicholes, Theo. C. Tharin, D. G. Hough NB In addition to the above I give to my Wife the entire crop on the plantation. George Grumes (Seal) Proved before M T Mendenhall Esqr O C D 24 October 1848 and on the same day Revd Saml: Lynes, & Jno McCullers qualified as Exors: Thereof Recorded in Will Book K ;1845-1851 Recorded on Page 220
What this means is that "Elizabeth" the sister of Samuel (Rev?) and George was married first to George Grumes, then Thomas Creighton. And it identifies another cemetery, the "Platt" cemetery. We would like to find this burying ground. And who was her father? It mentions the "entire portion and property which she heired from her father at his decease" ? It is evident that it must be Samuel Sr. (1776), who died in 1845 and is buried at the Chapel of Ease. This proves that the Elizabeth described here is beyond doubt, the sister of Rev Samuel and George. We have no sisters listed to Samuel Sr (1776). At this time, the church was still at the Chapel of Ease site (1848).
All the inventory of George Grumes and details of the sale are found in the estate inventories, under 1848. See the "Files" section above.
5/6/2016 New information on the Platt Burying ground
On March 31, 2016 Betsy Platt Waters communicated with us the following:
"Hi, Jack. My ancestor, John Platt of St. James-Goose Creek, may have been one of the first persons buried in this cemetery. Attached is the document provided to me by Barry Huff, who is related to the Burbage and Huff families of Goose Creek. This shows that the Platt burying ground was sold by John Platt, Jr., to Thomas Burbage, who may have been his brother-in-law, in 1806. I'm also attaching a copy of John Platt's will, circa 1793, which was witnessed by Peter Reidheimer. [we have Peter's grave in the Chapel of Ease graveyard]
The description given in the will of George Grumes is the best I've seen so far. I was in touch with Mayor Heitzler of Goose Creek several years ago. He has done a good deal of research on the area and has written a couple of books. At that time, he was unable to provide any additional he had no information on this cemetery, but I'm hopeful that additional clues may be found at some point.
John Platt's son, Tilman Platt, apparently accumulated a lot of land in the area. One of the tracts, I believe, was on the "road to Wassamassaw."
The two documents are below.
Platt, John, deed 1806
KNOW ALL MEN BY THESE PRESENTS that I, John Platt of St.
George’s Parish Colleton District in the state aforesaid, Farmer, in
consideration of one hundred & ninety dollars good and lawful money to me
by Thomas Burbage of St. James Goose Creek, Charleston District, in the state
aforesaid, Miller, have granted,
bargained, sold and released and by these presents do grant, bargain, sell and
release unto the said Thomas Burbage all that plantation or tract of land
containing ninety five acres more or less situate in the parish of St. James
Goose Creek Charleston District, it being a tract of land containing ninety
seven acres granted the first day of August in the year one thousand seven
hundred and eighty five to Peter Redhimer, bounding north west and south west
on lands belonging to Keating Simons, south east on lands of Col. Motte, south
east on lands belonging to Thomas Singleton, Esq., and north east on lands of
Peter Redhimer at the time of the original grant (?) having such form
& marks, buttings and boundings as a platt (sic) represents affixed to the
original grant reference whereto it may more fully and clearly appear, there
being reserved by the said John Platt as a family burying ground to be laid out
in form & shape of a square where the body of John Platt, Senior, his wife,
the mother of the said John Platt, is buried to be the center of the reserved
two acres of land, and the said John Platt or any of the family and their heirs
shall have free, private resort to the
said two acres of land at any time without any disturbance or molestation
whatsoever, together with all and singular the rights, members and
heriditaments and appurtenances to the said plantation or tract of ninety five
acres more or less belonging or in any wise incident or appertaining: To have and to hold all and singular the
premises before mentioned unto the said Thomas Burbage, his heirs and assigns,
forever. And I do hereby bind myself, my
heirs, executors, and administrators, to warrant and forever defend all and
singular the said premises, unto the said Thomas Burbage, his heirs and
assigns, against myself and my heirs, and against every person whomever,
lawfully claiming or to claim the same, or any part thereof.
Witness my hand and seal this eighth day of March in the
year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred & six and in the thirtieth year
of the Independence of the United States of America.
Signed, sealed and delivered in the presence of:
Eliza Clark
Mary Stewart
His
Roger Murphey John
Platt (LS)
Mark
Recorded and
examined the 28th June, 1806,
by Chs. Grover (?), Registrar
WILL OF JOHN PLATT
(Retyped from document found in the collection of Charleston County wills in the Charleston County Library, South
Carolina Room, Charleston, SC, using spelling, punctuation and capitalization as shown in typed and bound document)
State of South Carolina
In the Name of God Amen John Platt of St. James Goose Creek and State aforesaid Planter, being
in a Lingring (sic) State of Health for some time past, but in perfect Mind, Memory and Understanding Blessed be God, I
do make, Publish and Declare this to be my Last Will and Testament in manner and form following (That is to say I first
recommend my Soul to the Hands of the Almighty, that gave it, and my Body to be decently Buried at the discretion of
my friends, Executrix, and Executors; and as touching my Worldly Estate that it has pleased God to bestow upon me, I
Give, devise and bequeath in manner and form following: I Give and bequeath unto my loving wife Mary Platt the pick
of ten cows and calves that she may chose out of my stock and cattle, also all my Household furniture and to remain on
my Plantation where I now reside, until her death, also to have the use of a Negro Woman named Sharlot, during her
Life, then to go to my son David, the Cattle and furniture after the Death of my Wife to be equally divided between my
two son David and John Platt’s; it is also my Wish that my wife Mary should have the free use of my riding Horse during
her Life; after Wife has taken out her part of Cattle, the remainder of my Stock of Cattle, hogs and one rifle to be sold for
Cash and that Money along with a Note of three pounds on Joseph Herington, Account against Arthur White for fifteen
pounds all which equally devided (sic) between my eight Children, as follows, vise Anngeleco, Tillman, Harman, Mary,
Ellender, Elizabeth, Susannah and Rebecah Platt; Item, I Give and bequeath unto my daughter Elizabeth a Mare named
Janey, Item, I Give and bequeath to my Daughter Ellender a Mare Pol, Item, I give and bequeath after the death of wife, I
give to my son David a Negro woman named Sharlot to him and his heir forever, after the death of my wife I give and
bequeath to my son, Jn. Platt (John) and the plantation I reside on to him him (sic) and his heirs forever, I do hereby
Nominate and Appoint my loving wife Mary to be my executrix and my daughter Elizabeth and my son John my
executors of my last Will and Testament revoking all other by me heretofore made; Given under my hand and seal this
twenty seventh day of September one thousand seven hundred and ninety three, and Seventeenth Year of American
Independence, It is also my will that my son John shall have a Mare Colt named Cate; also that my son David shall have
the Horse Colt called Nott.
Johnn Platt (sic)
His
John Readhimer Peter Readhimer Thomas Burbreg
Mark
Proved before Charles Lining Esquire O.C.T.D. October 11th, 1793
At the same time Qualified Mary Platt and Elizabeth Platt Executrixes
May 22, 1798 Qualified John Platt Executor.
Examined )
29 ) C. L.
5 Co. Sh. )
Recorded from Will Book No. 1793-1800 C Page #57
