Part 5- Peter moves to Charleston – covering the years of 1799-1815
Peter is not my direct ancestor, yet I found myself so intrigued by his life. I have found so many records of his life between the various newspapers articles and ads, death records, his will (s), his social activities, that it was possible to color in the details of his life. He was single his entire life. Or did he have a relationship with his slave as so many did during this time? Why did Mammie save his and Zepherine’s life? His life intertwines with Zepherines at many intervals. He has left so many questions and clues I have been determined to solve his puzzle. So let me tell you about him.
*Side note- It has occurred to me that there are so many locations to visit in Charleston that Peter has lived or been around. I plan to visit Charleston one day and see these locations , so I will put together a list and map soon for anyone interested!
At the end of 1799 we find Peter is living in Charleston, SC, where he will spend the majority of the rest of his life.
He sets up his first shop on 112 Broad St, and in an advertisement dated, October 25, 1799 he lists Goods for sale, such as lots of fabrics and various other things. (1) His polished ad leads me to think he had experience in acquiring and selling goods this way. Possibly, he had a similar store in Le Cap before the revolution or possibly he worked with someone in Alexandria.
Also notice it says Peter Javain and Company. In a later ad we see he is in business with John C. You and R. Ladeveze. Mr. You worked at the Customs House which at that time was located at the Old Exchange Building. His job was to regulate the commerce coming into one of the busiest ports in America. He was in a prime location to see when a ship comes in laden with salable goods. Mr. Ladeveze is a fellow grocery man.
Peter is advertising his goods until the middle of 1800 . Then nothing until January of 1804 where he advertises again. I don’t know exactly where he went for all of those years, but it is highly probable he went to France. I say this because in February of 1802 Napoleon signed the peace Treaty of Amiens with England. This temporary treaty gave a small window of time where the seas were not ruled by the English and the French ships could pass unmolested across the seas. Many Frenchman living away took this opportunity to go back to France. Even English captains steered their ships to trade in France. But the treaty only lasted till May of 1803. Many English Captains didn’t leave France in time and found themselves quickly locked up in jail and didn’t get out until 1815 with the fall of Napoleon!
In January of 1804 Peter becomes a naturalized citizen of the United states.
There were many reasons Peter would have chosen to stay in the United states. Firstly, coinciding with his (I believe) trip to France he realizes that having French citizenship with English Privateers prowling about makes it too risky to travel the seas. Secondly, there was a large body of like-minded French refugees in Charleston , both from the Caribbean and from the French Revolution (there is even an area in the city deemed the “french quarter”) . He had already made several close friends and business connections during his time there. Thirdly, by becoming a citizen Peter would get better importing laws. He could now move freely and operate freely throughout the US. Lastly, his business was prospering and he saw a good means to make a living for himself in Charleston.
Charleston was a bustling port city during this time. With the influx of so many European goods, there was a cosmopolitan air to the city. A large cultural life thrived with theaters, museums, libraries, musical societies. The St. Cecilia Musical Society formed in 1762, and still holds regular public concerts to this day! Charleston also had a history of religious tolerance. I found this description (4)
The philosophy of early Charles Town was based on religious tolerance and it was believed that with this attitude the settlement would increase in numbers and profitability. The second charter guaranteed religious freedom. The openness towards religion brought French Huguenots, Baptists (known then as Anabaptists), Congregationalists and Presbyterians. Early in the next century, 12 Scottish families withdrew to form the Scots Kirk, now the First Scots Presbyterian Church. A Jewish congregation formed in 1750, followed shortly by a Lutheran Church and Methodist assembly. The first Roman Catholic mass was held in Charleston in 1786. Because of its origins for religious diversity, Charleston became known as “The Holy City.”
For all of these reasons, it is understandable why this city would appeal to Peter.
He increased his storefront from first at 106 Tradd street and then to 27 Church. This is his ad from 1804:
I have tried finding this exact address in Charleston, but the street numbers jump past it. Street numbers did get changed in the late 1800s. After careful study I think the current address is actually 131 Church St since he mentions in his ad that he is next to the Old Play House .
The old playhouse he mentions is probably what is now called the Dock Street Theater which was built in 1736! https://charlestonstage.com/dock-street-theatre.html There is a lovely video on this link. Peter was right in the middle of the action !
So a side note on the ships mentioned in the previous ad. I notice over the years Peter would mention which ship he had gotten the wares from. I am not sure why he would mention it , but it could be the name had some added value. Perhaps, it was wares from a privateer’s booty. I did find several Brigs with the name Venus and one was a ship taken multiple times by Privateers. It was common for the ship’s captain to sell the wares they had acquired in the capture of the additional ship. Merchant’s such as Peter would go to the docks and purchase the lot of goods. It was common practice all over the world. It was considered part of doing business.
1804 was also a great year because in June his sister gets married to Jean.
In the following years he moves again, this time onto King Street and remains on this street- but in different buildings- for many years with his long-time address at 95 King Street. I plan to contact a local historian for assistance in locating the current location of this address.
Sadly, the next legal document I find is a Bill of Sale for a slave in 1808.
Let me pause here and say that for me it is very sad dealing with the slave ownership of my ancestors. I realize that this was common in this era , but it doesn’t make it any easier to think about. Also, Peter is an enigma. On the one hand at this time he begins to buy more slaves, but on the other hand I believe that he truly loved Mammie. I believe THAT is the reason she saved their lives, and I believe that Eliza (also called Kitty) is their child. There are only a few surviving documents, but enough that point out my hypothesis could fit. As I work through the timeline, I will point out instances which led me to this thought.
Also, I decided many years ago to see if I could find out any other identifying information on each slave and if I could find any descendants. Someone needs to be a witness to them and their lives. Let me say that has been a very difficult task as info is hard to find, but I will keep you updated.
Regarding the purchased slave in 1808. I thought I had a copy but I don’t seem to have a copy of it, and I have requested it from the archives in Charleston. I will update the name when I get it in.
Peter finally shows up in his first American census- in 1810. It lists just him. I want to point out that we know he had purchased a slave in 1808 so this census doesn’t count slaves.
The War of 1812 proves especially difficult for merchants because the English have blockaded the port of Charleston. 1 in 5 ships are able to get through which drives the price of goods up. He is listed in the newspaper as being a Corporal under Captain Peter Fayolle. Strangely, he is NOT listed under regular War of 1812 soldier lists. I have never found out why. I noticed it says Alarm Men, maybe that is someone called up only under extreme circumstances. Funny coincidence, Captain Peter Fayolle is a St Domingue emigre that makes his living as a dance instructor!
So like I said the next years during the war were lean times. Peter advertises a couple of times in 1813 that he still has some goods available. The next ad is not until mid 1815 which he begs for people to come settle their debts with him. He also takes some to court. I have requested these documents from the archives. People must have paid up and of course the war and blockades were over because towards the end of 1815 he informs the public he is back in business and ready to sell some groceries.
And then, I find another bill of sale for a slave.
11/14/1815
GIBSON, JAMES TO PETER JAVAIN AND COMPANY, BILL OF SALE FOR A SLAVE NAMED STEPHEN
So let’s find out about Mr. Stephen. I sifted through the newspaper adverts and find an amazing description of Mr. Stephen who finally has enough, seizes an opportunity and takes off in 1830, yet Peter is still advertising for him in 1833!
Stephen worked for him for 16 years as his storeman, but finally saw his chance of escape and took it. I have not found further info, but we will have to see if he turns up again. I hope he made it out because the workhouse was a horrible place. There are many articles, books and dissertations regarding the workhouse. It is painful to read but here is a short article description. (see 3 below) .
I am fairly certain Stephen’s wife was Isabella Anderson a free person of color that is listed with Robert Anderson in the directories. Robert Anderson is a fellow grocery man.
James Gibson, the man who sold Stephen was a Scotsman and coach-maker residing in Charleston.
Many years ago when I came across this ad, I discovered in Charleston, hiring out slaves was a big business. Depending on the slave’s skill set , would determine market price for the slaves wages. The slaves were able to move about the city as long as they had this badge pictured here and this description from the National Museum of American History (2) :
These small metal badges, most often made of copper, were produced in Charleston, South Carolina between 1800 and the Civil War. They were worn by slaves working in the city; slaves living and working on the rural plantations were not required to wear them. The badges only identified the type of work they were permitted to do. Neither the slave owner nor the slave’s name were engraved into the badges. These three are marked for servant, porter, and mechanic. Other categories were fisher and fruiterer. Slave owners would purchase a badge from the City of Charleston. The wages earned by a hired-out slave belonged to their owners. However, evidence exists that wages earned in excess of what was owed to their owner could be retained by the slave, if the owner allowed it. The badges were typically sewn to clothing and gave the wearer more freedom of movement within the city than would be given to a slave working on a plantation. Badges were dated and were issued annually and became a source of tax revenue for the city. Cost for tags in 1865 ranged from $10 to $35 with the number peaking at about 5,000 in 1860. Ironically, slave badges which may be looked at as tagging a human as if property, may actually be evidence of relative freedom of movement within Charleston and a means of income for a slave and his or her family.
Peter will continue buying slaves and based on their runaway ads they were hired out so would have used these types of slave badges.
So next post, I will revisit Jean and Zepherine and then after that I will continue Peter’s story picking up in the beginning of 1816. We will meet more of his slaves and see what else he has been up to.
Any questions, let me know in the comments or email me. Don’t forget to subscribe to be informed of my latest post!
Footnotes
(1)SOUTH-CAROLINA STATE GAZETTE, AND TIMOTHY’S DAILY ADVERTISER.Friday, Oct 25, 1799 Charleston, SCVol: LVIIIIssue: 6102Page: 1
(2) https://americanhistory.si.edu/collections/search/object/nmah_671073
(4) https://www.charlestoncvb.com/media/media-kit/historic-overview/
Further Reading
A History of American Privateers by Edgar Stanton Maclay available as a free ebook on google books. It is written in 1900 and quite wordy. But the first couple of chapters really explained privateering well.
Interesting website and explanation of the Rise and Fall of Charlestons maritime history:
