From Slavery to Freedom

Early 19th-Century

Because of Charles Drayton's diaries, more details are known about individual enslaved people at Drayton Hall between 1790 and 1820. This early 19th century enslaved community lived in "barracks" and houses on a bluff line of high ground on the north side of the entry drive about half way between Ashley River Road and the main house. Charles Drayton noted the construction of those barracks some time around 1804. A 1990 archeological investigation confirmed the location of the barracks and located a substantial amount of colonoware — a type of earthenware ceramic made using traditional African methods.

George, Exeter, Jack, and Dumplin

In lists included as part of his diary entries, Charles mentions that enslaved people held positions such as gardeners, brick masons, and weavers-positions not listed in colonial records. Charles Drayton also made use of drivers at his properties. A driver was an enslaved person who worked in the management of plantation operations. During Charles' ownership, a man named George served as driver for the Drayton Hall. (Charles refers to him as the "bustler.") Although this position usually carried "rewards" such as better clothing, food, and housing, and opportunities, the driver was often caught in the middle in disputes between owner and other enslaved people.

A majority of the entries in Charles' diary referring to enslaved people are brief, often notations about a birth or death. For example,



This last entry does, however, offer a glimpse of funeral practices; it was common among whites and blacks to sit with the corpse the night before a funeral. The importance of the ritual is evident from Dumplin's willingness to sit with Jack's corpse despite her own sickness.

Toby, the Carpenter

However, some enslaved people are mentioned repeatedly over the course of time. One such example is Toby, whom Charles Drayton mentions by name in more than 15 entries. In his April 2nd entry in 1791, Charles wrote, "Sent Toby carpenter to Jehosse with 6 1/2 lb of 6d. nails." Jehosse was one of the six or so plantations that Charles Drayton owned and managed. In 1793, Charles Drayton recorded a brief entry when Toby ran away, but several months later, when Toby returned, or was brought back, Charles wrote a good deal more: "Toby carpenter returned; finding so much wretchedness and want of comforts from his situation." Whether that is representative of Toby's actual feelings is unknown. Over the years, Charles noted several other anecdotes about Toby from an event during which a number of white people may have tried to steal several of Toby's beehives and cattle, to the night that Toby narrowly escaped death when he was knocked overboard while on the river. Later during the construction of a barn in 1804, Charles wrote that Toby "fell from high, and was greatly cripled & bruised. so as to be incapable to walk." Three years later, and sixteen years after the first entry about Toby appeared, Charles wrote simply, "Old carpenter Toby died."