Colonial Charleston - Shipyards & Repair

Charleston Shipyards

Throughout the colonial period in South Carolina, shipbuilding was centered around the three trade centers-Charleston, Georgetown and Beaufort. Charleston, alone, supported some 14 shipyards during the period from the beginning of the 18th century up until 1865. Probably the largest shipyard in all of colonial South Carolina was the one started on the south side of Hobcaw Creek in 1753 by two Scottish shipwrights, John Rose and James Stewart. Rose and Stewart located their yard on a 340-acre tract of land bounding northwest on the Wando River, north on the Wackindaw (Hobcaw) Creek, east on the lands of David Maybank, and south on Molasses Creek. Today this area is known as Hobcaw Point.

The property had been granted to Lt. Col. John Godfrey in 1681. In 1682 Godfrey sold the property to Richard Dearsley of Barbados. Dearsley subsequently sold the property to his son, Maj. George Dearsley, in 1701 (Moore 1978: 209-210/PCR 54: 341-346). George Dearsley was also a shipbuilder who was building vessels in the colony perhaps as early as the 1690's. Dearsley's yard was most likely on Shem Creek which at the time was called Dearsley's Creek (Temple 1964: 3). Any records of Dearsley having built ships at the Hobcaw site have not been found.

. . . In 1763 Rose launched the 180-ton ship Heart of Oak (see Coker 1987: 63, illustration). The S. C. Gazette for 21 May 1763 reported that “The fine new ship Heartof-Oak, commanded by Capt. Henry Gunn, lately built by Mr. John Rose at Hobcaw, came down (to town) two days ago, completely fitted, and is now taking in her cargo at Messrs. Inglis, Lloyd, & Hall's wharf; 'tis thought she will carry 1100 barrels of rice, be very buoyant, and of an easy draught.” When the Heart of Oak was registered, John Rose listed himself as sole owner (Olsberg 1973: 232), however one fourth of the ship was owned by Henry Laurens (Hamer, Rogers 1972:478). In 1766, Henry Laurens valued his one-quarter interest in the Heart of Oak at £4,000 (Rogers, Chesnutt 1978: 613).

 In 1767, Rose launched the 160-ton ship Liberty. According to the S.C. Gazette for 27 April 1767, the Liberty, built for the Bristol trade, had a figurehead in the image of William Pitt, “and was intended to be called the Pitt, 'till he was created Earl of Chatham; so great a veneration have the Americans for Pitt and Liberty.” Both the Heart of Oak and Liberty were listed in the 25 October 1773 Gazette as being “constantly employed in the Trade between this Port and Europe.”

 In February 1769, Rose sold the yard to two other Scottish shipwrights, William Begbie and Daniel Manson, along with “all the stages, punts, steamers, fixed pitch kettles, & all tools & utensils for conducting a shipwrights business” (RMC M-3: 240). The new owners were soon busy, launching the 200-ton ship Magna Charta for the London trade on 23 November 1770. When the Magna Charta was launched, Begbie and Manson already had another ship on the stocks. This was the 200-ton ship, Carolina Packet, launched in 1771 (S.C. Gazette: 1/17/1771).

These were undoubtedly only two of the many vessels built while Begbie and Manson owned the yard. On 20 June 1778, Abraham Livingston and Paul Pritchard bought the property from Begbie and Manson for £50,000 currency and changed its name to Pritchard's Shipyard (RMC Z-4: 156-157). Pritchard had been leasing Capt. Cochran's shipyard across the Cooper River on Shipyard Creek until April 1777 when the state began leasing the yard for £1,200 currency per year (Salley 1912: 54-55). The Commissioners of the Navy of South Carolina found the Shipyard Creek site unsuitable and by July 1778 were negotiating with Pritchard over the sale of his shipyard on Hobcaw Creek.

 The Navy Board had good reason to be interested in the Hobcaw site. As the Commissioners noted, “there is on the Premises at Hobcaw a great deal of Store room, very Substantial good Wharves and Other Conveniences Sufficient to Heave down Three Vessels at the same time.” (Salley 1912: 177). So, on 29 October 1778, Paul Pritchard signed over three-quarters interest in the yard “along with the Negroes and Appurtenances thereon” to the state for the sum of £77,700. At the time there were 15 “Negroes” employed at the yard (Salley 1912: 197).

 One of Pritchard's first jobs for the Navy was the construction of a boat for the Brig Hornet which he did for £1,000. The Navy Board then sent him the Brig Notre Dame to be repaired and made fit for service. They also ordered that “the Large Flatt be Immediately sent to the Ship Yard at Hobcaw, and be altered into a Galley for the purpose of protecting the Inland trade of this State.” (Salley 1912: 234, 235) By January 1780 efforts at the yard were in high gear when the Board sent the ships Bricole, and Truite (Trout), the Brig Notre Dame, and all the galleys to Hobcaw to be “put in good repair for Immediate Service.” (Salley 1913: 60). This was only some of the repair and construction work done by Pritchard for the state's Navy.

 Sole ownership of the shipyard apparently reverted to Pritchard after the Revolution for in his will, filed in December 1791, Pritchard bequeathed the yard to his son William along with “all the Materials at the Ship Yard at Hobcaw for carrying on the Shipwrights Business, and also all the Timber and Plank in the Said Ship Yard and Vessels on the Stocks.” This included 12 slaves listed as ship carpenters and caulkers (PCR 24-C: 963).