Charleston Harbor - Pilots, Harbor Operations & Quarantine Laws

The harbor was marked with buoys at the bar but no beacon through 1757

1757 Law:  whereas, it has been found impracticable and unsafe to build or erect a beacon either on Sullivan's Island or Commyn's Island [?], there being no foundation except sand, and it hath been also found that the spire of the said steeple of the church of St. Michael's parish doth in a great measure answer the end and purpose of a beacon to vessels coming on this coast, and a pest house being already built and erected on Sullivan's Island aforesaid, . . .


1721:  Ships arriving in Port

- Pilot required to ask all ships prior to entering this province whether anyone on board has or plague, malignant fever, small pox or other contagious distemper.  The commander is required to answer honestly and without equivocation or reserve.

- Pilot - upon pain of 20 pound fine - to tell ships master or captain that he may not disembark any of his men or passengers until the vessel is "first admitted by the Gov. to enter and trade, but shall (wind and tide permitting) bring the said ship or vessel above Johnson’s Fort, so that she may be under the command of the guns of the said Fort."

- Once under the command of the guns of Fort Johnson, the captain, or ship's doctor and a ships officer, is to repair to the Commander of the Fort and "make oath . . . with respect to the health of the said vessel’s crew, and all persons, passengers and negroes whatsoever, on board the same --
1.  Whether the place from whence the said vessel came last was healthy,
2.  Whether all the persons, passengers and negroes, imported in the said vessel, are in health, and free from small-pox, plague, fevers and all other malignant distempers?
3.  Whether any died in the voyage, and if so, what distempers they died of, and how long since? Which oaths the commanding ofiicer of the said fort is hereby required and authorized to administer accordingly.

- If the Commander finds the ship to be in good health, than he will authorize the capt to "come up before Charleston," the captain then to repair to shore and to report to the Gov. of SC, "there by him to be examined on oath, and to answer all such questions as his Excellency the Governour for the time being," might put to him.

- If the Commander or the Governor suspect that the ship is not in good health, than it shall be ordered to anchor in quarantine to await further instructions.

- The Commander of Fort Johnson is tasked with making sure no ship, including those that enter without pilots, are allowed to pass Fort Johnson without stopping and giving oath.

- If it appears that the ship's captain, officers or doctor have "given a false account of the state of health of account of the the said vessel or passengers, . . . they and every of them shall be liable to the for . . . -- the master, the sum of five hundred pounds and twelve months imprisonment without bail or mainprize; the mate, doctor, or any other officer of the said vessel, the sum of one hundred pounds . . . and six months imprisonment, . . . the common sailors, the sum of fifty pounds . . . and three months imprisonment.

1723:  Pilots Established

- Gov. authorized to license 4 pilots, each of whom must have one white assisstant

- The Gov. himself is responsible for hearing all disputes among and about the pilots

- All ships coming to the bar are required to take on a pilot and all must pay pilot fees -

- Pilots are responsible for all damages to ships and cargo caused by their negligence.

- Pilot Fees (for combined in and outward bound journeys):
Note:  PROCLAMATION MONEY was coin valued according to a proclamation issued by Queen Anne on 18 June 1704 and in effect until 1775.  All costs below were followed by the term, proclamation money

Draft of six feet of water and under - one pound ten shillings
seven feet, two pounds
eight feet, two pounds ten shillings
nine feet, three pounds
ten feet, three pounds ten shillings
eleven feet, four pounds
twelve feet, four pounds ten shillings
twelve feet and a' half, five pounds
thirteen feet, five pounds ten shillings
thirteen feet and a half, six pounds
fourteen feet, six pounds ten shillings
fourteen feet and a half, seven pounds
fifteen feet, eight pounds
sixteen feet, ten pounds proclamation money,
seventeen feet, twelve pounds ten shillings

That the said pilots hereby already appointed, and such as shall be by the Governour . . . shall keep a sufficient number of good decked boats, well fitted with substantial tackle, rigging and apparel for the sea, and also necessary and proper canoes or boats, that shall be able and fitting to row out to sea when the weather shall be calm and unfit for one of the said decked boats; each of which said decked boats, as also the said canoes or boats, shall be manned with one good and able person, besides the pilot and his apprentice or servant; and one of the said decked boats or the said canoes or boats shall constantly be and attend at Sullivan’s Island, and shall (with a pilot on board) every day go over the Bar, on purpose to discover and go on board any ship or Vessel intending for this port, whenever the wind and weather will permit

- Pilot responsible on advising where to anchor and how to keep safe there during the anchorage.

-  And whereas, ships and vessels falling to the northward or south ward of the barrs of Charlestown, are often in hazie weather at a loss to know Where they are, for want of encouragement given to people from on shoar to repair to them for their instruction, upon signals made for that purpose, by firing of a gun, or making a whiff with the auntient, Be it enacted by the authority aforesaid, That when any master of a vessel bound for the port of Charlestown, receives on board or takes instructions from any white person to the barrs of Charlestown, the master of such vessel shall and he is hereby directed and obliged to pay to such instructor, one pound five shillings proclamation money, or five pounds current money of this Province ; and provided such instructor be desired to continue on board such ship and vessel, to bring them to the barr of Charlestown, that he be allowed the allowance aforesaid for every day, 'not exceeding two days; and in case the said instructor shall, by stress of weather or otherways, be obliged to continue longer on board, that then and in such case he be allowed five shillings proclamation money, or twenty shillings current money of this Province, for every day he shall continue on board over and above two days, as aforesaid; which encouragement shall be paid by the master or commander of such vessel, and by him charged to the account of his owners.

1738:  Coasting Vessels employed trade solely in SC

-  Not required to hire or pay for a pilot
-  Not required to pay powder tax

1747:  Update to Port Quarantine Procedures

That no vessel which shall come from any part of America, where the commander of Fort Johnson having received information of any plague, malignant fever, small pox or any other contagious distemper may be, or the master or mate of the said vessel refusing to take the oath tendered to him by the said commander of the said fort, shall be permitted to pass by Fort Johnson till some one of the physicians hereinafter mentioned, that is to say, Dr. John Lining, Dr. Thomas Dale, Dr. John Monltrie, Dr. John Martini, Dr. David Polly, ____. or Dr. William Rind, shall have visited such vessel and certified to the commander of Fort Johnson that all persons on board the said vessel are in health ; and the physicians for visiting every such vessel as aforesaid shall be paid a fee of seven pounds and ten shillings current money, by the owners or masters of such vessel, who shall also pay for the expence of the boat to carry such physician down.

. . . .  That in all cases where vessels by this Act are directed to be visited by a physician, the commander of Fort Johnson shall immediately make a signal at the said fort, to notify that such vessel is to be visited, and one of the said physicians shall forthwith go down to visit such vessel.


1753:  Pilot fees inbound or outbound

6 ft of draft or under:  three pounds and fifteen shillings;
seven feet, five pounds;
eight feet, six pounds and five shillings;
nine feet, seven pounds and ten shillingss ;
ten feet, age. eight pounds and fifteen shillings;
eleven feet, ten pounds;
twelve feet, eleven pounds and five shillings;
twelve feet and an half, twelve pounds and ten shillings;
thirteen feet, thirteen pounds and fifteen shillings;
thirteen feet and an half, fifteen pounds;
fourteen feet, sixteen pounds and fifteen shillings;
fourteen feet and an half, seven teen pounds and ten shillings;
fifteen feet, twenty~ pounds and ten shillings;
fifteen feet and an half, twenty-five pounds;
sixteen feet, thirty pounds;
sixteen feet and an half, thirty-five pounds;
seven teen feet, forty pounds,
-- all given in the current money of this Province.


1756:

And be it further enacted by the authority aforesaid, That another Act entitled “An additional Act to an Act of the General Assembly of this Province entitled an Act for preventing as much as may be the spreading of contagious Distempers, . . . whereas, the physicians named in the fifth section of the said additional Act are either dead or decline giving attendance upon the occasions in the said Act required, It is hereby enacted, that no vessel under , the description therein contained shall pass Fort Johnson till one of the physicians hereinafter named, that is to say, Doctor Robert Brown, Dr. Alexander Garden, Dr. David Oliphant, Dr. George Millegen, Dr. Lionel Chalmers, Dr. Samuel Carne, Dr. John Murray or Dr. William Murray, shall have visited such vessel, and have given such certificate as is therein mentioned.


1719:  Customs Procedures

That from and after the ratification of this Act, all and every the rates and duties hereinafter named shall be laid and imposed and paid upon all negroes, liquors, goods and merchandizes, ’ imported in any vessel not built in this Province, the owners whereof reside not in this Province, as is hereafter specified and enumerated; that is to say:
- On every pipe of Madera wine, of the growth and produce of the Island of Madera, five pounds, and so in proportion for a lesser quantity;
- upon every pipe of Fayal wine, or any wine of the growth of the Western Islands, fifteen pounds, and so in proportion for a lesser quantity;
- upon every gallon of rum, four pence;
- upon every cask of beer, containing thirty-two gallons, imported from the northern colonies, seven shillings and six pence;
- upon every cask of syder containing thirty two gallons, imported from the northern colonies, ten shillings, and so in proportion for a greater or lesser quantity ;
- upon every gallon of molasses, twopence;
- upon every gallon of lime-juice, two pence ;
- upon every quart bottle of bran or other spirits whatsoever (rum excepted) five pence;
- upon every gallon of the same imported in cask, eighteen pence per gallon;
- on every hundred weight of brown or muscovado sugar, two shillings and six pence ;
- upon every hundred weight of clayed sugar, five shillings;
- upon every pound of refined sugar, three pence;
- upon every hundred weight of cocoa, ten shillings;
- upon every pound of chocolate made up, seven pence halfpenny;
- upon every hundred weight of tobacco imported from any of the America plantations, fifteen shillings;
- on every hundred weight of butter, five shillings;
- on every hundred weight of cheese, five shillings;
- on every hundred weight of candles, seven shillings and six pence;
- on every hundred weight of tallow, five shillings ;
- on every hundred weight of salt fish, five shillings;
- on every barrel of herrings or mackrel, ten shillings ;
- on every barrel of pork, twenty shillings ;
- on every barrel of beef, ten shillings;
- on every barrel of cranberries, five shillings;
- on every barrel of  blubber, seven shillings and six pence;
- on every hundred weight of brown bisket, fifteen pence ;
- on every hundred weight of white bisket, two shillings and six pence ;
- on bacon, per hundred, three shillings;
- on soap, five shillings per hundred;
- oh timber, plank, boards, stares, shingles, or other lumber, imported from any of the American plantations, five per cent. on prime cost;
- on horses imported from any of the northern plantations, twenty shillings;
- on all negro slaves imported from Africa directly, the sum often pounds per head;
- on all negro slaves imported from the Plantations, having lived there six months, thirty pounds per head, but if new negroes by certificate or oath of the master or importer, then but ten pounds per negro
- upon every pipe of vinegar, twenty shillings, and so in proportion for a greater or lesser quantity;
- on all Indians imported, five pounds ;‘
- on indigo, three pence per pound;
- on pitch and tarr imported, ten shillings per barrel;
- on deer skins imported, three pence per skin;

- on every hundred foot of cedar timber exported. being of the growth of this government, which is above six inches square, twenty shillings for every hundred feet;
- upon tanned leather exported, one penny per pound ;
- on neat leather exported, three shillings per side;
- on every tanned calfskin, one shilling per skin ;
- on every tanned deer skin, one shilling per skin;
- on every raw hyde, five shillings:

- on all goods and merchandize, not herein particularly named, specified, or rated, that shall hereafter be imported into this Province from any of the plantations in America, for every hundred pounds value the sum of five pounds per cent.; Excepting on such goods and merchandize as are of the produce and manufactory of Great Britain and Ireland, or on other goods lawfully exported from thence per cocq’ts., whether the said goods be imported into this Province directly from thence, or by way‘ of any of his Majesty's British Plantations in America, the same being so certified by the proper ofiicers residing in such colony or plantation from whence the said goods shall be exported; all which goods so imported into this Province, are hereby declarcd to be free from all manner of duty whatsoever.

Wine:  Madera

- That any person who shall import into this Province any wine from the Island of Madera, shall . . . produce a certificate to the comptroler  attested under the hand and seal of the Consul of Madera Island, that all the wines laden are of the growth and produce of the said Island ; otherwise the said wines shall be deemed and taken as wines of the growth of the Western Islands, and pay the duty accordingly. . . . [and that the importer has not adulterated the wine]


And be it further enacted by the authority aforesaid, That every master of any ship importing any of the aforesaid goods, on which an imposition is laid, shall, before he or they break bulk, make a general entry or manifest of his lading, signed by him, he shall deliver to the Comptroller upon oath, containing the marks and numbers of all such goods imported, and from whence numbers they came, with the name of the vessel and master importing the same; and every merchant or others importing any of. the aforesaid goods, shall, before the landing of the same, . . . to the Comptroller deliver, upon oath as aforesaid, one of which said entries shall by the Comptroller be filed and entered in a book by him kept for that purpose, the other two entries, signed by the said Comptroller, shall be delivered to the publick Receiver, who shall sign and file one of them, and also endorse the third entry, certifying that the several duties therein contained are paid, and then the publick Receiver is to deliver or send the said entry to one of the waiters, as a permit for landing of the said goods, and the said waiter or waiters are to give notice thereof to the master of any vessel therein concerned; and the said waiters are to keep a regular file of all such entries and permits so transferred to them by the publick Receiver, to be perused by a committee of the Commons House of Assembly, upon the examining and auditing the publick accounts.

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1751 Duties

there shall be imposed on and paid by all and every the c' inhabitants of this Province, and'other person and persons whosoever, first purchasing any negro or other slave, hereafter to be imported, a. certain tax or sum of ten pounds current money for every such negro and other slave of the height of four feet two inches and upwards; and for every one under that height, and above three feet two inches, the sum of five pounds like money; and for all under three feet two inches, (sucking children excepted) two pounds and ten shillings like money,

-  on every pipe of Madera wine imported, that shall not contain one hundred and ten gallons, eight pounds, and the further sum of one pound for every gallon that such pipe shall want of one hundred and ten gallons;
-  every pipe of Canary, Fyal or Vidonia wine imported, ten pounds;
-  every gallon of rum imported, one shilling and three pence;
-  every barrel of beer, from the northem colonies, ten shillings;
-  every barrel of cyder, from the northern colonies, five shillings;
-  every gallon of molasses imported, five pence;
- every gallon of brandy or other spirits (rum excepted) imported, two shillings ;
- every hundred pounds weight of brown or Muscovado sugar imported, five shillings;
- every hundred pounds weight of clayed sugar imported,
- seven shillings and six pence;
- every pound of sugar refined in and imported from the Plantations in America, four pence;
- every hundred pounds weight of cocoa imported, two pounds;
- every pound of chocolate made up in and imported from the plantations, one shilling;
- every pound of tobacco imported from the plantations, three pence ;
- every hundred pounds weight of butter or tallow, the produce of the plantations, one pound;
- every barrel of pork, the produce of the plantations, two pounds;
- every hundred pounds weight of brown or ship iscuit, made in the plantalions, imported, two shillings and six pence;
- every hundred pounds weight of middling biscuit, made in the plantations, imported, three‘ shillings and nine pence;
- every hundred pounds Weight of white biscuit, made in the plantations, five shillings;
- every hundred ~pounds weight of flour, of the produce of the plantations, imported, three shillings and nine pence;
- every hundred pounds weight of bacon, of the produce of the plantations, imported, one pound and ten shillings;
- every hundred pounds weight of soap, of the produce of the plantations, imported, one pound;
- on timber, plank, hoards, stares, shingles, or other lumber, imported from any American plantation, twenty pounds upon the value of every hundred pounds;
- every lndian imported as a slave, fifty pounds;
- every deer skin imported, six pence;
every barrel of pitch, tar and turpentine, imported, one pound; every bushel of pease and Indian corn, when the market price is ten shillings a bushel or under, one shilling;
- every pound weight of indigo imported, one shilling;
- every pound weight of whalebone imported, one shilling and six pence;

- on every pound of tanned leather exported, two pence;
- every side Of neat leather exported, six pence;
- on every tanned calfskin or deer skin exported, one shilling; on every raw hide exported, twenty shillings;
- on every Indian dressed deer skin, of a pound weight and upwards, exported, six pence;
- on every light or damaged deer skin exported, three pence;

1754 - Pest Houses built on Sullivan's Island.

1759 -