LowCountry Africana : Stephen Fox Drayton2

Biographical Information

By the terms of his father Thomas Drayton's original will, Stephen was to inherit one-half of the enslaved people in his father's estate. The codicil to Thomas Drayton's will modifies the bequest by dividing Stephen's original share between Stephen and his brother John, born after the date of Thomas Drayton's original will. There are no special bequests of specific enslaved people in Thomas Drayton's will. [11]

After the division of his father's estate, Stephen established his home on the northernmost branch of the Stono River, where he held twenty-eight enslaved people, grew rice and kept cattle. He died in January of 1733, before he reached the age of twenty-one. [12]

Inheritance, Acquisitions, Bequests

Inheritance:

Stephen Fox Drayton and his brother John Drayton divided equally one-half of Thomas Drayton's Stono River lands, 360 acres on the Stono River purchased separately of the tract above, the cowpen and stock at Abram's Savanna and one-half of Thomas Drayton's African and Native American slaves. Thomas Drayton's will provided for each of his sons to take possession of their lands at age eighteen. [13]

Bequests:

To mother Ann Drayton: house and land on Stono River, to pass to brother John Drayton after Ann Drayton's death; "Four Negro men named Old Seaboy, Jack, Kitt and Joe and Three negro women named Tisse Siss and Moll"

To brother Thomas Drayton: 100 of land adjoining Magnolia plantation; 500 acres of land on CawCaw swamp left to Stephen by his father Thomas

To sister Mary Drayton Fuller: £2,000 in trust

To niece Ann Booth Fuller: £500 upon reaching age twenty one.

To brother John Drayton: remainder of estate, both real and personal

References Cited

[1] Drayton, Thomas. Will, Charleston District, SC. Dated 12 June 1714, Codicil 5 June 1716, Proven 17 June 1724; Taylor, Emily Drayton Heyward. "The Draytons of South Carolina and Philadelphia." Publications of the Genealogical Society of Pennsylvania, VIII No. 1 (March, 1921), pp. 1-26.

[2] Drayton, Ann. Will, Charleston District, SC. Dated 2 May 1741, Codicil 23 June 1741, Proven 30 Aug 1742.

[3] Griffin, Dorothy Gail. 1985 "The Eighteenth Century Draytons of Drayton Hall." (Ph.D. diss., Emory University), p. 14. [Hereafter Griffin 1985].

[4] Fuller, Mary Drayton. Will, Charleston District, SC. Dated 27 Feb 1749, Proven 3 May 1751.

[5] Griffin 1985, p. 14.

[6] Griffin 1985, p. 27.

[7] Griffin 1985, p. 14.

[8] Drayton, Stephen Fox. Will, Charleston District, SC. Dated 22 Feb 1732, Proven 4 Jan 1734, Recorded 9 Jan 1734.

[9] Drayton, Thomas. Will, Charleston District, SC. Dated 12 June 1714, Codicil 5 June 1716, Proven 17 June 1724.

[10] Griffin 1985, p. 319.

[11] Drayton, Thomas. Will, Charleston District, SC. Dated 12 June 1714, Codicil 5 June 1716, Proven 17 June 1724.

[12] Griffin 1985, p. 18.

[13] Griffin 1985, p. 15.

[14] Drayton, Stephen Fox. Will, Charleston District, SC. Dated 22 Feb 1732, Proven 4 Jan 1734, Recorded 9 Jan 1734.

[15] Griffin 1985, p. 15; Drayton, Stephen Fox. Will, Charleston District, SC. Dated 22 Feb 1732, Proven 4 Jan 1734, Recorded 9 Jan 1734.

[16] Drayton, Thomas. Will, Charleston District, SC. Dated 12 June 1714, Codicil 5 June 1716, Proven 17 June 1724.