Alexander Hewat
Dr. Alexander Hewatt (1739–1824); b. Roxburgh, Scotland) was the first historian of South Carolina and Georgia,[1] best known for his two volume work "An Historical Account of the Rise and Progress of the Colonies of South Carolina and Georgia".[2] He remained loyal to the King during the American Revolution, and as a result his property was seized and he was expelled in 1777.[3]
Dr Alexander Hewat | |
---|---|
Born | 1739 Roxburgh, Scotland |
Died | 3 March 1824 (age 85) 8 Great Quebec Street, London |
Occupation(s) | Minister of the First Presbyterian Church in Charleston, SC[4] |
Known for | First Historian of South Carolina & Georgia |
Life and work
Hewat(t) was a Presbyterian minister[5][6] who officiated in Charleston, South Carolina from 1763 to 1777. After the publication of his History in 1779, he was awarded an honorary DD doctorate degree by Edinburgh University.[7] His character may be illustrated by one of his Sermons cited by Smollett.[8]
Gold is the idol of every traitor, and he that proves faithful to his king and country for a great reward only, will betray them both for a greater. What was the method Constantius Chlorus took to try the souls of his public servants, both civil and military? Being friendly disposed towards the Christian religion, and sensible how hard it was to know the human heart, we are told, that he assembled his officers and judges, and proposed to them this condition, either to sacrifice to demons, or leave the court and their places to others, giving each liberty of choice. By this device he divided his servants into two parties, into men of principle, and men of the world. (p. 347)
Hewat believed that Religion was important for the cohesion of society, where every man should do his duty according to the station in life that
Hewat's History of South Carolina and Georgia includes observations of the peoples of the area, so although its account of early history may be inaccurate to a degree and his historical interpretation of the events of the times no longer in fashion, his observation of facts continues to be cited, especially his accounts of slaves
Contemporaneous resident of Charleston, but on the Revolutionary side,
Hewatt Square, in Charleston, South Carolina, was named for him.[14]
Hewat's History is still a respected account of Colonial American history. Incidentally, the "Hewatt" spelling was apparently introduced after his book was published anonymously; manuscript letters (below) show that he himself spelled his name "Hewat".
Family
Hewat came from a long line of
Alexander Hewat's arrival in Charleston and his History of the Colony
Hewat was a young man of about twenty-four when he arrived in Charleston in 1763 as minister of the Scots (First Presbyterian) Church there. He had received his early education at
Hewat's first volume attempts to outline the earliest settlement of North America, and the reasons for the influx of British, French and other European migrants in the early 17th century due to religious conflict at home. He wrote: "Amidst cold, hunger, toil, disease, and distress of every kind, they comforted themselves with the thoughts of being removed far out of the reach of tyrants, and triumphed in their deliverance from an idolatrous and wicked nation." [16]
Hewat describes in much detail the conditions and customs of American Indians, with whom he shows sympathy despite their threat to European immigrants. "When Julius Caesar carried the Roman arms into Britain, and Germanicus over-ran the forests of Germany, did they not find the silvestres of those countries little, if at all, more civilized than the brown natives of America?"[17] And even some humour ... "In case of adultery among Indians, the injured husband considers himself as under an obligation to revenge the crime, and he attempts to cut off the ears of the adulterer... This is more severe than the law of Ethelbert, which admitted of a fine from the adulterer, and obliged him to purchase another wife for the injured husband."[18]
He describes the settlement of Carolina by aristocratic British
Hewat describes the introduction of African slaves, and maintains that "Hawkins had no idea of perpetual slavery, but expected they would be treated as free servants, after they had by their labours brought their masters an equivalent for the expense of their purchase... Hence arose that horrid and inhuman practice of dragging Africans into slavery; which has since been so pursued, in defiance of every principle of justice and religion... Nature has given the people of the one continent no superiority over those of the other; the advantages of Europeans were the effects only of art and improvement."[20]
Hewat saw Africans as more suited to the SC climate, and essential to the Southern Economy, but imagined an
Hewat's own brother Andrew, used Black labour on his plantation, and after the Revolution at least one followed him into exile, first to
When Hewat, along with other Charleston ministers, was ordered on 3 August 1776 to pray no more for the king, he "changed the form to 'those in Lawful Authority over us' which gave great Offence," but complied with the letter of the order. Given sixty days to leave the colony or suffer imprisonment and perhaps death, Hewat left his congregation and his property and took passage to Nantes; from there, he went to London. Charleston had been recaptured by British forces by the time Hewat received the honorary Doctor of Divinity degree from Edinburgh University on 12 July 1780. He obviously expected to return to his home, for he signed the Laureation Book of the University as a resident of "Charlestown, South Carolina." American animosity against those who had not supported the rebellion relegated loyalists to historical oblivion; nor did the British receive them with generosity or pay them honour for their sacrifice.[3]
Manuscript copy of Dr Alexander Hewat's letter of 28 September 1820
On the death of his wife (formerly Mrs Barksdale of Charleston), Hewat wrote to G. Edwards, her relation in Charleston, showing much affection still for South Carolina. This manuscript clearly shows that he spelled his name "Hewat".
George Edwards, Charleston So., Carolina
Carolina Coffee House (London), 28 September 1820
Dr Hewat presents his best respects to Mr & Mrs Edwards, and having an excellent opportunity sends them by the Bearer two miniature pictures which belong to the good family of Barksdale. From what he often heard during Mrs Hewat's lifetime he has reason to conclude they will be particularly acceptable to Mrs Edwards of whom Mrs Hewat often spoke with much affection. They will be handed to her by Mr Hall in the same condition & in the Same Box in which they were left by the Deceased; and She will be pleased to accept of them in memorial of two dear and beautiful relations. They both died in Flanders and were brought to England & buried, to which place their Mother at her request was also conveyed & buried betwixt them in the same Tomb at Dover. I never saw the children, having never met their Mother in England till both were above three years & dead & buried; tho' she belonged to my Parish before she was first married; and Mr Barksdale I remember well, and together with Mr & Mrs Gordon I approved of the Choice she made. Mr Thomas Braidwood our English Teacher of the Deaf & Dumb has oft expressed to me his surprise at the degree of perfection to which the child had attained in speaking; but her mother, anxious for still greater proficiency, was advised to carry her to another famous master in France, which advice was to her matter of great lamentation till Death. Farewell & God bless you & all friends in Carolina.
Death
Alexander Hewat died in Marylebone, London on 3 March 1824 at the age of 85.
He left an
Works
- An historical account of the rise and progress of the colonies of South Carolina and Georgia (1779)
- Sermons on various subjects (1803)
References
- JSTOR 2954578.
- ISBN 1-4191-0653-8.
- ^ ISBN 978-0-06-131624-1.
- ^ Centennial Celebration of the Dedication of the First Presbyterian Church, Charleston, South Carolina, 1732. Charleston, S.C.: Walker, Evans, Cogswell. 1915.
- ^ Smyth, Thomas (1857). In Annals of the American Pulpit: Presbyterian. 1860 volume 3 By William Buell Sprague. New York: Robert Carter and Brothers. pp. 250–254.
- ^ Briggs, Charles Augustus (1885). American Presbyterianism: its origin and early history. New York: Charles Scribner's Sons. p. 329.
- ^ Allibone, S. Austin (1872). A Critical Dictionary of English Literature and British and American Authors. Philadelphia: J. B. Lippincott & Co. p. 837.
- ^ Smollett, Tobias George (1804). The Critical Review; or, Annals of literature. p. 350. and also British Critic. 1805. p. 582.
- ^ Hewat, Alexander (1794). In The Duty of Man in perilous limes; a Sermon, in Two Parts. For the Fast Day, Feb. 28, 1794. London: Cadell. p. 49.
- ISBN 1-57003-605-5.
- ^ a b Ramsay, David (1809). The history of South-Carolina: from its first settlement in 1670, to the year 1808 (2 vols) . Charleston: David Longworth.
- ^ Publications of the Southern History Association (Vol. 2). Southern History Association. 26 February – 26 October 1898. p. 144.
- ^ Mode, Peter George (1921). Source book and bibliographical guide for American church history. Menasha WI: George Banta Publishing Company. p. 188.
- ^ "Charleston's Streets". Scottish Rite California. Archived from the original on 2 November 2012. Retrieved 23 January 2011.
- ISBN 0-19-826997-8.
- ^ Hewat, Alexander (1779). ...concerning the Puritans... who turn persecutors.
- ^ Hewat, Alexander (1779). ...concerning the Indians.
- ^ Ethelbert (603). British law from Ethelbert of Kent, the first Christian Anglo-Saxon King.
- ^ Hewat, Alexander (1779). ...concerning the Climate.
- ^ Hewat, Alexander (1779). ...concerning Hawkins and the slave trade.
- ^ Hewat, Alexander (1779). ...concerning the Stono slave insurrection.
- ^ U.K. Death Duty Registers, Public Record Office, 20 May 1824 PROB 11/1686.