Beaufort County Historic District. Photo Courtesy of southcarolinalowcountry.com
Probably one of the most beautiful towns I have ever seen is Beaufort, South Carolina, with its lovely old plantations on the East Coast. It is so peaceful and inviting, that you just want to go there. Port Royal was founded in 1562, and for many years, its port was frequented by the Spanish, French, British, and Scottish. In fact, when General James Oglethorpe accompanied his first voyage from England to Georgia, the captain unloaded his passengers at Port Royal, a natural deep-water harbor, and refused to go further south in the unknown Atlantic waters. The passengers completed their journey by walking through the woods to the region known as Savannah, Georgia.
Beaufort was chartered in 1711 as the second major settlement in South Carolina. In 1717, it was attacked by the Yemassee Indians. But it was the founding of Georgia (as a protection against the Spanish) in 1733 by Oglethorpe that helped to develop the town. In 1776, it was the home of a new circuit court for the colony, known for its shipbuilding, rice, and indigo trade.
When the British captured Savannah in 1778, the British forces also attempted to occupy Port Royal Island (battle of Beaufort) but were repulsed by Colonel William Moultrie. However, late in 1779, the British succeeded in occupying the island until Savannah was under siege.
So what happened to the records? Beaufort suffered a major loss in February of 1865 after records had been removed to Columbia for safety and subsequent losses during the Reconstruction period. Deed books, in particular, suffered heavy losses.