Collin Rhodes is thought to have owned a large land parcel located on Shaw’s Creek in the Edgefield District of South Carolina that was purchased from the Landrum family in 1838. Rhodes, born April 22, 1811, had previously been involved in the stoneware manufactory at Pottersville as part of the firms Drake, Rhodes & Company; Ramey, Rhodes & Company; and Ramey, Rhodes & Gibbs. Based on an article in the Edgefield Advertiser, the latter firm, Ramey, Rhodes & Gibbs was dissolved on January 1, 1839. However, an indenture was filed in early 1839 in which Collin Rhodes retained John Hughes’ (N. Ramey & Co.) one-third interest in the factory until yearly subsequent payments were made in 1840, 1841 and 1842.
Collin Rhodes wed Eliza Landrum, daughter of Amos Landrum on May 12, 1839. On September 3, 1840, Amos Landrum bequeathed to his son in law Collin Rhodes and daughter, Eliza, “one house in Pottersville and the adjoining lot as well as negroes (Judy, May and child Sampson)”. The witnesses of the transaction included Robert W. Mathis and Coleman Rhodes. Prior to this inheritance, Rhodes listed his own house in Pottersville for sale in February 1839.
In April 1840, Collin Rhodes and Robert W. Matthew/Mathis began advertising the Phoenix Stone Ware Factory in the Edgefield Advertiser noting the location as being “twelve miles from the Edgefield Court House on the main road from Newberry, Union and the Upper Districts to Aiken”. Mathis, in conjunction with Rhodes, had also held various interests in the Pottersville manufactory during the mid-1830s. (A clipping of this article can be found in “What About Amos?”)
An extant storage jar decorated with kaolin slip reads “Shaws Creek Pottery 1839” begs for further investigation.
Is the Shaws Creek Pottery also Phoenix Factory?
Collin Rhodes and R.W. Matthews/Mathis can both be found on 1840 U.S. Census living in nearby households. Rhodes enumerates two white males between the ages of 20-30, and one white female between the ages of 20-30. There is also a white female under the age of five. Rhodes also enumerates three slaves. Two males are listed, one between the ages of 10-24, and another between the ages of 24-35. One female is noted between the ages of 10-24. Matthews/Mathis enumerates one white male and one white female between the ages of 30-40. He also enumerates two white males between the ages of 5-10, and one white male under the age of 10. He enumerates three slaves, two males under the age of 10, one male between the ages of 10-24, and one female under the age of ten.
Other households of interest are those of Isaac Durham and Thomas M. Chandler since they have both been identified as potters. Durham can be noted within circumstantial documents related to Pottersville as early as 1814, and through the mid-1820s. Likewise, Chandler can be located in the Edgefield District as early as 1838 when he marries Margaret Durham. Chandler enumerates as a 29 year old veteran, and his wife enumerates being between 20-30. There is also a female child under the age of five within the household. There are no slaves enumerated within the Chandler household. Similarly, Isaac Durham enumerates one white male between 40-50, two white males between 10-15, two white males between 5-10 and one white male under five years of age. There are also two females between the ages of 30-40. There are also no slaves enumerated in the Durham household.
Interestingly on the 1840 U.S. Census, between R.W. Matthews and Thomas M. Chandler, is a household that appears to be “Matthews Rhodes”. After further inspection of the document, it seems more likely that it is actually “Matthews & Rhodes” since an ampersand appears to be present, and the only individuals enumerated are seven slaves. One may infer that at least seven individuals were living at the Phoenix Factory when the census data was collected in November 1840.
The number of individuals in each household involved in manufacture and trade is as follows:
Isaac Durham 1
Collin Rhodes 3
R.W. Matthews 2
Matthews & Rhodes 7
Thos M. Chandler 1
Martin Posey 1
Since the total slaves present at the Matthews & Rhodes entry is not additive to those listed in the Rhodes, Matthews and Posey households, can one assume that those individuals listed at the factory site are a labor force in addition to the others? If so, that would imply a total labor force at Phoenix Factory of fifteen in the fall of 1840.
Also, by mid-1840, Coleman Rhodes began advertising that he had purchased Collin’s share in the Phoenix Factory. Based on the 1850 U.S. Census, he appears to have died prior to 1845. Did Collin regain his ownership, or did Coleman’s wife (Harriet Swearingen Rhodes) gain his equity? I have yet to find a Will or intestate documentation related to Coleman Rhodes.
The next question is who are these individuals and where did they come from? A cursory search of the Edgefield Slave Sales finds no purchases by either R.W. Matthews or Colin Rhodes prior to 1847 (after the death of Reverend John Landrum in 1846).
Collin Rhodes is traditionally thought to be the son of James Rhodes and Patience Bridges. James died before 1803 at which time his Will was executed along with a probate of his estate. There is no mention of Collin or Coleman Rhodes in any of those documents. Patience is not the executor, rather Mary Polly Rhodes. It is doubtful that this is the father of Collin Rhodes, rather a grandfather as it appears that the James whose estate was probated in 1803 is James Rhodes, Senior. I have yet to find an index entry for another James Rhodes (Junior) or Patience Bridges Rhodes. Collin Rhodes did receive Judy, May and Sampson from Amos Landrum in 1840, so that accounts for three individuals either within the Rhodes household, or at the factory site. R.W. Matthews/Mathis is equally an enigma in that I have not found any mention of him in the Will and probate documents related to the Matthew/Mathis family throughout the state of South Carolina.
Exploration of the 1839 Ramey & Hughes ledger for Pottersville also gives a few clues.
- Collin Rhodes:
- On March 3rd, Rhodes received $33.33 for “the services of Daniel”.
- On June 17th, Rhodes paid $2.00 for Daniel “account adjustment”.
- On July 9th, Rhodes paid J.W. Gibbs $1.50 for Morris.
- W. Mathis:
- On January 26, Mathis paid $7.00 for Daniel
- On January 13, 1840, Mathis received two months credit in exchange for services and room and board “of your boy Isaiah”. ($31.00 + $7.00)
- Rhodes, Ramey & Gibbs:
- On January 30th, paid J. Kirksey $4.50 for Dave.
- Ramey, Rhodes & Company:
- On December 24, N. Ramey is issued a credit of $132.00 for supplying one year of room and board to “Coleman Rhodes and Leo”.
- H. Hughes:
On May, 6, 1840, Hughes is paid $130.00 for Harry (by R.W. Mathis?).
These entries are a testament to the sharing of labor forces. One may also imply that this may also hint at some of the early labor force, in conjunction with Isaac Durham and Thomas Chandler, at the Shaw’s Creek Pottery.
The ledger also raises a myriad of questions:
- Is Collin Rhodes the primary owner/investor in Daniel?
- Was Daniel a potter?
- Was J.W. Gibbs’ “Morris” a potter or laborer?
- Was J. Kirksey’s “Dave”, a potter or laborer?
- Why was Coleman Rhodes boarded by Nathanial Ramey for an entire year or does this read “Coleman Rhodes’ Leo?
- Was he working in Pottersville? If so, what was his trade?
- Who is Leo?
- What is the skill of Mathis’ “Isaiah”?
- Who is Hughes’ Harry?
- Did Daniel and Isaiah move to Shaw’s Creek with Mathis & Rhodes?
It seems that further exploration of the genealogy of the Rhodes and Matthews/Mathis families, as well as the business structure of the Pottersville Stoneware Factory may yield further clues that may help in identifying the skilled slave labor in antebellum Edgefield District, South Carolina. It may also lead to further discoveries about Thomas M. Chandler and his presence in South Carolina from approximately 1838 to mid-1852.
I hope to be able to identify other skilled artisans within the slave community using a combination of circumstantial documents and extant stoneware vessels.
Bibliography available upon request.
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