Paul Grimball Esq. of Edisto Island
1640-1695
Following Cromwell's death in England, Anthony Ashley Cooper and others were of crucial importance in returning Charles II to the throne (1660). In appreciation, Charles II granted 8 men (the Lord's Proprietors) land grants in the Carolina colony.
Paul Grimball was an enterprising man in England, attributed to be a merchant, who through applications to Lord Shaftesbury ( Ashley Cooper )obtained a land grant in the Carolina province.
This provisional grant, issued on April 10, 1861, would provide him 3000 acres of land to settle on the Ashley River. Successful completion of this grant would involve achieving the goal of bringing over 40 people to the colony. According to the Fundamental Constitutions of the Carolina province, to be lord of this 3000 acre manor the task must be completed in 5 years; unfortunately Grimball's commission did not arrive before the grant expired but with those he did bring to the colony he had a good start on qualifying for a 1600 acre grant of land.
His arrival in Charleston (February 1682) was occupied at first with presenting his credentials and getting his family placed.
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His choice however was obtain and construct a home on 1600 acres at "Point of Pines" on Edisto Island. This was a most advantageous location on the North Edisto River with easy access to the Atlantic Ocean and inter coastal waterways to Charlesto and Port Royal.
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This made him one of the first English settlers on Edisto Island. Within a few months the governor and other proprietors deputies appointed Grimball as one of the four assistant justices for the newly created Berkeley County Court. It was said of Grimball that he was a hysterically funny man in the company of others, honest, hot and martial and inclined to "the love of a penny". He enjoyed his home on Edisto and only maintained a room in Charleston in the service of duties to the government.
Paul Grimball Esq. functioned as a public servant in the midst of troubled times and its these, troubling issues, that make his life so interesting.
Grimball was an English merchant who amassed great wealth and political connections before being appointed by the Lord's Proprietors. His background begs the question; Why would a man so comfortably placed in England choose to move his wife Mary Stoney and five children to an unsettled land with virtually no governmental system in place. I believe the answer lies in his ambitious, perfectionist personality which can be seen in his financial dealings and his record keeping as a colony office holder. By 1684 Grimball was appointed as a deputy secretary of the colony, and later records show him taking the oath of office as a provincial officer on 6 October 1685 becoming colony secretary in 1686.
Troubled times in the colony occurred as a result of several sets of issues that rested in the opinions of two different groups of colonists. Those immigrants from Barbados, settling in the Goose Creek area (the Goose Creek Men) and the Anglican immigrants from England (the Dissenters).
The Barbadians practised trade with pirates and in trading slaves (Indian) and fought any land reforms as coming from proprietors who the Goose Creeh men believed were out of touch with local issues.
The Dissenters were against Indian slave trade and were loyal to the interests of the proprietors and the Fundamental Constitutions of Carolina. Paul Grimball fell into this category as an appointee and official of the proprietary colony. He would serve under several colonial governors.
On Tuesday Aug 24 1686 Senior Allexander, Spaniard from St. Augustine, along with soldiers and arrived at "Point of Pines" and stayed 5 days while destroying (spoiling 3 houses on the property) Grimball's house , cattle and household goods at his home on Edisto. The Spaniards also destroyed Governor Joseph Morton's home at Toogoodoo, destroyed Stuart Town and had attacked Port Royal. They were on their way to Charleston when a hurricane drove them back to a hasty retreat.
It seems that the Spanish must have had very good intelligence in that they knew where the governor and the colonial secretary lived.
Governor James Colleton, youngest son of the three John Colleton sons arrived in November 1686 just in time to quell a planned revenge attack on the Spanish at Saint Augustine.
Jul 1687 Grimball became a member of the committee to consider modification of the Fundamental Constitutions.This constitution, originally written by John Locke and modified by Anthony Ashley Cooper in 1699 and 1670, became one of the contentious issues in the Carolina colony. At issue were the rights of the settlers versus the rights of the absentee proprietors. Further modifications in Jan 1682 and again in August 1682 continued to cause dissension as it centered on land grants, quit rents, Indian slave trade and trade with pirates.
10 Oct 1687 The Lord's Proprietors appoint Paul Grimball as their "Receiver Generall and Escheator for the parts of the Carolina province south of Cape Fear. An Escheator was an officer in charge of rendering vacated lands back to the feudal lord or barring that the Crown.
1688 Feb 13 Appointed Secretary of the Province and served to Oct 15 1690. Among other duties the management of the proper survey and recording of property transactions in the colony which was of major importance as the rents and funds of purchase were to be distributed to the proprietors and apportioned to the running of provincial government.
The Goose Creek men and Dissenters were still at odds in the summer of 1690 over the issue of trade in Indian slaves as well as with trading with pirates. Paul Grimball was supportive of Governor James Colleton as Colleton tried to impose martial law to prevent this illicit activity. Unfortunately an unscrupulous Seth Sothel had purchased the Clarendon proprietorship, and therefore senior to the sitting governor, took over the government by deposing Colleton and subsequently jailing Grimball. Sothel replaced secretary Grimball with George Muschamp.
1690 Oct 18 Arriving too late to be effective the Proprietors instructions direct James Colleton and Paul Grimball and others of their trustees to sell grants of non- town lands no greater than 6000 acres at one shilling apiece with Paul Grimball to be their designated receiver of funds which would then be forwarded to England.
1692 April 9 Following the overtaking of government by Sothel the proprietors determined to replace Sothel and sent Philip Ludwell as governor and to reinstate Grimball as colony secretary. This appointment authorized him to be present at all meetings of the Palentine Court and grand council, keeping an exact record of their acts and orders, to receive from the surveyor Generall all land surveys and conveyances and to draw up all leases and conveyances as the Proprietors direct and keep accurate records. As a result of his positions in government his name appears many times in public documents as either the official or witness on behalf of the province. Shortly after his reinstatement he purchased land on the south side of the Ashley and is listed, "29 May 1692 Paul Grimball (Merchant) purchases 130 acres for 50 pounds sterling from Samuell Boswood (Taylor)".
13 Dec 1695 being in ill health and aged Grimball filed his last will and testament. He was extended some courtesies by Governor Archdale allowing a deputy to assist him while Grimball remained at his beloved Edisto. He served until his death in Feb 1696
20 Feb 1696 Last Will proved before Thomas Cary Secretary
He had five children who married well and whose sir names became a part of Edisto history even to this day.
Daughter: Anne married Christopher Linkley
Daughter: Mary married John Hamilton (Hamilton served as Deputy Secretary
to Paul Grimball)
Daughter: Providence married Lawrence Dennis
Son: John married and left wife and children in England
Son: Thomas married Elizabeth Adams
