Peter Manigault (October 10, 1731 – November 12, 1773) was an attorney, plantation owner,

slave owner The following is a list of slave owners, for which there is a consensus of historical evidence of slave ownership, in alphabetical order by last name. A * Adelicia Acklen (1817–1887), at one time the wealthiest woman in Tennessee, she inh ...

, and colonial legislator native to Charleston, South Carolina. He was the wealthiest man in the British North American colonies at the time of his death and owned hundreds of slaves. He was the son-in-law of Joseph Wragg, the largest slave trader of North America in the 1730s.

Early life

Manigault (pronounced MAN-eh-go) was born in Charleston on October 10, 1731, and was part of a wealthy French

Huguenot The Huguenots ( , also , ) were a religious group of French Protestants who held to the Reformed, or Calvinist, tradition of Protestantism. The term, which may be derived from the name of a Swiss political leader, the Genevan burgomaster Be ...

immigrant family. Manigault was the son of Gabriel Manigault (1704–1781) and Ann ( née Ashby) Manigault (1705–1782). His paternal grandparents were Judith (née Jetton-Gitton) Manigault and Pierre Manigault, a French Huguenot who settled in the Santee area and became a successful rice planter. His maternal grandparents were John Ashby and Constantia (née Broughton) Ashby (whose brother

Thomas Broughton Thomas Broughton may refer to: * Thomas Broughton (writer) (1704–1774), English divine, biographer, and miscellaneous writer * Thomas Broughton (divine) (1712–1777), English divine *Thomas Duer Broughton (1778–1835), English writer on ...

was Governor of South Carolina). He was privately educated in the

Province of South Carolina Province of South Carolina, originally known as Clarendon Province, was a province of Great Britain that existed in North America from 1712 to 1776. It was one of the five Southern colonies and one of the thirteen American colonies. The monar ...

and in

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, traveled extensively in Europe, studied law at

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Inner Temple The Honourable Society of the Inner Temple, commonly known as the Inner Temple, is one of the four Inns of Court and is a professional associations for barristers and judges. To be called to the Bar and practise as a barrister in England and ...

, and was called to the British bar in 1752.

Career

He returned to South Carolina in 1754, where he practiced law, became a successful merchant and banker, and managed his family's extensive plantation holdings. By 1774 Manigault was the wealthiest person in the British North American colonies, with a net worth - that included hundreds of slaves - of approximately £33,000 in 1770, which was equal to approximately $4 million in 2016. Manigault served in the South Carolina House of Commons in 1755, and again from 1765 to 1773. From 1765 to 1772 he was

Speaker of the House The speaker of a deliberative assembly, especially a legislative body, is its presiding officer, or the chair. The title was first used in 1377 in England. Usage The title was first recorded in 1377 to describe the role of Thomas de Hungerf ...

. He actively opposed the British Stamp Act of 1765, and was identified with what became known as the

Patriot A patriot is a person with the quality of patriotism. Patriot may also refer to: Political and military groups United States * Patriot (American Revolution), those who supported the cause of independence in the American Revolution * Patriot m ...

cause.

Letters

During Manigault's studies in London and travels in Europe, he exchanged frequent letters with his parents. This correspondence was published as part of several articles over several years in the ''South Carolina Historical and Genealogical Magazine''. A caricature drawn by George Roupell ''circa'' 1760 was entitled entitled "Mr. Peter Manigault and his Friends" and depicts Manigault and several of his friends and acquaintances taking part in a drinking party.

Personal life

In 1755, Manigault was married to Elizabeth Wragg (1736–1773). She was the daughter of Judith (née Dubose) and Joseph Wragg, an English-born American who was one of the largest

slave trader The history of slavery spans many cultures, nationalities, and religions from ancient times to the present day. Likewise, its victims have come from many different ethnicities and religious groups. The social, economic, and legal positions of e ...

s in British North America. Their children included: * Gabriel Manigault (1758–1809), who married Margaret Izard (1768–1824), a daughter of Continental Congressman and U.S. Senator

Ralph Izard Ralph Izard (January 23, 1741/1742May 30, 1804) was a U.S. politician. He served as President pro tempore of the United States Senate in 1794, and owned slaves. Early life Izard was born at "The Elms" near Charleston, South Carolina. He was ...

. * Anne Manigault Middleton (1762–1811), who married Thomas Middleton (1753–1797) * Joseph Manigault (1763–1843), who married Charlotte Drayton (1781–1855) * Henrietta Manigault Heyward (1769–1827), who married Nathaniel Heyward (1766–1851). In 1773, Manigault's health worsened, and he left South Carolina for England in an effort to find a cure. His wife died on February 19, 1773. Manigault's health did not improve, and he died in London on November 12, 1773. He was buried at French Protestant Huguenot Church Cemetery in Charleston.

Descendants

Through his son, he was the grandfather of Elizabeth Manigault Morris (1785–1822), who married Col. Lewis Morris (a grandson of Lewis Morris, a signer of the

Declaration of Independence A declaration of independence or declaration of statehood or proclamation of independence is an assertion by a polity in a defined territory that it is independent and constitutes a state. Such places are usually declared from part or all of th ...

), and were the parents of Capt. Charles Manigault Morris of the

Confederate States Navy The Confederate States Navy (CSN) was the Navy, naval branch of the Confederate States Armed Forces, established by an act of the Confederate States Congress on February 21, 1861. It was responsible for Confederate naval operations during the Amer ...

; Gabriel Henry Manigault (1788–1834); and Charles Izard Manigault (1795–1874). The Manigault family has remained prominent in Charleston, including as owners of the city's daily newspaper, ''

The Post and Courier ''The Post and Courier'' is the main daily newspaper in Charleston, South Carolina. It traces its ancestry to three newspapers, the ''Charleston Courier'', founded in 1803, the ''Charleston Daily News'', founded 1865, and ''The Evening Post'', f ...

'', which was first purchased by Peter Manigault's great-grandson Arthur in 1896.

Notes

References

External links

Manigault, Morris, and Grimball Family Papers, 1795-1832
* {{DEFAULTSORT:Morris, Robert 1731 births 1773 deaths Politicians from Charleston, South Carolina South Carolina colonial people Members of the Inner Temple English lawyers South Carolina lawyers American bankers American Episcopalians Colonial American merchants Members of the South Carolina House of Representatives Speakers of the South Carolina House of Representatives Burials in South Carolina Lawyers from Charleston, South Carolina American slave owners 18th-century American politicians

Peter Peter may refer to: People * List of people named Peter, a list of people and fictional characters with the given name * Peter (given name) ** Saint Peter (died 60s), apostle of Jesus, leader of the early Christian Church * Peter (surname), a sur ...