Arthur Middleton (politician, 1681)

Arthur Middleton (born October 29, 1681 in the later US state of South Carolina , † September 17, 1737 ibid) was a British colonial governor of the Province of South Carolina .

Life

Arthur Middleton was the son and heir of Edward Middleton, who had moved from Barbados to what is now South Carolina in 1678 . The father founded a large rice plantation north of Charleston , which was named The Oaks and which was farmed with the help of slave labor. After the father's death in 1685, his widow initially managed this plantation for their underage son Arthur. Later he inherited the property. By 1720 he owned over 100 slaves, with the help of which he could make a big profit from the plantation.

Middleton also became politically active. Between 1706 and 1721 he was a member of the colonial parliament several times. He was also a representative for banks and schools as well as for Indian affairs. In 1710 and 1711 he discussed the problems of South Carolina with the British government in London . On his return he became a member of the colonial executive council. In June 1713 he also received the office of Naval Officer (harbor master) in Charleston. In 1719 he supported the direct subordination of the colony to the British Crown and thus the disempowerment of the so-called Proprietors , who until then had largely controlled the colony.

Between May 17, 1725 and December 15, 1730 he held the office of provisional colonial governor of the Province of South Carolina. In doing so, he bridged the five years between the departure of Francis Nicholson and the assumption of office by his official successor Robert Johnson . During his term of office there was an economic boom in the colony. But there were also problems with the Indians and with Spanish attacks. Middleton promoted agriculture and expanded the school system.

After the end of his tenure as governor, Arthur Middleton devoted himself more to his plantation. According to a decree by the British government, rice was allowed to be shipped directly from the colonies to Spain and Portugal for a few years without going via England. As a result, Middleton's plantation, and with it his business, experienced a further boom. Arthur Middleton died on September 17, 1737. He was the grandfather of the eponymous Arthur Middleton (1742–1787) who was one of the signatories of the United States' Declaration of Independence .

Web links

• Arthur Middleton at Carolana.Com