Robert Pringle Letter

The fire of 1740 lasted for six straight hours and we can see reference to its destruction through a letter from The Letterbook of Robert Pringle.  It was written to his brother Andrew Pringle on November 22^nd, 1740 just four days after the calamity occurred.

This disaster was unlike any other in the U.S. because of the aid Charleston received.  Charles Town received aid first from local patrons and individuals.  People were no longer of separate classes, but all were part of one massive restoration project.

Aid then came from England and Parliament in the form of 20,000 pounds sterling, which today is nearly three million dollars U.S.  This act from England made Charles Town unique among the other American Colonies.  It was the only city to receive disaster relief.  Why would England do this? Simply put, they wanted to help control society in one of their most crucial and economically vital port cities.  Charles Town had seen many disasters in the ten years leading up to this fire and was in trouble.  It was also a religious stronghold.  But in the sense of not losing a ‘drowning’ city to a competitor, England stepped in.  The money claimed to help aid all in restoring their homes and city, although in reality it mainly went to the wealthy and the influential members of the town, ie Merchants such as Pringle, because they were the ones who provided England with a strong base of military, politics, economy and support.

Little is known about Robert Pringle’s early years.  He was born in Scotland and was one of three brothers.  His father, Robert Pringle of Symington was a wealthy man and left over 20,000 sterling in the form of an estate to the eldest brother Thomas. Robert and Andrew, the younger brothers renounced their inheritance rights.  Andrew, the youngest, went to sea and eventually settled in London.  Robert became an apprentice to Humphrey Hill, a well known West Indian merchant. Robert later settled in Charleston in 1725 and became a significant factor for New England as well as London for South Carolina trade. Robert Pringle was in many ways a standard merchant and below is his letter written to his younger brother Andrew after the Great Fire of 1740.

Influential and wealthy members of Charleston, such as Robert Pringle, ended up paying rent and living amongst many in small buildings that survived the fire.  The disaster burnt down his house and had a significant impact on Pringle’s trading industry, and his business took a solid hit.  Nonetheless, he was better off than most.  Today in downtown Charleston the house sitting at 70 Tradd Street is the Robert Pringle House, built (or possibly restored) c. 1774.  If this is where Robert Pringle lived then it is likely that the house was not fully restored from the damage for many years after the fire.

Robert’s wife, whom he mentions in his letter, has just returned back from Boston due to feeling ill in Charleston was Jane Allen and according to the marriage records of Charleston and South Carolina they were married just six years before the fire in July 1734.  She came back to Charleston at the wrong time.  Nonetheless, Pringle discusses in his letter how if it was not for her, he may have not made it out of the house alive!

Robert Pringle wrote many letters, mostly focused around business; there were few from his collections that touched on any personal matters.  The specific letter I have referenced and included below is one he wrote to his brother Andrew Pringle in a time of distress.  You can interpret from his lack of formal punctuation, spelling and grammar that he was in a hurry. He even ends the letter without finishing a word he started writing on the page.  The days after the fire were hectic for the whole city and Pringle mentions that he was still better off than some. He mentions the loss of possessions as well as business due to the catastrophe.  While living what basically had to become a hostel he was one of few in the city that had the ability to pay rent and maintain himself.

Here is the Robert Pringle letter to his brother, describing the disaster itself as well as the aftermath.  It is intriguing to view his cluttered state of mind and yet his poise under such a great calamity.

The Letter:

TO ANDREW PRINGLE

London

Charles Town, 22^nd November 1740

Sir:

My last to you was of the 7^th Inst. to which please be refferr’d, & two days ago receive’d yours very agreeably per Capt. Collock.

I am now with the utmost Grief & anguish of mind to advise you of the most melancholy & fatal Calamity that has befallen this Town of Charles Town on tuesday the 18^th Inst. by fire which broke out about two a Clock afternoon by accident & the wind blowing fresh at North West, it spread it self with that astonishing violence and fierceness that in four hours Time it Consum’d about three hundred dwelling Houses besides a great [338] many stores, some of the Wharf’s, & an Immence quantity of Goods & merchadize and if it had not happened to be flowing water most of the Shipping in the Harbour had been likewise destroyed. In the number I am one of the unhappy sufferers, the top of my House having Catch’d fire, the first in my neighbourhood, about an hour after it first began, altho’ then at a great distance from me, & in less than half an hour after it Catch’d was obliged to Quitt it being all in flames, as were then a great part of the Houses on the Bay & all about mine, & by which am a Considerable Sufferer having lost a great part of my household furniture, as well as other goods & am likewise heartily Concern’d for your and Capt. Sanders Share therein but Cannot yet advise what is lost & what not. This much is Certain that a great part of the Cargoe per the Susannah, unsold is missing, altho in Endeavoring to save the Goods in the Store, I thereby lost a great part of my Household Goods.

My wife arriv’d from Boston about a fortnight ago, in perfect health & greatly recovered, & desires to be kindly remembered to you. It was owing to her presence of mind that we sav’d any of our household Goods we have, I being below stairs in the Store, seeing the Goods taken out there, my wife run a very great risque, her Cloaths having Catch’d fire before we left the House, & what goods were sav’d, being put on board a Vessel, very narrowly Escap’d being again burnt there with our Lives, before she gott off the Wharf. I have had the good fortune to save all my Books & papers5 most of what little plate we had, & Cloaths.

It is inexpressible to relate to you the dismal schene which much surpassed anything I ever saw of that nature & is a vast loss & Calamity to this Province, the best part of this Town being laid in Ashes. But there is now no reflecting. We must Endeavor to look forward & not Backward & if it pleases God to spare me a few Years doubt not of recovering both for you & myself, & am a good deal better off than a great many here, and as there will be a great deal of Building here, Nails of all sorts will be much in demand & Iron Ware of all sorts for Houses & Stores & if you can Indent Two House Carpenters as Servants for four years may be of good Service here.

I am also to acquaint you that Messrs. Hunter & Co. are also very great Sufferers by the Cargo they have Consign’d us in Company per the Snow Polly, which was all but just Landed & was all Consum’d in the Stores and Could not possibly be prevented & which Mr. Reid & I have not time to advise them by this Conveyance & which you may hint to them or not as you judge proper. They have order’d us to Load the said Snow Polly with Rice on their proper account & to draw Bills of Exchange on them for the amount. Mr. Reid is Come well off being near the place where it first broke out, & had very timely & good assistance from the Company of a Jamaica Privateer, having a Relation on Board, & from which he has taken a great deal of Silver, they having been very good Customers to him. He has now taken a large House Backwards6 & I am at present in Lodgings with my wide near the Custom House till I can provide myself Better. Our Governour & Councill & Assembly send Home a memorial & petition about the Callamity to the King & Council by this Conveyance,7 & there is an Embargo Laid on all Shipping for fourteen Days after this Vessel bound for Bristoll. You’ll please excuse this Incorrect Confus’d Scrawl, being att present very much fatigued both in body & mind having slept but very Little these three Days & three nights past, & if the fire had happen’d at the same time at night as it did in the Day a great part of us had lost our Lives in the flames. It Came so suddenly upon us as well as the great Risque we Run from an Insurrection of our Negroes which we were very apprehensive off, but all as yet Quiet by the strict Guards & watch we are oblidg’d to keep Constantly night & Day.

I have not time to write you further at present being very much hurried In Endeavouring to find out Goods that were Carried off, there being a great many Embezellments & am more Concern’d for you Loss & all my other friends than my own. I write to none Else but yourself therefore please Communicate this as you judge proper to our friends. I am in haste &c.

P. S. Inclosed is our Gazette.8

ADDRESSED: “Per Capt. Langdon & Copie per Capt. Hunt Via Bristoll”