Individual Notes
Note for: Spicer Samuel Christopher, 1759 - 10 JUL 1811
Index
Individual Note: From Florida Spanish Land records:
[S] means original document is in Spanish; [E] means it is in English.
Christopher, John Con. C 35;DG IV 280
1. [E] claims, through Farquhar Bethune, 500 acres on Nassau River next to land of Francis Diaz Teran, across St. Juan Creek, a grant of Governor Quesada for head rights to John ChristopherŽs father, Spicer Christopher, Surveyed by Pedro Marrot, 2/15/1792. Governor White granted royal title, 4/8/1809.
2. [S] [Mutilated] Spencer Christopher, a new settler, petitions for 500 acres at Punta de Hazzard north of Nassau River, 1/4/1803. Nicoles Barcelo approves and Governor White grants, 1/7/1803.
3. [S] Spencer Christopher. prevented by illness from at once taking possession of land granted, 1/7/1803, found another had petitioned for and obtained the same land and is now cultivating it. He accordingly, petitioned for the same acreage south of Nassau River, about 4 miles north of lands conceded to the late James Sample and bordered on the other end by a creek that limits it to the northwest at the first marsh fully after passing DoctorŽs Island on the left, 5/12/1804. Governor White Grants, 5/11/1803(?).
Christopher, John Con. C 39; DG IV 159
1. [E] claims, through Abraham Bellamy, 358 1/3/acres at San Carlos north of and near St. Johns River, Governor White Grants to Spicer Christopher, 4/8/1809.
2. [S] Governor WhiteŽs title to 10 caballerias and 25 acres at San Carlos Plantation, granted 4/8/1809. Copy attested by Francisco Jose Fatio after Juan de EntralgoŽs attest of 2/28/1818.
3. [E] Fatio attested translation of 2.
4. [E] Last will of Spicer Christopher who after directing that he be buried by the rights (rites) of the Church of England, leaves to his wife, Mary Greenwood Christopher, one-half of all livestock and 29 slaves [named]. She is to be allowed to work the slaves and livestock on any plantation or island of the Provinces as long as she lives and then they are to be divided among his heirs. The remaining negroes are to be divided as follows:
To his son John Bluit [?] Christopher, 5
To William Greenwood Christopher, 5
To Martha Christopher Braddock, 6
To Charlotte Christopher Braddock, 5
To Spicer Samuel Christopher, 5
To Lewis Christopher , 5
Elizabeth Christopher Howe, 4
Land divided as follows:
John gets plantation on St. Johns River called [?]
William, Point Hazzard
...Spicer, Old Township
Talbot Island and Santa Maria Nassau to be equally divided between Elizabeth, who is to have the south half of the island and Lewis, who is to have the north half; Elizabeth is to pay her sisters, Martha and Charlotte, $2,000 each; Lewis is to pay $1,000 to each of his sisters, Martha and Charlotte. And William Greenwood Christopher, Spicer S. Christopher, Lewis Christopher, and Elizabeth Christopher, who have not yet withdrawn their proportions of negroes from the original stock, shall each be entitled to an equal share of the net proceeds when laid out in any species of property whatever at the total exclusion of those who have already received their respective quotas.
He appoints his wife, Mary Greenwood Christopher, executrix; John Bluit Christopher and John David Braddock, executors. Done on Talbot Island, 2/12/1806. Witnesses: Robert Walker, Robert Harrison, and David Hikes [?]; William Reynolds attests, 7/9/1824, the above will of Spicer Christopher who died on or about 7/10/1811.
Christopher, John Con. C 40; DG IV 279
1. [E] claims, Farquhar Bethune, 50 acres on Nassau River, on the east of other land of John Christopher, Governor WhiteŽs grant as head rights, 5/24/1804, to John Tucker, who later exchanged to with Gilbert Mann, who sold to John Christopher who has possessed the tract since 1807.
2. [S] [Mutilated] John Christopher petitions for 50 acres on the east side of Christopher. Governor White grants; Juan de Pierra sends certificate.
3. [S] PierraŽs certificate.
4. [E] John Tucker certifies, 1/22/1807, that he has exchanged land with Gilbert Mann.
5. [E] Gilbert Mann certifies, 10/31/1807, that he relinquished to John Christopher.
6. [E] Antonio AlvarezŽs certified abstract, 11/25/1844, from descriptive list No. 51, and translation of 3.
[Dossier has MurphyŽs translation of 3.]
Christopher, John Con. C 41;DG references below
Copy on jacket: 2 cases [blue pencil], 41 [red ink] Heirs of Spicer Christopher, 1,551 acres shown in American State Papers:
500 A. Vol. V, 376, ConfŽd Rept. 1, No 29, 1828
500 IV, 280, 401, 1, 104, 1825
358 IV, 159, 188, 1, 32, 1824
100 IV, 279, 407, 1, 21, 1825
93 IV, 281, 1, 153, 1825
500 Nassau (St. Marys Riv.) W. G. Christopher, Admin.
500 Talbot Island, John Houston.
358 Newcomb Creek, John Christopher.
100 Talbot Island, John Houston.
93 John Houston.
[All documents are in Spanish and are stitched together except 1 which is tucked in:]
1 - Title Page: C. No. 5, Florida, year 1808. Spicer Christopher seeking titles for land herein indicated.
2 - Pedro MarrotŽs and Samuel EastlakeŽs plat of 2 caballeries and 23 acres at a plantation called San Christobal, surveyed, 2/11/1792, for Spicer Christopher whose sworn family includes his wife, 5 children, 11 slaves.
3 - Marrot-Eastlake plat of 15 caballeries at Santa Maria Plantation, 2/18/1798.
4 - Marrot-Eastlake plat of 10 caballeries and 25 acres at San Carlos Plantation, 4/28/1792.
5 - Manuel Rengil certifies, 12/6/1796, that Governor White granted to Spicer Christopher 100 acres at Talbot Island and that William Hendricks yielded to him.
6 - Rengil certifies, 3/7/1797, that Governor White granted 500 acres at Old Township to Spicer Christopher.
7 - Santos Rodriguez, acting attorney in the absence of Spicer Christopher, petitions to prove compliance with all conditions and receive titles. Governor White and Zubizarreta approve.
8 - Power of attorney from Spicer Christopher to Santos Rodriquez, 10/8/1808. Witnesses: Juan de Entralgo, Toras de Aguiler, and Jose Lorente.
9 - Jose de ZubizarretaŽs statement of condition of grants.
10 - Original of memorandum and grant [certificate in 5], 9/20/1796. [On back:] No 44.
11 - Santos Rodriguez has been informed by the government notary that surveys are necessary for the 100 acres on Talbot Island and the 500 acres at Old Township, and there being no public surveyor, petitions that, in the illness of Juan Furcell, William Lawrence be authorized to act and ascertain whether the original surveys are not in the archives. Governor White approves.
12 - Santos Rodriguez produces as witness, 11/7/1808, William Chambers OŽNeil, 36, native of South Carolina, married, farmer, who testifies, through Bernadino Sanchez, public interpreter, that Spicer Christopher had cultivated the land mentioned in the 2 documents and had a sufficient number of slaves on other tracts he names.
13 - Tomas Asa OŽNiel from South Carolina, married, farmer, 30, deposes that Spicer Christopher had sole charge of the KingŽs highway, extending north and south on Talbot Island, through which he [Tomas OŽNeil] had often passed; that Spicer Christopher had his residence in the center, with houses for overseers and slaves on the outskirts; that he bred pedigreed mares and had $3,000 invested in horses; he also raised China oranges, etc. [Interpreter and witness sign.]
14 - Timotheo Hollingsworth, from North Carolina, married, farmer, 54, deposes good conditions of everything, conveniences that he shared with passers by on the road from Barra Chica to Barra Ciega, fine cattle pens and pedigreed mares and stallions, 11/17/1808.
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From P. K. Yonge Libray, U of F.
Spicer Christopher owned about half of Talbot Island where he lived in great estate, with a cotton plantation worked by 100 slaves, a great house, ranching enterprises that comprised about 600 head of cattle, and a large corral of horses (he was known for having the best horses in the province, Arabians and English mares). He died around 1811, just before the outbreak of the Patriot War, an American invasion of Spanish East Florida aimed at overthrowing the government and installing a rebel government in its place. This conflict, which lasted two years, merged into the War of 1812, and created chaos in Florida, where Spanish troops and militia, backed by Indian and maroon allies, were fighting against the U.S. Army, the Georgia militia, and a group of settlers who had revolted and had dubbed themselves the "Patriots". Property damage in East Florida was latter assessed at $1.2 million. Christopher's offspring were listed among the rebels against Spanish authority, and late in the conflict, in 1813, their Talbot Island plantation became a haven for retreating rebel forces and was heavily raided and looted by the "Patriots." This was fairly typical of the times--people joined the rebels, then ended up losing everything they owned to rebel looting. There is an extensive claim regarding the Christopher property that was made out against the U.S. Treasury Department in "First Auditor, Records of the Accounting Offices of the Department of Treasury, Miscellaneous Division, relating to Claims and Accounts, Record Group 217, Entry 347, National Archives and Records Administration, II, College Park, Maryland. First Auditor, Records of the Accounting Offices of the Department of Treasury, Miscellaneous Division, relating to Claims and Accounts, Record Group 217, Entry 347, National Archives and Records Administration, II, College Park, Maryland."
Claim of Spicer Christopher, No. 84,642, RG 217/347.
In order to win compensation, the Christophers had to downplay their own role in the rebellion and had to prove that their losses had been caused by either the Patriot rebels or the U.S. Army. Besides an inventory of the estate, there is a lot of testimony in this case about the Christopher family's involvement with the "Patriots" and about the damages to the property, including the requisition of the "Lord Nelson," the family's enormous periagua, a large open-deck ship, like a giant canoe, used to transport cotton; the seizure of many slaves; the confiscation of the cattle; and other depredations. Like many of their neighbors, the Christophers applied for and received an amnesty from the Spanish government that allowed them to remain in East Florida after the rebellion was put down, but they suffered much abuse from settlers who had remained loyal to the Spanish government and who blamed the Christophers and other former rebels for all the property destruction that occurred between 1812 and 1814.
You can find the claim at the College Park annex of the National Archives (Archives II); It is the original bundle of legal documents and testimony assembled by the judge in the claims hearings. I forget the year the case was filed and settled, but it was probably 1836-1839.