Rose Hill Plantation – Yemassee – Beaufort County

— Inland Rice Fields at Rose Hill Plantation © Mills Morrison, c. 2005 —
(Do Not Use Without Written Consent)

Basic Information

• Location – Prince William's Parish, Four miles southeast of Yemassee, Beaufort County

  Old Sheldon Church Road

• Origin of name – Most likely named for and by founder Dr. William Rose
  

• Other names – ?

• Current status – The plantation's inland rice fields are maintained as waterfowl habitat with a conservation easement on the property to protect the habitat (1).
  

Timeline

• 1698 – Earliest known date of existence (2, p. 11)
  

  13,000 acre Tomotley Barony was established for Landgrave Edmund Bellinger (2, p. 11).
  

• 1747 – By this year the barony had been dissolved and divided into 14 independent tracts (2, p. 11).
  

• Circa 1749 – Dr. William Rose owned a 475 acre tract which he developed into Rose Hill Plantation (2, p. 11).
  

• Circa 1749 – House built (2, p. 11)
  

  There was a house on the plantation when owned by Dr. Rose (2, p. 11).
  

• ? – After the death of Dr. Rose, the family retained ownership of the plantation and hired an overseer (2, p. 11).
  

• ? – John Ulmer acquired the plantation (2, p. 13).
  

• 1779 – It is thought that the plantation was likely damaged or destroyed by British occupation in the area (2, p. 21).
  

• Circa 1780 – An archeological survey indicates that a small house, 672 square feet, was constructed at Rose Hill in a different location than the original house and was most likely built by John Ulmer (2, p. 51).
  

• 1820 – John Ulmer died. It appears John left Rose Hill to son Paul Ulmer as Paul is the only Ulmer listed in the census for 1820 (2, p. 13).
  

• 1830 – Isaac B. Ulmer is the only member of the Ulmer family listed in the census for this year. It is assume he took over the family's plantation from brother Paul Ulmer (2, p. 13).
  

• Circa 1843 – Records indicate Hector George Cuthbert owned the plantation and he may have given it to daughter Mary Louise Cuthbert Bacot (2, p. 15).
  

• Prior to 1860 – William M. Elliott purchased Rose Hill either from the Cuthbert family or their trustees. The Cuthberts retained the mortgage on the plantation (2, p. 15).
  

• 1865 – It is believed the plantation was burned by Sherman's troops in January (2, p. 5).
  

• 1871 – Elliott was not able to pay the mortgage on his plantation and it was foreclosed on by Culthbert family trustee Wilmont DeSaussure with title transferred to the trustee (2, p. 17).
  

• 1880 – DeSaussure carried out his responsibility as the trustee and transferred title of the plantation to Cuthbert family heirs: R. DeSaussure Bacot, Eliza B. Fripp, Mary B. Taylor, G. Cuthbert Bacot, and Annie B. Taylor (2, p. 17).
  

• 1882 – The Cuthbert descendants were never able to agree on what to do with the plantation and their disagreement landed in court. The court ordered a survey be done of the 498 acre plantation so it could be divided into five tracts. The tracts ranged in size from 92 to 120 acres as follows: (2, p. 18)
  
  – Tract One, 93 acres - Anna B. Taylor
  – Tract Two, 96 acres - Eliza B. Fripp
  – Tract Three, 92 acres - Mary D. Taylor
  – Tract Four, 95 acres - George C. Bacot
  – Tract Five, 120 acres - Walter S. Monteith who had inherited R. DeSaussure Bacot's share
  

• 1882-1929 – The five tracts of Rose Hill Plantation would have several owners over this period: (2, p. 18)
  
  – Tract One - Robert Smalls; Stephen Smalls; Francis B. Thorne and Ann Augustus T. Titus
  – Tract Two - the heirs of Eliza B. Fripp; Robert H. McCurdy (1929)
  – Tract Three - the heirs of Mary D. Taylor; Robert H. McCurdy (1927)
  – Tract Four - George C. Bacot
  – Tract Five - R. H. Hucks; Annie M. Flyer; Adelaide H. Colcock; Henry Hay Colcock; Robert H. McCurdy (1927)
  

• By 1952 – The Rock Island Oil and Refining Company of Kansas had acquired all of Rose Hill Plantation with the exception of Tract 4 (2, p. 18).
  

• 1955 – The Rock Island Oil and Refining Company of Kansas sold all 6,000 acres of land it owned in Beaufort County, including the Rose Hill tracts, to G. H. Bostwick. This large tract was referred to as Tomotley Plantation at this time (2, p. 18).
  

• 1975 – G. H. Bostwick passed away leaving the Beaufort County property to wife Dolly von S. Bostwick (2, p. 18).
  

• 1986 – Dolly von S. Bostwick sold the 6550.8 acre Tomotley Plantation to Norman H. Volk. Volk was trustee of the Bostwick Family Trust and the sales transaction included the right for Dolly S. Bostwick to be a life tenant of the property (2, p. 21).
  

• 1990 – Norman H. Volk, as trustee, and Dolly S. Bostwick, as life tenant, sold 1,200 acres to Thomas L. Crosby Jr. This tract included much of the original Rose Hill Plantation acreage (2, p. 21).
  

• 1990 – The 1,200 acres was conveyed to Crosby Lane Morrison (2, pp. 1, 21).
  

• 1995 – C. Lane Morrison was planning on constructing a house on the property, which he calls Rose Hill Plantation (2, pp. 1, 21).
  

Land

• Number of acres – 475 in 1755; 475 in 1871; 498 in 1882; 1,200 in 1990 (2, pp. 11, 15, 18)
  

• Primary crop – Rice and cotton (1) (2, p. 15)
  

• The Rose Hill Plantation cemetery is located on the plantation and contains several members of the Ulmer family (2, p. 1).
  

Slaves

• Number of slaves – 126 in 1800; 68 in 1820; 41 in 1830; 28 in 1860 (2)
  

  The 1860 census notes 28 slaves living in 10 dwellings at Rose Hill Plantation (2, p. 15)
  

  We are actively seeking information on the slaves who lived and worked at this plantation. If you find a resource that might help, please fill out this form. Thank you.
  

References & Resources

1. Information contributed by Mills Morrison.

2. Information contributed by Gail Black from:
   – Archaeological Examination of Nineteenth Century Rose Hill Plantation - PDF (1995 by the Chicora Foundation)