“The Great Hurricane of 1752”
A ledger book was recently donated by a descendent of the Penrose family and contained copies of letters that Charles Stedman, who was Dr. Graeme’s son-in-law, wrote to various business contacts. Many of them from the fall of 1752 reference (see below) having heard “the melancholy news of great damages done….by the violent hurricane.” At least three of these letters were addressed to merchants in Charleston, SC and I believe are referencing “The Great Hurricane of 1752,” which devastated Charleston on September 14-15, or “The Second Hurricane of 1752” which hit them two weeks later.
The South Carolina Gazette gave an account of the first hurricane on September 19, 1752
On the 14th in the evening, it began to blow very hard, the wind being N.E. and the sky wild and threatening. It continued blowing…until about 4 o’clock in the morning of the 15th, at which time it became more violent, and rained, increasing very fast ’till about 9, when the flood came in like a bore, filling the harbour in a few minutes: Before 11 o’clock, all the vessels in the harbour were on shore, except the Hornet man of war, which rode it out by cutting away her main-mast; all the wharfs and bridges were ruined, and every house, store, &c. upon them were beaten down and carried away (with all the goods therein) and also many houses in the town…. Incredible quantities of all sorts of timber, barrels, staves, shingles, household and other goods floating, and driving, with great violence through the streets and about the town….The inhabitants, finding themselves in the midst of a tempestuous sea, the wind still continuing, the tide expected to flow ’till after one o’clock, and many of the people being already up to their necks in water in their houses, began now to think of nothing but certain death….they were soon delivered from their apprehensions, for about 10 minutes after 11 o’clock, the wind veered…the water fell above 5 feet in the space of 10 minutes, without which unexpected and sudden fall, every house and inhabitant in this town, must, in all probability, have perished. And before 3 o’clock the hurricane was entirely over. Many people were drowned, and others much hurt by the falls of houses….