The Breeze February 2015

The turbubulent past
of a tranquil island.
Part 2: Early History
From: “A History of Spring Island Plantation”, by Agnes L. Baldwin, 1966
Published by: Spring Island Trust, 1996
Synopsis by: Randolph Stewart
Many of the same extraordinary features that drew
the earliest visitors to Spring Island are still bringing
people here today: Majestic oak forests teeming
with wildlife, saltwater estuaries with an abundance
of seafood, and fresh water from dozens of natural
springs, hence, the islands name. The first inhabitants
called their island home as early as 10,000 B.C.
Spanish explorers first toured the shores in 1521, the
The first owner of the island, John Cochran, acquired
the land in 1697, through a series of land grants
totaling 5,000 acres. Cochran was an Indian trader,
required to pay the Lord’s Proprietors 10 shillings
a year. The island, he named Cochran’s Island, was
strategically located across the Cheechessee Creek
from three Indian towns, Alamahaw, Cheechessee
and Okatie, in what was then known as Granville
County.
French followed in 1562, and the Scots in 1629. In all,
seven flags have flown over Beaufort County to the
present day.
For nearly 500 years, Spring Island has played
a prominent role in the events of this historic
Lowcountry. The first indian trading post between
Charleston and Savannah was established there in
1697. The first crop of the superb, long staple Sea
Island Cotton was planted there by George Edwards
in 1790. Since the turn of the century, sportsmen
and adventurers the world over have sought out
the island for its restorative climate and exceptional
recreation opportunities.
The Indians and settlers in the Port Royal area lived
in constant fear of the Spanish garrisons, as the
Spanish claimed all land from Port Royal southward,
and wiped out a Scottish Presbyterian settlement in
1685.
In April, 1715, the morning after a conference with the
Indians to settle complaints, Cochran, his attorney,
Thomas Nairn, Bray, Warner and John Wright were
taken prisoners by the Yemassees. This began a war
where 90 traders, planters, and their families were
killed. John Cochran, his wife and four children; Mr.
Bray, his wife and two children; and six more men
and women, having found some friends among the
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