The Lords Proprietors of Carolina granted Dataw Island to Caleb Westbrook in 1682. Like many of the first Europeans in the region, Westbrook was actively involved with the Indians and the deerskin trade— the southern version of the fur trade. Caleb Westbrook established a trading post on Dataw.

Articles from this era address the period 1682 to 1783.

The Sams Family of South Carolina; South Carolina Historical Magazine 1963

Dataw Island History

This two-part article from the South Carolina Historical Magazine is one of the finest genealogical sources on the Sams Family. It was published in 1963 and authored by two of William Sams’ gggranddaughters. It begins,

“Bonham Sams, II, the progenitor of the Sams family of South Carolina, was baptized 2 February, 1663, in St. Mary’s Parish Church, North Petherton Parish, County of Somerset, England, as “Bonham Sam, son of Thomas Sam” and his wife, Mary Bagge, also of this parish. He was the third generation of his family known to have worshiped here in the faith of the Established Church of England. In St. Mary’s ancient church- yard are buried his parents, also his grandparents—Bonham Samme, I, and his wife, Mary Shutte.

Bonham Sams, II, was the only one of his father’s sons to leave for the New World. His brothers, Thomas, Edward, Daniel, William, and Roger, are buried in England; and from available records it appears that
the male line of descent died out in England by 1735.”