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"B" is for Brewton, Miles [ca. 1765-1769]

South Carolina From A to Z
SC Public Radio

"B" is for Brewton, Miles [ca. 1765-1769]. A native Charlestonian, Brewton’s powerful family was allied to banking, enabling him to establish a career in finance and trade. Twice during the 1750s, he traveled to England to finish his education and establish commercial ties. Between 1756 and his death, Brewton conducted business in several partnerships and was part-owner in eight commercial vessels. His partnerships dealt largely with the exportation of domestic produce, but he also made substantial profits in the slave trade.

Through his marriage, numerous land grants, and purchases, he accumulated considerable real estate. However, Brewton made his fortune principally as a merchant rather than a planter, becoming one of the wealthiest men in South Carolina. In 1769 Miles Brewton constructed a grand Georgian-style house on King Street and decorated it in the latetest English taste.

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Dr. Walter Edgar has two programs on South Carolina Public Radio: Walter Edgar's Journal, and South Carolina from A to Z. Dr. Edgar received his B.A. degree from Davidson College in 1965 and his Ph.D. from the University of South Carolina in 1969. After two years in the army (including a tour of duty in Vietnam), he returned to USC as a post-doctoral fellow of the National Archives, assigned to the Papers of Henry Laurens.