Sign Up  /  Login

The Ghost of William Baynard LbNA #41545 (ARCHIVED)

Owner:Adoptable
Plant date:Jun 8, 2008
Location:
City:Hilton Head
County:Beaufort
State:South Carolina
Boxes:1
Planted by:Halo
Found by: Co-Vicars
Last found:Feb 8, 2013
Status:FFFFFFFFFr
Last edited:Jun 8, 2008

In Sea Pines Plantation, near the southern end of the island, stand the Stoney-Baynard Ruins. These are the remnants of the great antebellum Braddock's Point Plantation, which dates from the mid-18th century.

According to legend, in 1776, Captain John Stoney (1757-1821) bought the 1000 acres known as Braddock's Point Plantation on Hilton Head. It was passed to is son, Captain James Stoney (1772-1827) who inherited the property, left it at his death to Dr. George Mosse Stoney, who passed it to his son "Saucy Jack" in 1838. A gambler, "Saucy Jack", supposedly lost the house and land in a poker game. The winner was William Eddings Baynard.

Baynard was a highly successful planter of the world-famous Sea Island Cotton which he grew at Braddock's Point as well as his other holdings. He and his wife Catherine raised four children here at the "big house" and it was here that he died in 1849 at the early age of 49.

William Baynard lost his young bride to fever in 1830, and he never recovered from his grief. So when it storms at night, it is said the specter of the mourning widower rides his wife’s hearse, driving a ghostly team of black horses before him.

At the ruins, find the Kitchen Chimney. Face the sign where you can read it. You will see two trails in front of you on the other side of the chimney. Take the trail on the right. At the T, turn right and begin counting about 16 steps. Look to the right. You will see a hollow log a few feet off the trail. Look high and not low.

Please secure and re-hide well. The logbook should be double bagged.