Colleton, James | South Carolina Public Radio

"C" is for Colleton, James (d. 1706). Governor. Colleton was the son and brother of Carolina proprietors. He was named governor in 1686 with instructions to clamp down on illegal trade with pirates. Because of political turmoil, he declared martial law—an unpopular move. Colleton was politically naïve and was tricked by the powerful Goose Creek Men into asking the colonial parliament to raise taxes on imported liquors to provide funds to increase his salary. His alleged allies turned on him; voted down the bill; and denounced his avarice. When Seth Sothell, a proprietor arrived in the colony in 1690, he claimed the governorship as a resident proprietor. This was enough of an excuse for James Colleton’s enemies to remove him from the governorship, permanently bar him from office, and banish him from the colony.