Jacob Motte, Sr.

Motte, Jacob (1700-1770). Son of John Abraham Motte; Father of Isaac Motte and Jacob Motte, Jr. (1729-1780); Grandfather of William Drayton (1776-1846), John Huger (1786-1853), Richard Shubrick, and Thomas Shubrick (1756-1810); Father-in-law of John Sandford Dart, William Drayton (1732-1790), John Huger (1744-1804), James Irving, Thomas Lynch (1727-1776), Willia m Moultrie (1730-1805), Henry Peronneau, and Thomas Shubrick (1711-1779).

Jacob Motte, son of John Abraham Motte and Sarah Hill, was born in Dublin where his Huguenot father was the Dutch Counsel. The Motte's immigrated to South Carolina early in the eighteenth century. On 22 October 1713, Jacob was apprenticed for seven years to Francis LeBrasseur. Upon completion of his apprenticeship, he entered into partnership with his uncle, Charles Hill. The partnership ended in 1725 and Motte was on his own. His store was on Tradd Street and his wharf at the east end of the same street. During the next twenty years he became one of the three largest merchant-bankers in colonial Charleston.

Motte's public career began in 1734 when he was elected vestryman for St. Philip's Parish. The voters of the parish elected him to the Twelfth (1739-1742) and Thirteenth (1742-1745 ) Royal Assemblies. When Gabriel Manigault resigned as Public Treasurer, the Commons House in March 1743 nominated Motte to be his successor.

Motte's public record was subject to severe criticism. He had no knowledge of double entry bookkeeping, mixed public monies with his private funds, was chronically late with his reports, and allowed merchants to illegally defer payment of import duties. A hurricane in 1752 damaged his property and he could not pay his public or private debts. The House delayed investigating the Treasurer's accounts for several months in hopes that Motte could get his financial affairs in order. He could not. The legislative investigation showed that he had misappropriated £90,000 from the provincial treasury. He was allowed to keep his position but had to turn over his estate to a trust. By 1759 the funds had been repaid and Motte regained control of his property. In an attempt to increase his income he formed a partnership with James Laurens in the ironware and ship chandlery firm of Laurens & Motte (1751-1755). At his death Jacob Motte owned a town house in Charleston, Mount Pleasant Plantation in Christ Church Parish, and 20 slaves.

In Charleston Jacob Motte was active in the life of the city. With other concerned businessmen, he formed and was secretary (1736-1738) of the Friendly Society, an insurance company . He was a member of the Charleston Library Society (1750-1770) and the South Carolina Society (1754-1770) of which he was senior warden (1756-1757) and steward (1758-1759). Motte served St. Philip's Parish as vestryman (1734-1735), tax assessor and collector (1736), and Woodmeasurer (1738-1740) and St. Michael's Parish as vestryman (1760-1764). Other offices he held were justice of the peace for Berkeley County (1732, 1756, 1765, 1767, 1769); commissioner, under the Revenue Act (1740, 1742); and vestryman for Christ Church Parish (1759-1760). A benefactor of the established church, he contributed to the Society for the Propagation of the Gospel's school for Indians and slaves and gave Christ Church a set of communion silver.

Motte married twice. His first wife was Elizabeth Martin, daughter of Hannah and Patrick Martin. They had 19 children: Martin, Sarah (m. Thomas Shubrick), Jacob, Elizabeth, Martha (1726-1728), Anne (m. Henry Peronneau), John, Abraham (1735-1763), Hannah (m. 1st Thomas Lynch, 2nd William Moultrie), Isaac, Mary (m. William Drayton), Robert, Martha (m. John Sandford Dart ), Amey, Charlotte ( m. John Huger ), Charles, Rebecca, Elizabeth (m. James Irving), an unnamed son, and Harriott. Elizabeth Martin Motte died in February 1757. On 19 June 1763 Motte wed Ann LeBrasseur, daughter of Francis LeBrasseur and Anne Mellish and the widow of Joseph Pickering. They had two children, Abraham and Francis. Jacob Motte died on 17 June 1770 and was buried in St. Philip's Churchyard in Charleston.

To the ravages of time and the elements are due the destruction of material that contained the secrets of a man well known in the province, but of whose life records few are preserved. This man was Jacob Motte, Register of the Province in the last half century of its history. At the time of his death his property was valued at £228,301, of which £188,000 was in the form of promissory notes, bonds, book accounts, and other debts due him. He was a confirmed money lender. His son's wife, Rebecca Brewton Motte, was one of the most beloved of the women of the province. In the vestibule of St. Phillip's Church, Charleston, a marble slab is mounted in her honor. The Mottes are said to be descended from the Marquis de la Motte, who left France prior to the Revocation. They established residences in England and in Ireland. John Abraham de la Motte was one of the Dublin colony who moved to Charles Town about 1700. Jacob de la Motte was a Commissioner of the Church Act of 1706.

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