Plowden Weston

Plowden CJ Weston (1821-1864) was an American plantation owner and politician who served as the 50th Lieutenant Governor of South Carolina.^[1]

Plowden Weston
50th Lieutenant Governor of South Carolina
In office December 17, 1862 – January 25, 1864
Governor	John Gardiner Richards Jr.
Preceded by	William Harllee
Succeeded by	Robert McCaw
Personal details
Born	(1821-08-21)August 21, 1821 London, England
Died	January 25, 1864(1864-01-25) (aged 42) Conway, South Carolina
Political party	Democratic
Education	University of Cambridge

Biography

Plowden Weston was born in London, England in 1821 and migrated to the United States at a young age. Weston's father purchased the Laurel Hill Plantation in Beaufort, South Carolina, where Weston spent most of his childhood years.^[2] At age twelve, he returned to England to attend Harrow School, a private school for boys. Weston later attended the University of Cambridge. In 1847, Weston married an English woman and returned to the United States.^[3]

Weston received the Hagley plantation as a wedding gift and became one of the wealthiest men in South Carolina and one of the largest slaveholders.^[3][4]

Weston was elected Lieutenant Governor of South Carolina in 1862. He died in office at age 42 in 1864. He died of tuberculosis.^[5] At the time of his death, he owned 185 slaves and his estate was valued at approximately $500,000 (10 million dollars adjusted for inflation in 2023).^[6][7]