The Oldest Charlestonian

KKBE (courtesy of kkbe.org)

Many things in Charleston are, for lack of better word, old. This includes the Jewish synagogue, Kahal Kadosh Beth Elohim (KKBE), which was founded in 1749 along with its cemetery, the Coming Street Cemetery that was founded just fifteen years later. While it was established later than KKBE, the cemetery is the oldest Jewish burial in the South, and it is the resting place of one of the oldest people to ever live in Charleston.

Barbary States (courtesy of Wikipedia)

Starr Barrett was born in 1699 in a Barbary State that was under the Empire of Morocco. It is said that Barrett “possessed a constitution truly Arabian,” and never got sick. She was known to be a traveler, someone who had seen “the four quarters of the globe.” This worldliness showed in her abundance of knowledge. She spoke English, Spanish, Italian, and French, but she also spoke the mixed languages of the traders of the southern Mediterranean. She was familiar with Hebrew and even wrote, and spoke, Arabic with ease.

Around 1780, Barrett moved from London to Charleston where she attended KKBE. Here, she became well known for her cheery personality and knowledge of the world. Just shortly after moving to Charleston, these characteristics were put to the test when, in 1786, two Algerian men arrived in Charleston. Because of their different customs, the people of Charleston were confused by their presence, and law enforcement stepped in to question them. However, the new men did not speak English. This is where Barrett’s knowledge and kind soul step in to play. She housed them and spoke to them, in their language, and found out that they were also Jewish. Digging deeper, Barrett learned that the men had sailed from Algeria to Virginia but were arrested because they were suspected of being Algerian. They had fled to South Carolina after that.

Barrett's Ledger (courtesy of  jhss.org)

Despite her being 80 at the time of moving here, Barrett would get to enjoy Charleston for a while longer, more specifically, for 40 more years. That’s right! Starr Barrett is said to have been upward of 100 years old when she passed away, according to a Charleston obituary, making her the oldest resident of the Coming Street Cemetery, and probably all of Charleston. It is said that she never really got sick like one would expect, rather she “withered away like some majestic tree which gradually loses its moisture.” Leaving behind a remarkable legacy of empathy and intrigue that we can all learn from, Starr Barrett passed away on January 9, 1820 and was laid to rest in the Coming Street Cemetery.