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The Letters of Simon Taylor of Jamaica to Chaloner Arcedekne, 1765–1775

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  13 October 2009

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  • Acknowledgements 4

  • Editorial note 4

  • Introduction 5

  • The Letters 7

  • Index 157

Type
Research Article
Copyright
Copyright © Royal Historical Society 1996

References

page 5 note 1 Sheridan, Richard, ‘Simon Taylor, suger tycoon of Jamaica, 1740–1813’, Agricultural History, 45 (1971), p. 286.Google Scholar

page 7 note 1 Elizabeth Kearsey (or Kersey) (d. 1778) was a widow when, probably in the mid 1730s, Andrew Arcedekne hired her as his housekeeper. Andrew Arcedekne, who was born in 1681, was admitted to Gray's Inn in 1710 but there is no record of his having been called to the Bar. If, as seems likely, he was a Roman Catholic this would have been an avenue denied him. In 1716 Arcedekne emigrated to Jamaica where he patented land in St Thomas in the East. In the same year he became the Island's Attorney-General, a post he held for a year. Arcedekne's political career began in 1718 when he was elected as a Member of the House of Assembly for St Catherine. He finally relinquished his seat in the Assembly in 1757. Two children were born to Andrew Arcedekne and Elizabeth Kersey, Anne, born in 1738 or 1739, and Chaloner, born in 1743 or 1744. Elizabeth remained in Jamaica after Andrew's death in 1763 until her own death fifteen years later. Oliver, Vere Langford, CARIBBEANA; Being Miscellaneous Papers Relating to the History, Genealogy, Topography and Antiquities of the British West Indies, 6 vols (London, 1910–), II, p. 175Google Scholar; ‘English commemorative sculpture in Jamaica’, The Jamaican Historical Review, 9 (1972), p. 46Google Scholar; Land Patents, XVI, fo. 98, Island Record Office, Spanish Town. The aunt referred to here was Elizabeth Kearsey's widowed sister, Frances Harris. The two women shared a house in Spanish Town.

page 7 note 2 A merchant house based in London.

page 7 note 3 A common abbreviation for a hogshead, which was a barrel or cask used for the transportation of liquids, such as rum, and dry goods, such as sugar. A hogshead might contain anywhere from 50 to 140 gallons. There were similar variations in the weight of the dry goods that could be packed into any particular hogshead. This was why bills of lading, which were necessary for securing insurance from English-based firms as well as for ascertaining the value of particular cargoes, always included the volume or weight of every hogshead transported.

page 7 note 4 Benjamin Raffles was the father of Sir Thomas Stamford Raffles. The latter was born on the merchant ship Ann, captained by his father, off Port Morant, on 7 July 1781. In June 1797 the death was reported in Falmouth, Jamaica, of ‘Captain Raffles of the ship Sebastina’. Oliver, , CARIBBEANA, IV, p. 270.Google Scholar

page 7 note 5 Graham, Robert (17351797)Google Scholar was born in Scotland and emigrated to Jamaica in 1752. Despite his youth he was appointed Receiver General of the island as the deputy for his absentee relation, Thomas Graham, a post he held until 1764. In 1763 Graham married Simon Taylor's sister Anne, and either in 1764 or 1765 the brothers-in-law formed a mercantile business that lasted until 1770 or 1771 when Graham returned to Scotland. Between 1766 and 1768 Graham sat as a Member of the House of Assembly for St David's. In 1770 or 1771 he inherited the estate of Ardoch, in Scotland, from his kinsman Nicol Bontine and changed his name to Robert Bontine of Ardoch. Back in Scotland he secured something of a reputation as a poet; his most famous work being entitled ‘Doughty Deeds’. Graham corresponded regularly with Simon Taylor and also forged a close relationship with Simon's brother, Sir John Taylor (see note 109 below). Towards the end of his life, Graham was elected as a Member of Parliament for Stirlingshire (1795–1796). For more details see Graham, R.B. Cunninghame, Doughty Deeds: An Account of the Life of Robert Graham of Gartmore, Poet and Politician, 1735–1797 Drawn from his Letter-Books and Correspondence (London, 1925).Google Scholar

page 8 note 6 John Kelly, who also owned a jobbing gang, was the main overseer on Golden Grove. He held this position until the 1780s. The will of a John Kelly was proved in Jamaica in 1805, but it cannot be conclusively established that this was the same John Kelly. Oliver, , CARIBBEANA, III, p. 117.Google Scholar

page 8 note 7 The sugar plantation in St Thomas in the East that, despite the doubts raised about his legitimacy, Chaloner finally inherited from his father in the mid-1760s.

page 8 note 8 Laing, Malcolm (17181781)Google Scholar was born in Britain and educated at Trinity College, Cambridge. The exact date of his emigration to Jamaica is uncertain but once there he established himself as a successful merchant. In the early 1770s Laing sat as a Member of the Assembly for St Thomas in the Vale. Oliver, , CARIBBEANA, II, p. 176Google Scholar; III, p. 577.

page 9 note 9 It is unclear whether Robin Arcedekne had been born in Jamaica or had emigrated to the island.

page 9 note 10 Charles Price Jr, who succeeded his father as second Baronet, was one of the most influential figures in mid-eighteenth-century Jamaican politics. For many years he represented St Catherine's in the Assembly and in the 1760s served as its Speaker. He was centrally involved in the ‘privilege controversy’ of the mid 1760s. (See note 11 below.) The Price family was listed among Jamaica's largest landowners and their main plantation, Worthy Park, was one of the island's premier sugar estates. For more details see Craton, Michael, A Jamaican Plantation: The History of Worthy Park, 1670–1970 (London, 1970).Google Scholar

page 9 note 11 Lyttelton, William Henry (17241808)Google Scholar, subsequently Baron Lyttelton of Frankley, was educated at Eton College and St Mary's Hall, Oxford and called to the Bar at the Middle Temple in 1744. Between 1744 and 1755 he served as the Member of Parliament for Bewdley in Worcestershire. He was appointed Governor of South Carolina in 1755, a post he held until his relocation to Jamaica in 1762. Lyttelton served in Jamaica until 1766, when he was named as Britain's ambassador to Portugal. He was the author of An Historical Account of the Constitution of Jamaica (1764)Google Scholar. For more details of the ‘privilege controversy’ referred to by Taylor, see Metcalf, George, Royal Government and Political Conflict in Jamaica. 1729–1783 (London, 1965), pp. 160167Google Scholar; Clayton, T.R., ‘Sophistry, security and socio-political struggles in the American Revolution; or, why Jamaica did not rebel’, The Historical Journal, 29 (1986), pp. 319344CrossRefGoogle Scholar; and Greene, Jack P., ‘The Jamaican privilege controversy, 1764–1766: an episode in the process of constitutional definition in the early modern British Empire’, Journal of Imperial and Commonwealth History, 22 (1994), pp. 1652.CrossRefGoogle Scholar

page 9 note 12 Malcolm Cowell was married to Chaloner Arcedekne's sister, Anne.

page 10 note 13 A highly successful planter, Samuel Allpress sat in the Jamaican Assembly as one of the members for Vere. Subsequently he would secure a seat on the island's Royal Council. Jamaican Assembly (1765) Public Record Office, Kew, CO 140/44, ff. nn.; Jamaican Assembly, Minutes, CO 140/46, p. 265.

page 10 note 14 A puncheon was a cask, or barrel, that was used for the shipping of both liquids and dry goods. Usually it contained eighty-four gallons.

page 10 note 15 No further information about either person has been located.

page 12 note 16 A common abbreviation for a hundredweight, or 120 pounds.

page 12 note 17 Lyssons Plantation, in St Thomas in the East, belonged to Simon Taylor. It was named for Nicholas Lycence, one of Jamaica's earliest settlers. Cundall, Frank, Historic Jamaica (London, 1913), p. 250.Google Scholar

page 12 note 18 Stokes Hall, an estate of just over 800 acres, was in St Thomas in the East. Higman, B.W., Jamaica Surveyed: Plantation Maps and Plans of the Eighteenth and Nineteenth Centuries, designed by Ranston, Dennis (Jamaica: Institute of Jamaica Publications, 1988), pp. 231232.Google Scholar

page 12 note 19 Ambrose Carter, who owned a plantation in St Thomas in the East.

page 12 note 20 Chaloner Arcedekne owned Batchelors Hall, a cattle pen in St Thomas in the East that supplied Golden Grove. For a discussion of Jamaican pens and pen-keepers see Shepherd, Verene A., ‘Pens and pen-keepers in a plantation society: aspects of Jamaican social and economic history, 1740–1845’, (unpublished Ph.D. dissertation, University of Cambridge, 1988).Google Scholar

page 13 note 21 Thomas Cussans, the son of Thomas and Mary Cussans, was born in Jamaica in 1739. He matriculated at Trinity College, Oxford, in the spring of 1755. Upon his return to Jamaica he soon became one of the island's most eminent sugar planters. Oliver, , CARIBBEANA, III, p. 265.Google Scholar

page 13 note 22 Cussans inherited Winchester Pen, in St Thomas in the East, from his father; ibid. Chaloner Arcedekne bought it from him in 1773. (See Letter 61).

page 13 note 23 The Cussans family owned Amity Hall plantation, in the valley of Plantain Garden River. Higman, , Jamaica Surveyed, pp. 233234.Google Scholar

page 13 note 24 George Scott, the owner of Hordley Plantation. He married the daughter of John Cussans, Thomas Cussans's brother. Oliver, , CARIBBEANA, III, p. 265.Google Scholar

page 14 note 25 Duckenfield Hall consisted of roughly 2,400 acres. The estate, which was owned by the absentee planter Nathaniel Phillips, was located in the valley of Plantain Garden River, across from Holland and Golden Grove.

page 14 note 26 At this time John Kennion owned Holland Plantation. Simon Taylor purchased the estate from him in 1771. (See Letter 54).

page 15 note 27 Probably George Richards, a merchant and planter, who was brother-in-law to Thomas and John Cussans. Lawrence-Archer, J.H., Monumental Inscriptions of the British West Indies from the Earliest Date (London, 1875), p. 97.Google Scholar

page 16 note 28 Bayly, Zachary (17211769)Google Scholar was one of the richest and most influential planterpoliticians in mid-eighteenth century Jamaica. His landholdings included around 1,100 acres in St Thomas in the East and 300 acres in St Andrew Parish. At his death he also owned six plantations in St Mary Parish (Trinity, Tryal, Bayly's Vale, Brimmer, Nonsuch, and Unity) as well as roughly 3,000 acres in pens. He bequeathed Nonsuch and Unity plantations to his nephew, Bryan Edwards. Oliver, , CARIBBEANA, III, pp. 42, 378.Google Scholar

page 16 note 29 One of the Irish branch of the family still contesting the validity of Andrew Arcedekne's will.

page 16 note 30 Merchants based in Kingston.

page 16 note 31 A measure of liquid capacity equal to approximately 126 gallons.

page 16 note 32 Robert Arcedekne was Ghaloner Arcedekne's cousin. In the mid-1760s he sat in the House of Assembly as one of the members for St Ann. Arcedekne's main residence was in St Mary's Parish, where he owned a plantation worked by 212 slaves. He also held another property in St Catherine's that was worked by six slaves. When he died in 1768 he left bequests to his brother Nicholas and his sister Margaret Foster, both of whom lived in Ireland; the bulk of his estate went to his cousin, Nicholas Bourke. Jamaican Assembly (1765) Public Record Office, Kew, GO 140/44, ff. nn.; Inventory of Robert Arcedekne, 1 June 1769, 8 June 1769, Inventories, Island Record Office, Spanish Town, XLVI (1769), fos 216–218, 224; Will of Robert Arcedekne, 8 December 1768. Island Record Office, Spanish Town, Wills, XXXVIII, fo. 39.

page 16 note 33 Born in 1728, Henry Dawkins was a member of one of Jamaica's oldest immigrant families. His grandfather, who had settled there in the 1660s, established the basis of the family's fortune. By the time he was in his thirties, Henry Dawkins was one of the island's wealthiest planters. He owned seven sugar plantations and, together with his two younger brothers, claimed around 25,000 acres of land in the Parishes of Clarendon, Vere, St Catherine, and St Thomas in the Vale. Dawkins subsequently settled in England. Oliver, , CARIBBEANA, III, pp. 42, 95Google Scholar; Higman, , Jamaica Surveyed, pp. 9295Google Scholar; Sheridan, Richard B., ‘The wealth of Jamaica in the eighteenth century’, The Economic History Review, 2nd series, 18 (1965), pp. 292311.CrossRefGoogle Scholar

page 16 note 34 It is unclear precisely which member of the Bourke family Taylor was referring to here.

page 17 note 35 Robin Arcedekne.

page 17 note 36 Swamps Plantation was in St David's. Inventory of Andrew Arcedekne of Parish St Cat. Esq., Inventories of Estates, Island Record Office, Spanish Town, XLV (1765), fos 58–63. No further information has been located about either Manning or Watson.

page 17 note 37 Jack, or John, Hibbert was the younger brother of the eminently successful merchant, Thomas Hibbert (see note 53 below). He emigrated to Jamaica from England in 1754.

page 17 note 38 SirMoore, Henry (17131769)Google Scholar, a native of Jamaica, served as the island's Governor between 1755 and 1762. In 1762 he was appointed to the Governorship of New York, a post he filled until his death seven years later. For more details see Lee, Sidney (ed.), Dictionary of National Biography (London, 1909), XII, pp. 801802.Google Scholar

page 17 note 39 Probably Duncan Charles MacGlashen, who owned the Rhine Plantation in St Thomas in the East. In 1774 he also purchased Blackheath Plantation in Westmoreland. Oliver, , CARIBBEANA, III, pp. 296297Google Scholar. The Old woman' referred to by Taylor was a Mrs Wyllie. (See note 119 below.)

page 17 note 40 It is unclear precisely what claim Taylor was referring to here.

page 17 note 41 Gregory, Matthew (16931779)Google Scholar was elected to the Jamaican House of Assembly as one of the Members for St James in 1718 and 1722. In 1726 he sat as a Member for St Ann. In addition to his activities as a medical practitioner, he also pursued a career as a planter on his Swansey estate. In 1765 he was involved in assessing the inventory of Andrew Arcedekne's Jamaican property. Lawrence-Archer, , Monumental Inscriptions, p. 46Google Scholar; Inventories of Estates, Island Record Office, Spanish Town, XLV (1765), fos 58–63.

page 17 note 42 His sister Ann, who had married Robert Graham in 1763.

page 18 note 43 A member of Jamaica's eminent Hope family.

page 18 note 44 It is unclear whether Chandler was a Jamaican ora British-based correspondent of Laing's.

page 18 note 45 A partnership based in Kingston that was heavily involved in the slave, sugar, and rum trades.

page 18 note 46 A lawyer based in Kingston.

page 18 note 47 No further information about White has been located, except that at this time he was not listed as being a member of either the Assembly or the Royal Council.

page 18 note 48 DrBrodbelt, Francis Rigby (17461795)Google Scholar was a medical practitioner in Spanish Town. In 1795 he was awarded the silver medal of the Medical Society of London. Brathwaite, Edward, The Development of Creole Society in Jamaica, 1770–1820 (Oxford, 1978), p. 247Google Scholar; Oliver, , CARIBBEANA, III (supplement), p. 38Google Scholar; Cundall, Frank, Lady Nugent's Journal (London, 1934), p. lx.Google Scholar

page 19 note 49 Long, Edward (17341813)Google Scholar was born in England but his family had owned lands in Jamaica since the 1660s. Following his father's death in 1757, Long moved to Jamaica and the next year he married Mary Ballard Beckford, the wealthy heiress of Thomas Beckford and the widow of John Palmer. Long's brother Robert gave him a share in the family estate of Longville in Clarendon Parish. Long had influential family connections in London. His uncle was Long, Beeston (17101785)Google Scholar, the founder of Long, Drake and Long, one of the premier sugar factors in mid-eighteenth century London. Oliver, , CARIBBEANA, III, p. 54Google Scholar. (See note 186 below.) Edward Long served as a judge in the Vice-Admiralty Court until 1769 when he was forced to return to England because of ill-health. He is best known for his History of Jamaica, 3 vols (London, 1774).Google Scholar

page 19 note 50 During the 1760s and 1770s Lewis sat in the Assembly as one of the Members for St Catherine's. He died in England in 1800 and was buried at Westbury-on-Trym, near Clifton. Oliver, , CARIBBEANA, II, p. 309.Google Scholar

page 19 note 51 Probably William Harvie, of St Dorothy, who subsequently sat as a Member of the Assembly for St Dorothy. Lawrence-Archer, , Monumental Inscriptions, p. 339.Google Scholar

page 19 note 52 It is unclear to whom Taylor was referring because at this date no one named Jones was listed as a being a member of the Royal Council.

page 19 note 53 Hibbert, Thomas (17101780)Google Scholar was the son of Robert Hibbert, a Manchester merchant, and his wife Margaret. He emigrated to Jamaica in 1734, where he quickly established himself as one of the wealthiest merchants in Kingston. In 1760 Hibbert purchased Agualta Vale, an estate of some 3,000 acres. He was elected as a Member of the Assembly for the Parishes of St George and Portland, and during the mid-1750s he filled the position of Speaker. Oliver, , CARIBBEANA, IV, pp. 193, 194, 325.Google Scholar

page 19 note 54 Little is known of Hall, other than that he was an eminent planter whose estates included a pen at Mount Prospect, Liguanea. Possibly he was a kinsman of Jasper Hall (see note 57 below). Charles Hall died at Mount Prospect in 1795. Ibid., I, p. 320.

page 19 note 55 Milner owned Wheelersfield, a sugar plantation in St Thomas in the East.

page 19 note 56 During the 1760s and early 1770s French sat as a Member of the Assembly for Kingston. His landholdings included 640 acres in St Andrew Parish, which he used mainly as a pen. Records of St. Andrew Parish, 1754; Public Record Office, Kew, CO 137/28, pp. 191–196.

page 19 note 57 Between 1764 and 1770 Jasper Hall sat as a Member of the Assembly for Kingston. He also served as the Receiver General of Jamaica and at the time of his death, in 1778, was the Speaker of Assembly. Oliver, , CARIBBEANA, V, p. 326.Google Scholar

page 20 note 58 Charles Price, Sr, the owner of Worthy Park and one of Jamaica's wealthiest sugar planters. (See note 10 above.)

page 20 note 59 The advertisement is not included in the bundle of correspondence for 1765.

page 20 note 60 Edward Bullock, a Kingston lawyer. Oliver, , CARIBBEANA, III, pp. 38, 54.Google Scholar

page 20 note 61 It has proved impossible to identify Way.

page 20 note 62 Apparently a self-employed white artisan who was frequently employed by Taylor.

page 21 note 63 A member of the prestigious sugar planting family. (See note 86 below.)

page 21 note 64 It has proved impossible to identify Thomas.

page 22 note 65 George Richards.

page 22 note 66 Wheelersfieid was the plantation owned by David Milner.

page 23 note 67 Matthew Gregory (see note 41 above) and Foster March. Andrew Arcedekne had appointed them as his executors. Inventory of Andrew Arcedekne of Parish of St Cat. Esq., Inventories of Estates, Island Record Office, Spanish Town, XLV (1765), fos 58–63.

page 23 note 68 Nicholas Bourke, who emigrated to Jamaica around 1740, was also Robert Arcedekne's cousin. In 1748 he married Elizabeth, the daughter of Thomas Fearon (see note 145 below). Bourke's political career began in 1754 when he was elected to the Assembly as a Member for Kingston, a seat he held until 1756. In 1757, 1768, and 1770 he was elected one of the Members for Clarendon, and in 1761 for Portland. Bourke was closely involved in the constitutional crisis of the mid-1760s, and almost certainly was the author of The Privileges of the Island of Jamaica Vindicated: With an Impartial Narrative of the Late Dispute between the Governor and House of Representatives, Upon the Case of Mr. Olyphant, A Member of that House (Jamaica, 1765, London, repr. 1766)Google Scholar. In 1770 Bourke served briefly as the Speaker of the Assembly. When he died the following year his estate, which was valued at around £34,000, included two sugar plantations, two cattle pens, a house in Spanish Town, and 497 slaves. Oliver, , CARIBBEANA, III, p. 261Google Scholar; V, pp. 260, 261; Greene, , ‘The Jamaican privilege controversy’, pp. 3132.Google Scholar

page 24 note 69 In the mid 1760s and early 1770s Prevost sat in the Assembly as one of the Members for St Dorothy. Jamaican Assembly (1765), Public Record Office, Kew, CO 140/44, ff. nn.

page 24 note 70 May, Rose Herring (1736/17371791)Google Scholar, an eminent planter, was a long-serving member of Jamaica's Royal Council. His local political responsibilities included acting as the Custos of Vere and Clarendon Parishes. Oliver, , CARIBBEANA, I, p. 261Google Scholar; Lawrence-Archer, , Monumental Inscriptions, p. 103Google Scholar. Originally a Custos Rotulorum was a magistrate placed in charge of the petty sessions records of an English county. In Jamaica the office was more akin to that of the Lord Lieutenant of a county. The Custos was the head of the magistracy in his parish and all new Justices of the Peace were appointed either on his recommendation or with his consent.

page 24 note 71 During the 1760s and early 1770s Hall sat in the Assembly as one of the Members for St Andrew. Jamaican Assembly (1765), Public Record Office, Kew, CO 140/44, ff. nn. Jamaican Assembly, Minutes, April 1770, ibid., 140/46, 265.

page 24 note 72 Thomas Beach, who died in 1774. Oliver, , CARIBBEANA, V, p. 277.Google Scholar

page 24 note 73 In 1766 Thomas Iredell became Attorney General of Jamaica. He was also appointed to the Royal Council and served as its President between 1775 and his death, at the age of seventy-six, in 1796. He was described by Governor Lyttelton as ‘a Gentleman of very fair Character and Good Fortune in this Island’. Governor Lyttelton to LsT 12 September 1765, Public Record Office, Kew, CO 137/33.

page 24 note 74 Harvie, whose main residence was in St Dorothy, subsequently sat in the House of Assembly as one of the Members for St Elizabeth. Lawrence-Archer, , Monumental Inscriptions, p. 339.Google Scholar

page 24 note 75 It has proved impossible to locate any further information about Gwyn.

page 24 note 76 It has proved impossible to locate any further information about Jebb.

page 24 note 77 In 1767 Governor Elletson sought to remove James Charles Sholto Douglas from his post as Collector of Customs for Jamaica on the grounds of maladmininstration. (See Letter 13.)

page 24 note 78 Archbould, Probably Henry (17421805)Google Scholar, who owned Constant Spring Plantation in St Andrew. By 1770 he had moved to England, where he died in 1805 and was buried in Bath. Oliver, , CARIBBEANA, II, pp. 230, 338, 340.Google Scholar

page 24 note 79 No further information has been discovered about Miss Newton.

page 24 note 80 Charles Price's brother. In the 1760s he sat as a member of the Assembly for St Thomas in the Vale. Jamaican Assembly (1765) Public Record Office, Kew, CO 140/44, ff. nn. In 1788 he succeeded his brother as third and last baronet. Lawrence-Archer, , Monumental Inscriptions, p. 65.Google Scholar

page 24 note 81 No further information has been discovered about Miss Patrick.

page 25 note 82 Ibid.

page 25 note 83 Possibly Peter Furnell, who in the mid-1750s was recorded as owning land in St Andrew. Records of St Andrew Parish 1754, CO 137/28, pp. 191–196.

page 25 note 84 Possibly John Maverly, who in 1754 was recorded as being a landowner in St Andrew. Records of St Andrew Parish, 1754, Public Record Office, Kew, CO 137/28, pp. 191–196

page 25 note 85 Robert Cooper Lee was one of mid-eighteenth-century Jamaica's most eminent lawyers. By 1782 he had moved to London, where he died in the early 1790s. His will was proved in 1794. Oliver, , CARIBBEANA, II, p. 276Google Scholar; V, p. 220.

page 25 note 86 Probably Philip Pinnock, the Speaker of the Jamaica House of Assembly from 1774 to 1778 and Custos of St Andrew Parish. Pinnock owned over 2,500 acres of land in St Andrew and was one of Jamaica's most eminent sugar planters. He squandered most of the wealth he made from sugar and was virtually a pauper when he died. Ibid., p. 155; Lawrence-Archer, , Monumental Inscriptions, p. 239.Google Scholar

page 26 note 87 Probably George Paplay, a merchant-planter who in 1764 and 1765 was a Member of the Assembly for St Thomas in the East. Sheridan, Richard B., Sugar and Slavery: An Economic History of the British West Indies, 1623–1775 (Aylesbury, 1974), p. 294.Google Scholar

page 26 note 88 No further information has been discovered about Buckly.

page 26 note 89 It is unclear which Miss Stoaks (or Stokes) Taylor was referring to.

page 26 note 90 William Perrin, the owner of Retrieve Plantation in St Andrew Parish.

page 29 note 91 It seems probable that Stevens was a self-employed carpenter.

page 29 note 92 Matthew Byndloss was born in 1721, the son of Paulniss and Catherine Byndloss. During the mid-1750s he served as a Member of the Assembly for St Ann. Oliver, , CARIBBEANA, III, pp. 261, 263.Google Scholar

page 29 note 93 Beckford, Ballard (17091764)Google Scholar was a member of the wealthy and influential Beckford family. He held extensive estates – in 1750 they totaled just over 6,000 acres – principally in St Mary's Parish.

page 29 note 94 Zachary Bayly owned Nonsuch Plantation.

page 30 note 95 Blackwall had been tried and acquitted for complicity in the Jamaican slave rebellion of 1760. Gardner, W.J., History of Jamaica to 1872 (London, 1909), p. 141.Google Scholar

page 30 note 96 Sir Alexander Grant, an eminent London-based merchant, owned Albion plantation. Hancock, David, Citizens of the World: London Merchants and the Integration of the British Atlantic Community, 1735–1785 (Cambridge, 1995), pp. 11, 151.Google Scholar

page 30 note 97 Trinity Plantation was another of Zachary Bayly's estates; Higman, , Jamaica Surveyed, pp. 116118.Google Scholar

page 30 note 98 Robert Stirling, a Scottish immigrant, acquired Frontier Plantation in 1742. Karras, Alan L., Sojourners in the Sun: Scottish Migrants in Jamaica and the Chesapeake, 1740–1800 (Ithaca, NY, 1992), p. 72.Google Scholar

page 31 note 99 The replacement doctor, who stayed on Golden Grove for several years, was a Dr Hayward.

page 31 note 100 The Hon. Gilbert Ford. Ford, who came of a Bristol family, served as Jamaica's Attorney-General and in 1764 secured a seat on the island's Royal Council. He died in 1767. Report of Governor Lyttelton of the State of Jamaica, Public Record Office, Kew, CO 137/33, fos 55–56; Oliver, , CARIBBEANA, III, p. 43.Google Scholar

page 31 note 101 See note 11 above.

page 31 note 102 It is unclear which Col. How Taylor was referring to, but given his distinguished military career it might have been Howe, William (17291814)Google Scholar, fifth Viscount Howe. For more details see Lee, (ed.), Dictionary of National Biography, X, pp. 102105.Google Scholar

page 31 note 103 John Fagan who during the 1750s and early 1760s, and possibly even earlier, had acted as an attorney for Andrew Arcedekne. Case: Arcedekne vs T.[homas] Hall with appeal affidavit and authentication by C. Knowles, Governor of Jamaica, 11 April 1755. National Library of Jamaica, Kingston, Ms. 1035. Clearly Fagan was close to the Andrew's branch of the Arcedekne family because in 1768 Robert Arcedekne left a bequest of £500 CMJ to his ‘special friend John Fagan’. Will of Robert Arcedekne, 8 December 1768, Island Record Office, Spanish Town, Wills, XXXVIII, fo. 39.

page 32 note 104 It appears that McQueen was either a manager of Duckenfield or one of the attorneys for its absentee owner, Nathaniel Philips.

page 32 note 105 It has proved impossible to identify the Mr Pickersgill referred to here.

page 33 note 106 Presumably Gilbert Ford.

page 33 note 107 Like Simon Taylor, Morse combined planting and mercantile interests. In 1750 he was recorded as having 8,526 acres of land in Jamaica and by 1763 was Register in the Jamaican Court of Vice-Admiralty. Morse's business partnerships included one with Zachary Bayly, and by the mid-1770s, another in London with Thomas Smith. Morse died in England in 1780 or 1781. Oliver, , CARIBBEANA, I, p. 231Google Scholar; III, pp. 95, 122.

page 33 note 108 It has proved impossible to further identify either Peters or Mrs Reynolds.

page 33 note 109 Taylor, John (17451786)Google Scholar created first Baronet in 1778. His wife Elizabeth was the daughter and heiress of Philip Haughton of Orange Grove in Hanover Parish. Although Taylor lived principally in London, he owned lands in Jamaica and it was whilst on a visit to his Jamaican estates in 1786 that he died in Kingston. He was buried at Lyssons Plantation and subsequently his brother was interred alongside him. Oliver, , CARIBBEANA, III, p. 63Google Scholar; Cundall, , Historic Jamaica, p. 250.Google Scholar

page 33 note 110 Hampson Thomas was a Member of the House of Assembly for St Catherine.

page 33 note 111 Fuller, a merchant and the brother of Rose Fuller, had been appointed as Jamaica's Agent in London in 1764 and he continued to serve in that capacity until 1794; Penson, L.M., The Colonial Agents of the British West Indies (London, 1924), pp. 164, 228.Google Scholar

page 35 note 112 Elletson, Roger Hope (17271775)Google Scholar was born in Jamaica, the son of Richard Elletson, owner of Hope Estate. He was educated at Eton College and at Trinity College, Cambridge, where he matriculated in 1746. Upon his return to Jamaica, Elletson was elected as a Member of the Assembly for Port Royal and in 1757 appointed to the Royal Council. In 1767, upon Governor Lyttelton's departure from Jamaica, Elletson was promoted to the office of Lieutenant Governor, a position he held until 1768. In 1754 his younger brother Thomas married Simon Taylor's sister Susan, or Susannah. Thomas died in 1760, Susan died on an unknown date before 1760. Roger Hope Elletson died whilst on a visit to England in 1775. Oliver, , CARIBBEANA, III, p. 42.Google Scholar

page 35 note 113 It has proved impossible to locate any further information about Clarke.

page 35 note 114 Robin Arcedekne.

page 36 note 115 One of the slave artisans on Golden Grove.

page 36 note 116 Taylor has proved impossible to identify, but the context in which his name is mentioned suggests that he was not related to Simon Taylor.

page 36 note 117 Possibly John Taylor, a beneficiary of Simon Taylor's will. Will of Simon Taylor, Late of the Parish of St Andrew, Esq., made 2 December 1808, codicils made, 18 October 1811, proved 27 April 1813. Wills, Island Record Office, Spanish Town, LXXXVII, fos 1–34.

page 37 note 118 No further information has been located about the partners in this company.

page 38 note 119 No further information has been located about Mrs Wyllie.

page 38 note 120 A partnership based either in Spanish Town or, more likely, in Kingston.

page 39 note 121 There is no record of the medical services performed by Dr Troupe.

page 40 note 122 No further information has been located about Nevill or the services he performed on or for Golden Grove.

page 40 note 123 Robin Arcedekne.

page 40 note 124 Luke Bourke

page 40 note 125 Nicholas Arcedekne.

page 40 note 126 Robin Arcedekne.

page 42 note 127 Simon Taylor.

page 43 note 128 Archer was the Island Secretary, the chief official in the Office of Enrolments. All deeds had to be recorded in the Office within three months of their execution. Oliver, , CARIBBEANA, III, p. 135.Google Scholar

page 44 note 129 Lieutenant GeneralMonckton, Robert (17261782)Google Scholar. In 1761 Monckton had commanded the land forces that captured Port Royal in Martinque, which led to the surrender of Martinique, Grenada, St Lucia, and St Vincent to the English. Despite the hopes of Taylor and other eminent Jamaicans, Monckton was never appointed to the Governorship of Jamaica. For more details see Lee, (ed.), Dictionary of National Biography, XIII, pp. 612614.Google Scholar

page 44 note 130 It has proved impossible to identify this member of the Compere family.

page 45 note 131 John Kennion had been appointed to the Royal Council in 1761.

page 46 note 132 The plantation hospital.

page 47 note 133 The bond referred to here may have been one for £1,896 is 10d that was dated 8 September 1749 and mentioned in the inventory of Patrick Taylor's estate that was drawn up in 1759. Patrick Taylor was Simon Taylor's father. 8 March 1759, Inventory of all and singular the Bonds Securities and Debts due to Patrick Taylor late of the Parish of Assembly Kingston, as they were sworn unto us by Andrew Arcedekne, Charles Mitchell & Matthew Gregory Esqs And the Honble Sir Simon Clark. Inventories of Estates, Island Record Office, Spanish Town, XXXIX, fo. 64. It has proved impossible to further identify Fisher.

page 47 note 134 During the 1760s Delap represented St Elizabeth in the Jamaican House of Assembly.

page 47 note 135 Francis Cooke, one of the Royal Councillors suspended by Governor Elletson, owned close to 2,000 acres of land in St Elizabeth.

page 47 note 136 The Gales were one of Jamaica's most eminent families. Their wealth and prestige originated in the early 1670s, when Jonathan Gale patented 533 acres of land in St Elizabeth Parish. When he died in 1750 Isaac Gale owned 11,838 acres of land in Jamaica. His will, which was recorded in 1748, was proved two years later. Oliver, , CARIBBEANA, II, pp. 58, 121, 308Google Scholar; IV, p. 95.

page 47 note 137 No further information has been located about Stapleton.

page 48 note 138 The James family had held properties in Westmoreland and Hanover parishes ever since the first English settlement of Jamaica. The family became connected with the equally eminent Haughton family of Barbados through the marriage of the Hon. Richard James (b. 1655) to Ann Haughton. Haughton James was born in Jamaica in 1738 and matriculated from St Mary Hall in 1755. He died in Spanish Town in 1797. Oliver, , CARIBBEANA, II, p. 1Google Scholar; III, p. 51; IV, p. 209; Paget, Hugh, ‘The early history of the family of James of Jamaica’, The Jamaica Historical Review, 1 (1948), pp. 260273.Google Scholar

page 48 note 139 Luke Bourke, a member of the family that challenged the legitimacy of Andrew Arcedekne's will.

page 49 note 140 Thomas Gordon who, during the 1760s, sat as a member of the Jamaican Assembly for Port Royal and also served as the island's Attorney General. He had close ties with the Hibbert brothers by virtue of his sister Janet's marriage to John Hibbert (1732–1769) in 1760. Gordon died in 1780 or 1781, and his will was proved in the latter year. Jamaican Assembly (1765) Public Record Office, Kew, CO 140/44, ff. nn.; Oliver, , CARIBBEANA, II, p. 175Google Scholar; III, p. 193

page 49 note 141 Probably Edward Webley, who during the 1760s sat in the Assembly as one of the members for St David's. In 1765, together with Scudamore Wynde (or Winde) (see note 198 below), Webley confirmed the contents of the inventory of Andrew Arcedekne's estate. Inventory of Andrew Arcedekne of Parish St Cat. Esq. by Edward Webley & Scudamore Wynde of Parish St Catherine as shown by executors Matthew Gregory & Foster March, 30 April 1765. Inventories of Estates, Island Record Office, Spanish Town, XXXXV (1765), fos 58–63.

page 49 note 142 Possibly William Patrick Brown, in the mid 1760s a member of the Assembly for St John. Jamaica Assembly, 19 March 1765–22 March 1765, Public Record Office, Kew, CO 140/44, ff., nn.

page 49 note 143 For several years between 1750 and his death in 1797 Wallen represented the Parish of Port Royal in the Assembly. His properties included Mount Pleasant, an eighty-five-acre estate in St Andrew Parish. Wallen is best remembered not so much for his political career as for his botanical experiments. Oliver, , CARIBBEANA, IV, p. 208Google Scholar; Hall, Douglas, ‘Planters, farmers and gardeners in eighteenth century Jamaica’, The Elsa Goveia Memorial Lecture, 1987 (Kingston, Department of History, University of the West Indies, Mona, 1988), p. 4.Google Scholar

page 50 note 144 Jonathan Gale's will was recorded in 1740. He was a member of the influential family that traced its Jamaican roots back to the early 1670s. Oliver, , CARIBBEANA, II, p. 120Google Scholar. (See note 136 above.)

page 50 note 145 Between 1756 and 1764 the Hon. Thomas Fearon served as the Chief Justice of Jamaica. He also acted as the Custos of the Parishes of Clarendon and Vere. During the mid-1760s and early 1770s his elective offices included sitting as a Member of the Assembly for Clarendon. Jamaican Assembly (1765), Public Record Office, Kew, CO 140/44, ff. nn.

page 51 note 146 It has proved impossible to identify Miss Ablett.

page 51 note 147 It has proved impossible to identify Taylor, but given his occupation it seems evident that he was not related to Simon Taylor.

page 52 note 148 John, , or Jack, , Cussans, (17421789)Google Scholar, was the younger brother of Thomas Cussans. (See note 21 above.) He lived at Amity Hall and also owned property in Hanover. In 1767 he married Euphine Macqueen. Oliver, , CARIBBEANA, III, p. 266Google Scholar; III (supplement), p. 40.

page 52 note 149 Little is known of William Gale other than that he was a member of the preeminent Gale family (see note 136 above). His main residence was in Hanover and he served as a Member of Assembly for that Parish. Ibid., III (supplement), p. 44.

page 53 note 150 Gale, Henry (17371767]Google Scholar was a member of the prestigious Gale family (see note 136 above). In 1750, whilst still a minor, he owned just over 10,065 acres of land. During the early 1760s he sat as one of the Members of the Assembly for St Elizabeth and also served as the Gustos of that parish. Lawrence-Archer, , Monumental Inscriptions, p. 306.Google Scholar

page 53 note 151 A merchant house.

page 54 note 152 It has proved impossible to identify Kelly, although he may have been a kinsman of John Kelly, the overseer at Golden Grove.

page 57 note 153 John Scott owned upwards of 5,000 acres of land and his main residence was at Trelawny. Oliver, , CARIBBEANA, III, p. 95.Google Scholar

page 57 note 154 In 1763 Archibald Sinclair was serving as Clerk of the Markets and in that same year was recommended for membership of Jamaica's Royal Council by Governor Lyttelton. He also sat in the Assembly during the 1760s as a Member for St Catherine. Greene, , ‘The Jamaican privilege controversy’, p. 26.Google Scholar

page 57 note 155 Richard Welch (or Welsh) had trained as a lawyer and in 1768 was Jamaica's Attorney General. He was still a member of Jamaica's Royal Council in 1776 and by 1770 was the island's Chief Justice. In 1769 he married Lucretia Favell Dehany, who belonged to of one of Jamaica's wealthiest planting families. In 1768 Chaloner's cousin, Robert Arcedekne, left a bequest of £50 sterling to his ‘special friend Richard Welch’, whom he also named as one of his executors. Welch died in Bath, England, in 1782 at the age of forty-nine. Oliver, , CARIBBEANA, III, pp. 220, 289Google Scholar; IV, p. 289; Will of Robert Arcedekne, 8 December 1768, Island Record Office, Spanish Town, Wills, XXXVIII, fo. 39.

page 57 note 156 Rose Herring May.

page 58 note 157 Apparently hired by John Kelly with Taylor and Arcedekne's approval, Hayward continued to work on Golden Grove until the 1780s.

page 61 note 158 Alexander Littlejohn's properties included The Rhine Plantation in St Thomas in the East. Oliver, , CARIBBEANA, III, p. 297Google Scholar. There is no record of what goods or services he provided for Golden Grove on this occasion.

page 61 note 159 Matthew Gale was a member of the pre-eminent Gale family. (See note 136 above.)

page 62 note 160 No further information has been discovered about either the Fosters or the attorney mentioned by Taylor.

page 62 note 161 Samuel Gordon's will was finally proved in 1778. Oliver, , CARIBBEANA, I, p. 175.Google Scholar

page 64 note 162 Robin Arcedekne.

page 64 note 163 The Hon. Samuel Whitehorne, who had served as a member of Jamaica's Royal Council.

page 64 note 164 It has proved impossible to further identify either Peyton or Boroden.

page 68 note 165 It has proved impossible to further identify Woodcock.

page 68 note 166 It has proved impossible to further identify Bennett.

page 69 note 167 A measure equal to a third of a pipe, or forty-two gallons.

page 69 note 168 It has proved impossible to further identify Winter.

page 70 note 169 It has proved impossible to locate any further information about Kearney or for how long he had been employed as an overseer at Batchelor's Hall pen.

page 71 note 170 Welch married Lucretia Favell Dehany. (See note 155 above.)

page 71 note 171 Bullock married Elizabeth Savile Trower. Oliver, , CARIBBEANA, III, p. 38.Google Scholar

page 71 note 172 Murray went on to become the proprietor of Latium Plantation in St James' Parish. In 1773 he was elected as a Member of the Assembly for that Parish. He subsequently returned to England where he died in 1794 at the age of fifty-four. Ibid., III, p. 86.

page 71 note 173 It has proved impossible to further identify Miss Garland, Brownrigg, and Widow Jones.

page 76 note 174 It has proved impossible to further identify Lewis Grant.

page 77 note 175 George Richards.

page 77 note 176 Chaloner Arcedekne inherited Norris's Pen, in St David's Parish, from his father. Inventory of Andrew Arcedekne of Parish St Cat., Esq., Inventories of Estates, Island Record Office, Spanish Town, V (1765), fos 58–63.

page 79 note 177 Robin Arcedekne.

page 79 note 178 Admiral SirBoscawen, Edward (17111761)Google Scholar. For more details see Stephen, Leslie and Lee, Sidney (eds), Dictionary of National Biography (London, 1908), XI, pp. 7181.Google Scholar

page 84 note 179 Philander was a slave on Golden Grove. There is no evidence of why Arcedekne agreed to make this payment to him.

page 84 note 180 Murray, William, (17051793)Google Scholar first Earl of Mansfield. Mansfield had served as the Lord Chief Justice of the King's Bench of Great Britain since 1756, a position he would continue to hold until 1788 when he resigned the office. For more details see Lee, (ed.), Dictionary of National Biography, XIII, pp. 13061312.Google Scholar

page 84 note 181 Harrison, Thomas, who died in 1792Google Scholar. Lawrence-Archer, , Monumental Inscriptions, p. 237.Google Scholar

page 90 note 182 It is unclear whether Taylor was referring to the widow of Isaac or of Jonathan Gale. (See note 136 above.)

page 91 note 183 It has proved impossible to further identify McMillan.

page 91 note 184 Gilbert Ford.

page 92 note 185 It has proved impossible to further identify Mr Poole.

page 93 note 186 During the middle years of the eighteenth century Long, Drake and Long were among the premier London-based sugar factors and commission agents who dealt with Jamaica. Beeston Long, the uncle of Edward Long, and a director of the Royal Exchange Assurance Company, was a founding member of the firm. In 1760 he served as the chairman of the recently formed West Indian Merchants in London. One of his sons, Beeston Jr, was also involved in the family business and became a director of the Bank of England, while another son, Charles, became Baron Farnborough. Sheridan, , Sugar and Slavery, p. 300Google Scholar. For further details see Howard, R.M., Records and Letters of the Family of the Longs (London, 1925).Google Scholar

page 94 note 187 The Orgills were a prominent Jamaican planting family. It is unclear which member of the family Taylor was referring to. The likeliest possibilities are Samuel (died 1741), William (died 1770), John (died 1779) who in 1754 was recorded as owning land in St Andrew Parish, or Thomas (born 1726). Oliver, , CARIBBEANA, III, pp. 276279Google Scholar; Records of St Andrew Parish, 1754, Public Record Office, Kew, CO 137/28, pp. 191–196.

page 94 note 188 It has proved impossible to further identify Peyton.

page 94 note 189 Samuel Jackson.

page 94 note 190 It has proved impossible to further identify Grant.

page 95 note 191 It has proved impossible to further identify Colmore.

page 97 note 192 Possibly Nicholas Bourke's daughter.

page 97 note 193 It has proved impossible to further identify Palmer.

page 97 note 194 Almost certainly Nathaniel Philips, the owner of Duckenfield Hall.

page 97 note 195 Benjamin White.

page 97 note 196 Probably the son of Augustus Vallette, who owned land in St Thomas in the East. The Vallettes were a family of French Huguenot extraction. Vallette Sr had been one of the witnesses to Patrick Taylor's will. Oliver, , CARIBBEANA, III, p. 296Google Scholar; Cundall, , Lady Nugent's Journal, p. 89Google Scholar; Will of Patrick Taylor, made 3 September 1754, proved 12 September 1754. Wills, Island Record Office, Spanish Town, XXIX, fo. 206.

page 98 note 197 It has proved impossible to ascertain either the name of the age of John McLeod's son.

page 98 note 198 Probably Scudamore Winde, whose main residence was in St Catherine's Parish. In 1765 he was involved in assessing the inventory of Andrew Arcedekne's Jamaican property. Inventory of Andrew Arcedekne of Parish St Cat. Esq., Inventories of Estates, Island Record Office, Spanish Town, XLV (1765), fos 58–63. In the 1760s he acted as the Attorney for Duckenfield Estate and was also a close friend of Thomas Cussans. The exact date of Winde's death is uncertain, but his will was proved in 1776. Oliver, , CARIBBEANA, II, p. 175.Google Scholar

page 99 note 199 It has proved impossible to further identify Ross.

page 100 note 200 It has proved impossible to further identify Stephenson.

page 101 note 201 Moro pen, or pasture as it was sometimes known, was also in St Thomas in the East and formed part of Hordley Estate. Cundall, , Lady Nugent's Journal, p. 94.Google Scholar

page 102 note 202 Possibly Thomas Hope Edlyne.

page 102 note 203 It has proved impossible to further identify Mrs Inglis.

page 103 note 204 Probably Dr John Gordon, a medical practitioner whose main place of residence was St Mary's Parish.

page 103 note 205 Wedderburn, Alexander (17331805)Google Scholar was appointed Solicitor General in January 1771. He went on to become Attorney General in 1778, Lord Chief Justice of the Court of Common Pleas in 1780, when he was ennobled as Baron Lougborough, First Commissioner of the Great Seal in 1783, and Lord Chancellor in 1793, a post he had long coveted and which he held until 1801. Lee, (ed.), Dictionary of National Biography, XX, pp. 19431945.Google Scholar

page 103 note 206 Dunning, John (17311783)Google Scholar, first Baron Ashburton, a client of Lord Shelburne, served as Solicitor General between 1768 and 1770. His greatest claim to fame was the resolution he moved in the House of Commons in 1780 that ‘the influence of the Crown has increased, is increasing, and ought to be diminished’. Stephen, and Lee, (eds), Dictionary of National Biography, VI, pp. 213215.Google Scholar

page 103 note 207 Hinton East was a creole of English parentage who at one time owned The Rhine Plantation in St Thomas in the East. At various times during the middle years of the eighteenth century he served as the Judge Advocate General and the Receiver General of Jamaica. He was also elected as a Member of the Assembly for Kingston. East, who died in 1792, is better known for his botanical experiments, and the botanic garden he established at Spring Garden, than he is for either his legal or his political career. Oliver, , CARIBBEANA, III, p. 296Google Scholar; Hall, , ‘Planters, farmers and gardeners’, p. 4.Google Scholar

page 103 note 208 It has proved impossible to further identify Peters.

page 103 note 209 It has proved impossible to locate any further information about the Penhallons.

page 106 note 210 It has proved impossible to further identify Pearce.

page 106 note 211 Little is known about Kelsall, a planter-merchant, other than at the time of his death in 1780 he owned at least one plantation, Hermon Hill, in St Mary and a moiety of the Union. He was also £3,000 in debt to Thomas, Stephen, and Rose Fuller of London, merchants. It is unclear why Elizabeth Kearsey placed so much faith in someone who was so despised by Simon Taylor. Oliver, , CARIBBEANA, III, p. 123Google Scholar

page 106 note 212 It has proved impossible to further identify Smith.

page 106 note 213 Probably James Fraser, a partner in the Kingston-based mercantile house of Fraser and McQueen.

page 107 note 214 It has proved impossible to further identify Dr Collins or establish the dates when he was employed on Golden Grove.

page 109 note 215 A shallop might be a two-masted ship with lugsails or a small open boat propelled by oars or sails. Both types of shallop were used chiefly in shallow waters.

page 110 note 216 Almost certainly John Allen, who also acted as an attorney for Thomas Cussans.

page 111 note 217 It has proved impossible to further identify Rudhall.

page 111 note 218 Alexander Wedderburn (see note 205 above).

page 112 note 219 Possibly an attorney for Duckenfield Hall.

page 112 note 220 It has proved impossible to ascertain the dates of McQueen's service on Duckenfield.

page 113 note 221 It has proved impossible to further identify Mrs Murphy.

page 113 note 222 It has proved impossible to further identify Jennings.

page 115 note 223 It has proved impossible to further identify Cunliffe or to ascertain for how long he had worked as a surveyor.

page 116 note 224 A merchant based in Kingston.

page 118 note 225 Dr John Gordon.

page 119 note 226 Probably James Fraser (soc note 213 above.)

page 119 note 227 Daniel McQueen was a merchant based in Kingston. In 1754 Patrick Taylor, Simon's father, named McQueen as a beneficiary of his will. Will of Patrick Taylor, made 3 September 1754, proved 12 September 1754. Wills, Island Record Office, Spanish Town, XXIX, fo. 206.

page 119 note 228 Possibly one of Arcedekne's Anglo-Irish relations.

page 120 note 229 Montague, Lord Charles Greville (17411784)Google Scholar served as the Governor of South Carolina between 1766 and 1773. During the American War of Independence he saw active military service as the commander of the Duke of Cumberland's Regiment.

page 120 note 230 Keith served as Governor of Jamaica until his death in 1777.

page 122 note 231 A merchant house based in Kingston.

page 123 note 232 It has proved impossible to further identify Elizabeth Walters.

page 124 note 233 Sheckle, John (17121782)Google Scholar emigrated from Britain to Jamaica in the late 1720s. In adoption to his legal work he served as the Custos of Clarendon and Vere and was also appointed Brigadier General of the local militia. Lawrence-Archer, , Monumental Inscriptions, p. 305.Google Scholar

page 124 note 234 John Rome was one of the most important land surveyors in eighteenth-century Jamaica. Much of his work during the middle years of the century was undertaken for the Dawkins family. (See note 33 above.) By the 1790s Rome appears to have abandoned surveying in favour of coffee planting in Clarendon parish. Upon his death in 1797 his estate, which was valued at £3,080, included forty-one slaves. Higman, , Jamaica Surveyed, p. 31.Google Scholar

page 126 note 235 An eminent planter-merchant.

page 126 note 236 Like Orr, a planter-merchant.

page 128 note 237 It has proved impossible to further identify Swarton.

page 130 note 238 It is unclear to whom Taylor is referring.

page 132 note 239 Rodney, Admiral George Brydges (17191792)Google Scholar, first Baron Rodney, who would go on to play a critical role in some of the most significant naval actions of the American War of Independence. For more details see Lee, (ed.), Dictionary of National Biography, 17, pp. 8187.Google Scholar

page 135 note 240 One shilling and tenpence halfpenny.

page 135 note 241 One shilling and threepence.

page 137 note 242 Emphasis in original.

page 138 note 243 It has proved impossible to further identify Dr Blow.

page 138 note 244 Hinton East's legal partnership in London.

page 140 note 245 All the emphasized sections in this letter are in the original.

page 147 note 246 Admiral SirHughes, Edward (1720?–1794)Google Scholar. For more information see Lee, (ed.), Dictionary of Motional Biography, X, pp. 172175.Google Scholar

page 150 note 247 A merchant house based in Kingston.

page 152 note 248 Ellis, Welbore (17131802)Google Scholar. Elllis sat in the House of Commons between 1741 and 1802. He was the Member for Petersfield from 1768 to 1774 and for Weymouth and Melcombe Regis from 1774 until 1790. During the Stamp Act crisis Ellis had advocated that a firm stand be taken against the American colonists. For more details see SirNamier, Lewis and Brooke, John (eds), The History of Parliament: The House of Commons, 1754–1790, 3 vols (London, 1964), II, pp. 397400.Google Scholar

page 153 note 249 A mercantile partnership that was formed between Tench Tilghman and his nephew Tench Francis, Jr in the early 1760s.