UCL

Fairy Valley

Barbados | Christ Church

Estate Details

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Associated People (6)

The dates listed below have different categories as denoted by the letters in the brackets following each date. Here is a key to explain those letter codes:

  • SD - Association Start Date
  • SY - Association Start Year
  • EA - Earliest Known Association
  • ED - Association End Date
  • EY - Association End Year
  • LA - Latest Known Association
1817 [EA] - 1829 [LA] → Owner
John Parry Best
1826 [EA] - 1829 [LA] → Committee
Forster Clarke
1829 [EA] - 1829 [LA] → Attorney
John Rycroft Best
1829 [EA] - 1829 [LA] → Owner
Thomas Best
1832 [EA] - 1832 [LA] → Previous owner
Thomas Best
1832 [EA] - 1834 [LA] → Executor
John Rycroft Best

Associated Claims (1)

Barbados 3213 (Fairy Valley)
£4,748 0S 9D

Estate Information (8)

What is this?

1817
[Number of enslaved people] 181(Tot) 92(F) 89(M)  
 

Return of John R. Best, Attorney, the property of John Parry Best.

 
T71/521 27-32
1823
[Number of enslaved people] 200(Tot)  
[Name] Fairy Valley  
 

Return of John R. Best, his own property. [NB: this is probably an error for the property of John Parry Best.] Previously 189 enslaved.

 
T71/529 654-5
1826
[Number of enslaved people] 209(Tot)  
[Name] Fairey Valley Plantation  
 

Return of Forster Clarke, the property of Thomas [sic] Parry Best, his own property. Clarke was 'Committee under the Court of Chancery'.

 
T71/536 23-4
1829
[Number of enslaved people] 221(Tot)  
[Name] [No name given]  
 

Return of John Rycroft Best, Attorney, the property of Thomas Best.

 
T71/544 190
1829
 

Return of Forster Clarke, Committee to John Parry Best, lunatic, owner.

A nil return of enslaved. This was because:
Previously returned: 209; births: 16; deaths: 14; manumitted: 1; sold to Thomas Best: 210.

 
T71/544 33-9
1830
[Number of enslaved people] 213(Tot) 99(F) 114(M)  
[Name] Fairy Valley and Moonshine Hall  
[Size] 435  
 

Inventory of Thomas Best, Fairy Valley and Moonshine Hall. Christ Church. Dated: Taken 31 October 1829, filed 17 November 1830. Total enslaved: Men: 54, Women: 51, Boys: 60, Girls: 48.
Inventory also included: horses, cattle.
Value of enslaved: £11,715 0 0d. The enslaved were valued at £55 each. Total estate value: £29,130 0 0d.

Note that the document is titled Fairy Valley and Moonshine Hall but there is no specific reference to Moonshine Hall in it. But see also separate returns for Moonshine Hall.

 
Barbados Department of Archives. Inventories.
1832
[Number of enslaved people] 218(Tot)  
 

Return of J. R. Best, Executor, the property of Thomas Best, deceased.

 
T71/549 17-18
1913
[Name] Fairy Valley  
[Size] 400  
 

Listed in Christ Church, property of Jackman.

 
Barbados 1913 list from the Hughes-Quere indexes transcribed at https://creolelinks.com/1913-barbados-plantation-owners-names.html.