UCL

Moonshine Hall

Barbados | St George

Estate Details

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
- 1730 [EY] → Joint owner
Sir Jermyn Davers

In 1654, William Byam, previously of Barbados but who had moved to Surinam, sold 80 acres in St George and a further 10 in the possession of Ann Peppercorn to Robert Davers (subsequently Sir Robert Davers 1st Bt.). In 1730, Thomas Davers of St George and Sir Jermyn Davers Bt., absentee in England [the grandsons of the 1st bt.), sold to the Hon John Frere of St Philip: (1) the Lower Estate; (2) Moonshine Hall, which was then 198 acres and on which there were 91 enslaved people. The Frere family continued to own Moonshine until at least 1800. Applewhaite Frere appears to have been the owner by 1777.

- 1722 [EY] → Owner
Sir Robert Davers 2nd bart.
1777 [EA] - 1800 [LA] → Owner
Applewhaite Frere
1817 [EA] - 1817 [LA] → Owner
Thomas Bishop Harper
1828 [EA] - 1829 [LA] → Owner
Thomas Best

Died 1829.

1832 [EA] - 1834 [LA] → Executor
John Rycroft Best

Associated Claims (1)

Barbados 3929 (Moonshine)
£2,823 11S 7D

Notes

In 1635 a survey was conducted of 100 acres bounding on ‘Locust Hall’ by John Swann for Capt. George Bowyer. Sometime before 1654, the plantation owned by Bowyer and his wife, Elizabeth, was sold. In 1654, William Byam, previously of Barbados but who had moved to Surinam, sold 80 acres in St George and a further 10 in the possession of Ann Peppercorn to Robert Davers (subsequently Sir Robert Davers Bt.). In 1730, Thomas Davers of St George and Sir Jermyn Davers Bt., absentee in England, sold to the Hon John Frere of St Philip: (1) the Lower Estate [q.v.]; (2) Moonshine Hall, which was then 198 acres and on which there were 91 enslaved people. The Frere family continued to own Moonshine until at least 1800. Applewhaite Frere appears to have been the owner by 1777.

Sources

Barbados Department of Archives. Hughes-Queree Index of Plantations.

Estate Information (6)

What is this?

1777
 

Applewhaite Frere in possession of Moonshine by 1777 [and possibly earlier]. The Frere family had owned the plantation since 1730. Applewhaite Frere seems to have been the owner until at least 1800. But note that it is not clear which Applewhaite Frere this was: probably Applewhaite Frere II.

 
Barbados Department of Archives. Hughes-Queree Index of Plantations.
1817
[Number of enslaved people] 94(Tot) 53(F) 41(M)  
[Name] Moon Shine Hall  
 

Return of Thomas Bishop Harper, his own property.

 
T71/520 708-10
1828
[Size] 170  
 

In 1828 Thomas Best took out a mortgage from Thomas & John Daniel: £10,000 secured on Moonshine Hall.

 
Barbados Department of Archives. Hughes-Queree Index of Plantations.
1829
[Number of enslaved people] 127(Tot)  
 

Return of John Rycroft Best, the property of Thomas Best. All 127 enslaved reverted from Brewster's (q.v.).

See also inventory of Best taken in 1829 which is titled Fairy Valley [q.v.] and Moonshine Hall though it contains no specific reference to Moonshine Hall. For details see Fairy Valley - 1830 evolution.

 
T71/543 13-16
1832
[Number of enslaved people] 121(Tot)  
[Name] Moon Shine Hall  
 

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

 
T71/550 7
1913
[Name] Moonshine Hall  
[Size] 215  
 

Listed in St George, property of Bancroft.

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