UCL

Spring Head (or Springhead)

Barbados | St James

Estate Details

Associated People (3)

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
1753 [EA] - 1815 [LA] → Owner
Sir Philip Gibbes Bart.
1815 [EA] - 1846 [LA] → Owner
Sir Samuel Osborne Gibbes 2nd Bart.
1817 [EA] - 1829 [LA] → Attorney
Forster Clarke

Associated Claims (1)

Barbados 4310 (Spring Head)
£3,062 8S 10D

Notes

Originally established when in 1640 Capt. William Woodhouse & William Hawkesworth sold to John Thorborne, 2 plantations: 1. 130 acres in St. Andrew; 2. 150 acres at Four Hills in St. Peter for 48,000 lbs of cotton and 11,000 lbs of tobacco.

In 1650 John Parris of Barbados, merchant, bought 70 acres, formerly the property of John Thorbone and 90 acres from the Churchwarden of St. Andrew. The two acreages of 160 acres form a plantation called ‘Springhead’ on which Parris lived.

In 1663 Thomas Parris sold to George Gospright 3 plantations, the property of John Parris, deceased including (1) Springhead, (2) Broome Hall and (3) Scotland. Total acreage 460 acres. Purchase price £5,600 sterling. George Gospright immediately sold the same 3 plantations and a warehouse at Reid’s Bay to John Sparke and John Bawden for £6,100 sterling. Sparke and Bawden still owned the plantations by 1674.

By 1736, following a series of leases and transfers of ownership, part of the Springhead plantation had become the property of Samuel Osborne (died 1736) , who had also bought the Fullerton plantation. In 1742 his son, Robert Osborne of St Peter’s bought, in accordance with his father’s will, ½ of Springhead plantation, 185 acres in St. James and St. Andrew. In 1743, his brother James, of St James, mortgaged to him and Joseph Thorpe, of St. George, both the Springhead and Taitt’s plantations: 530 acres in St. James and St. Andrew with 289 enslaved. In 1753, Agnes Osborne, the daughter and heir of James Osborne, married Philip Gibbes, later Sir Philip Gibbes bart.

[See also notes on Taitt's plantation, jointly owned with Springhead, from 1725-c.1846.]

Sources

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

Estate Information (8)

What is this?

1778
[Number of enslaved people] 166(Tot)  
[Size] 487  
 

1778 Springhead owned by Sir Philip Gibbes Bt.

 
Barbados Department of Archives. Hughes-Queree Index of Plantations.
1797
[Number of enslaved people] 169(Tot)  
[Size] 350  
 

Marriage settlement. Elizabeth Gibbes, daughter of Sir Philip Gibbes of Welbeck Street, Middlesex, England, married Charles Abbott of Pall Mall, Middlesex, England. It is not clear that Abbott became the owner as the plantation was bequeathed in 1815 to Philip Gibbes's grandson.

 
Barbados Department of Archives. Hughes-Queree Index of Plantations.
1815
 

Under the Will of Sir Philip Gibbes, Bt., Springhead was bequeathed to his grandson, Samuel Osborne Gibbes.

 
Barbados Department of Archives. Hughes-Queree Index of Plantations.
1817
[Number of enslaved people] 168(Tot) 81(F) 87(M)  
 

Return of Forster Clarke, Attorney, the property of Sir Philip Gibbes, Bt., deceased.

 
T71/522 35-39
1823
[Number of enslaved people] 148(Tot)  
 

Return of Forster Clarke, Attorney, the property of Sir Samuel Osborne Gibbes 2nd Bart. Previously 159 enslaved.

 
T71/531 281-2
1826
[Number of enslaved people] 148(Tot)  
 

Return of Forster Clarke, Attorney, the property of Sir Samuel Osborne Gibbes 2nd Bart. Previously 148 enslaved.

 
T71/538 150-51
1829
[Number of enslaved people] 151(Tot)  
[Name] Spring Head  
 

Return of Forster Clarke Attorney, the property of Sir Samuel Osborne Gibbes 2nd Bart.

 
T71/542 142-3
1832
[Number of enslaved people] 144(Tot)  
 

Return of Sir Samuel Osborne Gibbes 2nd Bart., his own property.

 
T71/551 147