Richard Oliver Smith

Claimed the compensation as owner-in-fee of Revolution Hall in Grenada, the compensation for which was paid to the trustees of his marriage settlement, Edmund Broderip (Smith's father-in-law) and T.S. Horner (both of whom q.v.). In Britain from c. 1793 to 1833, but appears to have moved to Grenada c. 1833.

1. Illegitimate son of the Grenada slave-owner William Smith and Sarah Jean [or Dean] 'now living with me' [William Smith] in Grenada. Smith's will dated July 15 1793, registered 08/11/1794 (but with handwritten note on margin 'proved 30 April 1803') shows an annuity of £150 later £700 to Smith's lawful wife Elizabeth Smith (will revoked if she challenges it); Sarah Jean [or Dean] to stay in house at Revolution Hall, £100 currency immediately, annuity of £150 sterling. £2000 sterling left to pay interest to children 'being known and called by the descriptions following 'Mary Smith now in England and Grace Smith in Grenada', and to Richard Oliver Smith 'now in England aged 5 years and 2 months'.

2. Identified as of Gower Street on 23/07/1822 when he served as trustee for a marriage settlement; on 18/02/1833 a quitclaim appears between Richard Oliver Smith and his fellow trustees (Rogers Weatherall and Francis Broderip): Richard Oliver Smith was 'released from trusteeship' to live in West Indies.

3. His first wife was Harriet Gee; they married in St Pancras, London, 21/08/1806. They had a daughter Emily, born in Chelsea, Middlesex, in 1808, who married Rev. John Nurse (q.v.) in Grenada in 1835. Richard divorced Harriet for adultery an in 1819 married for a second time, to Mary Broderip, in Wells, Somerset, England. They had a daughter, Elizabeth Georgiana, baptised in 1828 in Exeter, Devon. Mary was born 23/12/1787 in Wells, England, and baptised at Wells Cathedral. She died 23/02/1829 and was buried 05/03/1829 in Bathwick, Bath, in the same grave as Elizabeth Harriet, infant daughter of Mary's sister Charlotte Mary, who had married Robert Savage in Wells in 1824.

4. Richard Joseph Sanderson Smith, born in Trinidad c. 1837 (and whose mother is currently unknown) went on to marry Pauline Josephine Nicholson in Middlesex in 1859. His son Richard John Sanderson Smith changed his surname to Levingston 04/04/1890 by deed poll when he became a partner in his uncle Charles Levingston's shipping line which operated between Rotterdam and Leith.

T71/880 Grenada claim no. 591 (Revolution Hall Estate).

1. Will of William Smith of Revolution Hall proved 30/04/1803 [administration having been granted 08/11/1794], PROB 11/1252/34.

2. National Archives, A2A records of Holy Trinity Marylebone Road held at London Metropolitan Archives, P89_TRI/130 1822-35.

3. Familysearch batch no. M51385-3, I01821-5 and C05051-2. Ancestry.com, London, England, Baptisms, Marriages and Burials, 1538-1812 [database online]. http://agenealogyhunt.blogspot.co.uk/2011/09/part-568s-smith-robertson-genealogy.html [accessed 10/01/2014]. Email from Richard Levingston 30/07/2014. Monumental inscription from Vere Langford Oliver, Caribbeana being miscellaneous papers relating to the history, genealogy, topography, and antiquities of the British West Indies (6 vols., London, Mitchell, Hughes and Clarke, 1910-1919), vol. 1 p. 178: "Mary, the much lamented Wife of Richard Oliver Smith Esqre, and daughter of Edmund Broderip Esqre, she departed this Life Feby 23 1829 in the 40th year of her Age." Bathwick memorial inscriptions https://www.batharchives.co.uk/sites/bath_record_office/files/BWK%20Bathwick%20Memorial%20Inscriptions.pdf [accessed 05/10/2020], "Underneath are deposited the remains of MARY, the much lamented wife of RICHARD OLIVER SMITH Esq and daughter of EDMUND BRODERIP Esq, she departed this life Feb 25th1829 in the 40thyear of her age Also ELIZABETH HARRIET, infant daughter of ROBERT SAVAGE Esq, who died September 28th1825."

4. Emails from Richard Levingston 30/07/2014 and 15/08/2014. In 1861 Richard S. Smith age 24 born Trinidad was living at 7 Victoria Terrace, Paddington, with his mother-in-law Clarissa T. Nicholson age 53, wife Pauline J. Smith age 20 and his newborn daughter.

We are grateful to Richard John Levingston, Ceris Humphreys, Sonia Baker and John Clarke for their help with compiling this entry.