Rev. Robert White Almond

Owner of Hanbury estate in Manchester, Jamaica, husband of Sarah Almond (q.v.).

1. Born 25/12/1785 and baptised 17/01/1786 in Marylebone, son of Robert Almond and his wife Mary. Admitted to Trinity College, Cambridge, 01/07/1803 age 17, son of Robert, of Nottingham. Migrated to Queen's College 16/11/1803, matriculated 1805, BA 1808, MA 1813. Attended Mr Blanchard's school in Nottingham. Married Sarah Maria Russel, 03/05/1808 in Nottinghamshire. Ordained a priest 25/03/1810. Rector of St Peter's Nottingham, 26/07/1814 until his death 24/09/1853.

2. His memorial inscription reads: "This monument was erected to the memory of the Revd. Robert White Almond MA BRSIs[?] by his parishioners and friends, as a testimony to the many amiable and Christian virtues which adorned his private Character, to the deal, fidelity and affection with which for 39 years as Rector of this Parish he laboured for the welfare of those remitted to his charge, and to his valuable and unwearied exertions in behalf of the Public Institutions of this Town. He departed this life September 24 AD 1853 in the 67th year of his age. 'The righteous shall be had in everlasting remembrance.' Psalm 112 6 verse."

3. Robert White Almond was one of the principal founders of the Nottingham Subscription Library (NSL), which - in its new name Bromley House Library - in 2023 still occupies the property that was purchased by him and five others for that purpose in April 1820.

4. In 2022, through the agency of Gloria Daniel and Teachplaques, a memorial was placed at St Peter's Church Nottingham to 220 named enslaved people on the Hanbury, Russell Place and Vauxhall estates. As a trustee, Rev. R.W. Almond was awarded compensation for the enslaved people on these estates by virtue of the will of his brother-in-law Joseph Russell (q.v.), which left: "To my sister Sarah Maria Almond the wife of Robert White Almond of the town of Nottingham Gentleman - annuity of £250 Sterling yearly for her life; and a further annuity of £250 sterling yearly for her life as soon as funds shall be raised. Also to my said sister a piece of land in Nottingham with a stable that I own adjoining her house in Nottingham."

We are grateful to Edward Beaumont for his identification of Robert White Almond as a founder of the Nottingham Subscription Library in 1820.

T71/860 Manchester claim no. 355 (Hanbury).

1. Ancestry.com, London, England, Baptisms, Marriages and Burials, 1538-1812 [database online]; Ancestry.com, Cambridge University Alumni, 1261-1900 [database online]; Ancestry.com, Nottinghamshire, England, Extracted Church of England Parish Records [database online]; Clergy of the Church of England database ID 125693.

2. 'Nottingham St Peter - Monuments and memorials', http://southwellchurches.nottingham.ac.uk/nottingham-st-peter/hmonumnt.php [accessed 20/05/2016].

3. John Russell, A History of the Nottingham Subscription Library more generally known as the Bromley House Library (Nottingham, 1916).

4. https://www.nottinghamchurches.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/Leaflet-Memorial-to-the-enslaved-small.pdf [accessed 04/03/2022]. Will of Joseph Russell, PROB 11/1627/112.