John Welsford Cowell

Son of the London merchant John Cowell (q.v.), and apparently in succession to his father trustee for William White of Llandovery (q.v), the owner of Llandovery and Flat Point in St Anns. Llandovery is shown in the 1833 Jamaica Almanack as 'White and Edwards, trustees of' with 338 enslaved (i.e., equivalent to the slaves shown in the compensation records for both Llandovery and Flat Point); in 1811 Flatpoint and Llandovery are also shown as 'White & Edwards (trustees of)' with 490 enslaved.

1. Son of John Cowell of Bedford Square. Born 30/03/1796 educated at Eton and Trinity (matriculated 1814). 'In the Bank of England'. 1833 Factory Commission. Agent for the Bank of England's Gloucester branch November 1834; added Bristol branch 1837. In US 1837 to manage the Bank of England's exposure to the collapsed 'American houses' (which the Bank had underwritten) and collect their receivables in America. Pro-South pamphleteer and campaigner in US Civil War. Will of John Welsford Cowell late of 41 Gloucester Terrace Hyde Park who died 09/02/1867 at St Leonards on Sea proved 10/05/1867 effects under £10,000: his death aged 70 was registered Q1 1867 at Hastings.  

2. It appears that Cowell inherited his involvement with the Jamaican estates. In 1857, in the cause of Thomas Tyers Tyers against John Welsford Cowell, there was a call to present themselves made to all creditors of William White, deceased, and John White and John Edwards, late of the Island of Jamaica, deceased who claim to be interested under a certain indenture of release 11/03/1779 between William White since deceased; Robert Williams, John Cowell, John Roebuck, William Brats, Morgan Thomas and John Manley, all since deceased of the second part; several unnamed others on the third part and Joseph Price of the 4th part. In 1871, as a result of an order in the Chancery suit Tyers v. Cowell [Thomas Tyers Tyers as plaintiff and John Welsford Cowell as defendant; and Tyers as plaintiff with Cowell, Sir Philip Perring [sic] baronet, Charles Francis Gale and Thomas Tyers as defendants] all persons claiming to represent a list of people who were creditors or representatives of creditors of William White, deceased, and John White, and John Edwards, late of the Island of Jamaica deceased, who appear by a certain indenture of released dated 11/3/1779 and by the schedule to the Chief Clerk's certificate in Tyers v Cowell 25/4/1871 to be entitled to the debts mentioned on the schedule, were (again) called upon to come forward.

T71/857 St Ann claim nos. 467 (Llandovery Estate) and 468 (Flat Point Estate).

1.  Ancestry.com, Cambridge University Alumni, 1261-1900 [database online]; Charles Priestley, '"France's opportunity": an Englishman's plea for French intervention'at http://www.acwrt.org.uk/uk-heritage_Frances-Opportunity-an-Englishmans-Plea-for-French-Intervention.asp [accessed 08/11/2010]; National Probate Calendar 1867; England and Wales FreeBMD Death Index 1837-1915. Children are from Cambridge University Alumni for John Jermyn and England and Wales Christening Records 1533-1906 for the other three, all of whom were baptised at Clifton between 1840 and 1845.   

2. London Gazette, Issue 22032, 18/08/1857, p. 2837; London Gazette, Issue 23752, 04/07/1871, p. 3093. Dormant funds in this case were advertised in a supplement to the London Gazette, Issue 33919, 10/03/1933, p.1683.