William Rae

???? - 1837

Claimant or beneficiary

Biography

Large-scale slave-owner in Jamaica, awarded over £19,000 in compensation in the 1830s. There is no sign in the form of counterclaims that his apparent wealth was offset by significant debt at the time of his death, but - if it did largely pass to his legatees - it is not yet clear how they utilised it.

  1. Will of William Rae of Kingston Jamaica proved in London 12/08/1837. He left his property in Jamaica in trust, specifying that the produce should be consigned to John Hall & Co. of Liverpool, and to pay monetary legacies, including £500 to his reputed daughter Mrs Sharp and £30 and £10 to Amelia and Robert, apprentices then attending him. His residuary legatees were his nephews David Rae Newal of the EI Co. Naval Service and Adam Newal of Bordeaux and his nieces Jean the wife of John Marron [? = Morin] of Carrield and Catherine the wife of Rev. Charles M[aitland] Babington. In a codicil he left £150 to his brother John on condition John gave up any claim on Rae's property in Scotland.

  2. The Finding Aid for the Rae Family Estate Collection at Princeton University Library carries a summary of the claimants under William Rae's will.

  3. David Rae Newall died of Hillside Ventnor Isle of Wight 08/12/1874 leaving effects under £4000. Adam Newall died in 1862 at Dumfries formerly 'merchant of Bordeaux', and Catherine Newall or Babington of Moat Brae Dumfries died in 1862 at Ventnor. The will of John Morin of Dunsscore Dumfriesshire was proved 03/01/1855: in the original will made in 1846 and subject to elaborate codicils not yet analysed by LBS, it is clear that the family had retained property in Jamaica formerly belonging to William Rae.

  4. Ann Rae "a free quadroon" had three children with George Samuel Sharpe. She is very likely the "Mrs Sharpe" described as a reputed daughter in the will of William Rae. The children were William Rae Sharpe (born 1815), James Taylor Sharpe (1816) and Milborough Brown Sharpe (baptised in 1831).


Sources

  1. PROB 11/1883/224.

  2. http://findingaids.princeton.edu/collections/C1222.pdf [accessed 28/01/2017].

  3. National Probate Calendar 1875; Scotch Confirmations 1863; PROB 11/2205/24.

  4. Familysearch.org, Jamaica Church of England Parish Register Transcripts, 1664-1880 [database online].


Associated Claims (8)

£19 10s 10d
Awardee
£54 8s 2d
Awardee
£3,665 11s 8d
Awardee
£3,632 15s 9d
Awardee (Owner-in-fee)
£471 17s 2d
Awardee
£10,706 14s 5d
Awardee (Owner-in-fee)
£635 3s 3d
Awardee (Owner-in-fee)
£545 6s 9d
Unsuccessful claimant (consensual) (Executor or executrix)

Associated Estates (18)

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
1815 [EA] - 1834 [LA] → Owner
1839 [EA] - → Previous owner
1832 [EA] - → Other

Purchaser of enslaved people from this estate.

1829 [EA] - 1834 [LA] → Owner
1839 [EA] - → Previous owner
1826 [EA] - 1829 [LA] → Trustee and Executor
1832 [EA] - 1834 [LA] → Owner
1839 [EA] - → Previous owner
1826 [EA] - 1829 [LA] → Trustee and Executor
1826 [EA] - → Other

Purchased enslaved people from this estate.

1826 [EA] - 1829 [LA] → Trustee and Executor
1810 [EA] - 1837 [LA] → Owner
1832 [EA] - 1834 [LA] → Owner
1839 [EA] - → Previous owner
1820 [EA] - 1834 [LA] → Owner
1839 [EA] - → Previous owner
01/11/1820 [SD] - 1834 [LA] → Owner
1832 [EA] - → Other

Purchaser of this group of enslaved people.


Relationships (1)

Father-in-law → Son-in-law
Notes →
No marriage has been found for Sharp and Ann Rae but she is given as "Mrs Sharp" in William Rae's...