John Potter Innes

Most probably John Potter Innes (born c. 1798), free person of colour, and subsequently living on Mount Grace estate, Hanover, owned by David Innes (q.v.) (likely to have been John's father). The 1802 Jamaica Almanac lists David Innes as Magistrate and Naval Officer in the County of Surrey. In the 1817 edition he is listed as deceased. In the 1832 Slave Register return John listed ownership of three enslaved people (an increase of 2 since the 1829 register): Jessy, listed as 'negro, creole, formerly Elissa' and her son Billy, listed as 'negro, creole'. Both are recorded as being part of the estate of David Innes deceased in 1829. The third is not listed by name but recorded as male. John Potter Innes signed his name in copperplate, suggesting he was literate and educated. John Potter Innes remained resident on Mount Grace into the 1840s.

Several baptism entries for Hanover parish list John Potter Innes as married to Margaret, with whom he had at least 2 sons: John Potter Inness (born 03/05/1836) and George Reid Innes (born 02/09/1838), both of whom were baptised on 08/04/1840. John remained in Jamaica and married Mary Ann Lawson. Another George Reid Innes, son of John Potter Inness (junior?) born 01/01/1857 and baptised in Westmoreland 08/11/1857 (no parents' names given) travelled to Britain as a sailor in 1873. John Potter Innes died in Westmoreland in 1872. George Reid Innes (born 1857) died in Stepney, London, in 1937.

Jamaica Almanacs, available through Jamaicanfamilysearch.com: http://www.jamaicanfamilysearch.com/Samples/Almanacs.htm

Jamaica Births and Baptisms, 1752-1920, available through Familysearch.org: https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XNV6-24C

We are grateful to Cynthia Gentles and Lynda Ivison for their help compiling this entry.