Eleanor Vassall

Eleanor Vassall was the “common-law wife” of Samuel Glanville (q.v.). Baptism records for their children indicate that they were not formally married. No birth or death dates are known for Eleanor but, in the 1851 UK Census Samuel describes himself as a widower, suggesting Eleanor had died by this time. There is no evidence that she ever lived in the UK.

In total Eleanor and Samuel had nine children, all born at Greenvale, Manchester, Jamaica:

1, Caroline Glanville, baptised 26/4/1821, mestee free child; died 1896 at 4, Richmond Road, Exeter.

1. John Glanville, born 6/1/1821, died Manchester, Jamaica, 1853.

2. Mary Glanville, born 1823/24, colour mestee, died 1891.

3. William Henry (or Drewry) Glanville, born 1825/26, colour mestee, died 1858.

4. James Samuel Glanville, born July 1827, colour quadroon.

5. Eleanor Glanville, born 1828/29, mestee.

6. Tryphena Glanville, born 1829/30, mestee.

7. Samuel Glanville, born 1832/33, died 1867 at Alfington House, Alfington, Devon.

8. Thomas Glanville, baptised 13/10/1832, mestee, died 1910 at Richmond Hill, Manchester, Jamaica.

Judging from the racial categories ascribed to several of their children, Eleanor was probably 3/8 black and 5/8 white, a category which does not have a name.

Eleanor first filed Slave Register returns in 1817, claiming ownership of three enslaved people: Sam alias Samuel Lewis, colour sambo (three quarters black, one quarter white), age 24, creole (born in Jamaica). Jointly owned with John Coley; Caroline Foster alias Rose, negro, age 36, African; Bossy (?) (female), negro, age 25, creole.

She purchased a further 5 slaves from Samuel Glanville between 1817 and 1820: Thomas, negro, age 33, African; John, negro, age 30, African; London, negro, age 33, African; Ned, negro, age 35, African; Mary, negro, age 33, African. On each occasion Elizabeth signed her name with a mark. It is not clear which individuals she claimed compensation for in 1834.

it is likely that Eleanor was related to Elizabeth Vassall of Content, St Elizabeth, because Eleanor's common-law husband, Samuel Glanville, purchased a 3-year-old negro slave boy named Lewis Vassall from Elizabeth in 1826.

Descendants of Samuel Glanville, FAMILIES FROM REGISTERS AND WILLS Families from registers & wills, Jamaican Family Search: http://www.jamaicanfamilysearch.com/Members/R5bu-ja.htm

British Slave Register 1817, Manchester parish, Jamaica, Slave Registers of former British Colonial Dependencies, 1813-1834, p.460, image 500. Available through Ancestry.com.

British Slave Register 1820, Manchester parish, Jamaica, Slave Registers of former British Colonial Dependencies, 1813-1834, p.296, image 887. Available through Ancestry.com.

Gillian Allen, 'Two Devon families in Jamaica: a local association with slavery', Maritime South West, No. 21 (2008) (fully referenced article based upon archival research, available through: http://www.ucl.ac.uk/lbs/media-new/pdfs/devonfam.pdf

We are grateful to Gillian Allen for her help compiling this entry.