William Frater

1782 - 1839

Claimant or beneficiary

Biography

Resident slave-owner and attorney.

  1. William Frater was baptised 19/08/1782, Horton-by-Blyth, Northumberland. His parents were George and Dorothy Frater. He arrived in Jamaica in about 1799. He was in an unmarried relationship with Elizabeth Morrison, ‘my housekeeper’ (q.v.) in Trelawny. It is known that he had (at least) four children, William, Mary, Mary Ann, and Charlotte Frater, but there are no baptism records and the mother’s/mothers’ identity is uncertain.

  2. Frater died 23/10/1839. His memorial plaque includes ‘many years Custos Rotulorum and Member of Assembly for the Parish of Trelawny also Major-General of Militia’. Will of Honorable William Frater of Trelawny [made in 1830] proved 11/09/1840. In the will he left his heir at law whoever that might be £5 in lieu of claims on his estate, and his housekeeper Elizabeth Morrison 1/4 of his household effects in his house at Holland Hill. He left to his reputed daughter Charlotte Frater Flamstead Pen with a moiety of the enslaved people on Flamstead and Berrydale and 1/4 of the stock; he left to his reputed daughters Mary Frater and Mary Ann Frater one moiety each of Berrydale, the second moiety of the enslaved people on both Flamstead and Berrydale, and 1/4 of the stock - the other half of the stock he ordered sold. He left his Ulster Spring estate to his cousin Joseph Stobbs subject to Stobbs freeing two enslaved people on Ulster Spring (named James Graham and Jane Edwards), and to Stobbs paying Frater's sister Mary Frater in England an annuity of £100 p.a. He left £1000 to his cousin Robert Gardner, and the other 3/4 of his household effects to his three reputed daughters. His residuary legatees were his nephew and nieces on 'both my father and mother's side'. In a codicil of 1832 he recorded the death of Mary Frater, implicitly his natural daughter rather than his sister of the same name.

  3. A deed of settlement of 1841 between Mary Soulsby nee Frater, her husband and William John Carr came to auction 09/10/2014 at Thomson Roddick & Medcalf, and appears to have involved the conveyance of Lysworney and other estates: 'Documents & Ephemera - Jamaica Plantations Sale - William Frater, Soulsby to Carr. 1843. Fine six page vellum document "Settlement of Plantations & Real Estate in the Island of Jamaica, Mr & Mrs Soulsby to Mr William John Carr", the document mentions under the will of William Frater of Ulster Springs, Trelawny, Plantation Owner, left in his will certain estates including Ulster Spring with Negroes stock to his cousin Joseph Stobbs, to his sister Mary Frater but now Mrs Mary Soulsby, an annuity & estates called Beradale & Aloa House in St. Ann's Parish, also Hollands Hill & Somerton Estates, a sugar plantation called Lyswerney, etc. Signed by Robert & Mary Soulsby. Interesting document.'

We are grateful to David Barker for assistance in compiling this entry.


Sources

Thomas Holt recorded a probate or inventory for William Frater at the Island Record Office 119/222 dated 1839, Thomas C. Holt The Problem of Freedom: Race, Labor and Politics in Jamaica and Britain p. 408.

  1. England, Select Births and Christenings, 1538-1975; Global, Find-a-Grave Index, St Mark, Rio Bueno, Trelawny, 1839.

  2. PROB 11/1933/282; England and Wales, National Probate Calendar, 1858-1995, Liverpool, 3 July 1891 and 11 July 1900.

  3. Thomson, Roddick & Medcalf, 09/10/2014 Lot No. 125 DOCUMENTS & EPHEMERA - JAMAICA PLANTATIONS SALE - WILLIAM FRATER, SOULSBY https://www.the-saleroom.com/en-us/auction-catalogues/thomson-roddick-and-medcalf-carlisle/catalogue-id-srthoms10006/lot-0c6d0ab8-22ee-4084-9525-a3f6016ce464 [accessed 07/11/2018].


Associated Claims (20)

£684 7s 0d
Awardee (Executor or executrix)
£699 14s 2d
Awardee (Executor or executrix)
£106 8s 11d
Awardee
£2,598 0s 11d
Awardee (Executor or executrix)
£2,539 1s 8d
Awardee (Owner-in-fee)
£483 1s 4d
Awardee
£1,308 10s 6d
Awardee (Owner-in-fee)
£153 13s 7d
Awardee
£530 1s 3d
Awardee (Executor or executrix)
£188 11s 6d
Awardee
£79 14s 6d
Awardee
£132 17s 6d
Awardee
£119 7s 5d
Awardee
£186 0s 6d
Awardee
£3,159 18s 8d
Awardee (Owner-in-fee)
£286 14s 2d
Awardee
£1,532 11s 5d
Awardee (Executor or executrix)
£79 14s 6d
Awardee
£215 14s 3d
Awardee
£1,223 17s 6d
Awardee (Owner-in-fee)

Associated Estates (21)

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
1826 [EA] - → Executor
1826 [EA] - → Buyer
1823 [EA] - 1834 [LA] → Trustee and Executor
1826 [EA] - → Attorney
1832 [EA] - 1834 [LA] → Executor
1832 [EA] - 1834 [LA] → Executor
1829 [EA] - 1832 [LA] → Executor
1832 [EA] - 1834 [LA] → Executor
1820 [EA] - 1823 [LA] → Executor
1831 [EA] - 1832 [LA] → Owner
1823 [EA] - → Attorney
1832 [EA] - → Attorney
1823 [EA] - 1834 [LA] → Owner
1839 [EA] - → Previous owner
1832 [EA] - → Owner
1823 [EA] - 1834 [LA] → Executor
1826 [EA] - → Attorney
1826 [EA] - → Trustee
1815 [EA] - 1834 [LA] → Owner
1823 [EA] - 1829 [LA] → Attorney
1820 [EA] - → Lessee

Relationships (1)

Executor → Testator
Notes →
In his own will, made in 1830, Frater left property to his 'cousin' Joseph Stobbs: this must have been a son of the Joseph Stobbs lessee of Clydesdale, who died c....