James Lewis III

One of the Commissioners of Slave Compensation and a former Speaker of the House of Assembly in Jamaica, awarded the compensation for the Lewisburgh estate in St Mary Jamaica and probably for two small claims in St Catherine.

1. James, son of James (the younger) and Ann Lewis, born 24/10/1777 and baptised 22/12/1777 in St Catherine, Jamaica. James Lewis junior registered enslaved people as attorney to his father as well as owner in his own right in St Catherine in 1817 and 1820. A fully sourced genealogy gives James Lewis as baptised in St Catherine, 22/12/1777, matriulated University of Glasgow 1793 (or 1794?), son of James Lewis (1756-) and Ann nee Redwood (1756-).

2. Will of James Lewis of 25 Park Street Grosvenor Square London was proved 04/09/1847.

3. The will of James Lewis of Clifton Gloucestershire proved 06/07/1822 is that of his father. Under this will, James Lewis the father left an annuity of £1000 p.a. to his wife Ann, secured on the Lewisburgh estate, £4000 each to his five daughters (Susannah Blackall wife of Rev. Samuel Blackall of North Cadbury Somerset; Ann Redwood Lewis; Elizabeth Lewis; Sarah Lewis; and Jane Rennalls the wife of William Rodon Rennalls) and £100 to each of his grandchildren, with the remainder of his estate going to his son James Lewis 'of Spanish Town, Barrister at Law.'

4. The West India Committee awarded James Lewis an inscribed plate ewer, sold at Sothebys in December 2007. In his will, James Lewis left this 'piece of Plate' to his son Philip, an Anglican clergyman (who was also his residuary legatee). His other legacies included his share of two vessels, the Stratheven [sic] and the Elizabeth and Henry to his son George, and £5000 to his second son William Frederick Lewis, who became one of the Puisne Judges of the Supreme Court of Jamaica.

T71/856 St Mary nos 75 & 76 (both identify him as of Clifton) St Catherine nos. 235 & 236. In the Jamaica Almanacs until 1822 Lewisburgh is shown next to the Hon. James Lewis and subsequently next to James Lewis.

1. Familysearch.org, Jamaica Church of England Parish Register Transcripts, 1664-1880 [database online]. T71/1 pp. 15-17; T71/2 pp. 21-22; http://www.jamaicanfamilysearch.com/Members/Rl-m.htm; University of Glasgow story, https://www.universitystory.gla.ac.uk/biography/?id=WH25738&type=P&o=&start=440&max=20&l=l [accessed 05/06/2018].

2. PROB 11/2062/180.

3. PROB 11/1659/69.

4. http://www.sothebys.com/en/catalogues/ecatalogue.html/2007/important-silver-gold-boxes-objects-of-vertu-l07661#/r=/en/ecat.fhtml.L07661.html+r.m=/en/ecat.lot.L07661.html/153/+r.o=/en/ecat.notes.L07661.html/153/ [accessed 15/04/2012]. The catalogue contains brief biographical details of Lewis and two of his sons; PROB 11/2062/180.

We are grateful to Richard Coates for his assistance with compiling this entry.