James Simpson

Retired merchant and attorney of Jamaica, awarded the compensation for Greenfield Pen and Bromley in St Ann as executor of Thomas Hynes, mortgagee, and for Sheldon in St David as trustee of John Bull. Probably also the awardee of compensation for one enslaved person in Kingston and possibly the awardee of compensation for a further 16 enslaved people in St Ann. His will suggests considerable though precarious wealth.

1. In 1841 James Simpson aged 55 Ind[ependent] Pensioner born Ireland was living at Spinfield Lodge with wife Mary Ann, two adult women Ann Crosbie and Agnes Mortlock [?] and 6 servants. Jan 6 [1851]:  At Spinfield Lodge, [death of] James Simpson formerly of Kingston Jamaica.

2. Will of James Simpson of Spinfield Lodge near Marlow Buckinghamshire (made in 1849) proved 06/02/1851. He left his renewable leasehold on Spinfield Lodge to his wife and then to his nephew James Carson; he left his property in trust (his trustees were his brother-in-law Robert Stewart and William Rodon Rennalls) to fund an annuity of £2000 p.a. to his wife and further annuities of £300 p.a to his nephew Samuel Simpson, £200 p.a to his sister Margaret Foster, £150 p.a. to his niece Mary and £30 p.a. to his friend Agnes Leathes Mortlock. He left £6000 to his nephew David Carson, £5000 to his niece Laetitia Headlam, and £6000 among the daughters of his sister Margaret Foster. He left £15,000 in trust for the advancement of his nephew Rev. James Simpson, to be laid out in the purchase of an advowson or the next presentation to a living or 'some preferment or appointment'. He said he had invested considerable sums on mortgages in Ireland, and that some of these were in arrears, so that the subordinated some of his legacies to the collection on these advances. In a codicil of 1850 he acknowledged the decline in the value of his property and reduced his provision to Rev. James Simpson from £15,000 to £10,000.

3. Dissolution of Taylors and Simpson (William Taylor, Robert Taylor and James Simpson) merchants of Kingston Jamaica 31/12/1817. Termination of co-partnership of Simpson Taylor & Co. (James Simpson, Simon Taylor, Wm. Christie) Kingston Jamaica  31/12 last [1833] by mutual consent.

4. Gave extensive evidence to the Select Committee on the Extinction of Slavery in 1832. Testified that he was in Jamaica for 24 years (with some intermissions) until 1828; was connected with a commercial house and was representative of several noblemen and gentlemen absentees, proprietors of plantations. (p. 359). Took the view that the enslaved were not yet ready for emancipation.

T71/857 St Ann nos. 110 (Bromley) and 115 & 116 (Greenfield Pen); T71/866 St David no.2 (Sheldon), which show him as of Springfield [sic] Lodge, Marlow Buckinghamshire; Kingston 2510 (which shows James Simpson 'GB'); St Andrew no. 144.

1. 1841 census online [where it is indexed to James 'Sampson' and Mary Ann 'Sampson']; Gentleman's Magazine, Vol. XXXV (1851) January to June inclusive p. 215.

2. PROB 11/2128/30.

3. London Gazette, Issue 17386, 08/08/1818, p. 1424; London Gazette, Issue 19160, 03/06/1834, p. 1006.

4. Parliamentary Papers 1831-32 (721) Report from Select Committee on the Extinction of Slavery, pp. 359-66, 369-404.