Abraham Watson Rutherford

London merchant, died in 1822 but appearing in the compensation records as party to the Chancery suit of Abraham Watson Rutherford v Sarah Wilkinson, which was still continuing in the 1830s and into which the compensation was paid for five awards in Jamaica.

1. Will of Abraham Watson Rutherford merchant of Stamford Hill and of Camomile Street late of Leadenhall Street proved 9/06/1822. His executors and trustees were William Jegon of Upper Thames Street, his son George Rutherford and John Bayley formerly of Cambridge Heath Hackney and of Stamford Hill. In his will he ordered his half share in the Spring estate in Jamaica to be sold, and refers to other property in Jamaica co-owned with his late partner Thomas Wagstaffe. After several specific legacies he divided his residual estate in trust equally five ways between his son George Rutherford and daughters Sarah Ann Rutherford, Elizabeth Mary Field, Mary Jane Field and Georgiana Rutherford. In a codicil he named his grandson George Watson Field as beneficiary should Mary Jane Field predecease her father.

2. Abraham Watson Rutherford testified in an Old Bailey case 12/01/1820: 'I am a merchant and reside at Stamford Hill. My firm are agents to the prisoner's father - he was educated at Scotland. I have known him ever since 1806'. The prisoner was John Robertson, a man of colour accused of animal theft, found not guilty.

3. Leicesterfields estate in Clarendon, Jamaica, was registered to Rutherford and Wagstaffe by their attornies in the Jamaica Almanac of 1817. Rutherford & Wagstaffe were listed as members of Lloyds in 1807.

4. The papers of Moore & Blatch solicitors at the London Metropolitan Archives contain: 'Papers, 1795-1860, collected by the solicitors in the course of their work, comprising legal documents relating to the Jamaican estates of Reverend Isaac Robinson and his wife Rebecca Bond, including marriage settlement, deed of trusts and copy of draft general report in Chancery action taken by Abraham Watson Rutherford and others versus Sarah Wilkinson, widow, Revd. Isaac Robinson and Rebecca his wife and others in the matter of estate of William Bond, deceased, executor and residuary legatee of brother Thomas Bond, deceased, both West India merchants, with schedules of accounts relating principally to management of sugar and coffee plantations in Jamaica and sale of produce. Also documents relating to trusteeships held by clerk Thomas Robinson of Milford; and conveyances by lease and release for Bittacy House in Mill Hill.'

1. PROB 11/1658/248.

2. Proceedings of the Old Bailey online t18200112-80.

3. Jamaica Almanac (1817); Lloyd's Register of Shipping for the year 1807 (London, Society for the Registry of Shipping, 1807) p. v [unpaginated].

4. GB 0074 ACC/1202; http://www.aim25.ac.uk/cgi-bin/vcdf/detail?coll_id=13817&inst_id=118 [accessed 17/05/2014].