George Munro

The compensation for Plantation Alness in British Guiana was awarded to William Ross and Robert Robertson as the administrators of George Munro, who had died at Falmouth in England in July 1824 in his 58th year, possibly on his return from Berbice.

1. Administration of the will of George Munro [late of the colony of Berbice] was granted 14/05/1826. In the will, made 02/07/1817, George Munro left £100 p.a. to his sister Christian residing in Edinburgh (and in the event of her death to her husband Alexander Munro); he left legacies of £100 to each of Dr William Munro and to Matthew Munro, lieutenant in the RN, and his sister Miss Munro children of Mr Matthew Munro late of Grenada; and £100 to the poor of each of the parishes of Alness and Kiltearn in Rosshire North Britain. He wanted his gold watch preserved for his 'eldest son George', while 'the coloured family' Amelia and her three daughters Susannah, Diana and Charlotte were to be freed and supported at the discretion of the executors - once the estate was 'broke up' and they could no longer live there '600 guilders with the fruit of their own industry may be sufficient.' Under the will, he requested that Alness should be sold 10 years after his death with the 'all the Negroes, stock and all its appurtenances'. Somewhat unusually he made his outside family - his sons George born 30/10/1808, John born 08/07/1810 and William born 01/05/1812 - co-heirs with his nephews William and Hugh (the sons of his sister Christian and her husband Alexander Munro) and his nephew Robert Robertson, son of his sister Esther and of John Robertson late of Inverness.

2. The Petition to HM King George III for the establishment of Tain Royal Academy in 1807 lists George Munro of Berbice as being a subscriber of £50 and upwards towards "defraying the expense of erecting building and endowing an Academy".

Inverness Courier - 5 August 1824, transcribed by Lisa Booth, http://sites.rootsweb.com/~nyggbs/Transcriptions/LisaB/DeathsTrans2015.pdf [accessed 12/10/2018].

1. PROB 11/1712/229; David Alston, Slaves and Highlanders.

2. Petition to George III for the establishment of Tain Royal Academy in 1807, facsimile of the Petition in the possession of Councillor Derek Louden.

We are grateful to Derek Louden for his assistance with compiling this entry.