William Brereton junior

The executor of William Brereton junior (Thomas Brereton, q.v.) claimed apparently unsuccessfully the compensation for the Peter's Hall estate in British Guiana. William Bremerton had been active as a slave-factor in Demerara in the early 1800s.

1. Will of William Brereton of Demerara South America was proved 30/11/1837. The will, of William Brereton jr of the colony of South America was made originally 01/01/1805. It had appointed 'my...respected father William Brereton of Mountrath [possibly Monteath] in the Kingdom of Ireland, my friend John Bent of the Island of Barbados', and Robert Brereton and Robert Kingston of the colony of Demerara as executors. In 1820, Bent and Robert Kingston had been deleted, the latter replaced by another executor, illegible but probably the Henry Clementson who appeared among the witnesses to the will. William Brereton left £1300 each to his sisters Eleanor and Sarah Brereton, £1000 each to his sisters Anne and Sybia, £500 to his 'poor relations', to be distributed by his father, and £200 to his friend Mr Thomas Brereton; and two hundred and fifty guineas to his housekeeper commonly called Mary Jane Dawes [?]. An inventory attached to the will shows (1) the entire of plantation called Peters Hall on the River Demerary value about £40,000 with 250 negroes and subject to it mortgages of £40,000; the entire of plantation called Westside [Westfield?] on the west coast of Essequebo with 95 negroes subject as above, value at £23,000; and one half of the estate called Taymouth Mannor [sic] on the west coast of Essequebo with 50 negroes subject as above, value £7000. A note also refers in addition to half his profits since April 1804 as [illegible], and his furniture etc, but without quantification.

2. In a codicil dated 27/01/1821, William Brereton changed his executors, adding Capt Thomas Brereton of Berkeley Street Berkeley Square, to whom he also left £1000, and left an annuity to Mary Jane Dawes [?] of £200 p.a. and left her named enslaved people.

Data on slave factors suppled to LBS by Nick Radburn, University of Lancaster, for whose help LBS is grateful.

1. PROB 11/1886/513.

2. ibid.