John Vassall II

American Loyalist, shown as of Cambridge, New England in 1771, but dying in England. He had inherited Newfound estate in Hanover from John Vassall I, almost certainly his father, as a minor before 1757.

1. Born at Cambridge, Massachusetts, 12/06/1738. Married Elizabeth, sister of Lieut.Gov. Thomas Oliver, 12/01/1761. Died 24/09/1797 at Clifton, England. Boarded with his guardian, Spencer Phips, from his father's death in 1747 until around 1754. Attended Harvard University in the 1750s. Moved to Boston 1774 and sailed for England 1776. Obituary in the Gentleman's Magazine stated: "He had a very considerable fortune in America, where he lived in princely style. Some time after the disturbances took place, having taken a very active part and spared no expense to support the royal cause, he left his possessions there to the ravagers, and having fortunately very large possessions in Jamaica, he came with his family to England." Lived alternately at Chatley Lodge, Wiltshire, and Bath.

2. Will of John Vassall of Bath Somerset [made in 1794] proved 05/01/1798. Under the will he left £4000 to his daughter Mary [he had previously settled £4000 on his daughter Elizabeth and her husband John Eustacius LeMaistre charged on his Newfound estate in Hanover], and his real estate in trust (his trustees were his wife Elizabeth and the London merchants John Wedderburn and David Webster), for his wife to have for her life his house in Brunswick Place, Bath and (subject to the prior charges) an annuity of £600 p.a. and his sons to have annuities of £200 p.a. (John), £100 p.a. (Spencer Thomas, Thomas Oliver and Robert). He divided his residuary estate between his fours sons in the portions 2/5th (John); 1/5th; 1/5th; 1/5th.

John Vassall and his Descendants https://archive.org/stream/johnvassallhisde00cald/johnvassallhisde00cald_djvu.txt [accessed 03/01/2016].

1. Charles Maclear Calder, John Vassall and his descendants (1921) pp. 23-25.

2. PROB 11/1301/22.