John Campbell of New Hope

???? - 1801


Biography

Father of James Campbell (q.v.) of Baker Street and John Graham Campbell (q.v.). Slave-owner in Jamaica, owner of the New Hope estate. John Campbell also appears as the co-owner c. 1799-1801 of several estates in Westmoreland that had been in possession of Alderman William Beckford and his son as mortgagees in the second half of the 18thC. The interest of John Campbell in these estates appears to flow from his marriage to Helen Storer, the daughter of Helen Guthrie and Thomas Storer. The other co-owners were the heirs of Esther Swete, who had inherited from the Hynes family: Helen Guthrie's sister Jean had married Col. John Hynes.

  1. Son and heir of Colin Campbell Esquire of Jamaica. Attended Mr Kinross's school in Enfield. Admitted to Trinity College, Cambridge, 1758, age 17; matriculated Easter 1760, BA 1763. Admitted to Middle Temple, April 1762 as 'son of Colin, Esq., deceased, of Westmoreland, Jamaica.'

  2. John Campbell contributed £50 to the University of Pennsylvania following Dr John Morgan's fundraising tour of the West Indies in 1772-1773.

  3. Will of the Honorable John Campbell of New Hope Island of Jamaica now residing in Conduit Street parish of St George Hanover Square proved 16/08/1802. He left Kendall estate to his brother James and the remainder of his [unspecified] property to his five children (John Graham Campbell, Tomlin Campbell, Archibald Campbell, James Campbell and Anna Maria Campbell) as tenants-in-common.

  4. A notice in 1791 removing John Campbell, late of Pendleys in Hertfordshire, afterwards of Jamaica and now of Boulogne, as assignee of Colin Currie (a bankrupt merchant of Billiter Square), apparently refers to Hon. John Campbell, given that Jacob Wilkinson and Thomas Cheap were the other assignees of Currie, and both appear as creditors of the Hon. John Campbell on estates and enslaved people in Jamaica.


Sources

  1. Ancestry.com, Cambridge University Alumni, 1261-1900 [database online].

  2. C. S. Graubard, 'Documenting the University of Pennsylvania's Connection to Slavery (2018) via archives.upenn.edu [accessed 16/01/2019].

  3. PROB 11/1379/169.

  4. London Gazette 13339 30/08/1791 p. 501.

We are grateful to Paul Hitchings for his assistance with compiling this entry.


Further Information

Absentee?
British/Irish
Spouse
Helen Storer
Children
John Graham, Tomlin, Archibald, James, Anna Maria
Will

PROB 11/1379/169 - precis.

John Campbell of New Hope in Jamaica now residing in Conduit Street, Gt George Hanover [London].

Kendall estate in Hanover, Jamaica, to the use of my brother James Campbell now residing in Jamaica Esquire, his heirs and assigns for ever.

My household furniture, pictures, china, plate, jewels, horses and carriages to my dear wife Helen Campbell.

All my plantations or sugar works and all my real estate except that which is in trust to my brother James Campbell and Anthony Morris Storer of Purly in Berkshire and Peter Campbell the younger of Baker Street, Portman Square, Middlesex, their heirs and assigns upon trust, for the use of my children John Graham Campbell, Tomlin Campbell, Archibald Campbell, James Campbell and Anna Maria Campbell not as joint tenants and for their respective heirs and assings for ever, to pay for their maintenance and education during their minorities. If any of my children shall die before the age of 21 without having been married then their share to be held in trust for the survivors in equal shares as tenants in common. In default for the use of my nephew Peter Campbell...

[mention of a case in the Court of Chancery involving William Beckford's involvement in some Jamaican estates]

Annuity of £700 to my wife Helen each year for her natural life in addition to the provision settled upon her at the time of our marriage, again linked to the Chancery case. If the case be settled in the lifetime of my natural son John Prior Campbell of Kelveden[?] Hall in Essex then an annuity of £300 per annum to him for life. Under the same provisos an annuity of £50 to my servant Thomas Weaver. Same provisos for a lump sum of £1000 to each of my sisters Henrietta Campbell and Lady Margaret Hay. These annuities and lump sums to be bought by sale or mortgage of the property now in the possession of William Beckford.

All residue to my children in equal shares at age 21 or, for my daughter, at marriage if before the age of 21.

Trustees and my wife Helen to be my executors and guardians of my children during their minorities.

Signed 19/02/1799. Proved in London 16/08/1800 by Helen Campbell.

School
Mr Kinross's School, Enfield
University
Cambridge (Trinity) [1758-1763 ]
Legal Education
Middle Temple [1762- ]

Associated Estates (12)

The dates listed below have different categories as denoted by the letters in the brackets following each date. Here is a key to explain those letter codes:

  • SD - Association Start Date
  • SY - Association Start Year
  • EA - Earliest Known Association
  • ED - Association End Date
  • EY - Association End Year
  • LA - Latest Known Association
1799 [EA] - 1801 [LA] → Joint owner
1803 [EA] - 1807 [LA] → Previous owner
1783 [EA] - 1794 [LA] → Owner

The estate was in the hands of mortgagees for much of this period.

1810 [EA] - 1811 [LA] → Previous owner
1799 [EA] - 1801 [LA] → Joint owner
1803 [EA] - 1807 [LA] → Previous owner
- 1802 [LA] → Owner

John Campbell of New Hope left the Kendall Estate and the enslaved people on it to his brother James in his will proved in 1802. It is not clear how this fits with the Accounts Produce, which show James Campbell as the owner.

1811 [EA] - → Previous owner
1789 [EA] - 1794 [LA] → Owner

John Campbell's ownership over a longer period is obscured by the presence of mortgagees-in-possession

1800 [EA] - 1801 [LA] → Joint owner

'In possession of' John Campbell and others by virtue of a decree of the Court of Chancery.

1803 [EA] - 1807 [LA] → Previous owner
1803 [EA] - 1803 [LA] → Previous owner

Relationships (7)

Father → Son
Father → Son
Son → Father
Brothers
Brother-in-laws
Father → Son
Notes →
Inferred by...
Executor → Testator

Addresses (1)

Conduit Street, London, Middlesex, London, England