Charles Jones

PROB 11/1505/408 Will of Charles Jones, Planter of Saint Thomas County of Middlesex Island of Jamaica, West Indies.

Payment of just debts.

To Ann Wright the wife of John Wright of St Elizabeth Esquire £100 currency.

To Daniel Way of Kingston £100 currency.

To Samuel Godfrey of St Thomas-in-the-Vale £50 sterling.

To my esteemed friends John Richards Esquire of London and James Burnett Esquire of Spanish Town 10 guineas each as a signal of my remembrance.

All the rest and residue of my estates real and personal except such part and parcel thereof as is hereinafter absolutely given and devised unto my daughter Elizabeth Sophia Rossiter.

Trustees to be John Richards Esquire and James Burnett Esquire for payments: to my sisters Mary Way Widow and Jenny Kale[?] the wife of Joseph Kale, both of Somerset in Britain, an annuity of £12 sterling pa. Also to my half-brother James Godfrey of Great Britain an annuity of £6 sterling pa. All my estate to be liable for these legacies particularly my estate at Bawdrip in Somerset, Britain. Also for payment upon trust to all the children lawfully begotten of my daughter Elizabeth Sophia Rossiter £7000 currency to be equally divided between them as they respectively attain the age of 21 or at marriage. Also upon trust to Maria Elizabeth Edwards otherwise Mary Herriot[?] of St Thomas-in-the-Vale an annuity of £50 pa currency plus a lump sum of £100 currency within 12 months of my decease and all the rents and profits from my 30 acres of land in St Thomas-in-the-Vale [description of location]. Also the profits of 50 acres of land in St Thomas-in-the-Vale to Jane Jones the daughter of Maria Elizabeth Edwards otherwise Mary Herriot. £100 sterling from this land to be applied to the support, maintenance and education of the said Jane Jones until she reach age 21. Land in Spanish Town to Mary Elizabeth Speight, daughter of John Speight deceased.

My trustees to manumit my female slave named Elsey Mecham and pay her an annuity of £15 currency pa.

Other land in Spanish Town to my daughter Elizabeth Sophia Rossiter, the wife of Thomas Rossiter and to Jane Jones (who shall attain the age of 21 on 31/05/1823).

Signed 12/11/1806.

Included a letter to "My dear friend Burnett" dated 20/01/1807. I hope I haven't given you too much trouble as the parents of my dear little grandchildren will I hope live long to bless and take care of them. Asking to fullfil my wishes "respecting my unfortunate little girl called in my will Jane Jones, consider my dear Sir she cannot help her birth, the fault be it what it may rests with her parent who is in duty bound to make every reparation in their power..." I hope her legacy will be sufficient to give her a plain education in England under the care of Mr Richards and an honest livelihood there after. "It is my wish that she should make that place or some other (not this) her chief place of residence but at the same time I have no wish or desire to bar her from residing in any part of the world she should think proper to make choice of only that my sincere wishes is that she may have prudence enough to avow living in this island, with which wishes when she attain to the age of discretion be so good as to acquaint her with."

Proved in London 28/11/1809 by Thomas Rossiter Esquire the surviving executor.