Jacob Johnson senior

Second son and heir of Lieutenant Thomas Johnson R.N., a first generation settler in Jamaica, and his wife Rachel, daughter of Captain William Ricketts of Bluefield's Fort, Jamaica.

Of Springfield in Westmoreland. He married Christian, 4th daughter of Samuel Barrett of Jamaica by his wife Elizabeth nee Wisdom, in 1746. He married, secondly, Susanna Mary Poole, daughter of John Lawrence of Ironshire, Jamaica, by his second wife Mary Poole. Died in 1784 "at an advanced age" and was succeeded by his son George Robert Johnson senior (q.v.).

The will of Jacob Ricketts of Westmoreland Jamaica (proved in London in 1756) makes a bequest of one hundred pounds to a Thomas Johnson, described as the son of Ricketts' "cousin" Jacob Johnson; "my loving Cousin Jacob Johnson" is also named as an executor and as one of the guardians of Ricketts' son, George Poyntz Ricketts, during his minority.

Jacob Johnson contributed £42 to the University of Pennsylvania following Dr John Morgan's fundraising tour of the West Indies in 1772-1773.

It seems likely that the year of death of 1784 in Caribbeana is incorrect as he must be the Jacob Johnson of Westmoreland whose estate was valued for probate in Jamaica in 1781: Jacob Johnson of Westmoreland, Esquire. Estate probated in Jamaica in 1781. Slave-ownership at probate: 246 of whom 143 were listed as male and 103 as female. 0 were listed as boys, girls or children. Total value of estate at probate: £28672.59 Jamaican currency of which £17926 currency was the value of enslaved people. Estate valuation included £0 currency cash, £3353.05 currency debts and £177.75 currency plate.

Jacob Johnson was listed in the Jamaican Quit Rent books for 1754 as the owner of 411 acres of land in St James. White and Johnson were listed in the Jamaican Quit Rent books for 1754 as the owners of 300 acres of land in St James; it's not clear which White and which Johnson this refers to.

Vere Langford Oliver, Caribbeana being miscellaneous papers relating to the history, genealogy, topography, and antiquities of the British West Indies (6 vols., London, Mitchell, Hughes and Clarke, 1910-1919) vol. 3 pp. 67-68.

Will of Jacob Ricketts of Westmoreland, Jamaica, PROB 11/826/325.

William Smith, Joseph Hopkinson, and Plunket Fleeson Glentworth, Trustees of the University of Pennsylvania Minute Books, Volume 2, 1768-1779 p. 75, entry for 13/12/1773. Note amounts are in Jamaican currency.

Trevor Burnard, Database of Jamaican inventories, 1674-1784.

'A List of landholders in the Island of Jamaica together with the number of acres each person possessed taken from the quit rent books in the year 1754', TNA CO 142/31 transcribed at http://www.jamaicanfamilysearch.com/Samples2/1754lead.htm.

We are grateful to Rita Lamb for her assistance with compiling this entry.