James Woodbridge I

London merchant, leaving significant legacies to his family in 1805 despite an earlier bankruptcy. Assignee of Messrs Mure for estates and enslaved people in Jamaica.

1. Despite the bankruptcy of James Woodbridge and John Woodbridge of St Dunstan's Hill in 1782, James Woodbridge (under the will of James Woodbridge formerly of St Dunstan's Hill and now of Richmond Green Surrey proved 16/07/1805) left substantial legacies, including £40,000 in consols in trust for his 'dear daughter' Louisa Woodbridge, £5000 in trust for each of his grandsons James Collins Woodbridge, Edward Collins Woodbridge, and Frederick Woodbridge (each of the latter two of whom q.v.), the sons of the testator's son also called James Woodbridge, and £40,000 in consols in trust for his present wife Dorothy and then to his daughters with her, Emma and Caroline.

2. With John Smith, 'James Woodbridge' was shown as assignee of Messrs. Mure for Caldwell and Saxham estates in Hanover, Jamaica, from at least 1817 to 1823. The two men were identified as absentees in the Slave Register of 1817. It is known that James Woodbridge the original assignee of the Mures was deceased by 1808, when a replacement assignee was to be appointed, and was probably the man whose will was proved in 1805. The entries in the Slave Registers refer to his son, also James (q.v. under James Woodbridge II), a partner in Woodbridge, Dyer and Woodbridge (q.v.), who was discharged as assignee in 1829.

3. J. Woodbridge and James Woodbridge respectively were given as the 'present proprietors' of St John Lot 36 (287 acres), and St Joseph Lot 76 (274 acres) on Dominica c. 1773.

1. London Gazette 12315 20/07/1782 p. 4 shows the bankruptcy; PROB 11/1429/77.

2. London Gazette 16122 23/02/1808 p. 298 shows James Woodbridge [I] the assignee as deceased; London Gazette 18573 05/05/1829 p. 829 shows James Woodbridge [II] as discharged as assignee.

3. John Byres, References to a plan of the island of Dominica as surveyed from the year 1765 and 1773 (London, 1777). J. Woodbridge was also the present possessor of St George Lot 8 of Lands on Lease.