Sir Manasseh Masseh Lopes

MP and landowner dying at Maristow House Devon in 1831 and leaving £160,000 in personalty, reportedly a 'sugar planter's fortune' (to which the heir was his nephew Ralph Franco). Son of Mordechai (or Mordecai) Rodriguez (or Rodrigues) Lopes or Lopez of Jamaica and of Clapham Surrey (d. 1796). Sir Manasseh Masseh Lopes was MP for New Romney 1802-6, Evesham 1807-8, Barnstaple, 1812-1819, Westbury 1823-9. Although secondary sources are consistent that the family were 'sugar planters', 'plantation owners' or slave-owners, no estates have been traced for Sir Manasseh Masseh Lopes in Jamaica. If his father had held real estate and slave-property in Jamaica he appears to have realised them before his death: there is no reference to them in the will of Mordecai Rodrigues Lopes.

W.D. Rubinstein, Who were the rich? A biographical directory of British wealth-holders Vol. 1 1809-1839 p. 336, reference 1831/10; https://www.historyofparliamentonline.org/volume/1790-1820/member/lopes-%28afterwards-masseh-lopes-%29-manasseh-1755-1831; Hamilton, J. A., and Hallie Rubenhold. "Lopes, Sir Manasseh Masseh, first baronet (1755–1831), landowner and politician." Oxford Dictionary of National Biography. 23 Sep. 2004; Accessed 12 May. 2020. https://www.oxforddnb.com/view/10.1093/ref:odnb/9780198614128.001.0001/odnb-9780198614128-e-17010; Will of Mordecai Rodrigues Lopes of St Pancras proved 16/03/1796 PROB 11/1272/194.

The papers of the Lopes Family are held at the Plymouth and West Devon Record Office. See http://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/a2ab244a-1592-4066-8b32-cee42861af61 for biographical background.

We are grateful to Michael Turnbull for his assistance with compiling this entry.