Montague James

Profile & Legacies Summary

1713 - 1781

Biography

Son of Richard James (d. 1759) and his wife Mary nee Partridge (d. 1756). Married Mary Haughton in Hanover 23/04/1754 - Mary was the co-heiress of her father Philip Haughton.

Montague James was listed in the Jamaican Quit Rent books for 1754 as the owner of 400 acres of land in Hanover.

Montague James bequeathed the bulk of his estates in trust to his son from his first marriage, Samuel Torrent James. His son from his second marriage, John Haughton James, was already set to inherit substantial property from John's mother Mary nee Haughton. Montague James appears to have burdened The Spring plantation in particular with significant annuities that were still outstanding the 1830s: the fragments of evidence in the compensation records suggest that Montague James had sold annuities secured on the estate to third-parties, and the estate and enslaved people were recorded against 'Spring annuitants' (or variations thereof) from 1796 to 1832.

Sources

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.

http://www.jamaicanfamilysearch.com/Members/JamesRichard.htm [accessed 23/01/2015]. Note that this includes an inaccurate precis of Montague James's will.

Further Information

Spouse

[1] Lucy Torrent [2] Mary Haughton

Children

With [1] Samuel Torrent (1735-1788) With [2] Philip (1756-1770), Mary (1759-1847), Catherine (1759-1842), Elizabeth (1762-1847), John (1763-1835), Sarah (1775-1835)

Will

http://www.jamaicanfamilysearch.com/Members/JamesWills&Inv.htm [accessed 22/01/2015] - precis.

Montague James of the parish of Hanover Jamaica but now residing in the parish of St Ann Westminister, Middlesex.

To my wife Mary all my plate, jewels, furniture, carriages, carriage horses and £1000 sterling.

To my daughters Mary Haughton James, Elizabeth Haughton James and Catherine Haughton Jackson (wife of Edmund Jackson merchant) the £2000 sterling bequeathed them by my father-in-law Philip Haughton and not paid to them during my lifetime and received by me.

To my daughters Mary and Elizabeth £2000 each at marriage or age 21, the interest to pay for their maintenance and education in the meantime.

To my daughter Sarah Haughton James £4000 sterling at age 21 or marriage.

To my son John Haughton James £100 sterling per annum until age 21.

All my negroes and stock as may be on Hogg River, Green Island and Haughton Tower plantations or any other estate to my wife Mary James for her use during her natural life and immediately after her decease for the use of my son John Haughton James.

To the use of my son Samuel Torrent James in trust: my plantation and sugar work called Spring Plantaion in Hanover and the slaves, cattle, stock etc; also my run of land called Montague Hall adjoining the said plantation, and a parcel of land adjoining the latter which I purchased of William Rhodes James and Thomas James; my pen called Burnt Ground and the lands thereunto belonging; my Barquadier and lands at Davis Cove in Hanover also purchased by me of the said William Rhodes James of Trelawny Esquire and Thomas James; a parcel of land at Negril in Westmoreland and all my other lands and slaves real, personal whatsoever. These estates to be chargeable for my debts and the several legacies given here. The rents and profits for my son Samuel Torrent James and every other son lawfully begotten of his body in priority of birth, otherwise to daughters of Samuel Torrent James as tenants in common, remainder in trust to my son John Haughton James, his heirs, and then my daughters. Trustees to be William Rhodes james of Trelawny and John Robert James of Hanover.

My wife Mary James and my son Samuel Torrent James to be executors and guardians of my son John and daughters Mary, Elizabeth and Sarah during their minorities.

Codicil £2000 stering to my son John Haughton James at age 21 over and above the annuity given him in my will, to be paid out of Spring Estate.

Faulkner Bristow junior swore to the will 02/02/1781.

Occupation

Planter

Associated Estates (5)

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: