James Brown of Gattonside

Profile & Legacies Summary

???? - 20^th Mar 1816

Biography

James Brown of Gattonside, near Melrose in the Scottish Borders, and Jamaica. Father of James Mellor Brown (q.v.) and husband of Ann Mellor, daughter of Abner Mellor (q.v.).

James Brown, coachmaker, married Ann Mellor, spinster, in Kingston 24/10/1789. He is possibly the James Brown who, as executor of the deceased silversmith John Brown, arranged for the sale of two lots in Port Royal in 1777 (the sale was advertised in the Virginia Gazette).
A portrait of Isabella, daughter of James Brown and Ann nee Mellor, by Sir Henry Raeburn, appeared in an exhibition of old masters in New York in 1912. The accompanying text read: "Isabella Brown was born 1790 in Jamaica, daughter of James Brown, a coffee planter, who married Anne, daughter of Abner Mellor, also a coffee planter in Jamaica. In 1799 Isabella was sent to relations in Edinburgh to be educated. The portrait was painted there, and sent out to Jamaica in 1800, but after the death of her grandfather was brought back to Scotland in 1803 and taken to Gattonside (near Melrose), where they lived until James Brown's death in 1816, when his two sons sold the place, and they all went to England, but she never settled anywhere. Her brothers both became Vicars in Northamptonshire, and she lived near them for some years. She died in 1870. Previously owned by a member of the family in England." The portrait shows a little girl in a white dress seated with her hands on her lap.
Abner Mellor Esquire, died 11/09/1801, aged 70 and his wife Mary died 27/06/1796 aged 62. His son William Mellor died 16/07/1799 age 38 and his daughter Dorothy died 07/11/1788 age 6. His daughter Ann married James Brown and four of their children are commemorated in Kingston Parish Churchyard in the same tomb and Abner and Mary: Mary (died 1791 age 8 months), Anne (died 1794 age 10 months), Abner (died 1794 age 2 years) and William (died 1800 age 2 years and 3 months).
The will of James Brown of Gattonside House was proved in Scotland in 1816. His residuary legatees were his children, share and share alike. In his will, he ordered the manumission of Clarinda, "the property of my said deceased wife which negroe is now and has been at liberty since the death of her master Abner Mellor in the year 1801" and also of Nelly (provided she could pay the fee herself). Clarinda and her three children Betsy, Diana and William were manumitted by James Mellor Brown in 1818.

Sources

Kingston parish register extracts, http://www.jamaicanfamilysearch.com/Samples/regkgn02.htm; Robert Kirk Headley, Genealogical Abstracts from 18th-century Virginia Newspapers (1987) p. 42.
'Loan exhibition of old masters, for the benefit of the Artists' fund and Artists' aid societies : at the galleries of M. Knoedler & Co. ... January 11th to 27th inclusive, 1912' (1912) pp. 24-25.
James Henry Lawrence-Archer, Monumental Inscriptions of the British West Indies (1875), p. 109; Findagrave.com memoiral ID 119792667.
GROS CC18/4/3, Peebles Commissary Court; Jamaican manumissions, http://www.jamaicanfamilysearch.com/Samples/Manumit2.htm.

We are grateful to Kate Birley for her assistance with compiling this entry.

Further Information

Absentee?

Transatlantic

Spouse

Ann Mellor

Children

Isabella, James Mellor, Mary, William, Dorothy, Ann

Will

GROS CC18/4/3, Peebles Commissary Court - precis.

Inventory of the personal estate of James Brown Esquire, Gattonside House, Roxburghshire, formerly of Jamaica, who died 20/03/1816. Given up by Dr William Brown of Edinburgh, James Pringle Esquire of Torwoodlee and Miss Isabella Brown, only daughter of the said James Brown and now residing in Edinburgh, accepting and surviving trustees and executors.

Cash £22. Furniture etc £739. Clothes etc £50. Due from Dr William Brown £530 plus interest £25. Value of farm stock, utensils etc £472. Other money due not exceeding £40. Total £1879 8s 4d. Also owns a share in the Galawater Turnpikeroads but no value can be put upon this as no dividends have been paid upon it, nor is it known if there ever will be any.

Also due to the deceased debts of a considerable amount in the island of Jamaica amounting it is supposed in all with interest to about £3,000 Jamaican currency, but it is not known what part thereof may be recovered.

Extracts from the trust deposition and settlement dated 04/03/1809. James Brown Esquire late of the island of Jamaica at present residing at Bangholme Bower near Edinburgh. Trustees to be Mrs Ann Brown formerly Mellor, my wife, during her widowhood, Dr William Brown of Edinburgh, my brother, and James Pringle Esquire of Torwoodlee. Property in trust to be all lands, houses, tenements and other heritable subjects belonging to me in Great Britain or Jamaica plus all debts owing to me, all stock in the public funds and all moveable goods, "all and sundry my negroes stock and other property real and personal" in Jamaica, [includes an extensive list of various lands purchased by Brown near Gattonside and near Edinburgh].

First, trustees to pay all debts and funeral expenses.

To my wife Ann, an annuity of £500 sterling per annum for life in lieu of all other claims on my property. Also to her, two months after my death, £7,000 by way of legacy but also as a compensation and equitable ample restitution of certain articles of real or heritable property in Jamaica formerly belonging to her but sold and appropriated by us jointly with her free consent for the benefit of my interest and estate amounting collectively to £5,500 sterling or £7,700 Jamaican currency. This property in Jamaica was a house in Kingston and a "negro" sold by us which she had inherited from her deceased brother William Mellor and articles of property which were conveyed to her among others by the will of her deceased father Abrier [sic] Mellor vizt a pen or farm called Nightingale Grove in St Andrew, Jamaica, a house in Kingston and "sundry negroes sold with the said pen or farm and at other times previous to this date and likewise for the value of six negroes and two children placed + fixed to remain as my sole property upon my plantation called Mount Tiviot, the names of which Negroes are Bower, Abram, Sally, Bessy, Prudence and Dianna and her two children Fanny and John, all of which property was and is situated in the Island of Jamaica..."

To my brother David an annuity of £50 sterling per annum for life.

To my brother Dr William Brown a legacy of £300 sterling.

To my brother John Brown an annuity of £50 sterling per annum.

To my niece Elizabeth Bell, daughter of Mrs Jean Bell my sister deceased, £200 sterling.

To Bell Mason, daughter of my aunt Mrs Elizabeth Mason deceased, £5 sterling per annum.

The whole remainder real and personal to be equally divided among my children share and share alike at age 21 years. The interest in the meantime and profits of my estate to their maintenance and education...

James Mellor Brown, my eldest son, and each of my other sons at age 21 years to become trustees also.

Codicil signed 01/07/1813. James Brown Esquire sometime of the island of Jamaica thereafter residing at Bangholme Bower near Edinburgh now of Gattonside House in the county of Roxburgh.

Mrs Ann Brown has now died and I have purchased certain houses and lands and also "a change of circumstances in other respects..." My brother David Brown now in Jamaica and my daughter Isabella Brown while she continues unmarried to also be trustees along with Dr William Brown and James Pringle. [Details of more land purchases.]

On the death of Mrs Ann Brown, the annuity of £500 and legacy of £7,000 reverts to my estate. My eldest son James Mellor Brown becomes heir to his mother and suceeds to the said [six] "negroes" named Bowen, Abram, Sally, Bessy, Prudence and Dianna and her two children Fanny and John after my decease. However "it seems to me desirable both on account of humanity and convenience that the said negroes should be by him sold to my said trustees so that they may remain upon the plantation where they are now placed..."

[p. 473] Also I request that my heirs should "manumise and permit to go free a certain negroe woman in the said Island of Jamaica named Clarinda the property of my said deceased wife which negroe is now and has been at liberty since the death of her master Abner Mellor in the year one thousand eight hundred and one and although I cannot doubt the ready compliance of my said son James Mellor Brown with these requests reflecting the before mentioned negroes considering it was the wish and request of his deceased mother often expressed nor can I doubt the compliance of any other of my children who may eventually succeed to the said negroes at my decease yet the request seems to me so reasonable and proper that I hereby declare that the same shall be an express condition towards him or them or his or their heirs executors or assignees being entitled to any benefit accruing from my said trust disposition and settlement."

"And whereas I am possessed of a Negroe woman in the Island of Jamaica named Nelly purchased by me from a Guinea Merchant in that island which negroe woman having nursed a child now deceased of mine by my said deceased wife for that and for other faithful services to her deceased mistress she has been since permitted in all respects to life as free, my will is that the said negroe woman named Nelly be and continue free from all claims... and that she be regularly manumised provided she pay the fees due at the public offices for such manumission."

The legacy of £300 to my brother Dr William Brown to be cancelled. The annuity to my brother David Brown to be cancelled. The annuity to my brother John Brown to be reduced to £25 per annum. These changes are "on account of the great diminution of my own fortune since the said trust deposition and settlement was executed." An additional annuity of £10 per annum to Mrs Elizabeth Grace, formerly Mellor, the widow of George Grace of the city of London. Also to Jane, widow of Bervly Mellor, late of the town of Rippon in Yorkshire, £5 sterling per annum for life.

Additional testament signed 09/03/1816. Request that my brother David Brown be removed from my trustees. Revocation of the annuity of £10 to Mrs Elizabeth Grace, to be replaced by £5 per annum. The annuity of £5 to the widow of Bervly Mellor to be revoked.

Wealth at death

£1,879 8S 4D

Occupation

Coachmaker then coffee planter then landed proprietor

Associated Estates (1)

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