???? - 29th Jul 1791
Second son of John Harvie senior (1690-1767), a school master in Midmar, Aberdeenshire, and his wife Elizabeth nee Mackay (1691-1776). His eldest brother Alexander (1719-1774) went to Antigua in 1748 or 1749. It's not known when Robert and his second brother John (1721-1770) moved to the West Indies but both became large-scale slave-owners.
Robert inherited the Antiguan estates of his brother John Harvey in 1770 and the life interest of John's Grenadan estates. (The Grenadan estates, subject to the life interest, he left to his nephew Alexander Harvey (1766-1818)). According to one source, Alexander "disposed of his prospective interest to his uncle Robert Harvey, the life-renter, for the sum of £20,000, and purchased for himself the estate of Broadland in Buchan, for which he paid ten thousand guineas..."
Memorial and gravestone in Exeter Cathedral: "In memory of Robert Harvey Esquire late of the island of Grenada whose remains are interred in a vault near this place. He departed this life the 29th of July 1791, in the 59th year of his age."
In the will of Robert Harvey [late of Grenada but now residing in Henrietta Street in the parish] of St Paul Covent Garden, written in July 1790 and proved 15/08/1791, Robert left monetary legacies totalling almost £50,000, varying from generally £100 to £15,500 each, to numerous siblings, nephews and nieces, to be paid for from his personal estate. His plantations in Grenada (described as 'all my undivided moiety of my plantation called Rochambard [possibly the estate recorded by LBS as Chambord] in St Patrick, formerly Des Santeurs, Grenada, and my plantation in the two islands called the High and Middle Islands and all that plantation and land called the Plaine in St Patrick and that plantation called Morne Fendue in St Patrick') were left in trust to his nephew John Rae (subject to a £500 annuity to another nephew, Alexander Harvey and five other smaller annuities totalling £100 p.a.). His plantations in Antigua (described as 'all my plantation formerly called Mr Yeomans Old Road Estate in Cades Bay in Old Road, Antigua, and all my other plantations and real estate in Antigua, and also all my personal estate in the same island') were left in trust to his nephew Robert Farquhar, subject to smaller annuities to several named "negroes" and "mulattoes", Phillis and her son Robert; Felicity; Mary; John; and Jeanet.
Gravestones and memorial inscriptions of the Harvey, Farquhar and Ross families from Kintore church and cemetery, sent by Alison McCall, 09/02/2015 and 16/02/2015.
[Alexander Dingwall Fordyce], 'Family record of the name of Dingwall Fordyce in Aberdeenshire: including relatives of both names separately and connections', (Fergus, Ontario Canada 1888), No. 69 Harvey, of Kinmundy etc., pp. XC-CV http://www.archive.org/stream/cihm_05794/cihm_05794.dvju.txt [accessed 04/03/2015].
The will of John Harvey of Grenada, PROB 11/964/136.
Email from Peter Wingfield-Digby, 04/03/2018, with photographs of the memorial and gravestone.
The will of Robert Harvey late of Grenada but now residing in Henrietta Street, Covent Garden, PROB 11/1208/106.
We are grateful to Alison McCall, Peter Wingfield-Digby and Florence Bell for their separate assistance with compiling this entry.
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Absentee?
Transatlantic
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Will
PROB 11/1208 - precis. Note, the numbering system has been added for clarity. Robert Harvey late of Grenada but now residing in Henrietta Street, Covent Garden. All my estates, buildings, negroes, cattle, horses, coppers, stills and plantation utensils in Grenada to be placed in trust to my executors for the uses hereafter mentioned. All my plate, watches and jewels in Great Britain to my nephew Robert Donald the younger and John Aberdeen equally. The residue of my personal estate in Britain and Grenada to be paid for: Firstly, payment of my just debts and funeral expenses (except my debts in Antigua hereinafter mentioned). Second: (i) £100 to my sister Elizabeth Farquhar, wife of Alexander Farquhar in Kintore (ii) £100 to Elizabeth Farquhar [niece], wife of Alexander Ross of Kintore (iii) £20 to Dr Alexander Farquhar, physician in Antigua (iv) £4000 to James Farquhar of Grenada, planter (v) £500 to Janet Farquhar in Kintore (vi) £500 each to Margaret Farquhar and Charles Farquhar of the same place (vii) £500 to Janet Urquhart in Tillidaff [sic - Tillydaff] in Midmar, Aberdeenshire, daughter of my sister Mrs Urquhart deceased (viii) £100 to my sister Barbara Donald, wife of Robert Donald of Midmar (ix) £250 to Elizabeth Donald, wife of William Adams in Echt, Aberdeenshire (x) £500 to Jean Donald of Midmar (xi) £100 to Isabel Donald, wife of Mr John Collison, merchant in Aberdeen (xii) £100 to Celia Donald, wife of John Drurant[?] Baker in Aberdeen (xiii) £4000 to William Donald, planter in Grenada (xiv) £50 to Janet Donald, wife of Mr James Thomson, merchant in Aberdeen (xv) £15,500 to Robert Donald junior in Midmar (xvi) £1000 to Janet Donald in Aberdeen (xvii) £150 to my sister Janet Donald, wife of John Donald of Tillidaff (xviii) £100 to my sister Grace Aberdeen, wife of Thomas Aberdeen of Hillside in Echt (xix) £350 to William Aberdeen of Barryam and Echt (xx) £1000 to Joan Aberdeen in Hillside (xxi) £15,500 to my nephew John Aberdeen of Henrietta Street, London (xxii) £1000 to my nephew Alexander Aberdeen of Hillside (xxiii) £1200 to my nephew Robert Aberdeen of Hillside (xxiv) £500 to Elizabeth Harvey, wife of Dr Alexander Gordon, physician in Aberdeen (xxv) £20 to Alexander Farquhar in Kintore (xxvi) £20 to Robert Donald in Midmar (xxvii) £20 to John Donald in Tillidaff (xxviii) £20 to Thomas Aberdeen in Hillside of Echt (xxix) £100 to Charles Mackay of Slinelds Esquire (xxx) £100 to Charles Gordon, Advocate in Aberdeen (xxxxi) £100 to Alexander Gordon, physician in Aberdeen (xxxii) £100 each to Mary Gordon and Elizabeth Gordon, two daughters of the said Dr Alexander Gordon (xxxiii) £100 each to [blank] Gordon and [blank] Gordon, the two daughters of Charles Gordon of Aberdeen, Advocate (xxxiv) £100 to John Anthony Rucker, merchant in London, requesting him to give his consent to the manumission of the slaves by this my will directed to be freed in Grenada (xxxv) £100 to Mr Robert Udney, merchant in London (xxxvi) £100 to James Gordon of Moore Place in Hertfordshire Esquire (xxxvii) £20 to Robert Francis Swift of Dulwich Common in Surrey Esquire and £100 to his daughter Miss Jean Swift, and I direct that his note for £60 be delivered up to him to be cancelled (xxxviii) £50 to Daniel Henry Rucker, merchant in London (xxxix) £100 to Simpson Strachan of Grenada, merchant (xl) £250 to the poor of the parish of Midmar (xli) £150 to the Governors or managers of the Infirmary of Aberdeen for the use of that charity (xlii) £20 to Joseph Simpson, merchant. Any remainder of my personal estate in Britain or Grenada to my nephew John Rae of Grenada, planter. To Simpson Strachan, James Farquhar and William Donald, all of Grenada, all my undivided moity of my plantation called Rochambard in St Patrick, formerly Des Santeurs, Grenada, and my plantation in the two islands called the High and Middle Islands and all that plantation and land called the Plaine in St Patrick and that plantation called Morne Fendue in St Patrick, and all other real estate in Grenada, and all slaves etc in trust for: (i) £500 per annum to Alexander Harvey of Broadland in Aberdeen for the term of his natural life (ii) £60 p.a. to Mr Alexander Urquhart, minister at Tough in Aberdeenshire for his natural life (iii) £10 p.a. to John Urquhart in Mill of Cunnetts[?], Kincardine O'Neel, Aberdeenshire, for his natural life (iv) £10 p.a. to Elizabeth Urquhart, wife of James Adams of Alford (v) £10 p.a. to Joan Urquhart, wife of Alexander Christie in Knockquhorn, Echt (vi) £10 p.a. to Mary Urquhart, wife of Charles Adams of Alford The residue to John Rae. In case my personal estate in Grenada and Britain shall not be sufficient to pay the legacies hereintobefore mentioned then my executors shall do so out of the profits of my undivided moity of my Grenadan plantations by a mortgage or sale thereof. To Robert Farquhar of Antigua, planter, all my plantation formerly called Mr Yeomans Old Road Estate in Cades Bay in Old Road, Antigua, and all my other plantations and real estate in Antigua, and also all my personal estate in the same island, but subject to the payment of such of my debts as shall affect the same and also subject to the following annuities: (i) £9 18 shillings Antiguan currency p.a. to Phillis, a negro woman belonging to the Morneferdue estate for her natural life (ii) £6 12 shillings currency to Robert, a negro boy, son of Phillis, for his natural life (iii) £3 6 shillings p.a. to Felicity, a negro girl on my said estate in Antigua (iv) £6 12 shillings p.a. to Mary, a mulatto girl on my said estate (v) £6 12 shillings p.a. to John, a mulatto boy belonging to the estate of Sir George Douglas Baronet in Antigua (vi) £13 4 shillings p.a. to Jeanet, a free mulatto woman upon my said estate in Antigua. John Rae shall immediately after my decease procure the manumission of: Phillis; Robert the mulatto boy; Felicity the daughter of Phillis; and Catherine, a young girl belonging to the Rochambord Estate in Grenada. Robert Farquhar to procure the manumission of: the mulatto boy named John; and Charlotte a negroe woman with her mulatto daughter named Mary. John Rae, John Aberdeen and Robert Donald Junior shall each take upon themselves the surname Harvey and shall bear my arms. My executors to be Simpson Strachan, John Rae, Robert Farquhar, William Donald, John Aberdeen and Robert Donald. Signed 10/07/1790. Proved at London 15/08/1790. |
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Occupation
Planter
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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:
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- 1791 [EY] → Owner
In his will proved in 1791, Robert Harvey left 'all my plantation formerly called Mr Yeomans Old Road Estate in Cades Bay in Old Road, Antigua' to his nephew Robert Farquhar. This appears to be the estate later known as Cades Bay. |
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1791 [SY] - → Owner
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1780 [EA] - → Joint owner
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1780 [EA] - → Joint owner
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1780 [EA] - → Joint owner
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1780 [EA] - → Joint owner
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1770 [SY] - 1791 [EY] → Tenant-for-life
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- 1791 [EY] → Owner
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Brothers
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Uncle → Nephew
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Uncle → Nephew
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Uncle → Nephew
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Business partners
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Midmar, Aberdeenshire, North-east Scotland, Scotland
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Henrietta Street, Covent Garden, London, Middlesex, London, England
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1781 - 1830
Member of the Baillie of Dochfour family who had numerous mercantile connections in the West Indies. The compensation for Baillie's Bacolet in Grenada was awarded to the trustees of her marriage settlement. Grand-daughter of Colin Roy Campbell of Glenmure. Apparently a victim of the quack doctor John St John Lang of Harley Street in 1830.
Document comprises 4 parts, written recto and verso across 5 folios: 1. An inventory and valuation of enslaved persons at Windsor Estate, St Elizabeth parish, Jamaica, 1814. 2. An inventory and valuation of enslaved persons at Williamsfield settlement, St Elisabeth parish, Jamaica, 1814. 3. An inventory of animals at Windsor Estate, St Elizabeth parish, Jamaica, 1814. 4. A cover note outlining the contents of the document.
© Copyright Legacies of British Slavery - UCL Department of History 2024
CITING THIS RECORD:
'Robert Harvey', Legacies of British Slavery database, http://wwwdepts-live.ucl.ac.uk/lbs/person/view/2146639899 [accessed 26th December 2024].
