William White of Llandovery Jamaica

The will of William White of Llandovery was proved 29/11/1804. This was the same man as the William White given as the elder of Hopewell estate, whose will was said to have also been made in 1796, consistent with William White of Llandovery's, but to have been proved in 1798. John Cowell (q.v.), George Burton (q.v.) and John Roebuck were common to the background of both William White of Llandovery and 'William White the elder.'

1. William White owned 220 enslaved people on Flat Point, 363 on Llandovery and 26 on Palmyra in St Ann in 1792.

2. Will of William White late of Llandovery estate...St Ann, planter but now on board the Grantham [sic] packet [in my way to England for the recovery of my health] [made 24/07/1796] was proved in London 29/11/1804. A codicil of 1797 shows him of Lincolns Inn Fields. In the will he said that upon the death [n.d.] of his nephew John White in Kingston he had written to his [John's] mother, the widow of William's brother also called John, in Grantham Lincolnshire, to commit to provide for her large family, and accordingly he left 3000 guineas to each of her children (he believed six in number) at 21 or on marriage. He left his sister-in-law Dorothea Susanna White herself an annuity of £400 p.a., and to each of his three siblings including his brother Isaac of Boston Lincolnshire £1000 and £100 p.a. for life each, and £1000 to each of their children. He left £5000 each to the two sons of his brother John, whom he thought were called Henry and Charles born since 'I left England in 1779.' After taking care of the families of his brothers and sisters in this way, he left £500 and £100 p.a. to his natural daughter Mary White, 'born of a mulatto woman named Jinis [?], a woman of most worthy and valuable qualities, now dead', and £500 each and £50 p.a. each to his reputed son and daughter William Hermit and Catherine Hermit born of a mulatto woman named Patience Hermit. he freed his servant Charles Rose and left him £50 Jamaican currency and £20 p.a. Jamaican currency for life. He left 100 guineas each to the children of his friend Sir Charles Henry Talbot. He left £500 sterling or £700 currency to Frances Gray of Highgate in St Mary Jamaica who had recently nursed him. He freed a mulatto woman named Betsey Hall whom he had purchased from James Wedderburn Esq. under the name of Grace. His residuary legatee was his nephew and namesake William White, son of his brother John White. In the codicil, he clarified that the annuity to his sister-in-law Dorothea Susanna White would end if she remarried, and he left £5000 to his nephew William Harvey, and referred for the first time to his friend John Cowell and his desire that Cowell close 'this whole business' by the sale of the Flat Point estate.

3. The background to White's involvement with the Hopewell estate is set out in White v Parnther before the Privy Council in 1829. William White the elder had in 1774 purchased the benefit of a judgment in favour of a creditor of Hopewell, and remortgaged the estate in 1796. According to the hearing before the Privy Council in 1829, William White the elder had made his will in 1796 and it was proved in 1798. The 'White' of White v Parnther was his nephew and heir, also called William White. There are sufficient commonalties between this 'William White the elder' and William White of Llandovery (q.v.) to confirm these were the same man.

1. 'A List of slaves and stock in the parish of St Ann taken the 28th March 1792 pursuant to order of the Honourable House of Assembly... transcribed from papers presented to the British Museum by Charles E. Long ref. Add. 12435' transcribed at http://www.jamaicanfamilysearch.com/Members/mstann1792.htm.

2. PROB 11/1417/281. The William White planter of St Ann Jamaica whose will proved 10/10/1804, PROB 11/1416/204, appears (oddly) to have been a different man, William White of Woodstock (q.v.): that will is shorter and deals primarily with specific enslaved people.

3. Jerome William Knapp, Reports of Cases argued and determined before the committees of His Majesty's Most Honorable Privy Council, appointed to hear appeals and petitions (London, 1831) pp. 179-230.