Charles Thesiger

Will of Charles Thesiger Collector of His Majesty's Customs island of St Vincent proved 05/04/1831. Under the will he left £1000 to his son Frederick and subject to that legacy he left all his property in the English and French funds all the moneys to be received from the Esperanza estate in Trinidad to his three daughters Maria Charlotte, Eliza and Augusta. He left his property in St Vincent in trust to be sold and the interest on the proceeds to be paid to Therese Questel of St Vincent for life, then to her children Maria Charlotte and Peter James, with contingent remainder to his son and three daughters.

Frederick Thesiger,1st Baron Chelmsford (1794-1878), the son of Charles Thesiger, has an entry in the ODNB as 'lord chancellor', which says of Frederick: 'A volcanic eruption on 30 April 1812 entirely destroyed his father's estate and considerably impoverished his family. It was then decided that he should practise as a barrister in the West Indies.' Frederick Thesiger's sons Frederic Augustus and Alfred Henry Thesiger have entries as 'army officer and courtier' and 'judge' respectively. Frederick Thesiger's grandson Frederic Napier Thesiger 1st Viscount Chelmsford was Viceroy of India.

Charles Thesiger was awarded £3,750 for the estimated loss of £7,800 he incurred on 'Duvallies' [sic] from the volcanic eruption on St Vincent in 1812.

PROB 11/1784/414.

J. A. Hamilton, ‘Thesiger, Frederick, first Baron Chelmsford (1794–1878)’, rev. Sinéad Agnew, Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, Oxford University Press, 2004; online edn, Jan 2008 [http://www.oxforddnb.com/view/article/27176, accessed 20 Sept 2016]; J. A. Hamilton, ‘Thesiger, Alfred Henry (1838–1880)’, rev. Hugh Mooney, Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, Oxford University Press, 2004 [http://www.oxforddnb.com/view/article/27174, accessed 20 Sept 2016]; P. G. Robb, ‘Thesiger, Frederic John Napier, first Viscount Chelmsford (1868–1933)’, Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, Oxford University Press, 2004; online edn, Jan 2008 [http://www.oxforddnb.com/view/article/36465, accessed 20 Sept 2016]; J. P. C. Laband, ‘Thesiger, Frederic Augustus, second Baron Chelmsford (1827–1905)’, Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, Oxford University Press, 2004; online edn, Jan 2008 [http://www.oxforddnb.com/view/article/36464, accessed 20 Sept 2016].

Charles Shephard, An historical account of the island of St Vincent (1831) Appendix No. XVII 'Appropriation of the sum of £25,000 granted to the sufferers by the volcanic eruption by 53d Geo III Cap. 136.'