Catharine Greg (née Henderson)

Profile & Legacies Summary

1737 - 1819

Biography

1. Owner of Cane Garden on St Vincent which she inherited in 1773, probably prior to her marriage to John Greg, the uncle and benefactor of his nephew Samuel Greg (q.v.). On 10th June 1795, John Greg died in England. He bequeathed his West Indian properties to his nephews Thomas and Samuel, the sixth and ninth children of his brother Thomas, with a life interest to his widow, Catharine.

2. Catherine also inherited her husband's leasehold houses in Stratford Place, London and Spring Grove, Hampton (together in the latter case with adjoining copyhold land he had bought) on his death.

3. She died at Spring Grove, Hampton, aged 82, 'full of years and of benevolence,' on 22nd November 1819, 'and is buried with her husband in an extraordinary pyramidal tomb, the source of local legends, in the churchyard there.'

Sources

1. Cambridge University Library: Dominica Estate documents of the Greg family, accessed 08/09/2012.

2. PROB 11/1262/261.

3. Gentleman’s Magazine 1819: Email from Fiona Martin 17/07/2020. Information on Spring Grove from The Twickenham Museum: http://www.twickenham-museum.org.uk/detail.php?aid=190&cid=5&ctid=2. Cambridge University Library: Dominica Estate documents of the Greg family, accessed 08/09/2012.

We are grateful to Fiona Martin for her help compiling this entry.

Further Information

Absentee?

Transatlantic

Maiden Name

Henderson

Spouse

John Greg

Associated Estates (2)

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:

SD - Association Start Date
SY - Association Start Year
EA - Earliest Known Association
ED - Association End Date
EY - Association End Year
LA - Latest Known Association

1773 [SY] - → Owner

Cane Garden [ St Vincent ]

1795 [SY] - 1819 [EY] → Tenant-for-life

Cane Garden [ St Vincent ]

Mrs C. Greig is shown as owner of Cane Garden in the 1817 Slave Register and (as 'late Catharine Greg as owner') in the 1822 Slave Register. She had bought additional enslaved people to place on the estate in 1820.