Robert Delap

Father of Samuel Francis Delap and William Drummond Delap (both q.v.), son of Samuel Delap and nephew of Francis Delap.

1. Graduate of Trinity College, Dublin (1774), who had been admitted at the Middle Temple (1771) and was called to the Irish Bar in 1778, afterwards practising in Dublin. He married Mary Ann Bogle, daughter of James Bogle of Castlefin in 1776, and was Colonel of the Lawyers' Volunteer Corps in Dublin in 1780. He died at sea while returning from Jamaica in 1782, aged 28. The will of his widow dated 14 December 1791 was proved in PCC 21 January 1806.

2. The will of Robert Delap of Dublin [but at present in London] [made in 1781] was proved 29/08/1782. In the will he left: his leasehold house in York Street Dublin to his 'present wife' Mary Ann for life and then for her to dispose of; his estates at Donegal left under the will of his father Samuel to Mary Ann for life and then to his eldest son Samuel; his estates called Orange in St James and Mounteagle in Westmoreland Jamaica in trust, the former entailed to his son Samuel with remainder to William Drummond Delap and the latter entailed to his son James. His trustees were to raise £10,000 for his younger children other than James.

3. The lease of the Guildford Street house (opposite Queen Square, London) of Robert's widow Mary Ann Delap was advertised for sale in May 1803. The house contents were also for sale and were itemised in some detail.

4. Robert Delap of Dublin, Esquire. Estate probated in Jamaica in 1783. Slave-ownership at probate: 346 of whom 175 were listed as male and 171 as female. 0 were listed as boys, girls or children. Total value of estate at probate: £29675.65 Jamaican currency of which £22600 currency was the value of enslaved people. Estate valuation included £0 currency cash, £5255.65 currency debts and £0 currency plate.

1. Email from Paul Hitchings 25/04/2017 sourced to Alumni Dublinenses; King's Inns Admissions; Londonderry Journal 19/03/1776 (marriage); Saunders's Newsletter 22/05/1780 volunteer colonelcy); Londonderry Journal 06/08/1782 (death - extract in Donald M Schlegel's Irish Genealogical Abstracts from the Londonderry Journal, 1775-1784, publ. 2009).

2. PROB 11/1094/435.

3. Email from Paul Hitchings sourced to Morning Post 22/05/1803.

4. Trevor Burnard, Database of Jamaican inventories, 1674-1784.

We are grateful to Paul Hitchings for his assistance with compiling this entry.