James Bogle French

Slave-owner on Grenada, signatory of 1783 address to George III from absentee owners and merchants. He has a single voyage (in 1774, from Gold Coast to Grenada) in the Trans-Atlantic Slave-Trade Database.

1. Will of James Bogle French merchant of Swithen's Lane [made 30/08/1790] proved 23/10/1792. Under the will he left his property on Grenada to his son Nathaniel Bogle French and Robert Parkinson merchant of Foster Street 'now employed by me' in trust, with instructions to them to sell the property and use it to support his monetary legacies if French's personal estate in England were not adequate. Those legacies comprised: the interest on £4000 to his daughter Mary Smith wife of Robert Smith for life and then the principal to be divided among her children; similarly £4000 for the benefit of his daughter Elizabeth Jane Morris wife of William Morris and then her children; and again £4000 for the benefit of his daughter Rebecca Smith wife of John Smith. After several other monetary legacies of £100 or so to other family members, he made Nathaniel Bogle French his residuary heir. The will identifies Andrew Bogle as his brother and James Bogle as his nephew. On an illegible date after the death of Nathaniel Bogle French, administration of this will was granted to Augustine Bogle French.

2. The mercantile firm of Nathaniel Bogle French [senior] and Augustine Bogle French failed in 1815. Nathaniel Bogle French jun. had left the partnership in 1811.

3. Horatio Smith and James Smith, each in the ODNB as 'writer and humorist' were the sons of Robert and Mary Smith and grandsons of James Bogle French.

1. PROB 11/1223/271.

2. London Gazette 17053 19/08/1815 p. 1709; ibid, 16448 29/01/1811 p. 188.

3. Robertson, F. (2009, May 21). Smith, Horatio [Horace] (1779–1849), writer and humorist. Oxford Dictionary of National Biography. Ed. Retrieved 26 Aug. 2018, from http://www.oxforddnb.com/view/10.1093/ref:odnb/9780198614128.001.0001/odnb-9780198614128-e-25815; Garnett, R. (2008, May 24). Smith, James (1775–1839), writer and humorist. Oxford Dictionary of National Biography. Ed. Retrieved 26 Aug. 2018, from http://www.oxforddnb.com/view/10.1093/ref:odnb/9780198614128.001.0001/odnb-9780198614128-e-25821.