George Crawford Ricketts I

Son of John Ricketts of Prospect estate in Jamaica, father of among others George Crawford Ricketts II (died young); Sir George William Ricketts (the Madras judge, who died in 1831); John Bourke Ricketts; Mary Bourke Anderson; Eliza B. Hallifax; Louisa Frances Ricketts; and Thomas Bourke Ricketts (q.v.).

1. George Crawford Ricketts, esq. of Gray’s-inn, who, being called to the bar in 1772, went out to Jamaica, where he practised as a barrister for many years, until appointed his majesty’s attorney and advocate-general, and a member of the honourable council of that island. Returning to England in 1802, he settled at Ayshford Hall, near Ludlow, and, in four years after, purchased the estate of Combe, in Herefordshire. He married, 19th March, 1775, Frances, youngest daughter of Nicholas Bourke, esq. by Elizabeth, daughter of Thomas Fearon, esq. for several years chief-justice of the island of Jamaica, and had issue (1) George Crawford (d. young) (2) Thomas-Bourke his heir..."

2. Will of George Crawford Ricketts of Ashford Hall Shropshire proved 06/05/1811. He left £5000 to his son John Bourke Ricketts at 21 and £3000 to his daughter Louisa Frances Ricketts, giving these priority over other legacies. He left Ashford Hall in trust to be sold and the proceeds to be divided among six named children. He left his estate near Presclough [?] recently bought of R. Whitcombe Esq. Betus [?]] : this must refer to the Combe estate near Presteigne in Herefordshire, and the seller was probably the Whitcombe family of Bettws Clyro, Radnorshire] to his son Thomas Bourke Ricketts, and his lands in Radnorshire to his son George William Ricketts. He left his estates in Jamaica in trust to pay £150 p.a. to Thomas Bourke Ricketts as full equivalent of the annual hire, and on condition he do not wilfully remove 'any of the slaves to which he is entitled after my death in right of his mother' from the plantation called Landhearst [presumably Lyndhurst], and to raise £2000 each for George William Ricketts and John Bourke Ricketts.

1. John Burke, A Genealogical and Heraldic History of the Commoners of Great Britain and Ireland enjoying territorial possessions or high official rank, but uninvested with heritable honours (4 vols., London, Henry Colburn, 1835-1838), Vol I pp. 24, 212-3.

2. PROB 11/1522/75.