Humphrey Jeston

British naval officer, second husband of Caroline van Baerle, whose first husband had owned the New Bee Hive estate in British Guiana. The compensation for the enslaved people on the estate was paid to Thomas and John Daniel, shown as owners: it appears more likely that family of Charles van Baerle still owned the estate until it was advertised for auction at the behest of the Daniels in 1840.

1. Marriage of Humphrey Jeston bachelor and Caroline van Baerle of Farnborough in the county of Warwickshire at St Dunstan in the West, City of London, 16/09/1836.

2. Caroline van Baerle was shown as 'Anna Margaretta Carolina', the daughter of James Torre (1748-1816) of Snydale, Normanton, Yorkshire, marrying firstly in 1815 Charles Herman Cornelius van Baerle of Demerara and secondly in 1836 Humphrey Jeston RN.

3. In 1841 Humphrey and Caroline Jeston were living at Farnborough, Warwickshire, both aged 40, he shown as Royal Navy, (both shown as born outside Warwickshire) with Thos van Baerle aged 16 (shown - possibly erroneously - as born in-county), Eliza Torre aged 40 (shown as born outside Warwickshire) and Nicholas Torre (also shown as born in-county), and two other women, one identified as F[emale] S[ervant]. In 1851 Humphrey Jeston aged 50 [possibly 59] Lieutenant Royal Navy born Henley-on-Thames and Caroline Jeston aged 50 born York were living alone at Reculver in Kent. In 1861 the couple were at Herne in Kent, he aged 65 commander in Royal Navy and she aged 62, with the same birthplaces as those given in 1851.

4. Will of Humphrey Jeston late of Greys Hill in the parish of Rotherfield Greys in county of Oxford Commander in the Royal Navy who died 03/04/1866 proved 12/07/1866 by Richard Pope Jeston the nephew, effects under £1000.

1. Ancestry.com, London, England, Church of England Marriages and Banns, 1754-1921 [database online].

2. Burke's Landed Gentry (1879), p. 1604, 'Torre of Snydale'.

3. England and Wales Censuses online, 1841, 1851 and 1861.

4. National Probate Calendar 1866.

We are grateful for the help of Paul Koulen with this entry.