Joseph Price

Joseph Price was shown as the owner of Windsor and Winefield in St Ann until 1815 and of Bonham Spring in St Ann in 1779-1780. The Joseph Price of Stratton Street whose will was proved in 1820 was almost certainly the same man [supported by (1) the association with the Windsor and Winefield and Bonham Spring estates of John Watkis, attorney in 1785, given that Joseph Price of Stratton Street's nephew and co-heir was named Price Watkis, and (2) the succession in 1815 to the Windsor and Winefield estates by Samuel Betton (Samuel Betton of Philadelphia was identified as his 'cousin' in the will of John Watkis proved 1801), although the will of Joseph Price indicates he apparently still held an estate in Jamaica when he made his will in 1819.

1. Joseph Price owned 240 enslaved people on Windsor estate and 47 on Winefield in 1792.

2. Will of Joseph Price of Stratton Street Piccadilly proved 06/05/1820. Under the will he left his wife Sophia £300 'to begin housekeeping', reiterated that she was entitled to £700 p.a. secured to her 'by deed on my estate in Jamaica' and left her a further £300 p.a. 'out of my government stock...known as long annuities' for life, but then provided that if the income from Jamaica should fail by reason of insurrection of the inhabitants or any other reason, he gave her the £300 p.a. 'forever', to be changed by her into a life annuity or disposed of in any other way she chose. The £300 p.a. to Sophia, unless affected by interruption to the Jamaica income, was to pass to Price Williams son of his niece Martha Williams and to John Price Poole, son of his nephew William Poole. Price was owed £1859 2s 8d by Kensingtons & Co. formerly of Lombard Street, which had failed, and Price left this money and whatever balance was owed to him by his late broker William Purdy to his friend Edward Death and his nephew Price Watkis. He also left the latter £3000 in exchequer bills. He left his niece Alice Brayne and her husband John Gregory Brayne £80 p.a. long annuities in trust for the benefit of 'my niece Anne de Fontaine', and similar legacies to his nieces Elizabeth Brisco and Mary Dodd, and £70 p.a. to his niece Martha Anderson, £50 p.a to his niece Ruth Carswell and £40 p.a. to his niece Sarah Poole. He had he said sold part of his farm called Cold Harbour near Farmingham in Kent, and left the remaining part including 5 cottages to John Gregory Brayne. He instructed his executors to sell his freehold at 14 Stratton Street (with the chandeliers and glass he had retained from his legacy of his household effects to his wife), and the proceeds and his residual estate to be shared between his wife Sophia, his 6 nieces and his nephew Price Watkis.

1. 'A List of slaves and stock in the parish of St Ann taken the 28th March 1792 pursuant to order of the Honourable House of Assembly... transcribed from papers presented to the British Museum by Charles E. Long ref. Add. 12435' transcribed at http://www.jamaicanfamilysearch.com/Members/mstann1792.htm.

2. PROB 11/1630/55. He had married Sophia Billington in 1802 at St George Hanover Square, when he was described as widower.