Dame Philadelphia Cotton (née Lynch)

Co-owner of the Esher estate in St Mary Jamaica at least 1740-1742, and holding other property in Jamaica at her death c. 1759. Daughter and heir of Sir Thomas Lynch of Esher, former Governor of Jamaica.

1. Philadelphia Cotton was listed in the Jamaican Quit Rent books for 1754 as the owner of 640 acres of land in St Catherine and 105 acres of land in St George, total 745 acres.

2. Will of Dame Philadelphia Cotton of Finchley [Lodge, Finchley] proved 08/02/1759. In the will she described Sir Thomas Cotton as her first husband. She left her Jamaica property in trust, charging her trustees to complete the sale of the part she had agreed to sell to William Beckford and to pay the purchase money to her son Sir Lynch Salusbury Cotton in trust for her younger grandsons, one also named Lynch Salubsury Cotton and the other Thomas Cotton; she left the remainder of her 'real estate, stock of negroes and other estate' in Jamaica in trust for her two grandsons directly. Her residuary legatee was her grand-daughter, also named Philadelphia Cotton.

1. A List of landholders in the Island of Jamaica together with the number of acres each person possessed taken from the quit rent books in the year 1754', TNA CO 142/31 transcribed at http://www.jamaicanfamilysearch.com/Samples2/1754lead.htm.

2. PROB 11/843/476.