George Ramsay of Cheltenham

Mortgagee-in-possession of Byebrook and Palmer Hutt in Jamaica between 1778 and 1782, when he was shown as of Great Britain. Probably the same man as the co-attorney on Whitfield Pen 1767-1769, when he was shown as of Kingston Jamaica in partnership with Henry Croasdaile. Although it is not definitive evidence, the will of George Ramsay of Cheltenham (proved 1800) strongly suggests that it was the will of the same man as the Jamaican mortgagee.

1. Will of George Ramsay late of the City of Bath but now of Cheltenham [made in 1796] proved 18/07/1800. He left property, including money owed to him in Britain and Jamaica, in trust (his trustees were William Mitchell of Harley Street and the West India merchants Robert Milligan and David Mitchell) to fund £4000 to support an annuity of £200 p.a. to Elizabeth Warren now his wife under a deed of 1788. He left annuities of £30 p.a. to his sister Agnes Chisholm of Dundee and his sister-in-law Mrs Rodd of Eustone [?] Oxfordshire, and £50 p.a. to support his grand-daughter Ann Mary Ramsay 'now living with me', rising to £90 p.a. on the death of Agnes Chisholm and Mrs Rodd. He left £300 to his son William Ramsay registrar of Jamaica with the hope since he [William Ramsay] had a long lease on the office that he would provide for his [own] wife and children. His residuary legatee was his son Lt Col. George William Ramsay, Commandant of the York Rangers of the West India Regiment, and his children, who also received the [presumably freehold] house in Cheltenham after the life interest of George Ramsay's wife.

2. The will of his son Major General George William Ramsay, made in 1816 when he was Governor of Antigua and Montserrat, was proved 18/02/1820. The will makes no mention of property on Antigua or of mortgages in Jamaica, although his executors were the West India merchants David Milligan and Colin Robertson of Fenchurch Street. He left the house at Cheltenham that had belonged to his father George Ramsay to his wife Jean Charlotte, and the rest to his estate to his son George Antoine Ramsay.

1. PROB 11/1345/175.

2. PROB 11/1626/101.