James Knight

1. James Knight was the author of A Natural, Morall and Politicall History of Jamaica (1742), currently the subject of a transcription project and considered to be an important source of information concerning the slavery-based economy/society of Jamaica in the earlier 18th century.

2. Receiver General in Jamaica in 1716. Very likely the James Knight who was Member of Assembly for Kingston in 1722, 1724, 1731, 1732 and 1735. His wife Anna, probably the daughter of John Lewis, died 21/11/1719 aged 25 years. Apparently Knight left Jamaica in 1737.

3. James Barclay filed Accounts Produce for the estate of James Knight in 1741 and 1742 as one of his attornies. "James Knight Esq. late of the parish of Kingston but now of the Kingdom of Great Britain." Hire of enslaved people, land sale, rental of houses, lands and stores.

4. Will of James Knight of [the island of Jamaica but now residing at Stoke Newington] [made in 1743] proved 06/05/1747. He left his son-in-law John Williams £2000 on the condition that Williams ratified the marriage settlement with Knight's daughter Sarah; Williams owed him £1600 that was to be offset against the £2000. He left his daughter Ann £6000, charged on his plantation Molynes in Jamaica, as well as what he was owed by Daniel Monro of Jamaica on a second estate, in St Mary Jamaica. He left an annuity of £200 p.a to Mary Willis, the daughter of William Willis late of Jamaica deceased, now residing with him, secured on his two 'penns' in St Andrew [unnamed, but one was almost certainly Whitfield Pen]. Subject to these charges he left his property, including enslaved people, to his son John Knight.

5. James Knight of Britain, Esquire. Estate probated in Jamaica in 1751. Slave-ownership at probate: 52 of whom 39 were listed as male and 13 as female. 3 were listed as boys, girls or children. Total value of estate at probate: £44915.84 Jamaican currency of which £1776 currency was the value of enslaved people. Estate valuation included £0 currency cash, £42581.34 currency debts and £0 currency plate.

1. See https://www.jamesknightjamaica.com/ [accessed 24/03/2020] for more on this transcription project and https://www.jamesknightjamaica.com/about for more on James Knight.

2. James Henry Lawrence-Archer, Monumental Inscriptions of the British West Indies (1875) p. 104 transcribed at http://www.jamaicanfamilysearch.com/Members/Barche05.htm.

3. Accounts Produce, Jamaica Archives, IB/11/4/1 p. 189; Accounts Produce, Jamaica Archives, IB/11/4/2 p.29.

4. PROB 11/754/236.

5. Trevor Burnard, Database of Jamaican inventories, 1674-1784.

We are grateful to Paul Hitchings for his assistance with compiling this entry.