William Hicks of Bath

Returned slave-owner in Jamaica, father of John William Hicks I.

1. William Hicks was listed in the Jamaican Quit Rent books for 1754 as the owner of 740 acres of land in St Thomas-in-the-East, 1200 acres in St Elizabeth and 112 acres in Vere, total 2052 acres.

2. Will of William Hicks [late of Jamaica but now of] Bath proved 23/11/1758. He left several annuities of £50 p.a. including to his cousin William Hicks of Jamaica. He left £100 to Benjamin a free mulatta [sic] by trade a carpenter living on his estate in Jamaica. The estate itself [and the enslaved people on it] he left in trust for his son John William Hicks 'now apprentice to Mr Richard Marsh of....Bristol grocer.' In a codicil he forgave indebtedness to him from his cousin Samuel Clarke of some £200 plus interest secured on 'some negros'.

3. William Hicks of Britain, Esquire. Estate probated in Jamaica in 1759. Slave-ownership at probate: 120 of whom 65 were listed as male and 55 as female. 0 were listed as boys, girls or children. Total value of estate at probate: £5992.88 Jamaican currency of which £4449.5 currency was the value of enslaved people. Estate valuation included £0 currency cash, £0 currency debts and £2.31 currency plate.

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 11/841/426.

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