John Hankey

1. Merchant. Adopted son and business partner of Peter Simond. Inherited Simond's estates in Grenada as tenant-in-common with Susanna Louisa St John and Sir John Trevelyan. Father of John Peter Hankey.

2. The will of John Hankey "of the City of London merchant, second son of Sir Thomas Hankey late of the said City Knight deceased by Sarah his wife who was one of the daughters of Sir John Barnard Knight deceased, late one of the aldermen of the said City" mentions his partnership with Peter Simond, ownership of estates in Grenada and mortgages held on estates in Grenada.

3. John Hankey was born 06/09/1741. Died 05/09/1792, of Mincing Lane.

4. John Hankey was a witness to the 1789-90 Committee on the Slave Trade. 'Is a very large proprietor of lands in the Ceded Islands, since 1764, also has very large sums outstanding', given later as £250,000 at 5%.

1. Will of Peter Simond, PROB 11/1136/157, which makes this adoption clear: John Hankey 'whom with the entire approbation of my said daughter Lady St John and the said Sir John Trevelyan I adopt as a child in consideration of his great fidelity and honourable conduct to me'. In a codicil Peter Simond also refers to John's son John Peter Hankey as his godson and bequeaths to him £100.

2. Will of John Hankey, PROB 11/1223/78.

3. Findmypast.co.uk Boyd's Inhabitants of London & Family Units 1200-1946 [database online]. The Lady's Magazine vol. 23 p. 504 (September 1792).

4. Abridgement of the Minutes of the Evidence: Taken Before a Committee of the Whole House..to Consider the Slave Trade (1790) Vol. II part 2 pp. 84 et seq.

We are grateful to Yvonne Roberts for her assistance with compiling this entry.