Charles Lewis of Trelawny

Resident slave-owner in Jamaica.

1. Benjamin McMahon was employed at Manchester Estate by Lewis as a book-keeper in the early-1830s. According to McMahon, after neighbouring planters complained that McMahon stood up for the ministers of religion for administering to enslaved people, Lewis did not promote McMahon as promised and persecuted him instead, compelling him to leave. "Lewis himself had formerly been one of the most savage despots over the slaves under his charge when he was overseer of Hopewell; but he was by this time a changed man, advocating lenient measures, in all cases excepting those connected with religion — he would have uo mercy on those who attended dissenting chapels, or were guilty of praying."

2. Will of Charles Lewis of Trelawny 'contemplating a voyage to America' proved 11/04/1833. In the will he made extensive provision for natural sons and daughters in Jamaica, and left his residual estate to a group in Ireland several of whom were surnamed Lewis but were not further identified. His legacies included: to his natural daughter Mary Ann Lewis £2000 currency and 10 named enslaved people (Mio or Miss Mary; John; William; Molly; Frank; Ellen; Phibba; Sophia; Edward; and Deborah); to his natural daughter Ellen £1500 currency and eight named enslaved people; to his natural son Francis £500 currency. He identified the mother of Mary Ann Lewis and Ellen Lewis as his housekeeper Burch. He provided for the manumission of three further reputed sons Charles Lewis, William Lewis and Samuel [?] Lewis. He left £30 to his old friend and schoolfellow William Roach of Killarney in Co. Kerry. He left his residuary estate in trust (his trustee and executor was John Cleghorn) for the children of the bodies of Francis Lewis, Sarah Lewis, Charles Lewis, Charles McCarthy and Thadie [?] McCarthy, severally of Killarney. In a codicil he added William Miller and James Cunningham as trustees and Samuel Cunningham as executor.

1. Benjamin McMahon, Jamaica Plantership: Eighteen Years Employed in the Planting Line in that Island (1839) pp. 82-85.

2. PROB 11/1814/329.

We are grateful to Siddharth Singh Ahlawat for his assistance with compiling this entry.