Charles Lewis of Trelawny

???? - 1832

Claimant or beneficiary

Biography

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.


Sources

  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.


Further Information

Occupation
Planter and attorney

Associated Claims (1)

£1,598 5s 10d
Beneficiary deceased (Owner-in-fee)

Associated Estates (5)

The dates listed below have different categories as denoted by the letters in the brackets following each date. Here is a key to explain those letter codes:

  • SD - Association Start Date
  • SY - Association Start Year
  • EA - Earliest Known Association
  • ED - Association End Date
  • EY - Association End Year
  • LA - Latest Known Association
1826 [EA] - 1829 [LA] → Lessee
1809 [EA] - 1811 [LA] → Not known

Charles Lewis had been overseer 1801-1803; he was shown against the estate in the Jamaica Almanacs 1809-1811 in an unknown capacity but probably as overseer or attorney rather than owner.

1801 [EA] - 1803 [LA] → Overseer
1815 [EA] - 1817 [LA] → Owner
1819 [EA] - 1832 [LA] → Owner

Relationships (3)

Father → Natural Daughter
Father → Natural Daughter
Notes →
Mary Ann Lewis was left enslaved people and £2000 currency under the will of her father Charles Lewis...
Testator → Executor