John Straw of the City of London

London apothecary, who lent money to the London merchant firm of Serocold & Jackson against the security of property in Jamaica including enslaved people: he had also owned an [unnamed] estate in his own right that he had sold and taken back a mortgage for all or part of the purchase price. The Barbican estate and the enslaved people on it in St Andrew Jamaica was shown as his property in 1776, and in the hands of his executor as mortgagee after his death: John Straw had leased this estate to John Jackson for 12 months in 1776.

1. Will of John Straw Apothecary of Leadenhall Street City of London [made in 1777] proved 13/01/1778. The will sets out the transactions he had undertaken with Serocold and Jackson. He had through Richard Goodall of Crosby Square [who was also one of his executors] advanced money to Serocold & Jackson, which was still outstanding and on which some interest was unpaid. Serocold & Jackson in turn had issued notes and a bond to in favour of John Straw, and had also deposited mortgages over estates which had been assigned to them by various parties in Jamaica: William Barnett and Elizabeth Everett his wife; John Reader; Edward Bowes; and Thomas Murphy. John Straw had also sold one [unnamed] estate that was his own and taken security for the purchase price. He left his property to his wife and to Richard Goodall, to repay Goodall some advances he had made to Straw, with his wife as residuary legatee. In a codicil, he provided for his wife's death or intestacy by leaving his property to their niece Catherine Lynch.

Caribbeana Vol. III.

1. PROB 11/1038/104