Dr Gilbert Mathison

Gilbert Mathison was born in Edinburgh on 4 September 1721, and baptized 10 September 1721. His father was John Mathison (1678-1752), who was a Church of Scotland minster born in Leith: several members of his family were Wrights in Leith. His mother was John Mathison's second wife, Isobel Hairstaines (1691-1766), whose family had for some generations lived in Dumfries. Dr Gilbert Mathison's brother was Captain John Mathison (1723-1764).

Dr Gilbert Mathison, the presumed father of Gilbert Mathison (q.v.), was Member of the Assembly for Trelawny 1772 and 1774, a magistrate in Trelawny in 1772 and an assistant judge in St Jago de la Vega in 1774. A Dr. Gilbert Mathison was named as an executor and guardian in a codicil to the will of William Perrin of Vere, Jamaica (written in 1758) and also requested to be the attorney for William Perrin's son in Jamaica. A further undated note states he had not been included in the original will as Perrin thought "Dr Mathison had since left and declined acting for me."

The Inventory of Gilbert Mathison's estate includes this: "Item the sum of four hundred & ninety two pound sterling being the penal sum in a Bond in the English form Granted to the defunct by Gilbert Mathison merchant his son dated the fifteenth of November [1745] the Condition of which Bond is that upon payment of the sum of two hundred & forty six pound sterling upon a day mentioned in the said bond (which day is now bygone or past) the Bond should be Void or otherwise stand in force"

His brother, John, died in what was then Batavia and appointed "Sir Alexander Grant Bart London, John Hunter Esq of Bombay and Mr Gilbert Mathison at Jamaica Jointly and severally to be Executors of this my last Will and Testament." When probate was granted the following year Gilbert Mathison did not appear, presumably because he was in Jamaica.

Gilbert Mathison of St Andrew, Esquire. estate probated in Jamaica in 1775. Slave-ownership at probate: 209 of whom 110 were listed as male and 99 as female. 41 were listed as boys, girls or children. Total value of estate at probate: £23,836.5 Jamaican currency of which £15,171.75 currency was the value of enslaved people. Estate valuation included £0 currency cash, £4,317.24 currency debts and £278.63 currency plate. Trevor Burnard shows him as leaving Total Physical Wealth of £13,950 sterling (including enslaved people; excluding realty and financial assets and liabilities) in 1774, making him the eighth largest Jamaican wealth-holder with an inventory taken in that year.

Gilbert Mathison died in 1774. The will of Gilbert Mathison of St Andrew, Esquire, was proved in Jamaica, 19/01/1775.

Vere Langford Oliver, Caribbeana being miscellaneous papers relating to the history, genealogy, topography, and antiquities of the British West Indies (6 vols., London, Mitchell, Hughes and Clarke, 1910-1919) Vol. ; 'Feurtado Personages', http://www.jamaicanfamilysearch.com/Members/b/bfeurtado04.htm [accessed 26/05/2015]; the will of William Perrin, PROB 11/849/234; Gilbert Mathison of Kingston filed Crop Accounts for Camp Savanna (Westmoreland, Jamaica) in 1767, when estate was listed as belonging to Charles Mitchell (q.v.) deceased. In subsequent years (1768-72) Mathison filed accounts 'in right of his wife'. In 1769 Mathison listed as planter. Correspondence via email from Carole Mason dated 14/02/2024. IB/11/4/5 Crop Account 1767-72 Jamaica Archive p. 71, 139, 190; IB/11/4/6 Crop Account 1772-81 Jamaica Archive p. 29, 168; IB/11/4/7 Crop Account 1773-1783 Jamaica Archive p. 20.

Trevor Burnard, Database of Jamaican inventories, 1674-1784; Trevor Burnard, Planters, merchants and slaves p. 19.

Island Record Office, LOS 42.

We are grateful to Daniel Livesay and Carole Mason for assistance with this entry.