Thomas Wolley of Southampton Street, Bloomsbury

Slave-owner on Dominica and St Vincent, son of Jane Hunt and Richard Wolley. He died between 1798 and early 1800: no death-date or burial record has yet been found for him by LBS.

1. 'Marriage [Jan. 1757]. On Saturday Morning Mr. Wolley, of Winchester-Street, was married to Miss Judith Clive, Daughter of Richard Clive, Esq; of Swithin's Lane, and a Sister of Col. Clive, Governor of Fort St. David's in the East Indies.' Will of Thomas Wolley of [Southampton Row] Bloomsbury Middlesex [made in 1798] proved 29/01/1800. Under the will he left all his 'messuages, lands, negroes, plantations and hereditaments' on Dominica and St Vincent to his wife Judith (the sister of Robert Clive, 'Clive of India'). He left monetary legacies of some £1500 to individuals mostly in the Midlands, and land in Shropshire to his wife Judith.

2. In the will of Judith Wolley widow of Southampton Street Bloomsbury, proved 21/02/1824, she made no reference to 'slave-property' in the Caribbean or other real estate: either she must have sold these or, if her husband had been mortgagee-in-possession, the mortgages were repaid.

Burke's Landed Gentry (1849) Vol. III p. 333 shows him as the son of Jane Hunt and 'Mr T. Wolley', but the will of Richard Wolley of Shrewsbury proved 10/03/1764 PROB 11/897/79 shows his [the testator's] wife as Jane, his father-in-law as Thomas Hunt and his son as Thomas; Shropshire Archives, Document Reference: 552/27/15 System Reference: X552/11/4/1 Date: 1786 Description: 1) Agreement, 2 Sep 1786 1 Thomas Wolley of Southampton Row, Bloomsbury, esq 2 Edward Hunt the younger heretofore of London, thereafter of the Island of St Vincent, merchant [now of Lille in French Flanders, merchant] 3 Edward Hunt the elder of Oundle, co Northampton, esq 4 Thomas Hunt of Oundle, esq Attached: declaration as to accruals 2) Enclosed: copy of Thomas Wolley's power of attorney empowering Rowland Hunt of the Island of Dominica, merchant, and Robert Gordon and Herbert Palmer Cox of St Vincent, merchants, to take possession of the Westwood and Rodrigues plantations in St Vincent and the Mount Eolus plantation in Dominica and to manage them for Wolley's benefit. 3) Mortgage by lease and release, 1&2 Sep 1786: Principal property and parties as above. Slaves enumerated by name. Lease of possession attached with attestation by Thomas Wright, Lord Mayor of London 4) Mortgage by lease and release, 1&2 Sep 1786: As the preceding item, but registered in St Vincent 5 Dec 1786.

1. London Chronicle vol. 1 p. 167 (29/01/1757); PROB 11/1336/170.

2. PROB 11/1682/169.