Richard Wells

[reputed] Mary Wells

PROB 11/1545/102 - precis.

Richard Wells of Kingston, Jamaica, Esquire.

All my estate real and personal to be subject to the several legacies hereinafter given.

I hereby direct that I may be intered in the yard of the dwelling house wherein I now reside.

To my kinsman John Heron of Waterford in Ireland £100 sterling.

To my reputed daughter Mary Wells all such monies and other effects I may have at the time of my decease in the hands or possession of Messrs. Hibberts of the City of London merchants and also all such monies and effects as I may have in the hands of possession of Samuel King of Waterford in Ireland, merchant, and all such monies and effects as I may have at the time of my decease in the hands or possession of any other persons in Britain and Ireland.

All my wearing apparel to my domestic servants equally.

To Francis Whittle of Kingston, merchant, and Robert McClelland of the same place, vendue[?] master, my land at the corner of Fleet Street and Water Lane in Kingston, together with my dwelling house thereon, and "all those Negroes named Toby (a mason), Kingsdale and his child named Priscilla" upon trust, my reputed daughter Mary Wells to have receive the rents and profits, hire work, labour and services for the term of her natural life. After her decease then those to the use of such persons as Mary Wells shall bequeath in her will. In default to her offspring, and in further default to Richard Daly Wells, the son of my niece Catherine Daly deceased.

To Dorothy Ffloyd at present in Britain, widow of George Ffloyd late of St Andrew, Jamaica, £200 Jamaican currency.

To Mary Wells "my Negro woman named Mary Pierce" to hold for seven years only, after which Mary Pierce is to be manumised at the expense of my estate.

My executors to manumise the following slaves: Elizabeth Wells, Mary Ann Wells, Henry and his reputed daguther Mary Henry, Friendship and her son Joseph Wells. To these people I bequeath those two lots of land lying between the corner of Fleet Street and Water Lane opposite the house wherein I now reside, except the land on which a dwelling house is built in which Amey Pascall now resides. This house of Amey Pascall to go to the said Elizabeth Wells for her natural life. To Henry, "the said two Negroe men slaves named Frank (by trade a mason) and William" for the term of his natural life. To Elizabeth Wells when manumised "my Negroe woman slave named Patience" for the term of her natural life. To Joseph Wells when manumised "my Negroe man slave named Sam" for the term of his natural life. To Mary Ann Wells when manumised "my Negroe woman slave named Margaret" for the term of her natural life. All legacies to these formerly enslaved people to revert to my natural daughter after the legatees' deaths.

To Francis Whittle and Robert McClelland my mountain coffee plantation in St Andrew called Constitution Hill upon trust for the following purposes. The plantation to be cultivated until from the rents and profits my trustees shall raise the sum of £6,000 Jamaican currency and until all the debts and legacies against my estate shall be fully paid off. The sum of £6,000 then to be placed upon good security, the interest to be applied to the maintenance, education and clothing of the three children of my reputed daughter Mary Wells named Nancy Wells, Joseph Wells and Catherine Wells Brockman until the reach the age of 21 years, when each shall receive the sum of £2,000.

After the £6,000 has been raised, the rents and profits of Consitution Hill to be paid to my reputed daughter Mary Wells for her natural life and thereafter to her children as tenants in common.

All rest and residue to my reputed daughter Mary Wells.

Francis Whittle and Robert McClelland to be executors. £20 Jamaican currency to each of them.

Signed 18/05/1811.

Proved at London 05/06/1813 by Francis Whittle.