James Launce

Profile & Legacies Summary

???? - 1772

Biography

Son of William Launce of Hanover (d. 1723).
Owner of 46 acres and 16 enslaved people in St Andrew in 1753. James Launce was listed in the Jamaican Quit Rent books for 1754 as the owner of 500 acres of land in Portland and 720 acres of land in Hanover, total 1220 acres.
Owner of Hopewell estate in Hanover in 1762 and Red Hassell estate in Portland, Jamaica, in 1763 when he was described as "of London". Red Hassell was inherited by his daughter Ann Newell c. 1772. Ann Newell's daughter, also named Ann, married the Reverend Hugh Hill of Holy Rood Church and warden of God’s House in Southampton. Ann Hill and the Reverend Hill helped to manage the estates alongside Ann Newell and then inherited them on Ann Newell’s death.
James Launce of Portland, Esquire. Estate probated in Jamaica in 1772. Slave-ownership at probate: 217 of whom 114 were listed as male and 103 as female. 0 were listed as boys, girls or children. Total value of estate at probate: £27159 Jamaican currency of which £12125 currency was the value of enslaved people. Estate valuation included £177 currency cash, £10060 currency debts and £110 currency plate.

We are grateful to Neil Saunders and Cheryl Butler for their assistance with compiling this entry.

Sources

'Launce of Hanover Jamaica', http://www.jamaicanfamilysearch.com/Members/JamaicaLaunce.htm#_ftnref14.
CO137/28 pp. 169-175 transcribed at http://www.jamaicanfamilysearch.com/Members/1753Andrew.htm; 'A List of landholders in the Island of Jamaica together with the number of acres each person possessed taken from the quit rent books in the year 1754', TNA CO 142/31 transcribed at http://www.jamaicanfamilysearch.com/Samples2/1754lead.htm.
Accounts Produce, Jamaica Archives 1B/11/4/4 79; PROB 11/1013. Southhampton Archives: D/PM 44/41 (attorneys of Ann Newell); D/PM 44/158, 44/159, 44/212 (plantation workers of Ann Newell with Rev. Hugh Hill); D/PM 44/159 (contract James Cushen Hall with Rev Hugh Hill).
Trevor Burnard, Database of Jamaican inventories, 1674-1784.

Further Information

Absentee?

Transatlantic?

Children

Ann

Will

PROB 11/1013 (transcribed at JamaicanFamilySearch.org)

I bequeath to my daughter Ann Newell all my Estate or Estates real and personal in the island of Jamaica or England subject to the payment of the undermentioned legacies £30 Sterling annually to my sister Rebecca Campbell during her life £20 to the repairs of my tomb stone and vault in the Churchyard of Hackn[e]y and to the maintenance of four poor familys in said parish In case of the death of my daughter Ann Newell without lawful issue I bequeath unto Mr. Joshua Newell all my estate aforesaid

Signed James Launce, 7th July 1767 Witnesses: James McClymont & Jonathan Hassle

Administration granted to Ann Newell (wife of Joshua Newell) on 29th November 1775.

Associated Estates (2)

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