Thomas Jemmitt

Slave-owner in Dominica, early purchaser of land in there with his partner John Greg (q.v.). The man whose will was made in 1802 and proved in 1816 was probably the same man, although he would have been relatively young when buying land in Dominica in the 1760s. He was possibly the son of Thomas Jemmitt sugar refiner of Lambeth whose will proved 01/09/1762 included a son named Thomas.

1. Will of Thomas Jemmitt [late of Borham [sic] Wood Hertfordshire and now] planter of St Paul Dominica [made in 1802] proved 31/01/1816. He left annuities of £100 p.a. each to his son Thomas and daughter Mary Gordon now a widow, and £60 p.a. to his sister Joanna wife of Edward Boughton now or late of Warwick Street Golden Square jeweller. He left £2000 each to his granddaughters Mary Anne Gordon and Elizabeth Gordon at 21. He left 20 joes (£36) to his faithful servant Sultan. He instructed his estate 'with whatever negroes and stock may then be upon it' be sold and the proceeds be laid out upon good mortgage security in England for the benefit of the male heirs of his son Thomas. In a codicil of 1808 he recorded his return to England in 1803 and the death of his son Thomas. In a further codicil of 1812 he recorded the death of his wife in 1809.

2. The cause of Spranger V Hankey in Chancery included among the documents exhibited in court a deed of 1789 relating to the Hertford estate between Thomas Jemmitt of Dominica, the partners in Hankey & Co. as bankers and Joseph Jekyll of Spetisbury Dorset.

John Byres, References to a plan of the island of Dominica as surveyed from the year 1765 and 1773 (London, 1777) pp. 26-7, where he is given as Thomas Jemmit; PROB 11/879/247.

1. PROB 11/1576/480.

2. C111/226.