Leonard Vassall

Profile & Legacies Summary

1678 - 20^th Jun 1737

Biography

Born June 1678, son of John Vassall (1625-1688) and his wife Anna Lewis. In Boston from at least 1723. "His estate in Braintree were large and valuable." Died in Boston in 1737.

Leonard Vassall of Massaschusetts, Esquire. Estate probated in Jamaica in 1738. Slave-ownership at probate: 131 of whom 119 were listed as male and 101 as female. 51 were listed as boys, girls or children. Total value of estate at probate: £9907.5 Jamaican currency of which £7260 currency was the value of enslaved people. Estate valuation included £0 currency cash, £0 currency debts and £0 currency plate.

The will of Leonard Vassall was proved in Jamaica in 1737.

Sources

S. D. Smith, Slavery, family and gentry capitalism in the British Atlantic. The world of the Lascelles, 1648-1834 (2006) pp. 24-25.

John Vassall and his Descendants https://archive.org/stream/johnvassallhisde00cald/johnvassallhisde00cald_djvu.txt [accessed 16/02/2017].

Trevor Burnard, Database of Jamaican inventories, 1674-1784.

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. 2 p. 163.

Further Information

Spouse

[1] Ruth Gale [2]

Will

To daughter Ruth 5s. in addition to the marriage portion she had already received. To daughters Elizabeth and Mary £1,000 each to be paid out of the rents and profits of his sugar estate in Luana, St Elizabeth, Jamaica. To daughter Susanna, £1,000.

"Whereas the Land and Soil of my before mentioned Plantation and Sugarworks at Luana is entailed upon my son Lewis, after my Decease, but the Negroes, Cattle, Utensils, and Stock thereon, and all appurces thereunto belonging, as likewise my Land, Negroes, Cattle, and appurces at New Savanna, as also sixty acres of land in Luana near the Middle Quarter Road, and joyning the Estate formerly of Col. Cames, were purchased by me... I give and bequeath the use of all my Negroes, Cattle, Utensils, and Stock wch shall be on the said plantations... unto my said son Lewis."

To son William "all m Right, Estate, Title, and Interest which I now have in a certain Sugar Plantation, Works, and Buildings thereon, together with the Stock, Negroes, and other Implements wch shall be thereon at the time of my Decease, and wch I lately possessed in partnership with Dugal Campbell, Gentn and is situate on Green Island River, near Orange Bay, in the Parish of Hannover..."