Mathew Halsted

Son of John Halsted of St Dorothy (died c. 1721) and his wife Elizabeth. Member of Assembly 1726.

Mathew Halsted, gentleman, son and heir of John Halsted of Jamaica, West Indies, was admitted to the Inner Temple 09/02/1723. Matthew Halsted of the Middle Temple subscribed to Biship Burnet's History of His Own Time vol. 1 in 1724.

A version of his will (not the final one) appears in summary form in Caribbeana: Matthew Halsted of Jamaica, now of the Inner Temple, Esquire. Will dated 08/09/1725. To my sister-in-law Barbara Ermin Halsted of Chelsea, widow of my late brother Gerrard Halsted, £200 a year. My plantations called Mowdenhall, Ducks, and lands in the mountains called Murmering Brook and Pimento Grove, Savanna lands to my nephew Herrard [=Gerrard] Halsted, son of my late brother Gerrard Halsted, remainder to my cousin Lawrance Halsted of Jamaica Esquire. All residue to my said nephew at age 21. Hon. Thomas Bernard of Jamaica to be executor for that island; Mr Samuel Bernard of London, merchant, to be executor for Britain, and £200 each to them. Executors to be trustees and guardian.

Later version: Matthew Halsted of Jamaica, gentleman. Will dated 07/03/1726. My lands may be sold. To my nephew Gerrard Halstead, son of my late brother Gerrard Halsted, £3000 at age 21, and in default to my three cousins Elizabeth Halsted, Mary Emily Halsted and Maximelia Emily Halsted. My pen in the parish of St Dorothy called the Savana Pen and my land on the Black River to Favel Peeke, Esquire, of Jamaica, now in England. My Mowden Hall plantation in St John, and Ducks plantation and lands known as Murmuring Brook and all other lands in St John, land called Pimento Grove in St Dorothy and all residue to my cousin Lawrence Halsted's eldest son now in England and his heirs, in default to my nephew Gerrard Halsted. Thomas Bernard and William Nedham to be executors in Jamaica, Samuel Bernard of London to be executor in Britain; £50 each to them. Sworn 31/08/1728.

Mathew Halstead of St Thomas-in-the-East, planter. Estate probated in Jamaica in 1729. Slave-ownership at probate: 166 of whom 86 were listed as male and 80 as female. 0 were listed as boys, girls or children. Total value of estate at probate: £8510.38 Jamaican currency of which £5200 currency was the value of enslaved people. Estate valuation included £0 currency cash, £869.71 currency debts and £36 currency plate.

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. V pp. 232-234, 'Halsted of Jamaica'.

Inner Temple Admissions Database, http://www.innertemplearchives.org.uk/detail.asp?id=8024 [database online]; Ancestry.com, U.K. and U.S. Directories, 1680-1830 [database online].

Caribbeana vol. V pp. 232-233.

Ibid.

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