James Smith of Nevis

Major slave-owner on Nevis, dying c. 1778 with several estates entailed to his grandson James Smith Baillie, but which appear to have passed in 1798 from Smith's son-in-law Alexander Baillie (who had been predeceased by his son) to the latter's brother Evan Baillie (q.v.) and the daughters of a third brother, James Baillie, (q.v.) under James Baillie MP of Bedford Square and Ealing Grove). The estates named in the will of James Smith have not yet been traced by LBS: the group of estates on Nevis for which Evan Baillie later claimed the compensation appear to have been a different group, previously owned by John Richardson Herbert.

1. Will of James Smith of St Thomas Lowland, Nevis [made and attested in 1778] proved 24/07/1779. He left in trust with Benjamin and Thomas Boddington of London [identified later in the will as his consignees] a £300 p.a. annuity to his daughter Sarah, wife of Alexander Baillie then residing at Inverness, and £30 p.a. to his sister [in law] Mary Smith widow of his brother John Smith of Lancaster. He left a series of monetary legacies of female survivors of individuals in St Kitts and Nevis. He left £800 in trust with Bright, Bailie and Bright of Bristol to support Roger Pemberton Bridgwater, son of Thaddeus McCarty Bridgwater and his late wife Hannah, and £600 to his sister Bridget Pemberton Bridgwater. It was his wish that James Smith a 'mulatto boy', supposed to be the son of his late son James Smith, be sent to Scotland under the care of Alexander Baillie. He entailed his estates on James Smith Baillie, son of Sarah and Alexander Baillie, and his heirs, with contingent remainder to their daughters, failing whom two plantations in St Thomas Lowland named Wind Mill and Mount Pelier formerly Payne's to his daughter Sarah for life and then Alexander Baillie, and all the other plantations in St Thomas Lowland formerly called Stuarts but now Bloomsbury, Hams which I purchased from Edmund Seymour, the plantation called Williams but now Lime Hill to Sarah and her heirs. The plantation called Canoe Gut but now Arnos Vale previously owned by Mrs Bridget Bridgewater, the land called Greenland or Middle Work plantation lately purchased from David Gardner and his lands in St James parish with 50 'negroes' for his daughter and her younger sons. He had an indentured servant named John Fraser living with him, and he provided that Fraser should manage Canoe Gutt or Arnos Vale and be paid £80 p.a.

1. PROB 11/1055/256.