Henry Haldane

Attorney and small-scale slave-owner in Jamaica, returning to Scotland where he died c. 1827. Haldane had served as attorney to William Cruickshank (q.v.) until c. 1812 when he was replaced by Hugh Fraser.

1. Will of Henry Haldane attorney-at-law [late of St Catherine Jamaica but now] of Haddington, East Lothian [made in 1823] proved 08/02/1827. He settled property in Haddington on his father George Haldane, Provost, and left £5000 in trust for his youngest daughter Georgiana. His trustees included John Alves (q.v.) of Kingston Jamaica and Robert Cruickshank of Gosport in Hampshire.

2. The will is silent on 'slave property'; the 1820 Slave Register showed that Henry Haldane had manumitted 5 enslaved children in 1818, retaining two enslaved people, from the 1817 Register probably Richard christened Richard Nayler aged 22 in and Lucy, christened Lucy Thomas, 'African' aged 50 whose daughter and three grandchildren were among those manumitted.

1. PROB 11/1721/217.

2. 1817 (p. 152) and 1820 (p. 83) Slave Registers for St Catherine.

We are grateful to Keith Otto for providing images and a transcript of a letter and accounts from Henry Haldane to William Cruickshank dated Spanish Town 12th March 1812.