Samuel Spence of Westmoreland

Slave-owner in Jamaica. LBS has not fully unpicked the Spence family in Jamaica, but genealogical material online consistently shows Samuel Spence of Westmoreland as brother of Patrick Spence junior of Bronte (the husband of Sarah Dunn and father of George Brookes Spence, James Virgo Spence and Ephraim Dunn Spence, each of whom q.v.), and another Spence family (presumably related) including Dr Patrick Spence (with life-dates of 1761-1824, m. Sarah Brissett) and Dr George Spence (1763-1817): this material also gives a death-date of 1841 for Samuel Spence of Westmoreland, against the 1843 derived by LBS from the Jamaica probate.

1. Robert Spence esq of Savanna-la-Mar and Bronte died at New Shaftston Pen on 15/11/1828 and was buried the same month in Westmoreland. The burial record states he was brother of Samuel Spence esq of Hopewell and Rambles.

2. Joseph Urquhart, a "quadroon", aged 2 years, son of Samuel Spence and of [blank], was baptised at Petherton, 5/12/1819. William Urquhart, a "quadroon", aged 4 years, same parental details, was baptised on the same day.

3. Will of Samuel Spence of Westmoreland Cornwall [Jamaica] [made in 1833 with a codicil of 1838] proved in Jamaica in 1843 and in London 25/06/1845. He acknowledged that Hopewell and 'about seventy' enslaved people attached to it was held in trust for his wife [identified in a codicil as Mary Lauderdale] and would pass to her daughters; accordingly he left his son Samuel Patrick Spence land adjacent to Hopewell and the enslaved people he [Samuel Spence] held in his own right, about forty-two in number except six whom left to is daughter Catherine Hunter Harvey. In the codicil he willed £1631 invested in 3% consols from the slave compensation he had received to his wife.

1. Familysearch.org, Jamaica Church of England Parish Register Transcripts, 1664-1880 [database online].

2. Familysearch.org, Jamaican parish registers, Westmoreland Baptisms, Marriages and Burials 1739-1825 p. 303.

3. PROB 11/2020/136.

We are grateful to Paul Hitchings for his assistance with compiling this entry.