Alexander McRae

Will of Alexander McRae of [Alexandria plantation] Clarendon County of Middlesex Jamaica [made 07/11/1834] proved 24/01/1837. Under the will he left £200 in trust for such as his poor relations who might be most in need of it. He left to his housekeeper Elizabeth McFarlane (a free woman of colour) his house on Milk Street in Kingston for life, and the compensation for, and services during the unexpired period of Apprenticeship of, a list of formerly enslaved people: John; Henry; Ellen McRae; Elizabeth McFarlane and her child David Jones; Charlotte Thompson and her children Caroline Turner, Libby McDonald, Louisa McDonald and Sam. McDonald; Eleanor Morris and her children Hero and Jeannette Spencer; and a mulatto boy John Myers. He also left her £2000 currency. After two smaller legacies of £50 and one of £500 to women in Jamaica, he left £3000 to Eliza McRae of the City of London, daughter of his late brother Colin McRae. His residuary heir was his nephew Donald Stoddart of No.17 Charles Street St James's Square London. In a codicil dated 02/03/1836 he left a further £1000 to Elizabeth McFarlane.

The probate of the will of Alexander McRae makes clear that the nephew and heir given as Donald Stoddart was in fact Daniel Stoddart of Charles Street St James Square, whose will was proved 01/01/1844 and left his Jamaica property primarily to his cousins. Daniel Stoddart was an 'army agent.'

PROB 11/1871/294.

PROB 11/1992/73 [the will is indexed by TNA online as 'Daniel Steddart']; Gwent Archives, Records of the Rickards Family of Usk Priory GB0218.D2570, D5270/5/12.