Mary Scott

Thomas Smith, the previous owner of Fonthill in St Elizabeth, 'apparently a Jamaican plantation owner' (although Fonthill is not identified there), left £180,000. He was married to Susan Mackworth Praed. His will, proved 30/12/1824, is silent on any property in Jamaica but in a codicil Thomas Smith left his estates in Jamaica in trust to partners in the Gosling banking firm, in the first case to raise a sum of £2800 currency for Mary Scott, 'a free black woman' residing at or near Hartshall near what Smith called his estate Hampstead, and if she should die during the lifetime of Thomas Smith then the said £2800 to be paid to the 'young persons who are reputed to be her children by my late friend James Hart Esquire.' The codicil likewise bequeathed £500 to John Hart, the 'mulatto' son of 'my late friend' James Hart, then residing at Gloucester. The residuary legatee for the Jamaican property was to be one son of his niece Augusta Smith, to be selected by her; the later claim for Fonthill shows this son to be Spencer Smith (q.v.).

Mary Scott was also the mother of Rebecca (born 1782), Ann (Nancy, born 1785) and Sarah (Sally, born 1788) Hart, joint owners of Hart's Hall in St Elizabeth. Mary and her three daughters were baptised in St Elizabeth in 07/08/1791 when Mary was described as a "free Negro". Another joint owner of Hart's Hall was Elizabeth Hart (born 1789), daughter of Elizabeth, also a "free Negro"; Elizabeth and Rebecca were baptised in St Elizabeth 07/08/1791 along with Elizabeth's two other children William (born 1782) and Robert (born 1785). The father of all these children was given as Mr. James Hart.

William D. Rubinstein, Who were the rich? A biographical dictionary of British wealth-holders Volume One 1809-1839 (London, Social Affairs Unit, 2009) reference 1824/32; PROB 11/1693/398.

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

We are grateful to Marie Lyndon for her assistance with compiling this entry.