Dorothy Moffatt

Likely identification as Dorothy Moffatt, daughter of Aaron Moffatt and Mary Hawkins. Born 23/03/1755 and baptised 08/04/1772 in Westmoreland, Jamaica.

Her father was a white planter with Scottish and English connections, owner of Blenheim and Cranbrook estates in St Ann's from at least 1792. Identified in Jamaica from at least 1768 when William Graham (d. Scotland 1790) signed his will there.

Her mother was described at Dorothy's baptism as a "free negro". When Dorothy registered 6 enslaved people in Westmoreland in 1817 for the heirs of Philip Van Horne deceased she was described as a "person of colour".

Dorothy Moffatt and Philip Van Horne had a son Philemon Van Horne baptised in Westmoreland, Jamaica, 05/10/1817: "about 39 years of age a Man of Color a free condition the son of Philip Van Horne a practitioner of Medicine of Comunapaw near Negril Bay in the parish of Westmorland + Dorothy Moffatt a woman of Colour + of a free condition now residing at the aforesaid place was baptised about the year 1784 by the Revd. Wm Stanford then Rector but there being no registry in the said parish Register now ever having a duplicate granted him he was this 5th of Oct. 1817 Baptised again at the said parish church by me Edmond Pope". Another son Henry by Philip Vanhorne was born January 1776 and baptised 10/11/1776 in Westmoreland.

Dorothy is registered as the owner of Camunapaw in the almanac of 1820.

This identification also makes Dorothy the first cousin of Thomas Bruce, the 7th Earl of Elgin (who organised the removal of the Elgin Marbles, they shared a grandmother Martha Whyte through Martha's second marriage to Thomas White) and the first cousin once removed of Andrew Moffatt Mills (q.v., Martha Whyte was Andrew's great-grandmother).

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

Email from John M. Bishop 13/01/2015. Will of William Graham transcribed at http://www.jamaicanfamilysearch.com/Members/CrooksGraham.htm#William [accessed 23/02/2015].

Westmoreland Slave Register for 1817: T71/178 p. 320.

Jamaica Almanac (1820).

See the wills of Aaron Moffatt (PROB 11/1301/64), Andrew Moffatt (PROB 11/1067/332 ) and James Moffatt (PROB 11/1197/139) for details of these family connections.

We are grateful to John M. Bishop for his assistance with compiling this entry.