John Brome

Son of Rev. John and Elizabeth Brome, brother of Emily Aldis and Frances Bashford. The Rev. John Brome died in 1828, and John Brome inherited two estates in Barbados, Bromefield and Hannays. A counterclaim was made and withdrawn by trustees on behalf of John Brome's widowed mother Elizabeth and his sister Emily Aldis.

1. John Brome son of Rev. John and Elizabeth Anne Brome baptised St Marylebone 02/11/1808. Admitted pensioner Trinity Cambridge (aged 19) 16/05/1826; Son of John ('? Above') clerk. Born in London. School Charterhouse. Matriculated Mich. 1827, BA 1831. Admitted to Inner Temple 02/05/1832 as 'S of Rev. John, late of Barbadoes', name withdrawn 23/05/1837.

2. In 1841 John Brome 'aged 25' was living at Hanworth Road Ham with Elizabeth Brome widow aged 65 Independent and Emily Aldis aged 20 (and her son Francis aged 4). In 1851 he was living ('wife's brother' 'Landed Property', aged 42 born Middlesex St Marylebone), with William and Frances Bashford (aged 37, born Middlesex St Pancras) and E.A. Brome 'mother-in-law' aged 81 Fundholder born Barbadoes, at Norwood Green Middlesex.

3. John Brome was apparently a signatory and perhaps the initiator of a petition in 1833 by absentee slave-owners urging the colony of the inevitability of emancipation, and against further procrastination.

4. John Brome obviously never established himself independently. He was subject to a lunacy commission in the early 1840s.

5. Will of John Brome formerly of Upper Seymour Street Middlesex, but late of 37 Brunswick Square, Brighton, who died 18/12/1875 at 37 Brunswick Square proved 20/01/1876 by Frances Jane Bashford (the wife of William Charles Lake Bashford) of 37 Brunswick Square the sister one of the executrixes, effects under £100,000;  22/03/1877 Decree for will dated 21/08/1833 (Bashford & Bashford v Buxford); resworn April 1881 £120,000.

T71/899 Barbados claim nos. 4800 (Bromefield) and 4801 (Hannays (?)).

T71/1594 p. 73 06/06/1837 and pp 80-1 10/06/1837 letters to John Brome Hardwicke House, Ham, Surrey, to say initially the trustees had not yet withdrawn their counterclaim, then to say they had, and the award had been made.

1. Ancestry.com, London, England, Baptisms, Marriages and Burials, 1538-1812 [database online]; Ancestry.com, Cambridge University Alumni, 1261-1900 [database online] (The entry follows that of John Brome's father the Rev. John Brome, son of Samuel of Barbados, who matriculated at Trinity 1786, BA 1791, died 1828 aged 61 at Dorset Square, 'perhaps father of the next' [i.e. John Brome].

2. 1841 and 1851 censuses online. The 1851 census online gives no house name for the Bashfords' address, but a local history of Friar's Lawn (previously Sunnyside) states that the Bashfords lived in this house, still extant http://www.friarslawn.co.uk/private/historybushell2.html [accessed 09/06/2011].

3. The reference appears in Levy, Claude 'Barbados: the last years of slavery 1822-1833', Journal of Negro History 44.4 (October 1959) pp. 308-345; Memorial of John Brome and 13 other [absentee] planters and merchants, 25/06/1833 CO 28/111: urging colony of inevitability of emancipation, and against further procrastination. This document has not yet been found in the CO files.

4. Times 13/11/1842 p. 3. It reported that T. Daniel & Sons was managing his property and had a balance of over £20,000 in his favour.

5. National Probate Calendar 1876; Rubinstein 1876/19.