Wilhelmina Barbara Traill

1. Wilhelmina Barbara Trail (sometimes spelled Traill) was the daughter of Lady Janet Sinclair, daughter of William Sinclair of Rattar, 10th Earl of Caithness and Barbara Sinclair. She was born in Caithness, Scotland. Janet Sinclair married James Trail of Hobbister, 31 July 1784. She died, 29 March 1806; he died in 1843. James Traill and Janet Sinclair had three sons and six daughters. None of the daughters ever married.

2. According to Edward Crawford, writing on rootsweb.ancestry.com in 1999, W. B. Trail was adopted by Mary Salter Dehany, daughter of Philip Dehany. (Mary was born c. 1740 in Jamaica; died 1832 at Hayes Place, Kent.). Philip Dehany (c. 1720-1809), was the son of David Dehany, merchant of Bristol and planter of Jamaica and Mary, daughter of Matthew Gregory. He was a founder member of the MCC and third owner of Hayes Place, Kent. (The first owner was the first Lord Chatham.) He was also MP for St Ives, 1778-1780. Mary Salter Dehany was due to marry John Sinclair, 11th Earl of Caithness, but he died (aged 33, 8 April 1789) on the eve of the wedding. Mary Salter Dehany never married, but adopted Wilhelmina Barbara Traill (niece of the 11th Earl), to whom she left Hayes Place and her West Indian properties, Barbican, Paradise and the Points estate. In turn, W. B. Traill left her West Indian properties to William Knight Dehany. For further connections between Trail and the Delanys see notes on William Knight Dehany (ID: 15406) and Eliza Whitehorne Dehany (ID: 22422). See also notes on George Atkinson (ID: 18273) for possible connections to other awardees.

3. In 1841 Wilhelmina Traill was living at Hayes Place, in an all-female household consisting of Wilhemina Traill (1786-), Emma West (1781-), Anna West (1823-), Catherine Whitnell (1809-). All were described as being of independent means.

4. In 1861, she was described as a land proprietor and Fund holder and lived with 8 servants.

5. When she died in 1862 her effects were valued at less than £14,000.

Barbados claim no. 3612.

1. http://thepeerage.com/p19858.htm#i198578 [accessed 04/02/2013]; http://www.fionamsinclair.co.uk/genealogy/Caithness/Traill.htm#Fourth[accessed 04/02/2013].

2. http://archiver.rootsweb.ancestry.com/th/read/CARIBBEAN/1999-07/0932225572; http://www.fionamsinclair.co.uk/genealogy/Caithness/Traill.htm#Fourth; http://aparcelofribbons.co.uk/wp-content/paf_files/Scott/pafg03.htm#50 and http://aparcelofribbons.co.uk/wp-content/paf_files/Scott/pafn03.htm#50 for her will. For Philip Dehany as MP: http://www.historyofparliamentonline.org/volume/1754-1790/member/dehany-philip-1720-1809 [all accessed 04/02/2013]. See also J. A. Venn (compiler), Alumni Cantabrigienses; a biographical list of all known students, graduates and holders of office at the University of Cambridge, from the earliest times to 1900, Part II: From 1752 to 1900 (6 vols., Cambridge, Cambridge University Press, 1940-1954), vol. II.

3. HO107/483/Book 6/f.8; 1841 census online.

4. 1861 Census online.

5. National Probate Calendar (Index of Wills and Administrations), 1858-1966.

All websites accessed 13/08/2012.