Francis McCook

Resident in Jamaica, the first mention found of Francis McCook is as quartermaster in the St Dorothy's Militia in the Jamaica Almanac of 1824, which states he had been in this position since 10/11/1821 [?last number pale]. In the Slave Register of 1829 he registered 2 enslaved people, both purchased since 1826. In the 1831 Almanac he is listed in St Dorothy with 2 enslaved people and 3 stock. In 1840 he is registered to Strathbogie estate in St Dorothy with 35 acres. The 1851 Almanac gives him as Colonel of the Middlesex Regiment of Horse Militia. Possibly also the Francis McCook who is listed in St Catherine in the 1840 Jamaica Almanac against Two-Mile-Wood (1275 acres) and Bridge Pen (72 acres). Two Mile Wood in St Catherine was owned by Alexander McDowal (q.v.) up to his death in 1834. It's not clear if Francis McCook had bought the estate; possibly he was only managing it.

1. Francis McCook was attorney of Cherry Garden Estate in the early-to-mid 1820s when Benjamin McMahon worked under him as head book-keeper. According to McMahon, McCook was a man of strict integrity, and very upright in his dealings with every one ; in fact he was particularly generous towards the slaves. He was fond of jovial company at times, and now and then would indulge in an Olympic shine, similar to the Marquis of Waterford."

2. Higman shows Francis McCook as the Member of the Assembly for St Dorothy and attorney of Ralph Bernal (q.v.) in 1842, when Bernal described him as "certainly not a man of great property, or a man who can be considered as a leviathan of an attorney."

Jamaica Almanacs (1824, 1831, 1840 and 1851). Slave Registers T71/17 p. 95. St Catherine claim no. 546 (Two Mile Wood).

1. B.W. Higman Plantation Jamaica p. 63.

2. Benjamin McMahon, Jamaica Plantership: Eighteen Years Employed in the Planting Line in that Island (1839) pp. 20-22.

We are grateful to Richard Crowe and Siddharth Singh Ahlawat for their assistance in compiling this entry.