James Tasker

Merchant in Greenock, partner in Wallace Hunter until its dissolution in 1849. Co-mortgagee with Robert Wallace, and James Hunter (both of whom are identifiable as partners in Wallace Hunter (q.v.)) and John Robertson (q.v.) of two estates and the enslaved people attached to them belonging to Bernard M. Senior in Jamaica. In addition Wallace, Tasker and Robertson were awarded a share in slave compensation in 1837 for a judgement debt from 1824 for £851 plus interest on Spring Garden in Trelawny.

1. Andrew Tasker and Mary Hunter in Ketins [sic] had a son baptised called James, born 13/04/1783 and baptised in Kettins, Angus, 17/04/1783.

2. Of Greenock, merchant, when he married Rosina Robertson, daughter of George Robertson, 03/06/1816; James Hunter married another daughter of George Robertson.

3. James Tasker and Rosina Robertson had 10 children baptised in Greenock: Andrew (baptised 1817), George (1819), James Hunter (1822), Patrick (1823), Georgina Susannah (1825), David Rogerson (1827), Mary Lillias (1830), Rosina (1831), Elizabeth Caroline (1833) and John (1834).

4. James Tasker, age 55, merchant, born out of county, was living at 86 Union Street, Greenock, in the census of 1841 with Rosina age 40, Andrew age 20 (merchant clerk), Patrick age 17 (merchant clerk), Mary age 10, Rosina age 9, John age 6, all born in county, and 4 female servants. James Tasker, widower, age 67, occupation "Foreign Merchant J[ustice of the] P[eace]", born Kittins in Angus, was living at 86 Union Street, Greenock, in the census of 1851 with his son Andrew Tasker age 33, "Foreign Merchant JP" born Greenock, two daughters Mary L. (age 20) and Rosina (age 18) both born Greenock, Andrew's wife Marion (age 27, born Kilbride), James's brother David (age 70, "Foreign merchant"), a visiter named Jessie Peterson and 5 female servants. He was at Union Street in 1861 with his daughters Mary L. and Georgina S., three grandchildren (James L. R. Threw Rause, Rosina R. Rause and Florence L. M. Rause) and 4 female servants.

5. James Tasker's third son, Patrick (born 03 or 04/12/1823) in in the Dictionary of Canadian Biography as merchant and officeholder, having run what became the family's Newfoundland fishery business Hunter & Company.

6. Death of James Tasker of Newfoundland, merchant, 31/12/1867 at 40 Union Street, Greenock, age 85 years, parents Andrew Tasker, farmer (deceased) and Mary Tasker nee Hunter (deceased), informant A. Tasker (son, present).

1. GROS OPR Births 294 20 161 Kettins.

2. Paul Robertson, http://genforum.com/macaulay/messages/1960.html unsourced [accessed 08/03/2011]; GROS OPR Marriages 564/3 40 455 Greenock Old or West.

3. OPR Baptisms for Scotland via www.scotlandspeople.gov.uk.

4. 1841 (indexed as Parker), 1851, 1861 censuses online.

5. Dictionary of Canadian Biography Online, 1851-1860 Vol. VIII, Melvin Baker 'Tasker, Patrick merchant and office-holder' http://www.biographi.ca/009004-119.01-e.php?id_nbr=4211 [accessed 08/03/2011].

6. GROS Deaths 1868 564/3 1 Greenock.

We are grateful to Hugh Williamson for his assistance with compiling this entry.