Hester Smith

Awarded the compensation for several small awards in Nevis, two of them with Christiana Smith (q.v) and all except one as assignee of the underlying slave-owner.

1. Hester and her sister Christiana were the daughters of Amelia Brodbelt, a free woman of colour. They had two sisters, Amelia and Jane, and a brother, Francis. Hester and Christiana Smith received an enslaved person each from their mother in 1777. They were still slave-owners until 1834 and also rented out property. Hester was in London in 1835, a self-described merchant, when she presented a petition to the Commissioners of Slave Compensation on behalf of a free black man named Joseph Herbert. Both sisters were dead by 1849.

2. Note that there was a different Hester Smith, unmarried born St Kitts c 1810, living in 1861, 1871 and 1881 in Godalming, until 1871 with her mother Louisa A. Smith born c. 1791 London, described in the latter as 'Captain's widow'. Hester Smith's occupation was shown as 'Berlin Repositary', 'Fancy Repositary' and 'Fancy shopkeeper' in the three censuses. The death of Louisa Ann Smith was registered Q2 1872 in Guildford, Surrey, age 83. The will of Hester Smith late of Godalming in the County of Surrey spinster who died 26 August 1885 at Havelock House High-street Godlaming was proved at the Principal Registry by Juliana Elizabeth Louisa Panchaud of Havelock House Spinster and Martha Foskett of 3 Harts-lane Godalming Widow the Executrixes. Personal Estate £724 14s 1d.

T71/882 Nevis no. 202 as joint owner with Christiana Smith; T71/882 Nevis nos. 9, 53, 67, 147, 192, 238, 255, 277 as assignee; Nevis no. 147 gives her as 'late of Nevis, now residing in Brunswick Place, City Road, Middlesex'.

1. Christine Eickelmann and David Small, The Montravers Plantation Community part 2 chapter 4 pp. 322-323, 543-544, 622-625 available for download at https://seis.bristol.ac.uk/~emceee/mountravers~part2chapter4.pdf [accessed 07/10/2019]. For Hester Smith's petition see T71/1609.

2. 1861, 1871 and 1881 censuses online; National Probate Calendar 1885.

We are grateful to Corinne Morris for her assistance with compiling this entry.