Alexander Trotter

Alexander Trotter, awarded a share of the compensation for the Morant estate in St Thomas-in-the-East in Jamaica, probably as a trustee (again probably, of the marriage settlement of the physician Sir Alexander Crichton (q.v.) and Lady Crichton). Possibly the same man as the Alexander Trotter of Osnaburgh Square who was one of the co-trustees of Harriet Elizabeth Gordon (q.v.) on the Elizabeth Anne estate in British Guiana.

1. Given that his co-trustee for the Jamaican claim, John Carrick Moore, was an eminent geologist, it seems likely that the claimant on the Morant estate is the same Alexander Trotter who was a member of the Geological Society Club, 1834-1853 and who died reportedly in 1861. No death for an Alexander Trotter has been traced by LBS in 1861, raising the possibility that this was in fact the man below.

2. An Alexander Trotter was a partner in a stockbroking firm with among others James Capel from at least 1827 until at least 1864. This Alexander Trotter was the man who died 08/09/1865 of Devonshire Place House, leaving £30,000. Two of his sons are in the ODNB: Coutts Trotter as 'college administrator', who played a formative role in the reform of the University of Cambridge in the late 19th century; and Alexander Pelham Trotter as electrical engineer.

T71/867 St Thomas-in-the-East claim no. 507 (Morant).

1. 'Century list of the Geological Society Club, 1824-1924', available at http://www.archive.org/stream/centenarylistofg00geoluoft/centenarylistofg00geoluoft_djvu.txt [accessed 22/05/2012]; see separate entry for John Carrick Moore.

2. London Gazette 18387 14/08/1827 p. 1746; ibid, 22900 07/10/1864 p. 4792; National Probate Calendar 1865; ODNB online Michael Foster, rev. John D. Pickles, 'Trotter, Coutts (1837-1887), college administrator'; ibid Brian Bowers, 'Trotter, Alexander Pelham (1857-1947), electrical engineer', which gives the date of Alexander Trotter's death as 1863. Coutts Trotter and Alexander Pelham Trotter were half brothers.