Elizabeth Hart

1. Joint owner of Hart's Hall in St Elizabeth, Jamaica, inherited with her three sisters Rebecca, Sally and Nancy from their natural father James Hart. Elizabeth, reputed daughter of James Hart esq by Mary Scott, was born 29/03/1792 and bapt. 03/03/1800 in St Elizabeth. The girl's mother Mary Scott was described as a "free Negro" when baptised with Rebecca, Sally and Nancy in St Elizabeth in 07/08/1791. The same record gives Elizabeth as the daughter or James Hart with another "free Negro", Elizabeth, but this daughter probably died in infancy given the repeat of the name Elizabeth for the daughter of James Hart in 1792.

2. In his will dated 07/09/1793 and proved in Jamaica in 1800, James Hart directed that 25 of his 41 enslaved people were to be placed on the 300 acres (adjacent to Hampstead) he had purchased from Alexander Walker and that Mary Scott and her daughters by him were to be permitted to settle on that holding and enjoy the same. His trustees (Thomas Smith and Edward Francis Coke, who were also to be the girls' guardians) were instructed to build a comfortable house for them there to the value of at least £200, and Scott was to have Hart's two best horses and identified items of furniture, silver etc.

3. Assumed to also be the Eliza Hart "of colour" who owned one enslaved person named Richard in Westmoreland in 1817, who she sold to Fletcher Bolton Jones at some point between 1826 and 1829.

4. Probably Elizabeth Hart (described as "free mulatto" in 1813) who, by William Kington (esq in 1813), had the following children baptised in St Elizabeth: Mary Kington (born 29/09/1813, baptised 26/12/1813); Ann Hart Kington (born 30/09/1815, baptised 14/01/1816 and possibly the Ann Hart Kington who died at Kingston, 10/06/1886, age stated as “60”, described as gentlewoman); William Kington (a free infant of colour, born 10/03/1818, baptised 01/11/1818, no parents' names given in baptism record); John Kington ("quadroon" baptised 10/10/1819 and probably the John Kington, carpenter, Black River, buried in the new burying ground there, 28/11/1846, aged 26); Amelia Hook Kington ("free quadroon", baptised 08/09/1822, aged about 8 months, no parents' names given in baptism record); Sarah White Kington ("free quadroon" born 11/09/1824, baptised 23/02/1825, no parents' names given in baptism record).

1. Familysearch.org, Jamaica Church of England Parish Register Transcripts, 1664-1880 [database online].

2. Information from Paul Hitchings sourced to transcript of will of James Hart held by SOAS as MS380887.

3. T71/178 p. 168; T71/178 unpaginated.

4. Familysearch.org, Jamaica Church of England Parish Register Transcripts, 1664-1880 [database online].

We are grateful to Paul Hitchings for his assistance with compiling this entry.