John Clairmonte Abrams

Merchant, living in Barbados in the 1830s but returned to England by 1840.

1. John Clairmont Abrams married Mary Jones at St Michael, Barbados, 08/07/1818. Three records of the births and baptisms of their children have been found: Benjamin Henry (born 18/01/1836) and Alfred Napoleon (born 05/05/1837) who were both baptised in St Michael, Barbados, 01/12/1838, and Mary Hesilrige Abrams, baptised in Hillingdon, Middlesex (also given as the abode of her parents), 09/03/1840.

2. In the census of 1851, John Clairmonte Abrams age 55, Merchant, born in England, was living with at Great Bedfords, Havering, Essex, with his wife Mary age 50, 'Lady', born in the West Indies, Miss Jones age 35, 'sister', 'Lady', born in the West Indies, and his children Louis Clairmonte Abrams, age 31, merchant, Louisa Clairmonte Abrams age 18, 'Lady', Benjm Clairmonte Abrams age 16, merchant, Alfred Clairmonte Abrams age 13, merchant, and Mary Clairmonte Abrams age 11, scholar. The four eldest children were born in the West Indies and the youngest born in London. Also in the household were 4 female servants, 2 male servants and the family of their gardener. The large age gap between the eldest son and the rest of the children suggests there were other children living elsewhere. Later censuses give the birth of Louis Clairmonte as Jamaica and that of another son George Canning Clairmonte as Barbados (for example, in the census of 1871 where they were both living at Clockhouse, Sunbury, Middlesex).

3. Not identified in the census of 1841 although his youngest daughter was baptised in London in 1840. Three of his children (George Canning Clairmont age 13, Benjamin Clairmont age 7 and Adolphus [possibly Alfred?] age 4 were among 6 pupils of Thomas Barnes Lowry in Watermillock, Greystoke, Cumberland in the 1841 census.

4. George Canning Clairmonte, son of John Clairmonte Abrams, married Julianna Batard, daughter of Thomas Matthias Batard, at St James, Paddington, London, 25/07/1855.

5. The will of John Clairmonte Abrams (otherwise Clairmonte Clairmonte) formerly of the Island of Barbadoes then of Bishopsgate-street in the City of London but late of Brookfield near Ryde in the Isle of Wight in the County of Southampton Merchant deceased who died 1 June 1858 at Brookfield aforesaid was proved at the Principal Registry by the oaths of Louis Clairmonte of 112 Bishopsgate-street aforesaid Gentleman and George Canning Clairmonte of the same place Merchant the Sons and two of the Executors. Effects under £600.

6. Both John (died 01/06/1858 age 65) and his wife Mary (died 30/11/1881 age 82) were buried in Ryde Cemetery on the Isle of Wight.

7. The children of John Clairmonte Abrams continued his mercantile links with the West Indies. The probate record of Louis Clairmonte describes him as "formerly of Port of Spain, Trinidad" and George Canning Clairmonte was a West India merchant in the 1861 census when he was living at The Lawn in Lewisham, Kent.

1. www.familysearch.org batch nos. M51395-4 and C51395-5; Ancestry.com, London, England, Births and Baptisms, 1813-1906 [database online].

2. 1851 census online; 1871 census online.

3. 1841 census online.

4. www.familysearchorg batch no. M07903-8.

5. National Probate Calendar 1858.

6. Photographs and transcriptions of both gravestones available at http://www.rydecemetery.org.uk/grave_record.asp?graveid=2408 and http://www.rydecemetery.org.uk/grave_record.asp?graveid=11126 [accessed 01/12/2012]; and at http://rshg.org.uk/graves/mr-john-clairmonte-abrams/ [accessed 13/09/2017]

7. National Probate Calendar 1884; 1861 census online.