Colin Macrae

Resident planter and partner in the London merchant firm of Alexander and James Campbell.

1. 'COLIN, youngest son of Farquhar Macrae of Inverinate and Mary Mackenzie of Dochmaluag, was born on the 14th March, 1776. He was a merchant and planter in Demerara, where he rose to a position of importance and prominence. He was Colonel Commandant of the Colonial Militia, a member of the Colonial Legislation, and one of the negotiators of the cession of Demerara to England after the Peace of 1814. He married Charlotte Gertrude, daughter of John Cornelius Vandenheuvel Esq., of Demerara, who was for some time Governor of that Colony when it belonged to the Dutch, and by her had issue, as below. Colin died in Edinburgh on the 25th October, 1854.' This was the Colin Macrae 'retired West Indian planter' aged 75 who in 1851 was living with his wife Charlotte at Sidney Cottage, Whitehouse Loan, Edinburgh. His death record gives his address in 1854 at 2 Greenhill Lodge. Charlotte MacRae survived her husband and proved at London on 04/08/1856 the mutual will the two had drawn up in New York prior to their marriage in 1805.

2. A Colin Macrae was a partner in Alexander and James Campbell and Co., of Copthall Court London until his retirement on 30/05/1831: business carried on by Alex. Campbell; Colin Campbell, James Campbell (the three representing the firm of John Campbell senior, and Co.) and A.G. Milne junior.

3. In 1817, Colin Macrae was shown as the proprietor of Endeavour plantation in Demerara, with 170 enslaved people: the compensation for the people on Endeavour was shared between Alexander Macrae and the Campbells.

4. The 'Scotch confirmation' for Charlotte Gertrude van den Heuvel or MacRae was sealed 07/11/1868 by Robert Campbell MacRae merchant of 9 Barge Yard Chambers Bucklersbury London and the Rev. Isaac van den Heuvel MacRae of Edinburgh the sons, she having died at 23 Greenhill Gardens Edinburgh 23/06/1868. Robert Campbell MacRae was an East India merchant whose firm was bankrupt in 1861.

T71/886 British Guiana claim no. 1953. Stephen Mullen, 'The Great Glasgow West India House of John Campbell, senior, & Co.' in T M Devine (ed) Recovering Scotland's Slavery Past 124-144, especially pages 133-137.

1. http://www.ebooksread.com/authors-eng/alexander-macrae/history-of-the-clan-macrae-with-genealogies-rca/page-9-history-of-the-clan-macrae-with-genealogies-rca.shtml [accessed 26/01/2011]; GROS OPR Deaths 685/2 620 59 St Cuthbert's; PROB 11/2237/231.

2. London Gazette, Issue 18815, 21/06/1831, p. 1228 [extracted from the Edinburgh Gazette 10/06/1831].

3. T71/397 E2 'Endeavour Plantation.'

4. National Probate Calendar 1868 [where she is indexed online as Charlotte Gertrude Van Den Heuv El (sic) or MacRae]; London Gazette 22549 20/09/1861 p. 3810.

We are grateful to Martine McIntosh for her assistance with compiling this entry.