James Hill Albouy

James Hill Albouy, a resident merchant (J.H Albouy & Co) in British Guiana but in London in the mid-1830s and dying in Britain in the early 1850s, awarded the compensation (as James Albouy) for the enslaved people on La Penitence in British Guiana as owner and (as James H. Albouy) the compensation for four other smaller awards in British Guiana.

1. In 1851 James Hill Albouy landed proprietor aged 62 [transcribed as 42] born Bermuda was living at 4 St George's Place with his wife A.Sophia aged 45 born Dover, brother-in-law Thomas Holmes aged 55 retired collector of customs and 'his wife Caroline S. Holmes'. Will of James Hill Albouy of No. 4 St George's Place near Hyde Park proved 21/10/1851.

2. James Hill Albouy, son ('o.s') of the James Hill Albouy 'of Demerara' (the man in the award), matriculated Christ Church Oxford 11/10/1837 aged 17. In 1851 the younger James Hill Albouy aged 30 was Captain in the 46th Regiment Army born Demerara, based at Bradford Moor Barracks. This James Hill Albouy must have been the son from a first marriage if A. Sophia Albouy's age was correctly given as 45 (as it appears to have been) in the 1851 census. Augusta Sophia Albouy remarried and appears (aged 54 and 64) as the wife of Thomas Norton, barrister and Queens Coroner in the 1861 and 1871 censuses at 23 Abingdon [sp?] St and 13 Bolton Row Mayfair respectively (she left personalty of £18,000 in 1875).

3. Albouy's second wife Augusta Sophia Benjamin was born 28/04/1807 and baptised 27/05/1807 in Dover, Kent, daughter of Robert Westfield Benjamin and Harriot Ruth Lavinia Benjamin. She was aged 20 when she married James Hill Albouy in 1827 - Philip Staple (q.v.) consented to the marriage as her guardian. In the 1851 census, the Albouy's household included Sophia S. Staples, age 23, visitor, born British Guiana. In the 1861 census, the household of Thomas and Augusta Sophia Norton included two servants from the Caribbean, Augustus S. Staple (female), age 33, born Demerara (her 'rank, profession or occupation' given as 'no occupation') and Julia S. Nunn, age 24, 'parlourmaid', born Barbados. Augusta Sophia Staple and Sophia S. Staple may well be the same person: in 1871 she appears as Sophia Staple, age 43, lodger ('out of employ') at 14 Upper York Street, born British Guiana; in 1881 as Augusta S. Staple, age 54, lodger ('annuitant) at 5 Nutford Place, born British Guiana; in 1891 as Augusta S. Stapel, age 62, lodger ('lady') at 506 Edgware Road, born British Guiana; in 1901 as Augusta Sophia Staple, age 73, 'living on own means' at 506 Edgware Road. The death of Augusta Sophia Staple, age 82, was registered Q1 1910 in Marylebone. She may be the daughter of Philip Staple.

T71/885 British Guiana no. 624; T71/885 British Guiana nos. 719, 720 and 726; British Guiana no. 2526. The NDO4 series shows him signing at the NDO in the City of London for the nos. 624, 720 and 726 after they were awarded to him 30/11/1835. T71/1610 petition forwarded 15/10/1834 from Joseph Scott Moore, atty to Andrew Ball et al, from Andrew Ball, acting under court of chancery of Ireland and by power of attorney from John Gordon and Jonathan Morgan executors of will of the late John Sayers; James Hill Albouy and Park Benjamin ['Benjamin & Albouy of Demerara', in covering note] bought La Penitence 24/5/1832 [sic but must be 1822 given what follows] for £34,000 to be paid by £10,000 good bills of exchange on London; assuming last 4 installments of a Dutch mortgage for £2696 6s 8, and paying balance of £21303 13s 4d in 6 equal annual installments + interest from 1/1/1823. To secure this, Benjamin & Albouy granted a second mortgage on plantation and 146 slaves and with right of 1st mortgage on 70 slaves placed upon plantation by purchasers. £10,000 + 1st 5 installments paid, but 6th = outstanding, of £3763 12s 10d unpaid except £200 in 1829 and £1500 on account of interest paid this year.

1. 1851 census online (given that James Hill Albouy appears to have purchased La Penitence in 1822, it would be impossible that he was born in 1809); PROB 11/2141/134. The death of James Hill Albouy is shown at Worthing Q4 1852 in England & Wales FreeBMD Death Index 1837-1915, but this must be an error for 1851.

2. Oxford University Alumni 1715-1886 Vol. I; 1851 census online (where he is transcribed and indexed as James Hill Alborn); 1861 and 1871 censuses online; National Probate Calendar 1875.

3. Findmypast, Kent, Canterbury Archdeaconry Baptisms [database online]; 1861-1901 censuses online; FreeUKGen, England and Wales Free BMD Database, Births, 1837-1983 [database online]; no marriage record seen for Benjamin and Albouy (information by email from Martin Stower, 07/06/2018, including census data).

We are grateful to Martin Stower for his assistance with compiling this entry.