Unity Valley Pen

Estate Details


Associated People (37)

The dates listed below have different categories as denoted by the letters in the brackets following each date. Here is a key to explain those letter codes:

  • SD - Association Start Date
  • SY - Association Start Year
  • EA - Earliest Known Association
  • ED - Association End Date
  • EY - Association End Year
  • LA - Latest Known Association
1787 [SY] - 1795 [LA] → Owner
1787 [SY] - 1795 [EY] → Enslaved

Pen owner David Barclay order manumission 1795.

- 1795 [EY] → Enslaved

Pen owner David Barclay order manumission 1795.

- 1795 [EY] → Enslaved

Pen owner David Barclay order manumission 1795.

- 1795 [EY] → Enslaved

Pen owner David Barclay order manumission 1795.

- 1795 [EY] → Enslaved

Pen owner David Barclay order manumission 1795.

- 1795 [EY] → Enslaved

Pen owner David Barclay order manumission 1795.

- 1795 [EY] → Enslaved

Pen owner David Barclay order manumission 1795.

- 1795 [EY] → Enslaved

Pen owner David Barclay order manumission 1795.

- 1795 [EY] → Enslaved

Pen owner David Barclay order manumission 1795.

- 1795 [EY] → Enslaved

Pen owner David Barclay ordered manumission 1795.

- 1795 [EY] → Enslaved

Pen owner David Barclay order manumission 1795.

- 1795 [EY] → Enslaved

Pen owner David Barclay order manumission 1795.

- 1795 [EY] → Enslaved

Pen owner David Barclay order manumission 1795.

- 1795 [EY] → Enslaved

Pen owner David Barclay order manumission 1795.

- 1795 [EY] → Enslaved

Pen owner David Barclay order manumission 1795.

- 1795 [EY] → Enslaved

Pen owner David Barclay ordered manumission 1795.

- 1795 [EY] → Enslaved

Pen owner David Barclay ordered manumission 1795.

- 1795 [EY] → Enslaved

Pen owner David Barclay ordered manumission 1795.

- 1795 [EY] → Enslaved

Pen owner David Barclay ordered manumission 1795.

- 1795 [EY] → Enslaved

Pen owner David Barclay ordered manumission 1795.

- 1795 [EY] → Enslaved

Pen owner David Barclay ordered manumission 1795.

- 1795 [EY] → Enslaved

Pen owner David Barclay ordered manumission 1795.

- 1795 [EY] → Enslaved

Pen owner David Barclay ordered manumission 1795.

- 1795 [EY] → Enslaved

Pen owner David Barclay ordered manumission 1795.

- 1795 [EY] → Enslaved

Pen owner David Barclay ordered manumission 1795.

- 1795 [EY] → Enslaved

Pen owner David Barclay ordered manumission 1795.

- 1795 [EY] → Enslaved

Pen owner David Barclay ordered manumission 1795.

- 1795 [EY] → Enslaved

Pen owner David Barclay ordered manumission 1795.

Enslaved

Pen owner David Barclay ordered manumission late c1785

- 1786 [LA] → Enslaved

Pen owner David Barclay ordered manumission late c1785

1783 [EA] - → Previous owner
1783 [EA] - → Mortgagee-in-Possession
1783 [EA] - → Mortgagee-in-Possession
1785 [EA] - 1787 [EY] → Joint owner
1785 [EA] - 1787 [LA] → Joint owner
1785 [EA] - 1796 [LA] → Attorney

Notes

Some time around 1785, David Barclay and his brother John Barclay took possession of Unity Valley Pen in St Ann, Jamaica, in lieu of the debts of the estate of the late William Harvie. At the time, it was described as a 2000 acre cattle pen. On the death of John in 1787, David Barclay took full possession of the estate.

A committed Quaker and pacifist, David Barclay was determined to emancipate the 32 enslaved people held upon the estate, despite the reservations of Alexander Macleod, his Jamaican attorney. Initially, he manumitted two enslaved people - Hamlet and Prudence - and employed them on the pen at wages of 17l. p/a. A year later Macleod wrote to Barclay lamenting the failure of the experiment, claiming that both were 'so relaxed in their labour', that he 'thought their example would be very disadvantageous' to the owners of the estate. He therefore discharged them, and agreed to allow to each, 5l. currency per annum for life'. Hamlet set up in business as a horse breaker and Prudence, as a laundress.

In 1795 he dispatched his agent William Holden to Jamaica with instructions to enact the manumission and then remove all freed persons to Philadelphia, where they would be delivered into the care of the Society for Improving the Condition of Free Blacks, run by Quaker acquaintances.

In 1814 The Monthly Magazine wrote a lengthy report comprised of large extracts from Barclay's original account (published in 1801). It indicated that David Barclay had made clear that had he not been so advanced in age 'he would have inclined to have made a trial of employing on the Pen white labourers from Britain'. Ultimately, this did not happen with Barclay electing to sell the estate and stock for £5,500. Macleod estimated that had he sold the estate along with the enslaved he would have gained an extra £800, although The Monthly Magazine placed this figure at £2,500. The cost of moving the group to Philadelphia and establishing them in positions was around £500. The magazine excused these costs as being far outweighed by 'the satisfaction which resulted to the minds of David Barclay and his family', something Barclay also made very clear in his account.

It's not clear at present who bought the estate from Barclay. It may have become Unity Hall (JA2391, also known as Unity Valley) or Unity Pen (JA2391).


Sources

Jamaica Archives IB/11/4/11 Crop Accounts 1779-1785.

David Barclay, An account of the emancipation of the slaves of Unity Valley Pen Jamaica (London, 1801). Available through Googlebooks: https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=FuRbAAAAQAAJ&pg=PA6&redir_esc=y#v=onepage&q&f=false

Monthly Magazine, Vol.38 (1814), pp. 133-37. Available through Googlebooks: https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=Ek8oAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA134&lpg=PA134&dq=JOHN+BARCLAY+JAMAICA&source=bl&ots=6AaCZPvB2d&sig=FIgyoNDLirTB318mh_brHst-vxA&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0CD0Q6AEwCWoVChMI_dTb5Pb6xgIVybMUCh3W9QH1#v=onepage&q=JOHN%20BARCLAY%20JAMAICA&f=false


Estate Information (23)

What is this?

1783
[Name] Unity Valley Pen  
[Crop] Livestock  
 

The property of the estate of the deceased William Harvie Esq. and now in the possession of David and John Barclay of London as mortgagees. Account filed by Alexander Murray.

 
Accounts Produce, Jamaica Archives 1B/11/4/11 102-3
1784
[Name] Unity Valley Pen  
[Crop] Livestock  
 

The property of the estate of the deceased William Harvie Esq. and now in the possession of David and John Barclay of London as mortgagees. Account filed by Alexander Murray.

 
Accounts Produce, Jamaica Archives 1B/11/4/11 187
1786
[Name] Unity Valley  
[Crop] cattle, some horsesand mules  
 

The property of the estate of William Harvie Esq deceased in the possession of Messrs David and John Barclay of London, the mortgagees; account filed by Alexander Murray.

 
Accounts Produce, Jamaica Archives 1B/11/4/13 147
1786
[Name] Unity Valley Penn  
[Crop] cattle  
 

Property of the estate of William Hanoie; account filed by Alexander Murray.

 
Accounts Produce, Jamaica Archives 1B/11/4/12 147
1787
[Name] Unity Valley Penn  
[Crop] cattle, some horses, pasturage  
 

In the possession of Alexander Macleod Esqure as attorney to Messrs David and John Barclay; account filed by Alexander Murray.

 
Accounts Produce, Jamaica Archives 1B/11/4/14 199
1788
[Name] Unity Valley Penn  
[Crop] cattle, horses, mules  
 

The property of David Barclay Esquire. Account filed by Alexander Murray as overseer.

 
Accounts Produce, Jamaica Archives 1B/11/4/15 311 f.165
1789
[Name] Unity Valley Pen  
[Crop] cattle, horses, mules  
 

The property of David Barclay Esquire. Account filed by Benjamin Reynolds.

 
Accounts Produce, Jamaica Archives 1B/11/4/16 321 and 323-324
1790
[Name] Unity Valley Pen  
[Crop] cattle  
 

Account filed by Alexander Clark. Accounts filed for 14/06/1790 to 01/10/1790.

 
Accounts Produce, Jamaica Archives 1B/11/4/18 25
1790
[Name] Unity Valley Pen  
[Crop] cattle  
 

Account filed by Patrick Grant as overseer. Accounts filed for 01/10/1790 to 31/12/1790.

 
Accounts Produce, Jamaica Archives 1B/11/4/18 25
1790
[Name] Unity Valley Pen  
[Crop] cattle  
 

Account filed by Alexander Macleod as attorney of David Barclay Esquire. Accounts filed for 01/01/1790 to 14/06/1790.

 
Accounts Produce, Jamaica Archives 1B/11/4/18 23 [f.7]
1791
[Name] Unity Valley Penn  
[Crop] cattle, pasturage  
 

The property of David Barclay Esquire of Great Britain. Account filed by Patrick Grant.

 
Accounts Produce, Jamaica Archives 1B/11/4/18 383-384
1792
[Name] Unity Valley Pen  
[Crop] Livestock  
 

The property of David Barclay of Great Britain. Account filed by Patrick Grant.

 
Accounts Produce, Jamaica Archives 1B/11/4/19 102
1793
[Name] Unity Valley Penn  
[Crop] cattle  
 

Property of David Barclay Esq of Great Britain. Account filed by Patrick Grant for the period 01/01/1793 to 31/12/1793.

 
Accounts Produce, Jamaica Archives 1B/11/4/20 48
1794
[Name] Unity Valley Penn  
[Crop] cattle  
 

Property of David Barclay Esq of Great Britain. Account filed by Patrick Grant for the period 01/01/1794 to 31/12/1794.

 
Accounts Produce, Jamaica Archives 1B/11/4/20 198
1795
[Name] Unity Valley Penn  
[Crop] cattle  
 

Property of David Barclay Esq of Great Britain. Account filed by Patrick ManAlpine for the period 01/01/1795 to 31/12/1795.

 
Accounts Produce, Jamaica Archives 1B/11/4/21 236-237
1796
[Name] Unity Valley Penn  
[Crop] Bulls, cows, heifers, calves, steers  
 

Belonging to David Barclay of GB. Account filed by Patrick McAlpin.

 
Accounts Produce, Jamaica Archives 1B/11/4/23
1798
[Name] Unity Valley Penn  
[Crop] cattle  
 

Account filed by James Fraser acting executor to the estate of Robert Hawthorn deceased for the period 10/12/1797 to 31/12/1798.

 
Accounts Produce, Jamaica Archives 1B/11/4/24 227
1799
[Name] Unity Valley Penn  
[Crop] cattle, some sheep and horses  
 

Account filed by James Fraser as acting executor to the estate of Robert Hawthorn deceased for the period 31/12/1798 to 31/12/1799.

 
Accounts Produce, Jamaica Archives 1B/11/4/26 174-175
1800
[Name] Unity Valley Penn  
[Crop] Livestock  
 

Belonging to the Estate of Robert Hawthorn deceased. Account filed by James Fraser, Acting Exor for the Estate of Robert Hawthorn deceased. Accounts filed for 1799-1800.

 
Accounts Produce, Jamaica Archives 1B/11/4/28 132
1801
[Name] Unity Valley Penn  
[Crop] Livestock (cattle)  
 

Owner details not recorded. Account filed by Colin Clunes as overseer.

 
Accounts Produce, Jamaica Archives 1B/11/4/29 8
1803
[Name] Unity Valley  
[Crop] cattle  
 

Account filed by John Haret as overseer for the period 01/01/1803 to 01/01/1804.

 
Accounts Produce, Jamaica Archives 1B/11/4/31 77
1804
[Name] Unity Valley Penn  
[Crop] Cows, steers, heifers  
 

Owner not given. Account filed in the name of John Marel, overseer to said estate.

 
Accounts Produce, Jamaica Archvies 1B/11/4/32 157
1807
[Name] Unity Valley Pen  
[Crop] Livestock and coffee  
 

Account filed by Johnathan Brown as overseer.

 
Accounts Produce, Jamaica Archives 1B/11/4/38 142