John Spottiswoode

Early purchaser of land in Tobago with Thompson Spottiswoode (q.v.), almost certainly his brother.

1. Will of John Spottiswoode of Edinburgh, Mid-Lothian, proved 27/04/1805. In the will, he left his personal and real estate in Tobago and elsewhere to his eldest son John. All his other childen were under age, and he appointed Andrew Strahan 'his Majesty's Printer' [his brother-in-law] and John Wauchope Writer to the Signet, as well as his eldest son John Spottiswoode, as the tutors and curators to George, Mary, Andrew, Elizabeth, Sophia, Richard, Frances, Robert and Henry.

2. There is a direct family connection with the publishing family of Eyre and Spottiswoode. According to the History of Parliament, Andrew Spottiswoode (1787-1866), MP for Saltash 1826-1830 and Colchester 1830-1831, and later King's Printer with the firm of Eyre and Spottiswoode, was the son of John Spottiswoode of Spottiswoode (d. 1805) (q.v.): Andrew's eldest brother, also John (1780-1866), inherited 'the Scottish estate and property in Tobago' on their father's death in 1805. The parents of the John Spottiswoode who died in 1805 were John Spottiswoode (1666-1728, 'an eminent advocate and legal author') and Mary Thompson of Fife. Although it seems at first inspection a stretch that John Spottiswoode (d. 1805) had married only in 1779 (when he must have been over 50) and conceived his last son (Henry, who died in 1806 aged 13) in 1793, it seems very likely that Thompson or Thomson Spottiswoode was the son of John Spottiswoode and Mary Thompson and, if the History of Parliament is correct, the brother of John Spottiswoode (d. 1805). This is confirmed by the will of Thomson Spottiswoode 'formerly of Tobago but now of Flushing in Cornwall.' After he had left articles to his manager, provided that 'Ibo Katty' should be served by Martha during the days of her life, live in the house on the estate, have as much provision grounds as she could manage and receive the same salt provisions as the rest of the enslaved people, and left his clothes to her and 'Mulatto Betty' equally, he left the residue of his estate to his brother John Spottiswoode.

1. PROB 11/1424/278.

2. David R. Fisher, History of Parliament online Volumes 1820-1832, 'Spottiswoode, Andrew (1787-1866), of 9 Bedford Square, Mdx and Broome Hall, Dorking Surrey'.