Robert Boyes Muirhead

???? - 7th Jun 1831

Claimant or beneficiary

Biography

Robert Boyes Muirhead, father of Elizabeth Mitchell Muirhead with Sarah Ivy Board (both q.v.).

  1. Of the city and parish of Kingston when named as a trustee and executor in the will of William Burt Wright in 1821.

  2. Robert Boyes Muirhead resigned as Receiver General of Jamaica in 1825 accused of having issues cheques to the value of tens of thousands of pounds on his own credit, and being unable to settle the debts, leaving a personal deficit of £80,000. Note the same source credits him with £2,300 as the value of "Negroes on Hamilton's property to which he has a title."

  3. Inventory of the personal estate and effects of the late Robert Boyes Buirhead Esquire, sometime of the island of Jamaica, thereafter of Broughton Street, Edinburgh, and latterly of Nicholson Street, Lauriston, Glasgow, who died there 07/06/1831, lists personal effects of £3423 13s 5d. Ann Gordon Muirhead, widow of the late James Muirhead, late of Nicholson Street, Lauriston, stated that she was executrix nominated by him in his will dated 10/11/1828.


Sources

  1. PROB 11/1647/128.

  2. London Magazine vol. 1 pp. 645-646 (April 1825); see also Edinburgh Advertiser 01/04/1825.

  3. Glasgow Sheriff Court inventories SC36/48/22.

We are grateful to Jim Brennan for his assistance with compiling this entry.


Further Information

Children
Elizabeth Mitchell Muirhead
Will

Glasgow Sheriff Court Wills, SC36/51/9, precis.

Robert Boyes Muirhead late of Jamaica but now of 12 Broughton Street, Edinburgh.

To my daughter Elizabeth Mitchell Muirhead £3000 sterling with all my furniture and plate either as my legal daughter by marriage according to the laws of Scotland with her late mother Sarah Ivy Board a free person of colour, and as declared by the latter 7 January 1827 at 8 Newington Place, Newington, Edinburgh, in the presence of the Revd. Mr Forbes McPillans, Mrs Law, Henry Seddon, Elizabeth Mitchell Muirhead and Susannah Smith, by addressing to me these words, "This is my husband is it not so?" to which I bowed assent, but by this document answer "yes" it having been unnecessary for me to say more at that time as I considered that we were otherwise married by the laws and customs of Scotland by residing in it as husband and wife from July 1826 till the time of her decease on the 13th February 1827 but in the event the law should not justify me in this construction then I give the said bequest to my natural daughter Elizabeth Mitchell Muirhead, a free quadroon girl of colour her heirs and assigns for ever on attaining the age of twenty one years.

To Mrs James Muirhead, 33 Norfolk Street, Glasgow, £1000 sterling together with all furniture etc in her house bought in my name since I returned to this country, together with my full and free discharge to her husband my brother James for any thing he may have owed me otherwise either while I was in Jamaica or since.

To Mrs George Muirhead, Glasgow, £500 together with all the furniture etc bought in my name for her use.

To Mrs Mackay of Sta. Croix £500 sterling.

To Sarah Baillie Seddon, £500 for her honourable conduct to me within these last four frightful months of disgraceful disobedience and ingratitude on the part of her sister Ann and Brother Henry Seddon.

I direct the manumission of a slave named Jane Morrison, Eliza's nurse in Jamaica, to be purchased and given to her.

To the children of the late John Latting[?] of Jamaica, £300 sterling.

To Robert Paul Esquire W. S. Edinburgh, £300... to Mrs Paul £100...

To James Forsyth Esquire in Jamaica, £500 sterling for the manumission and advantage of my reputed son at Smallwood Penn in Jamaica, to be laid out as he shall see best.

I direct that I may be buried very plainly and privately at Newington if I die in Edinburgh or in my late father's ground in the North West Churchyard Glasgow should I die in the neighbourhood of that city.

My daughter will in the event of establishing her own birthright and removing its illegitimacy carry notwithstanding the will of her late mother into effect by conveying to George D. Seddon the house in Jamaica given him by his late mother, the Grace Penn in North Street to Ann Ivey Seddon, the Blacksmiths shop to Henry D. Seddon, notwithstanding that the balances of accounts will be so far against her mother's estate and in my favour as to totally extinguish all their right. Reserving for herself and her sister Sarah the other freeholds there in Duke Street and Playouse Alley, which they may either sell for their mutual benefit or here as she pleases.

James Forsyth of Kingston and James M. Macqueen of the same place to be executors with my brother James Muirhead in Glasgow and Robert Paul of the City of Edinburgh and Mrs James Muirhead also of Norfolk Street, Glasgow.

Signed 10/11/1828.

Occupation
Merchant

Associated Claims (1)

£670 0s 9d
Beneficiary (Judgement creditor)

Associated Estates (4)

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
1823 [EA] - → Trustee
1821 [SY] - 1823 [LA] → Trustee and Executor
1829 [EA] - → Executor
1817 [EA] - 1820 [LA] → Joint owner

Relationships (2)

Extra-marital relationships
Father → Natural Daughter

Addresses (2)

Broughton Street, Edinburgh, Midlothian (Edinburgh), Central Scotland, Scotland
Nicholson Street, Lauriston, Glasgow, Lanarkshire, Central Scotland, Scotland