Rowland Blackman of Bath

Profile & Legacies Summary

1705 - 1781

Biography

Rowland Blackman (1705-1781) of Bath was the son of John Blackman later John Lucie Blackman (d. 1725) who owned estates in Barbados and Antigua, and the uncle of John Lucie Blackman of Boarded Hall (d. 1795). Rowland Blackman of Bath was also heir of his brother-in-law George Hannay, whose will was proved 1776. Rowland Blackman of Bath had sold his wife's estate of Warren's and held [unnamed] estates on Barbados and Antigua at the time he made his will. The Rowland Blackman shown as previous owner of Hannays in Barbados who was deceased by the time of the 1817 Barbados Slave Register was conceivably the Rowland Blackman who was born in Barbados in 1769 (baptised 27 April 1769), the son of Rowland Blackman and Mary Ann Green, but was more likely this Rowland Blackman (1705-1781) of Bath: the will of this latter man makes no reference to a child named Rowland.

Will of Rowland Blackman of Bath [made 1777] proved 06/03/1781. Under the will he left his wife Priscilla an annuity of £200 sterling p.a. on top of the £300 Barbadian currency p.a. he had already settled on her, secured on his estate in Antigua. Should his wife succeed his 'sister Hannay' she would receive a further £200 p.a. secured on his estate in Barbados. Blackman recited that he and his wife had sold in 1762 or 1763 'Black Rock or Warren's' on Barbados 'together with the negroes thereto belonging' 'which was her estate or inheritance, to Tho. Breuster of Barbados Esq., since dead, for £13,700, to pay off the incumbrances of £4700, & I have received (apart from the £4700) £4000 only of the purchase money.' He left this £4000 and a further £5000 on bond to his wife. He charged the [unnamed] estates that had come to him through the will of his brother-in-law with the annuity of £114 p.a. to his sister and legacy of £800 to his [the testator's] daughter Anna Maria left by George Hannay. His residuary heirs were his daughters Anna Maria and Mary Blackman.

Sources

T71/544, pp. 18-19; Barbados Church Records, 1637-1887, FamilySearch; Vere Langford Oliver, History of Antigua Vol. I pp.46 & 48.

PROB 11/1075/130.

Further Information

Absentee?

British/Irish

Spouse

Priscilla Warren

Children

Anna Maria; Mary

Associated Estates (3)

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

1817 [EA] - 1829 [LA] → Previous owner

Hannays [ Barbados | Christ Church ]

- 1781 [EY] → Owner

Mount Lucy or Blackman's [ Antigua ]

Rowland Blackman of Bath in his will made in 1777 referred to his unspecified estate on Antigua on which was secured an annuity of £300 p.a. to his wife Priscilla Blackman. It is known however that his father John Blackman later John Lucie Blackman (will proved 1726) was 'of Mount Lucy estates in Barbados and Antigua', that Rowland Blackman's heirs were his daughters, and that Rowland Blackman's son-in-law Hon. W. H. Irby was later the owner of Mount Lucy or Blackmans on Antigua.

- 1762 [EY] → Joint owner

Warren's [ Barbados | St Michael ]

In the will of Rowland Blackman of Bath proved 06/03/1781, Blackman said that he and his wife Priscilla 'about 1762 or 3 joined in the sale of my estate called Black Rock or Warren's plantation in Barbados, which was her estate or inheritance, to Tho. Breuster of Barbados Esq., since dead, for £13,700, to pay off the incumbrances of £4700, & I have received (apart from the £4700) £4000 only of the purchase money.'