Jeffery Merriweather Shaw

Son and heir of Aneas Shaw of Nevis (q.v.). Jeffery Merriweather Shaw appeared as a signatory of the address to George III on peace with the American colonies from the West India planters residing in Great Britain and the merchants trading to the said islands in 1783. He has not yet been traced as a slave-owner or merchant, but Vere Langford Oliver records (without detail) a deed of 1783 for Jonathan Price 'by Jeffery Merriweather Shaw', and Shaw's will shows ties to Nevis. It is likely that the Anne Nisbet of Bath in his will was his sister-in-law, the sister of his wife Jane nee Parry.

1. Will of Jeffery Merriweather Shaw of Ashford Middlesex [made 18/09/1817] proved 03/02/1838. He confirmed his marriage settlement. Among his monetary legacies was £100 to Anne Nisbet of Bath, the widow of Walter Nisbet of Nevis, and £400 each to the Society in London for the Propagation of the Gospel in Foreign Parts and to the SPCK, but the bulk of his estate after his wife's death went in trust to support legacies of £5000 each to Caroline Nisbet and Emilia Mount (wife of Charles Milman Mount), daughters of Anne Nisbet of Bath, and £2000 to Anne Nisbet's sons Walter, Josiah, Robert and Harry. His residuary estate went to Emilia Mount and then her children. In a codicil of 20/08/1827 he left his books to the Rev. Charles Milman Mount and left £100 to the National School at Staines instead of his original gift of £200 to another charitable institution.

2. Jeffery Merriweather Shaw was one of 14 Commissioners under the 1828 Act build a bridge across the Thames at Staines.

3. The death of Jeffery Merriweather Shaw was registered Q1 1838 at and he was buried at St Matthew Ashford 27/01/1838 aged 85.

London Gazette 12422 11/03/1783 p. 2.

1. PROB 11/1891/167.

2. "An Act for Building a Bridge over the River Thames at Staines in the County of Middlesex, and for making proper Approaches thereto." London Metropolitan Archives Reference: ACC/0809/BR/8. 14 Commissioners: Sir John Gibbons, Bart; Peter Henderson; Thos. Wood junior; Jeffery Merriweather Shaw; Col. John Carmichael; Rev. James Cowe; Rev. Robt. Govett; Rt. Hon. Sir Willm. Henry Fremantle; Culling Charles Smith; John Stapleton; Willm. Scott; Edgell Wyatt Edgell; Benjamin Torin; and Rev. John Leigh Bennett. Date: Royal Assent 19 June 1828.

3. Ancestry.com, England and Wales FreeBMD Death Index and London, England, Deaths and Burials, 1813-1980 [databases online]. He is indexed as Jeffery Merewether Shaw and Jeffery Thomasitter Shaw respectively, and Ashford is given as Surrey in the latter.