Benjamin Bostock of Philadelphia

Profile & Legacies Summary

17^th Nov 1763 - 7^th Aug 1793

Biography

Son of Edward and Judith Bostock and grandson of Benjamin Bostock (1716-1785). 23 February 1789 married Harriett Straker Budden of Philadelphia. They had two children: Benjamin James (dates not known) and Frances Mary (dates not known). By 1817 (and presumably earlier) she was living in Philadelphia, where she married in that year. In 1785 Benjamin was living in London in 1785; in 1788 he visited Barbados. 13 August 1790 he settled Plum (or Plumb) Tree plantation of 156 acres with ‘a number of slaves’ by conveyance to his mother-in-law, Frances Budden in trust for himself for his life and after his death for the use of his wife Harriett in ‘lieu of dower’, although she then sold it in 1797. By his will, Plum Tree was given to his wife and the Yorkshire plantation was bequeathed to his son, Benjamin James. His widow, Harriett Straker Bostock, remarried at Christ Church. Philadelphia, on 3 April 1794, Dr. Plunkett Fleeson Glentworth of Philadelphia, who had attended her husband, Benjamin, in his last illness. Dr. and Mrs. Glentworth sold the Barbados plantation, Plum Tree, to Timothy Thornhill in 1797 but apparently they had some difficulty in recovering the purchase money or some of it, despite a visit made by Dr. Glentworth to Barbados in 1799, and the appointment by him of attorneys to collect the debt.
The will of Benjamin Bostock of Caroline Street Bedford Square proved 28/06/1804 appears to have been an earlier will of the same man. The will was made in 1786, and names his wife as Rebecca Bostock. However, it identifies his father-in-law as Richard Bland (who appears in the will of Benjamin Bostock proved in Philadelphia 10/07/1793), his mother as Judith Bostock, his estate as Upper Grays known as Yorkshire, and his brothers as Thomas and Samuel Bostock of Barbados.

Sources

James C. Brandow (comp.), Genealogies of Barbados families (Baltimore, 1983), pp. 181-4.
PROB 11/1409/318.

Further Information

Absentee?

Transatlantic

Spouse

(1) Rebecca Bland (2) Harriett Straker Budden

Children

with (2) 1 daughter, 1 son

Will

Will of Benjamin Bostock, Dated: 10 July 1793, Philadelphia; proved Philadelphia: 23 December 1793.

Bequests:

To his children Benjamin James and Frances: his carriage and pair of horses and all his household furniture, jewels, plate and linen, and two (named) slaves.

Confirmed the gift made to his wife of his sugar-work plantation (in his will called Plumb Tree), in the parishes of St Thomas and St James, with all the enslaved, cattle, and stock thereon, in bar of dower.

To his son, Benjamin James: his sugar-work plantation called Grays or Yorkshire in Christ Church (Barbados) with the slaves, cattle, stock etc. thereon and also the moneys then due to him from William Prescod [for the unpaid purchase money of Carlton plantation which he had sold him].

To his daughter, Frances, £4090 currency. to be paid at her day of marriage or 21. If the gifts to the children should fail, then he gave his property to his brothers, Thomas and Samuel, and his two sisters, Jane Richards and Alice Bostock and 4100 to Richard Bland Esq. of Great Britain, and to each of his children, Kitty, John, and Peter Bland, £100. To his friend Richard Morgan £50. To his executors, £50. To his good friends, Malbro and John Frazier, merchants of Philadelphia, £50 each, and to Elijah Brown, merchant, of the same place, £50.

Executors: his friends James Went King and John Randall Phillips (both of Barbados) executors.

Associated Estates (2)

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

1785 [EA] - 1793 [LA] → Previous owner

Rock Dundo, Small Hope & Carleton (or Carlton) [ Barbados | St James ]

In his will made and proved in 1793, Benjamin Bostock left to to his son, Benjamin James his sugar-work plantation called Grays or Yorkshire in Christ Church (Barbados) with the slaves, cattle, stock etc. thereon and also the moneys then due to him from William Prescod [for the unpaid purchase money of Carlton plantation which he had sold him].

1785 [EA] - 1793 [LA] → Owner

Yorkshire plantation [ Barbados | Christ Church ]