William Berners

???? - 1783


Biography

Almost certainly the 'William Barnes' shown as co-owner of Wag Water or Wagwater in St Mary Jamaica in 1760. William Berners was the son-in-law of Henry Bendysh senior and brother-in-law of Henry Bendysh junior, both previous owners of the estate. He was the developer of the Berners estate in London, including Berners Street. Several of William Berners' grandchildren intermarried with members of the Jarrett family, also slave-owners in Jamaica.

  1. Will of William Berners of Woolverstone Hall Suffolk proved 25/09/1783. The will with a series of codicils is silent on property in Jamaica or enslaved people. William Berners left his house in Hanover Square to his wife and entailed Woolverstone Hall to his son Charles and then to Charles's sons Charles with remainder to Henry Denners Berney (q.v.).

Sources

  1. PROB 11/1107/504

Further Information

Absentee?
British/Irish
Spouse
Mary Bendysh
Children
Charles; Henry

Associated Estates (1)

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
1760 [EA] - 1760 [LA] → Joint owner

Given as William Barnes but almost certainly William Berners, son-in-law of Henry Bendysh senior, previous owner.


Legacies Summary

Physical (2)

Country house
Woolverstone Hall [Built] 
description →
Grade I Palladian house, built c. 1776 for William Berners by John Johnson. ...
Urban Development
Berners Estate, Fitzrovia [Built] 
description →
Between 1758 and 1772, William Berners undertook systematic development of his estate in what is now Fitzrovia, after earlier piecemeal development, including Berners Street which survives. ...

Relationships (4)

Son-in-law → Father-in-law
Brother-in-laws
Notes →
The two men had married sisters, Mary and Elizabeth Bendysh...
Grandfather → Grandson
Notes →
Henry Denny Berners was the second son of William Berner's son Charles...
Brother-in-laws

Addresses (1)

Woolverstone Hall, Woolverstone, Suffolk, East Anglia, England