Thomas Cheap

London merchant, partner until 1782 in William Tod & Co. with William Tod, the slave-trader William Collow and John Henderson, then with John Pringle, and subsequently with Andrew Loughnan senior (each q.v.). Possibly an early purchaser of land in Grenada with partners named Collow and Paul. Also an East India Co. shareholder, and very probably the Thomas Cheap who was formerly consul in Madeira. The gravestone of Fisher Murray, located in the churchyard at Elvington, York, reads: "To the Memory of Fisher Murray, A Faithful Black Servant, who came from Madeira with Thomas Cheap Esqr. who was Consul there, and after living Sixty Years in the Family died the 18th Decr. 1821."

1. Will of Thomas Cheap of Berners Street proved 15/04/1795. Under the will, made in 1794, he left his wife Grace Cheap an annuity of £500 p.a. and the interest on £2666 13s 4d consols. He left his four children £20,000, evenly divided between Ann, John, Thomas (both East India men, one in Bengal and the other commanding an East Indiaman) and Andrew. He left his share in the business of Scott & Co. in Madeira to his youngest son Andrew , but if Andrew was to be taken as a partner by Andrew Loughnan, Thomas Cheap's existing partner, as foreseen, the share in Scott & Co. would be divided between Andrew Cheap and Andrew Loughnan. Perhaps ill-advisedly, he left the £20,000 legacy to is his children to be deposited in the mercantile partnership with Andrew Loughnan, which failed in 1799.

We are grateful to Mark Gillett for his assistance in compiling this entry.

London Gazette 12291 27/04/1782 p. 5.

1. PROB 11/1259/178.