John Banks

1. John and Margaret Banks of St Thomas-in-the-Vale had a son John baptised in St Catherine, Jamaica, 18/02/1711.

2. In his will dated 1735 and proved in 1836, John Martin of St Thomas-in-the-Vale, planter, bequeathed 200 ares of land in St Mary to his sister Margaret Banks, wife of John Banks of St Mary, planter. This was the remaining part of 650 acres in St Mary originally patented by John Martin's father Alexander Martin (also presumably the father of Margaret Banks). Margaret Banks was to be guardian of John Martin's natural son John Strife and was named as one of the executors.

3. John Banks of St Mary, planter. Estate probated in Jamaica in 1739. Slave-ownership at probate: 50 of whom 21 were listed as male and 29 as female. 6 were listed as boys, girls or children. Total value of estate at probate: £2704.25 Jamaican currency of which £1302 currency was the value of enslaved people. Estate valuation included £450 currency cash, £601 currency debts and £1.75 currency plate.

4. Margaret Banks was listed in the Jamaican Quit Rent books for 1754 as the owner of 400 acres of land in St Mary.

1. Familysearch.org, Jamaica Church of England Parish Register Transcripts, 1664-1880 [database online].

2. PROB 11/680/250.

3. Trevor Burnard, Database of Jamaican inventories, 1674-1784.

4. "A List of landholders in the Island of Jamaica together with the number of acres each person possessed taken from the quit rent books in the year 1754", TNA CO 142/31 transcribed at http://www.jamaicanfamilysearch.com/Samples2/1754lead.htm.

We are grateful to Rita Lamb for her assistance with compiling this entry.