Jamaican Family Search Genealogy Research Library

PAGE

PREFATORY REMARKS ... ... ... ... ... ix

JAMAICA ... ... ... ... ... ............... 1

CHRONOLOGICAL TABLE ... ... ... ........... .10

EPITAPHS AND MONUMENTAL INSCRIPTIONS........................... 21

BARBADOS ... ... ... ... ... ... 341

CHRONOLOGICAL TABLE ... ... ..... 347

EPITAPHS AND MONUMENTAL INSCRIPTIONS ... ... ... 355

ANTIGUA ... ... ... ... ... 403

CHRONOLOGICAL TABLE ... ..... 406

EPITAPHS AND MONUMENTAL INSCRIPTIONS ... ... ... 409

ST. CHRISTOPHER, NEVIS, AND ANGUILLA ... 415

CHRONOLOGICAL ROLL OF GOVERNORS, ETC. ... ... 417

EPITAPHS AND MONUMENTAL INSCRIPTIONS ... ... 418

BRITISH GUIANA ... ... ... 423

EPITAPHS AND MONUMENTAL INSCRIPTIONS ... ... ... 426

OTHER COLONIES, ETC. NOTICED ... ... ... ... 427

GRENADA ... ... ... ... .. 429

ST. VINCENT ... ... ... ... 431

MONTSERRAT ... ... ... ... ... 431

ST. LUCIA ... ... ... ... ... ... 431

TOBAGO ... ... ... ... ... 431

TRINIDAD ... ... ... 431

DOMINICA ... ... ... ... ... ... 431

TURKS AND CAICOS ISLANDS ... ... .... 432

THE VIRGIN ISLANDS ... ... ... 432

THE BAHAMA ISLANDS ... ... ... ... 432

HONDURAS ... ... ... ... 432

INDEX ... ... ... ...... 433

PREFATORY REMARKS.

THE Author formed the design of visiting the older English colonies of the West Indies, and of examining, so far as he might be permitted, their local records, with a view to the production of a work which should contribute, through the genealogical medium, to a better knowledge of the social origin of those colonies, in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries.

It may not be unworthy of note, that those early settlers were, as a rule, men of great energy, with moderate political opinions. They belonged to the same class from which the titled aristocracy is for the most part derived, and many of their numerous descendants are to be found in the present peerage and baronetage, holding posts of honour under the Crown.

The higher class of planters or proprietors almost invariably educated their children in England; and, although in those days, the voyage was so much longer and more difficult than at present, it is surprising how frequently, those colonial gentry made it ; and many of their adventures might, even now, afford subject of interest for the novelist.

There was, towards the close of the seventeenth century, another element in the social condition of these colonies namely, white slaves, an institution perhaps suggested by Cromwell's Government, but only carried out to its full extent, by James the Second, while disposing of the unfortunate adherents of Monmouth.

Another principal object of the present collection is, to preserve records which, in the course of a few generations, would otherwise be destroyed through neglect, spoliation, the effects of climate, and other causes.

In Jamaica, most of the handsome old mausoleums at Port Royal, for instance being secluded from the town, and partially concealed by gigantic cacti, cashaw, and mangrove trees, have been, from time to time, broken into and plundered the leaden coffins stolen, the marble tablets carried off, and sold again for the like purposes, and the empty vault left for the lugubrious picnics of the " dangerous," or at any rate, idle classes, whose broken bottles, mingled with the relics of humanity, bear witness to the revelries by which they have been desecrated.

X PREFATORY REMARKS.

In many other places, the older slabs have been broken up, to supply the ordinary necessities of repairing walls, &c., while, in some of the disused cemeteries, the monuments themselves have been gradually and surely entombed, by the encroachments of the matted crabweed. In numerous instances, the larger sepulchres have been insidiously destroyed by the seeds of overhanging trees, which, vegetating in their fissures, and striking their roots downwards, in search of nourishment, have so disintegrated the masonry, as, in some places, to carry it up in their growth, and in others, to reduce it to mouldering heaps. Such a struggle between robust nature and frail art, in the less frequented private cemeteries, has generally resulted in the entire destruction of tombs scarcely half a century old.

The present collection was made in 1858 and 18645,* and almost entirely annotated by the author, under circumstances of considerable personal difficulty, in the churches and cemeteries of Jamaica, and Barbados. Later, he discovered that some pamphlets, entitled " Church Notes," and "A History of the Parish of St. James', Jamaica,"** had been printed by the late Mr. Roby, of the latter island, and from portions of these, which fell into his hands, and also from a small MS. collection of pedigrees given to him by the late Mr. H. L. Long, of Hampton Lodge, he has made several useful extracts, which will be found duly acknowledged, along with other desultory contributions.

After many researches amongst the local public records of the West Indies, the author, on his return to England, continued his annotations. in the various registries of the three Kingdoms; but, ultimately finding these too extensive for the limits of his work, he made a careful selection, and then abridged the latter.***

One of the objects of the present work being to link, however slightly, the Home and Colonial records of the seventeenth century, the author made an application to His Grace the Secretary of State for the Colonies (1867), who very liberally endeavoured to facilitate his farther inquiries in the islands which he had just left; but owing to unforeseen obstacles this attempt was frustrated, and, consequently, many valuable sources of information yet remain available for some future labourer in the same field.

In Barbados, the task of transcribing epitaphs, owing to the highly cultivated and open character of the country, was comparatively easy; but in Jamaica, where the wild vegetation of nature is so remarkable, the explorer of its older and private

________________________________

*The author's term of service in command of the depot of his regiment 2nd Batt. 60th Rifles having then expired.

** Unfortunately, the author was unable to discover the 1st and 2nd Parts of the latter, until the greater part of Jamaica had passed through the press.

***The present object being to present the materials in as condensed a form as possible, it has seemed unnecessary to repeat in every instance local official titles, names of the estates of their owners, and much interesting collateral matter, which may be reserved for another occasion.

PREFATORY REMARKS., xi

cemeteries, must resort to manual labour; and the author has, not unfrequently passed days, from breakfasttime until sunset, with the common woodman's cutlas, clearing away the dense and matted undergrowth, while approaching the objects of his search.

In these dark and humid spots, shut up in woods which have undone the labours, in some instances, of generations, the loneliness is equal to, if not greater, than that of the great forests of India, for here animal life with the exception of birds and insects is almost unknown, and the perfect solitude is quite undisturbed. But although there may be grander trees in the Indian forests, they cannot compare with those of the West Indies in the wealth of gorgeous blossoms, and in variety of aspect, from the wild tamarind, whose graceful boughs hang out their scarlet clusters, and the spicy pimento, with its chaste myrtle bloom to the cedars, and the giant cotton tree, overgrown with delicate or brilliant flowering orchids, and festooned with climbing plants of exquisite beauty.

Without a record of every consecrated ground in the West Indies, and more especially, in a densely wooded island like Jamaica, it would be impossible to make a complete collection of these mortuary memorials; and moreover, without very unusual advantages, a private explorer would meet with incessant and vexatious obstacles. The author made this collection as exhaustive as possible, where he had the opportunity, but much has been left undone.

He did not confine himself, as will be observed, to the transcription of merely old, curious, or dignified epitaphs, but included many of no particular interest, and which can only be expected to acquire a slight value in the lapse of time. Nor did he desire to make, by a studied selection, any invidious distinction between social classes, and different races and nationalities. There are doubtless inconveniences in thus treating the subject especially since the period of the negro emancipation but there is a classical excuse, which may be accepted as sufficient apology

"Nil nimium studeo, Caesar, tibi velle placere Nec scire utrum sis albus an ater homo."

The intention of the author was originally restricted to a collection of epitaphs, from the earliest period to the year 1750, but, for reasons which will be apparent, this limit has, been frequently exceeded, except as regards the island of Barbados, in which his stay was so short that it would have been impossible to do otherwise, while on the other hand, where inscriptions, mostly of modern date, were received from a few minor islands, it seemed undesirable to reject them, in conformity to an arbitrary arrangement.

The endeavour has been made to avoid, in annotation, the error of overestimating the importance of families whose influence was only local, but, at the same time, not to overlook anything curious in their histories, and also to give

xii PREFATORY REMARKS.

space to their genealogies, in preference to those already before the public, and which are readily accessible.*

J. H. L. A.

_______________________________

*Archbishop Whately was, doubtless, just in the following remarks, but, as much of this spirit of which he complained will always prevail, it is scarcely safe to be generous :" I have always desired to repress that narrow, provincial spirit, that would separate island from island, county from county, one portion of the British empire from the other. Two eminent prelates, raised to the bench of bishops in England, are natives, not of Great Britain, but of Barbados. Suppose the narrow feeling had been nourished of Barbados for the Barbadians, could these prelates ever have attained their high dignity ?"

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