Mary Morison

1. Mary Morison, baptised in Kingston, Jamaica, 21/11/1796 on the same day as her sister Jane, both the daughters of Lydia Christian, "a mulatto woman" by John Morison. Her sister was born 03/10/1795 and Mary was listed first, without a birth date, so was presumably the elder of the two.

2. Her sister Jane married James Hozier in 1842 and James O'Loughlin in 1849. The record of Jane's second marriage gives her father as John Morison deceased, West India planter.

3. The relationship between Mary Morison and her sister Jane is confirmed by the will of Mary's son Thomas Gunter (proved in 1881) who refers to Jane O'Loughlin as his aunt. Thomas's daughter Lydia Jane Gunter (later Hendricks) was living with her aunt (sic - actually her great-aunt) Jane O'Loughlin at 142 Queens Road in Paddington in the census of 1871. Another of Mary's children, Jane Morison Besset nee Gunter, was a witness to her aunt Jane's second marriage, and aunt Jane registered enslaved people as guardian of her neice Jane Gunter in 1829.

4. Mary Morison had two children with James Brown, both baptised in Kingston, Jamaica: Lydia Brown (21/12/1805) and William Brown (21/04/1808). She had four children with William Gunter: Robert Gunter (baptised in Kingston, 22/06/1812), Henry Gunter (baptised in St Andrew, 29/11/1813), Thomas Gunter (baptised in Kingston, 04/07/1814) and Jane Morrison Gunter (baptised in St Elizabeth, 03/12/1817).

5. William Morison Brown married Elizabeth Kenyon at Walton-on-the-Hill, Lancashire (Liverpool), 29/05/1838. One of the witnesses was his half-sister, Jane Morison Gunter. He was living at Prospect Cottage, Rainhill, Lancashire, with his wife, daughter and one female servant in 1841, "of independent means" (he appears as William Brown). In 1851 he appears as William Morrison Brown at 7 Duoro Place, Kensington, with his wife Elizabeth and daughters Margaret Morrison age 11 (born Liverpool) and Fanny age 9 (born Rainhill), occpuation Portrait and Animal Painter. In 1861 he was at Rose Hill Terrace, Worcester, Animal Painter. He died 18/06/1861 at Rose Hill; his executrix was his daughter Margaret, effects under £1,500.

6. Thomas Gunter married Claire Louise Altine Debrsse in Kingston, Jamaica in 1835. They had seven children baptised in Kingston: Claire (1837), Charles Edmond (1840), Mary (1842), William Henry (1845), Thomas Moreau (1847), Lydia Jane (1848) and Alice Maud (1851), father's occupation given as gentleman, merchant, clerk in these baptism records, residence given in some as King Street and others as Parade, Kingston. He has not been found in the 1871 census for England but in 1880 he was of 58 Hogarth-road, London, one of the executors of his aunt Jane O'Loughlin nee Morison. In 1881 he was a lodger at 4 Devonshire Terrace, Kensington, "Private means", with his second wife Annie and daughter Alice, age 29, all born in Kingston, Jamaica. He was buried 27/04/1881 at Brompton Cemetery, age 65 years. Thomas's son Thomas Moreau Gunter married Eliza Heslop Campbell: one of their children was Sir Geoffrey Campbell Gunter, Acting Governor of Jamaica in 1960.

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

2. First marriage of Jane Morison - Ancestry.com, Somerset, England, Marriage Registers, Bonds and Allegations, 1754-1914 [database online]; Second marriage of Jane Morison - Ancestry.com, London, England, Marriages and Banns, 1754-1921 [database online].

3. Will of Thomas Gunter - http://www.jamaicanfamilysearch.com/Members/w/wbrandon.htm; 1871 census online - Jane O'Laughlin age 70 and Lydia Gunter age 22, both born in Jamaica, at 142 Queens Road, Paddington; Jane Morison as guardian of Jane Gunter in the slave registers - T71/109 p. 259.

4. Baptisms of the children of Mary Morison - Familysearch.org, Jamaica Church of England Parish Register Transcripts, 1664-1880 [database online].

5. 1841, 1851 and 1861 censuses online; National Probate Calendar 1861.

6. Familysearch.org, Jamaica Church of England Parish Register Transcripts, 1664-1880 [database online]; National Probate Calendar 1880; 1881 census online; Ancestry.com, Brompton, London, England, Cemetery Registers, 1840-2012 [database online].

We are grateful to David Barker and Paul Hitchings for their assistance with compiling this entry.