William Farrington

Resident slave-owner, dying c. 1840. NB: Several clusters of claims in different capacities by William Farrington have been combined under a single individual: they are almost certainly by the same man but this has not been verified to date.

1. Will of William Farrington of Bahama Islands proved 16/11/1841. In the will he described himself as 'a native of England but for the last 49 years an inhabitant of the Bahama Islands.' He requested to be buried in Potters Field burial ground close to his late wives Harriet and Mary Elizabeth and his daughter Juliana. After setting aside £100 to educate his two youngest daughters Julia Martha and Rebecca Jones, he left the remainder of his property (including amounts held in the name of his agent Alexander Bain of Northumberland Street Marylebone but on Farrington's account or for his benefit) as to 1/12th to his 'illegitimate son' [his words] James William and his lawful issue; 1/12th to his illegitimate son William Henry and his lawful issue; 1/12th to his illegitimate son Thomas Charles and his lawful issue; 1/10th to his illegitimate dau[ghte]r Elizabeth Ann and her lawful issue; 1/10th to his illegitimate daughter Harriet Mary and her lawful issue; 1/10th to his legitimate daughter Mary Ann and her lawful issue; 1/10th to his legitimate daughter Sarah Margaret and her lawful issue; 1/10th to his legitimate daughter Julia Martha and her lawful issue; 1/12th to his legitimate daughter Rebecca Jones and her lawful issue; 1/12th to his legitimate son Daniel Stephens and his lawful issue; and 1/12th to his grandchildren in Liverpool named Mary Elizabeth and William, the children on 'my son Richard John late of Liverpool merchant deceased.' He had thus left to his five illegitimate children and five legitimate children and his two grandchildren 5/10ths and 6/12ths of his property. He made his illegitimate children Thomas Charles, James William, Elizabeth Ann and Harriet Mary his executors. He stressed to them the value of retaining his premises fronting on Bay and Frederick Streets as the family home and mercantile premises: he had, he said, invested $15,000 in the premises and if empty its rental should have been $1100 or $1200 p.a. In a codicil of June 1839 he excluded Thomas Charles from executorship and from half his share under the original will after Thomas Charles 'incurred my most severe displeasure.'

1. PROB 11/1951/154