James Simpson

1786 - 1851

Claimant or beneficiary

Biography

Retired merchant and attorney of Jamaica, awarded the compensation for Greenfield Pen and Bromley in St Ann as executor of Thomas Hynes, mortgagee, and for Sheldon in St David as trustee of John Bull. Probably also the awardee of compensation for one enslaved person in Kingston and possibly the awardee of compensation for a further 16 enslaved people in St Ann. His will suggests considerable though precarious wealth.

  1. In 1841 James Simpson aged 55 Ind[ependent] Pensioner born Ireland was living at Spinfield Lodge with wife Mary Ann, two adult women Ann Crosbie and Agnes Mortlock [?] and 6 servants. Jan 6 [1851]:  At Spinfield Lodge, [death of] James Simpson formerly of Kingston Jamaica.

  2. Will of James Simpson of Spinfield Lodge near Marlow Buckinghamshire (made in 1849) proved 06/02/1851. He left his renewable leasehold on Spinfield Lodge to his wife and then to his nephew James Carson; he left his property in trust (his trustees were his brother-in-law Robert Stewart and William Rodon Rennalls) to fund an annuity of £2000 p.a. to his wife and further annuities of £300 p.a to his nephew Samuel Simpson, £200 p.a to his sister Margaret Foster, £150 p.a. to his niece Mary and £30 p.a. to his friend Agnes Leathes Mortlock. He left £6000 to his nephew David Carson, £5000 to his niece Laetitia Headlam, and £6000 among the daughters of his sister Margaret Foster. He left £15,000 in trust for the advancement of his nephew Rev. James Simpson, to be laid out in the purchase of an advowson or the next presentation to a living or 'some preferment or appointment'. He said he had invested considerable sums on mortgages in Ireland, and that some of these were in arrears, so that the subordinated some of his legacies to the collection on these advances. In a codicil of 1850 he acknowledged the decline in the value of his property and reduced his provision to Rev. James Simpson from £15,000 to £10,000.

  3. Dissolution of Taylors and Simpson (William Taylor, Robert Taylor and James Simpson) merchants of Kingston Jamaica 31/12/1817. Termination of co-partnership of Simpson Taylor & Co. (James Simpson, Simon Taylor, Wm. Christie) Kingston Jamaica  31/12 last [1833] by mutual consent.

  4. Gave extensive evidence to the Select Committee on the Extinction of Slavery in 1832. Testified that he was in Jamaica for 24 years (with some intermissions) until 1828; was connected with a commercial house and was representative of several noblemen and gentlemen absentees, proprietors of plantations. (p. 359). Took the view that the enslaved were not yet ready for emancipation.


Sources

T71/857 St Ann nos. 110 (Bromley) and 115 & 116 (Greenfield Pen); T71/866 St David no.2 (Sheldon), which show him as of Springfield [sic] Lodge, Marlow Buckinghamshire; Kingston 2510 (which shows James Simpson 'GB'); St Andrew no. 144.

  1. 1841 census online [where it is indexed to James 'Sampson' and Mary Ann 'Sampson']; Gentleman's Magazine, Vol. XXXV (1851) January to June inclusive p. 215.

  2. PROB 11/2128/30.

  3. London Gazette, Issue 17386, 08/08/1818, p. 1424; London Gazette, Issue 19160, 03/06/1834, p. 1006.

  4. Parliamentary Papers 1831-32 (721) Report from Select Committee on the Extinction of Slavery, pp. 359-66, 369-404.


Further Information

Absentee?
British/Irish
Spouse
Mary Ann
Occupation
Merchant in Jamaica

Associated Claims (8)

£1,057 8s 0d
Unsuccessful claimant (Mortgagee)
£30 19s 2d
Awardee
£3,319 1s 6d
Unsuccessful claimant
£386 15s 0d
Awardee
£757 6s 10d
Awardee (Executor or executrix)
£2,171 15s 2d
Awardee (Executor or executrix)
£356 4s 1d
Awardee (Executor or executrix)
£3,655 2s 6d
Awardee (Trustee)

Associated Estates (62)

The dates listed below have different categories as denoted by the letters in the brackets following each date. Here is a key to explain those letter codes:

  • SD - Association Start Date
  • SY - Association Start Year
  • EA - Earliest Known Association
  • ED - Association End Date
  • EY - Association End Year
  • LA - Latest Known Association
1817 [EA] - 1823 [LA] → Attorney
1832 [EA] - → Attorney
1817 [EA] - 1823 [LA] → Attorney
1829 [EA] - 1832 [LA] → Attorney
1817 [EA] - 1826 [LA] → Attorney
1820 [EA] - → Other
1834 [EA] - → Executor
1817 [EA] - 1832 [LA] → Attorney
1829 [EA] - → Attorney
1823 [EA] - → Attorney
1824 [EA] - 1832 [LA] → Trustee and Executor
1826 [EA] - 1829 [LA] → Trustee and Executor
1820 [EA] - → Attorney
1820 [EA] - → Attorney
1817 [EA] - 1826 [LA] → Attorney
1832 [EA] - → Attorney
1815 [EA] - 1819 [LA] → Receiver
1826 [EA] - 1829 [LA] → Trustee and Executor
1820 [EA] - 1826 [LA] → Attorney
1834 [EA] - → Executor
1817 [EA] - 1820 [LA] → Attorney
1820 [EA] - 1826 [LA] → Agent
1817 [EA] - 1826 [LA] → Attorney
1822 [EA] - 1828 [LA] → Not known
1820 [EA] - 1826 [LA] → Receiver
1817 [EA] - 1820 [LA] → Attorney
1823 [EA] - → Agent
1826 [EA] - 1829 [LA] → Trustee and Executor
1826 [EA] - 1829 [LA] → Trustee and Executor
1820 [EA] - 1826 [LA] → Receiver
1820 [EA] - → Attorney
1817 [EA] - 1826 [LA] → Receiver
1832 [EA] - → Attorney
1820 [EA] - → Attorney
1820 [EA] - 1823 [LA] → Administrator
1823 [EA] - → Attorney
1820 [EA] - → Agent
1820 [EA] - → Other
1817 [EA] - 1823 [LA] → Agent
1832 [EA] - → Attorney
1817 [EA] - → Attorney
1817 [EA] - 1820 [LA] → Attorney
1823 [EA] - 1826 [LA] → Attorney
1823 [EA] - → Executor
1817 [EA] - 1820 [LA] → Attorney
1820 [EA] - 1826 [LA] → Attorney
1817 [EA] - 1817 [LA] → Attorney
1820 [EA] - → Agent
1820 [EA] - 1823 [LA] → Agent
1820 [EA] - 1826 [LA] → Attorney
1826 [EA] - 1834 [LA] → Trustee and Executor
1820 [EA] - → Attorney
1817 [EA] - 1820 [LA] → Attorney
1820 [EA] - → Attorney
1823 [EA] - → Agent

Tentative identification

1826 [EA] - → Agent
1820 [EA] - → Administrator
1817 [EA] - 1832 [LA] → Joint owner
1817 [EA] - → Attorney
1817 [EA] - 1826 [LA] → Attorney
1820 [EA] - 1823 [LA] → Attorney
1823 [EA] - 1826 [LA] → Receiver

Legacies Summary

Commercial (2)

Name partner
Hibbert, Taylors and Simpson
West India merchant  
 
Partner
 

Relationships (4)

Executor → Testator
Brother-in-laws
Notes →
James Simpson described his executor Robert Stewart as his brother-in-law in his will made in...
Business partners
Business partners

Addresses (1)

Spinfield Lodge, Spinfield Lane, Marlow, Buckinghamshire, Central England, England