James Brock

1782 - 4th Apr 1829


Biography

James Brock was born in Denny, Stirlingshire, Scotland (baptised 30/03/1782), the son of James Brock and Margaret Henderson (his parents had married in Denny in 1777). He was a resident slave owner at Industry Plantation in St Ann, Jamaica from 1817 or earlier until his death at the age of 49, 04/04/1829. He had 8 children with Margaret Gibb, whom he described in his will as “a free woman of colour, my housekeeper.” After James Brock’s death, Margaret Gibb, her 7 surviving children and her sister Mary Gibb went to Scotland where they settled in Denny, Stirlingshire. James Brock’s will provided his brother and sister in Scotland with sums of £500 and £1500 respectively, and he bequeathed a house in Scotland and the Industry estate in Jamaica, with associated slaves and stock, to Margaret Gibb and her children “for them and their heirs for ever.” To Ann Brock, a free Black Woman, he bequeathed “the use of Ten Acres of land and a woman Slave during her natural life, and after her decease the said land and Slave to return to Miss Gibb and her Children”. In 1840, an inventory of James Brock’s estate was carried out and documented in the Court of Session, possibly after the death of Margaret Gibb. At this time, three of his children were minors and living with various family members in the Denny area, one son had died in 1837, and the other three were now adults. The Court of Session document states that James Brock’s remaining assets, including £3500 that James Brock had invested in “three per cent consols,” and the assets of the Industry plantation in Jamaica were now divided 6 ways. The sum of £1300 was reported to have been already remitted to Scotland from proceeds from the plantation but the “state and condition thereof being unknown the amount or value thereof cannot be condescended on”. Proceeds from the estate may have continued to be paid to the six Brock children and their families for many years after this inventory.

Ann Brock, the 'free Black woman' in James Brock's will, was baptised 08/05/1818 on the same day as her two 'free Negro' children Rebecca Sawers age 7 months and John Walker age 3 years. Also baptised on the same day were William Gibb, a 'free mulatto 10 months old' and Mary Gibb Brock, 'free quadroon 1 year old' who was the youngest daughter of James Brock and Margaret Bibb.

In 1841, James Brock age 14 and Margaret Brock age 13 and Mary Gibb age 30 were living at Longcroft in Denny in the household of William and Helen Russell. Margaret married Archibald Young in Denny in 1847. James married Jean Wands in 1849. Margaret died in 1883; her parents' names on her death certificate were James Brock, a proprietor, and Margaret Brock nee Gibb.

Around 1925, the Industry estate was being managed by a Mr Fisher. He had received an offer to purchase, and retained Russel & Aitken, Writers, Falkirk to investigate which of James Brock’s beneficiaries now held title to Industry Plantation. In a memorandum dated 15/05/1925 it is stated that while James Brock’s will had been mostly carried into effect, “Industry Plantation was, for some reason, left unrealized and the free rents paid from time to time to those understood to be entitled to them, down to the present time.” The memorandum states that since James Brock’s children were illegitimate, the shares of the proceeds from now-deceased beneficiaries had been incorrectly allocated, and the remaining beneficiaries would legally be entitled to only half the proceeds of the sale of the property. Attempts by various descendants of James Brock to clarify the legal situation with the Industry Plantation continued for many years, ending unsuccessfully in the 1950s when the property passed out of family control and was acquired by Reynolds Mines.


Sources

We are grateful to Claire Callender for compiling this entry and to Norma Turner for providing extra information.

GROS OPR Births 476/10 322; GROS Marriages 476/20 171. Philip Wright, Monumental Inscriptions of Jamaica (London, 1966) p. 274. Details of James Brock's will and inventory sourced to "Children of James Brock, Falkirk," 1840; Court of Session Document, CS314/430.

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

1841 census online. GROS Marriages 476/30 580 FR 925 and 476/30 597 FR 935. GROS Deaths 1883 495 37.

Copy of last will and Settlement of James Brock, Jamaica, 21/02/1829 (copy is dated 1857). "Memorandum as to Industry Plantation," May, 1925, Russel & Aitken, Writers, Falkirk.


Further Information

Children
[Illeg., with Margaret Gibb] Elizabeth Gibb, Margaret Jane, John Alexander, James Robert, Sidney Henderson, Helen, Janet, Mary
Will

Copy provided by Claire Callender, 18/01/2017.

Precis.

James Brock of the parish of St Anne, Jamaica, planter.

To my dear brother William Brock now residing in Scotland £500 sterling, and £20 sterling to him and his heirs.

To my dear sister Helen Brock now residing in Scotland £1,500 sterling for her and her heirs.

In the event that my eldest daughter Helen Brock has been left by my dearly beloved parents James Brock and Janet Henderson their house and land called Wardhead in Denny, Scotland, then I leave my own house and land called Parkfoot in Denny to my second daughter, Mary Brock. But if my late parents have otherwise willed their property then my eldest daughter Helen Brock to have one half of Parkfoot.

To Miss Margaret Gibb a free woman of colour my housekeeper and her children Helen Brock, Mary Brock, Sidney Brock, Alexander Brock, Elizabeth Brock, James Brock and Margaret Brock my children, my property called Industry and any money that may be due me at my demise in Jamaica and Great Britain, for them and their heirs forever.

To Ann Brock, a free Black woman, the use of 10 acres of land and a woman slave during her natural life. After her decease the land and slave to return to Miss Gibb and her children.

William Frater of Trelawney, Patrick Waugh of Trelawney and John Macfarlane, practitioner of physic and surgeon in St Anne, William Miller junior of Trelawney, planter, and Charles Kean of Trelawney, planter, to be executors, trustees and guardians of my children.

Signed 21/02/1829.

Occupation
Planter

Associated Estates (2)

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
1816 [EA] - 04/04/1829 [ED] → Owner
1829 [EA] - 1834 [LA] → Previous owner

Relationships (10)

Extra-marital relationships
Other relatives
Notes →
Her sister Margaret was in a long-term relationship with James...
Father → Natural Daughter
Father → Natural Daughter
Father → Natural Son
Father → Natural Son
Father → Natural Daughter
Father → Natural Daughter
Father → Natural Daughter
Father → Natural Daughter

Addresses (1)

Denny, Stirlingshire, Central Scotland, Scotland