James Bruce of St Vincent

???? - 1815


Biography

Former partner of Philip Monoux Lucas (q.v.) and co-owner with James McCaul (q.v.) of the Belvidere estate on St Vincent, dying c.1815.

  1. Will of James Bruce of St Vincent (made in 1812) was proved 28/05/1815. Under the will he appointed 'my late partner Philip Monoux Lucas now of the City of London, Gilbert Munro and Duncan Campbell merchant of London as trustees, to pay: his housekeeper Jenny Bruce an annuity of £100 currency p.a. until the payment to her of a legacy of £1000 currency (she was to be allowed to live rent free in James Bruce's house on lot no.20 in Kingstown - 'I give her my old washerwoman named Rose.'); to his natural children James Bruce £500, Edward Bruce £1000, David Bruce £1000 and Sally Collymore £1000. It was, he said, his will and particular desire that his moiety of the Belvidere estate be sold to his partner James McCaul should the latter wish to buy it at the expiration of the crop after my decease, at a price fairly reflecting the depreciation of West India property. His residuary legatee was his sister Pomeroy McGhie; he provided that her creditor Robert Young of Taunton should be repaid out of her legacy. In a codicil headed 'London' and dated 22/03/1813 he left monetary legacies of £500 to his niece Susan Moncrieffe; 100 guineas each to his 'nephew and niece, I am their god-father, my sister's two youngest children'; the same sum to the children of Rev. Stewart Moncrieff 'I am also god-father for'; to his god-daughter Anna Maria Lucas the like sum. He urged his executors to be cautious in the sale of his half of Belvidere 'as my partner James McCaul is now not intitled by his late conduct to any kind of preference in its purchase.' He capped the repayment by his executors to Robert Young of Taunton at £8000, because the advance to his sister had been enlarged in a way of no use to her, and directed that her legacy should not be used for her husband's debts or extravagance or to support her sons who had, he said, received a good education and should not be a burden upon their parents.

  2. James Bruce's sister [Elizabeth] Pomeroy Bruce had married Robert McGhie, of a Jamaican slave-owning family with estates in Trelawney whose 1817 will was litigated in Chancery.


Sources

  1. PROB 11/1568/381.

  2. TNA C13/2877/23 [R1817 M6]


Further Information

Absentee?
Transatlantic?

Associated Estates (1)

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
- 1815 [EY] → Joint owner

The will of James Bruce of St Vincent proved 28/05/1815 PROB 11/1568/31 showed him as owner of Belvidere with James McCaul.


Relationships (5)

Business partners
Notes →
Philip Monoux Lucas was identified as his 'late partner' in the will of James Bruce of St Vincent proved in...
Business partners
Brother → Sister
Notes →
'Pomeroy McGhie' was a beneficiary as residuary legatee under the will of her brother James Bruce of St Vincent, who sought to settle her debts with Robert Young of...
Business partners
Notes →
The two men co-owned the Belvidere estate on St Vincent until James Bruce's death in...
Brother-in-laws
Notes →
Robert McGhie married Elizabeth Pomeroy Bruce, the sister of James Bruce....