Samuel Greatheed MP of Guy's Cliffe

1710 - 2nd Aug 1765


Biography

MP for Coventry (1747-1761), son of John Greatheed of St Mary Cayon, St Kitts and Frances. Grandfather of Bertie Bertie Greatheed (q.v.). Married Lady Mary Bertie, 21 February 1748, daughter of Peregrine Bertie, MP, 2nd Duke of Ancaster. There were two sons.

  1. Will of Samuel Greatheed of St George Hanover Square proved 03/03/1766. Under the will he reaffirmed his marriage settlement which left an annuity of £600 p.a. to his wife Lady Mary secured on his [unnamed] estate and enslaved people in St Kitts., and he specified that £10,000, part of the marriage portion or fortune of his wife, which he had for life, should be laid out on the purchase of 'the mansion house wherein we normally reside called Guy's Cliffe near Warwick.' He left his St Kitts property, including people, in trust to support a further annuity of £150 p.a. to his wife and £100 p.a. currency and £100 p.a sterling respectively to his two brothers Marmaduke and Richard. His brother Craister was to manage the plantation at the salary of £200 per annum.

Sources

Eveline Cruickshanks, entry in History of Parliament online, accessed 21/09/2015. The estate was almost certainly Greatheeds. In 1782 the estate of the family had 152 slaves: https://www.ourwarwickshire.org.uk/content/article/sugar-slavery-warwickshire-story [accessed 10/05/2019].

  1. PROB 11/917/15.

We are grateful to Jane Croom for her assistance with compiling this entry.


Further Information

Absentee?
British/Irish
Spouse
Lady Mary Bertie
Children
Bertie
Will

File 1, p.1 – of St George’s Hanover Sq, London - ‘Dear beloved wife Lady Mary Greathead all my gold and silver plate which I shall be possessed of or entitled to…with all my household goods, pictures, china, linen and furniture of what nature or kind so ever in England – but not elsewhere. - Also my coach, chariot and all my horses and cattle and stock of hay and corn unto and for her own absolute use and benefit.

  • All residue of personal estate shall be paid and applied in the discharge of my just debts, legacies, funeral expenses.

  • I have by settlement made on my marriage with my said wife Lady Mary charged all my estate and plantation in the island of St Christopher’s in America together with the rations, buildings, negroes, slaves and other stock thereon both living and dead with the payment of one [clear??] yearly annuity and rent charge of £600 payable to my said wife quarterly…is thereby declared to be in lieu and bar of her Dower out of my estate and whereas £10,000 part of the marriage portion or fortune of my said wife is by her and my said marriage settlement assigned to the trustees therein named – to receive rents and monies for benefit of wife and children of marriage o £5000 of marriage portion was used to purchase Guys Cliffe p.2 – All property in England and St Kitts placed in trust under ‘my worthy friends’ Thomas Truman and James George Douglas merchants of the City of London for 500 years

  • Wife is left further annuity on top of marriage settlement of £150 p.3 – To brother Marmaduke Greathead annuity of £100 in money of St Kitts; to brother Richard Greathead annuity of £100 British money
  • Both on the condition that both release all claims they have on any part of his estate – if not renounced all benefits to them in the will are void.

p.4 – Children £5000 to be shared between all regardless of sex – share and share alike payable at the age of 21 or upon marriage. In the meantime to be invested at rate of 5% interest p/a, which is to be used for maintenance and education.

Brother Craister (Christopher) - £100 in money of GB; sister Mary Greathead £100 providing they both relinquish any claims on the estate - All rest and residue and remainder to eldest son – but if no son and only daughters then it is to be split between them – if no children to ‘his own right heirs forever’.

Plantation in St Kitts p.5 – It is my will that the slaves or negroes both male and female and their issues & [sequels??] which I shall have at the time of my decease upon my said estate and plantations of St Kitts and also all such other slaves as my said trustees shall from time-to-time buy to be employed in the managing and cultivating of my said estate and plantations and also my stock living and dead, horses, mules and other cattle, mills, stills, coppers and all manner of other plantation utensils which shall remain and be upon my said estate and plantations shall forever go along with the same estates and appertain thereunto and be considered as heir looms and be deemed as part and parcel thereof and belonging to the same and not otherwise for the benefit of such person and persons who shall by this my will or otherwise for the benefit of such person and persons who shall by this my will and otherwise be intitled from time to time to my said estates and shall not be looked upon or considered as any part of my said personal estate…I hereby direct my said trustees to purchase… File 2, p.1 From time-to-time so many other negroes and slaves as they shall judge proper to be employed in and about my said estate and also do devise and direct them to erect and set-up any new works and buildings upon my said estate for the better improvement thereof as they shall in their discretion think necessary. - Trustees to commit management of estates to brother Craister at an annual salary of £200 o If trustees think he is mismanaging estates they have the power to remove him, provide all agree and have consent of Lady Mary.  If after her death trustees must gain consent of brothers Marmaduke and Richard.

  • No part of the plantation can be sold, farmed or rented by anyone else until son reaches majority. p.2 – Guardians and Executors
  • Wife appointed Guardian of children – if she dies Thomas Truman and James George Douglas appointed guardians; all three appointed executors – Craister appointed joint executor for St Kitts properties; written 25/4/1756 Codicil – 1762 Following death of brother Marmaduke he leaves his annuity to his son Richard Wilson Greathead – providing he renounces all claims over estate
University
Cambridge (Trinity) [1730 ]

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
- 1765 [EY] → Owner

In the will of Samuel Greatheed (d. 1765) proved in 1766 he left an unnamed estate on St Kitts to his son. LBS has inferred it to have been Greatheeds.


Legacies Summary

Political (1)

MP
West India interest 
election →
Coventry Warwickshire
1747 - 1761

Relationships (4)

Father → Son
Grandfather → Grandson
Testator → Trustee
Testator → Trustee

Addresses (1)

Guy's Cliffe House, Warwick, Warwickshire, West Midlands, England