William Bucknor I

Owner of Hopewell estate in Hanover, Jamaica. Made his will 10/11/1757 which made Hopewell over to his two sons, Samuel and Thomas Bucknor, as tenants in common in tail. Also gave to his sons "considerable personal estate, subject (among other legacies) to a legacy of £1,500 to the testator's daughter Frances Gent Bucknor." The will and its aftermath become the subject of an appeal to the Privy Council in White v Parnther, in 1829.

1. William Bucknor was born in Jamaica c. 1702, the elder brother of Thomas Bucknor I of St Mary's Jamaica. The latter's will, made in 1733 and proved in 1734, dealt primarily with his management of the 'Ryo Novo' [Rio Nuevo] estate.

2. William Bucknor was listed in the Jamaican Quit Rent books for 1754 as the owner of 1632 acres of land in St Mary, 1846 acres in St James and 600 acres in St Elizabeth, total 4078 acres. William Bucknor was Member of Assembly for Hanover in 1741 and Churchwarden in Hanovver in 1757.

3. William Bucknor senior Esquire was buried in Hanover, 20/08/1759.

4. William Bucknor of Hanover, Esquire. Estate probated in Jamaica in 1761. Slave-ownership at probate: 131 of whom 77 were listed as male and 54 as female. 45 were listed as boys, girls or children. Total value of estate at probate: £6708.11 Jamaican currency of which £5610 currency was the value of enslaved people. Estate valuation included £0 currency cash, £0 currency debts and £290.13 currency plate.

Jerome William Knapp, Reports of Cases argued and determined before the committees of His Majesty's Most Honorable Privy Council, appointed to hear appeals and petitions (London, 1831) pp. 179-230 (via Googlebooks).

1. Will of Thomas Bucknor of St Mary's Parish, Jamaica, 1733 (RGO/SpTw Liber 19, p. 160 1733-1734 - File #1995/2010), transcribed by Ben Buckner at http://www.buckbd.com/genea/tbucknor1734.html [accessed 24/02/2017].

2. 'A List of landholders in the Island of Jamaica together with the number of acres each person possessed taken from the quit rent books in the year 1754', TNA CO 142/31 transcribed at http://www.jamaicanfamilysearch.com/Samples2/1754lead.htm; W. A. Fuertado, Official and Other Personages of Jamaica from 1655 to 1790 Compiled from Various Sources (1896), transcribed at http://www.jamaicanfamilysearch.com/Members/bfeurtado01.htm.

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

4. Trevor Burnard, Database of Jamaican inventories, 1674-1784.

We are grateful to Ben Buckner for his help with this entry.