Fortunatus Dwarris II

1727 - 1790


Biography

Resident slave-owner in Jamaica, owner of Golden Grove, to which he was succeeded by his nephew William Dwarris (q.v.). Second husband of Frances Dunston nee Harris, the widow of John Dunston (q.v.). The will of Fortunatus Dwarris [made in 1789] was not proved in London until 28/09/1809. 'M.D., custos of the parish of St George.'

  1. 'Copy release and discharge by John Hanbury Taylor of Kingston esq. and Sarah his wife (daughter of Thomas Harris) and Fortunatus D'Warris and Frances his wife (daughter of Thomas Harris) to Malcom Laing, attorney to William Philip Perrin, of all claims on Blue Mountain under the will of Thomas Harris. Consideration £700 to both parties. Dated 1 November 1766'.

  2. M.D. Leyden, Jan. 22, 1751, "De catameniis." Thesis at Leyden. Dedicated to Edward Trelawney, Governor of Jamaica. At St. John's Coll., Cambridge, 1748, aet. 20. Practised at Jamaica and died there, 1790. M.I.

  3. Fortunatus D'warris was listed in the Jamaican Quit Rent books for 1754 as the owner of 165 acres of land in St George. D'warris and Company were listed in the Jamaican Quit Rent books for 1754 as the owners of 60 acres of land in St Catherine and 982 acres of land in St George, total 1042 acres.


Sources

Caribbeana V 'Dwarris of Jamaica'. PROB 11/1503/279. Gentleman's Magazine Vol. 64 p. 476 (May 1790).

  1. Fitzherbert of Tissington Papers, D239 M/E 16493 Derbyshire Record Office.

  2. R.W. Innes Smith, English-speaking students of medicine at the University of Leyden (Edinburgh/London : Oliver and Boyd, 1932), p. 77.

  3. '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.

We are grateful to Stephen Mallet and Stanley Robert Criens for their assistance in compiling this entry.


Further Information

Spouse
Frances Harris
Will

'Fortunatus Dwarris of Kingston, Jamaica, doctor of phy. Will dated 17 June 1789. Nephew William D. £200 c. Friend Dr David Grant £50 c. My wife Frances, furniture, plate, carriages and horses, and house negroes. I am entitled in her right by the settlement made by George Pinnock Dunston, Esq., on 29 Nov. 1784 to £4371 for arrears of a rent charge of £300 c., payable to my wife by the will of her late husband John Dunston, Esq., I give her that sum. To Robert Brereton, Esq., who was the husband of my late sister Honoria, £20. My niece Elizabeth Hayes, dau. of late sister Mary Maclean by her husbd John M., Esq., decd, £100. To my nephew W. D. 3 negros. To my wife my house in Kingston for life, then to be sold and the proceeds for my 2 goddaughters and granddaughters-in-law Frances Dwarris Dunston and Sarah Taylor D. D. at 21, in default to my son-in-law George P. D. All real and personal estate and slaves to Thomas Stoakes Harris, Thomas Bell, Charles Mitchell, and George P. D., Esq., in Trust, to pay to my wife £800 c. a year out of the rents of my plantation called Golden Grove in the parish of St George. A mortgage I gave of it to Hilton and Biscoe, Merchants in London, in 1764, to be discharged now £720 only due. Trustees to purchase negroes, and after death of my wife to pay my niece Elizabeth Hayes £140 c. a year, to my neph. Robert Brereton, Jr., £300 c. a year, grand-nephew David Grant, Jr., £1000 c. at 21. All residue of estate to my nephew Wm Dwarris. Thomas Bell, Esq., to be acting Executor and manager of estate, and in case of his death or leaving Charles Mitchell, Esq., Thomas Stoakes Harris, my neph. William D., and my wife Fra., Executors. Witnessed by Will Mitchell, Tho. Williams, Tho. Lowry. Proved 28 Sept. 1809 by Wm D., Esq., the neph., p. r. to Frances D. the relic, the other surv. substituted Executor. (683, Loveday.)'

Caribbeana Vol. V 'Dwarris of Jamaica'

School
Eton
University
Cambridge (St John's); Leyden [1748; 1751 ]
Occupation
Physician

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
1795 [EA] - 1807 [LA] → Previous owner

Relationships (7)

Brothers
Son → Father
Great-uncle → Great-nephew
Uncle → Nephew
Step-father → Step-son
Son-in-law → Father-in-law
Other relatives
Notes →
Their wives were...