William Bythesea

Of Greenwich, possibly a merchant although to date he has not been traced in the London Gazette. Annuitant on an estate [and almost certainly enslaved people] in St Vincent that has yet to be identified by LBS. His son and main heir George Bythesea died c. 1801; his wife Catherine in c. 1807; and his daughter Cecilia, then by marriage Brome, died c. 1827.

1. Will of William Bythesea of Crooms Hill Greenwich Kent [made in 1794] proved 27/02/1796. He left his wife an annuity of £800 p.a. and his house at Crooms Hill; he left his daughter Cecilia £500 p.a. or £10,000 at marriage, and likewise 'an annuity of £100 issuing from lands [sic] in St Vincent which I half-yearly receive from Messrs Chamier [?] of French Ordinary Court Swithins Lane held and granted for my natural life and my daughter Cecilia's'. He left his son George his advowson at Ightham in Kent, three houses at Crooms Hill, lands in the west country and his shares in Ranelagh, the 'Mines Royal Company' and the River Lee. His wife's annuity after his death was to be divided among his two children.

2. The annuity on the St Vincent estate appears to have formed only part of a larger assignment of property in 1797: Assignment of annuity 12/05/1797 between Catherine Bythesea of Crooms Hill in Greenwich in the County of Kent, widow, The Reverend George Bythesea of Bythham in the County of Kent and Cecilia Bythesea of Crooms Hill, spinster; Agreement and declaration of trust and release 13/05/1797 between Catherine Bythesea of Crooms Hill Greenwich in the County of Kent, Widow (also executrix named in the last will and testament of William Bythesea late of Crooms Hill, Gentleman, her late husband); the Reverend George Bythesea of Ightham in the County of Kent (son of William Bythesea); Cecila Bythesea (daughter of William Bythesea) and William Esdaile of Lombard Street in the City of London. In the will of Cecilia Brome nee Bythesea proved in 1827 she summarised the assets involved in this indenture without mentioning the St Vincent annuity itself.

London Gazette 15438 22/12/1801 p. 1523; will of Catharine or Catherine Bythesea widow of Greenwich Kent proved 11/01/1808, PROB 11/1472/81; will of Cecilia Brome late Cecilia Bythesea wife of Greenwich Kent proved 13/03/1827, PROB 11/1722/320.

1. PROB 11/1271/272.

2. C DDI/2/4 and C DDI/3/10 http://catalogue.hullhistorycentre.org.uk/files/c-ddi.pdf [accessed 29/05/2018]; PROB 11/1722/320.