Rowland Williams of Carawina

Major slave-owner in Westmoreland, Jamaica. Died 1722.

1. Rowland Williams of Westmoreland, Esquire. Estate probated in Jamaica in 1723. Slave-ownership at probate: 464 of whom 269 were listed as male and 195 as female. 168 were listed as boys, girls or children. Total value of estate at probate: £19748.17 Jamaican currency of which £14393 currency was the value of enslaved people. Estate valuation included £0 currency cash, £1640.43 currency debts and £158.75 currency plate.

2. A case in Chancery, Williams v. Beecher, gives some details of the will of Rowland Williams. He died in 1722 leaving four sons and a daughter, all minors. He left £2000 sterling to his daughter and £6500 to his three younger sons Lewis, John and William. He also left 30 enslaved people to John. His eldest son, Joseph, was to recieve £500 a year until he reached the age of 27 years. His real estate he left to his sons severally. He left £100 to his brother William and all residue to his son Joseph. A codicil gave £300 Jamaican currency and £100 sterling per annum to his friend Mary Sharp, widow. The case revolved around this legacy to Mary Sharp (who died 05/07/1752). Mary's daughter Hannah (married to Edward Beecher; Edward died 16/10/1751), filed a bill 24/10/1751 claiming payment of the £300 with interest at 10 per cent, amounting to just under £10,000. Joseph Williams (son of Rowland's eldest son Joseph) was by the 1750s in possession of Carawina estate, presumably from his father. A judgement in 1755 found payment of £10,450 was due and in 1756 ordered sequestration, the estate of Joseph Williams being seized to the amount of £30,000. Joseph Williams' appeal was due to be heard in March 1757.

3. From the burial ground at Carawina: Mary, wife of Rowland Williams, died 20/11/1716 aged 39; Joseph Williams, eldest son of Rowland Williams, deceased, born 28/09/1702, died 05/06/1732 aged 30; Elizabeth, wife of Joseph Williams of Westmoreland, died 12/07/1748 aged 50; John Williams, son of Rowland and Mary Williams, born September 1706, died May 1734.

4. The will of Joseph Hodges of St Elizabeth, proved 1718, included a bequest of £50 to his son-in-law Rowland Williams.

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

2. Vere Langford Oliver, Caribbeana being miscellaneous papers relating to the history, genealogy, topography, and antiquities of the British West Indies (6 vols., London, Mitchell, Hughes and Clarke, 1910-1919) vol. 6 pp. 70-71.

3. Vere Langford Oliver, Caribbeana being miscellaneous papers relating to the history, genealogy, topography, and antiquities of the British West Indies (6 vols., London, Mitchell, Hughes and Clarke, 1910-1919) vol. 3 p. 349.

4. PROB 11/567/312.