Thomas Oakley

Awarded the compensation for Mount Oakley in Portland Jamaica, and almost certainly the same man who counterclaimed apparently unsuccessfully on a second smaller claim in Portland. In addition, Thomas Oakley's cousin Stephen Oak[e]ley Attlay owned Prospect estate in Portland, the compensation for which was paid to the London mortgagees William Jegon and George Rutherford (each of whom q.v.) after Stephen Oakeley Attlay assigned the compensation for the enslaved people on Prospect to them.

1. The awardee for Mount Oakley is almost certainly Thomas Oakley or Oakeley Jr. (born 1773), nephew of Thomas Oak[e]ley (b. 1744) and son of Richard Oak[e]ley, of Lydart House Monmouthshire. The link is strongly suggested by the counterclaim by Thomas Oakley of Liddart[sic] House for another claim in Portland. Thomas Oak[e]ley Jr., according to Simon Smith, had returned from Jamaica by 1816 in order to re-marry, which he did through his wedding (as his second wife) to Elizabeth Pearce, the daughter of  a local landowner, Joseph Pearce of Staveton House, Gloucestershire at Lydart House Monmouthshire that year.  

2. In assessing the evidence of the 1851 census, Smith is careful to describe the residents shown in that census at Lydart House Mitchel Troy only as 'members of the Oakeley family', but the evidence of the wife's name (Elizabeth, aged 60) and birthplace (Gloucestershire) and the age of Thomas Oakley (77, JP and farmer, born Shropshire) all indicate that this is the same man as Thomas Oakley Jr. of the compensation claims.    

3. Will of Thomas Oakley late of Mitchel Troy Monmouthshire who died 30/03/1861 proved 11/11/1861 effects under £5000.

T71/915 Portland no. 186. T71/997 claim by Robert Mein attorney to Thomas Oakley an absentee; T71/1201 Portland no. 103 cc from Thomas Oakley of Liddart house Mitchel Troy, Mon.

1. S. D. Smith, An Introduction to the Plantation Journals of Prospect Sugar Estate, with contents of the microfilm (2004), http://www.microform.co.uk/guides/R97615.pdf [accessed 23/04/2012], pp. 4 and 23. The spelling 'Oakeley' is used consistently through this text.

2. 1851 census online. Children's names are drawn from this source.

3. National Probate Calendar 1861.