Richard Watson

To date little has been traced of Richard Watson. However, Oriana Watson late Lawrence, wife of Goulden Terrace Islington, whose will was proved 12/07/1830, identified her then husband as Richard Watson of Demerara and herself as formerly the wife and late the widow of Thomas Lawrence, also of Demerara. She left all her property in trust to Thomas Hubbard, her deceased husband's nephew, to pay £200 to her sister Ann Anderson and annuities of £60 p.a. to another sister Sarah Harris spinster and of £40 p.a. to Harriet Lawrence of Demerara, a free coloured woman and the daughter of another free coloured woman Harriet Pringle. The rest of her estate she left for the benefit of her seven children (5 daughters, 2 sons) from her first marriage.

1. Richard Watson in 1826 registered 41 enslaved people as the natural guardian of Edward, John and Maria Watson, presumably children by his first marriage, and appeared nom. ux. [in right of his wife] as co-owner of plantation Batavier & Essex. He also registered enslaved people as proprietor on the Fellowship estate from 1817: he was awarded compensation for this estate in the 1830s as owner-in-fee.

PROB 11/1774/225.

1. T71/419 pp. 2370-2371.