Richard Bygrave (1798 - 1829)
Richard Bygrave was born in 1798 and was christened on 20 Aug 1798 in Vere Parish, Jamaica. He was the first known child and eldest son of Thomas Bygrave and Hannah Sill of May Day Hill Coffee Plantation in Vere, Manchester. Jamaica.
From 1817 to 1824 the Jamaica Almanac had Richard is recorded as being a Lieutenant in the St Anns Regiment in the Middlesex Regiment of the Foot.
After his father's death in late 1819 some records indicate that Richard took over management of the family plantation between 1822 and 1823, but the life must not have been for him. It is known that throughout this period Richards brother in law - Rev John McCammon Trew - acted as Trustee and Executor for Thomas Snrs estate. Richard did purchase a number of slaves previously documented against May Day Hill some time before Jun 1823. The records below summarise the Jamaica Almanac and Slave Returns
| Year | Slaves | Stock | Source | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1822 | 115 | 86 | Almanac | |
| 1823 | 148 | 56 | Almanac | Noted as Clarendon |
| 1823 | 5 | Slave Returns | Noted as owning 5 slaves in 1820 return "Registered in 1820 by Joseph ? Clarke as Attorney to J Mc Trew and Agent to Ann Trew" 3 Males and 2 Females
| |
| 1826 | 4 | Slave Returns | Notes as being "in the possession of The Revd John Mc Trew as agent of Richard Bygrave decd on the 28th day of June in the year of our lord 1826" 2 Males and 2 Females
Removed to St Thomas in the East (John McCammon Trew's parish) |
During the same period, the Almanac periodically captures the information as the Estate of Thomas Bygrave. Which appears to confirm that Richard only managed the estate for 2 years after which it reverted by to John McCammon Trew as trustee.
In 1823 Richards was a party to a dispute against Zachery Gaultier, which is described as : MANCHESTER 252 - Diagram represents land in dispute in the parish of Manchester and found that the plaintiff claims 300 acres of land formerly patented by Zachery Gaultier in 1721 as exhibited by the red lines. If the claim is established by the plaintiff, the land in dispute will be 72 acres the parcel shaded green containing 26 acres shows the defendants cultivation."
| Year | Slave | Stock | Source | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1821 | 118 | Almanac | Estate of Thomas Bygrave Mayday Hill | |
| 1824 | 114 | 16 | Almanac | Estate of Thomas Bygrave Mayday Hill |
| 1825 | 115 | Almanac | Estate of Thomas Bygrave Mayday Hill | |
| 1826 | 119 | 25 | Almanac | Estate of Thomas Bygrave Mayday Hill |
| 1827 | 118 | Almanac | Estate of Thomas Bygrave Mayday Hill | |
| 1828 | 116 | 4 | Almanac | Estate of Thomas Bygrave Mayday Hill |
| 1829 | 134 | Almanac | Estate of Thomas Bygrave Mayday Hill |
Richard does not appear to have married or have any legitimate children.
His brother Dr Thomas Bygrave Esq will acknowledges a reputed daughter - Jane, and this is confirmed by DNA testing which indicates that Jane father is a brother of Thomas's acknowledged children. That said, Janes death certificate notes Janes parents as Thomas and Elizabeth Jane Ham) :
- Jane Bygrave. Born abt 1826 at May Day Hill Coffee Plantation, Manchester, Jamaica. Married Thomas Davis in 1854. Died 1877 (her age various puts her year of birth at 1829)
It is also most like that the child born to Letitia Richards (noted in the 1826 slave returns above) is his daughter
- Ellen Bygrave Born abt 1823 baptised in the parish in 1824 (aged 1).
We are not sure of his exact date of death however we do have a burial record for Richard on 9 Dec 1825, where he was buried by .
By 1829 his brother Thomas had purchased back all of the his slaves and returned them to May Day Hill.
Related Documentation
- 1798 Baptism Record
- 1823 Slave Return
- 1824 Slave Return
- 1826 Slave Return
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