The Tharp Papers  -  18th century Jamaica Documents

Part I

INTRODUCTION

The Tharp estates records are one of the few that have survived for 18^th century Jamaica because of a prolonged lawsuit involving the Tharp family in the nineteenth century. In brief the original entrepreneur, John Tharp, disinherited his children in a family quarrel and left most of his property to his baby grandson but alas the latter turned out to be mentally ill. Attempts by a variety of people to get hold of the money lead to a horrendous lawsuit of the Jarndyce v Jarndyce variety. Happily this has preserved the records. I am told.a Tharp descendant in the female line still lives in their Cambridgeshire country house. The Tharp papers were deposited at Cambridge by one of John Tharp's descendants both as "well-deserved acknowledgement to the family and to help place the
collection in context."

The Tharp papers can be found at the Cambridge County Records, Shire Hall, Castle Hill, Cambridge, CB3 OAP, England, UK. To find it you leave the Cambridge of the colleges and sightseers north west by the Magdalene Bridge and go about 150 –200 yards up the hill, Castle Street. At the top on the right is the large County Hall administrative building where the reception will direct you.

The email address is County.Records.Cambridge@Camcnty.gov.UK

The County Archivist, Cambridgeshire County Council, is Mrs. E. Stazicker, her deputy is Dr Philip Saunders, Tel. No. (UK) 01223 717281

Photocopying charges are 25p per A4 sheet, 40p per A3 and there is a minimum charge of £2.00 for copies sent by post.

The Historical Research Service fees are £12.00 for half an hour and £9.00 for subsequent half hours up to a maximum of 2 hours.  Cambridge County Record Office is an increasingly busy office and in order to avoid disappointment, particularly for visitors coming from a distance, they strongly advise people to telephone in advance to book a seat in their searchroom.

There is a short pamphlet, Good Hope: Jamaica, a short history by Patrick J. Tenison, published in Jamaica 1971 that gives some details of one of these estates and the history of the dispute.

The lists of slaves mentioned give only first names, whether male or female, the skill of the relevant individual such as carpenter, smith, cooper and in one case a female cook and whether the person was mixed race (mulatto) the latter being rare at most about one in 20 or 30 I would think. In one case [RS.55.7.122(l) document 4] there is a surname, Jack Shaw, a house slave who waits at table. In at least one document [RS.55.7.122(m), document 6, 23 May 1777] slaves’ partners are given which implies a degree of recognition e.g. "Belinda’s Sammy" or perhaps "Sammy’s Belinda" while in another [R.55.7.123, first document, 1795-96] lists of slave children of the mother give the father’s name as well.

Some of the documents are in poor condition and the Record Office tell me that they are seeking a grant for preservation purposes for this part of the Tharp papers as its interest is far more than local.

Edward Crawford
Brunel University, UK
busterc@brunel.ac.uk

Often the English and Jamaican estates are considered together in the High Court of Chancery. Therefore some further information about the estates will be found under:- R.55.7.106-119

{Notes that have been added by the library in manuscript to the original typescript index are enclosed in brackets thus {1809}. ERC 1998}

{Note: Only the number (and letter) on the left hand side of the slip are essential for a proper reference. The slip number, which runs with each group of records with the title, is not part of the document reference and the bundle numbers of deeds are now redundant.

e.g. R55.7.122(a) id the feoffment of 1000 acres in St James Parish to Thos Williams

R.55.7.128(i) is Produce returns from Jamaica estates etc}

Plan made by order of Sir Thomas Modyford.

Scale: 7½ inches to 1 mile. {2 parts}

Scale: 15 inches to 1 mile.

Ref. to Patent, 23 Oct., 1723.

Scale : 4 inches to 1 mile.

Scale :- 4 inches to 1 mile. {2 parts}

Scale :- 4 inches to 1 mile.

Ref. to Patent, 11 Ap., 1755.

Scale :- 4 inches to 1 mile.

Scale :- 4 inches to 1 mile.

Scale 4 inches to 1 mile

No scale.

Part of Top Hill Pen estate

No scale.

Part of Top Hill Pen estate. No scale.

Top Hill Pen estate. Scale :- 4 inches to 1 mile.

No scale.

West and North elevations and ground plan. In colour

Letters patent granting 1000 acs. land in P. of St. James. (e)

Feoffment of 1000 acs. land in P. of St. James.

Attested copy of Grant of land by Martha Brea River, in P. of St. James for building water mill to serve Williams' plantation.

Schedule of cattle, &c. attached.

Confirmation of title to 1000 acs. now in P. of Trelawney as in R.55.7.122.(a).6.

Lease and Release of Potosi Estate with all lands, tenements, Slaves and other stock.

Articles of Agreement granting to John Tharp, husband of Elizabeth joint devisee with her sister under Will of Thomas Partridge her brother to Potosi and Flamstead Estates, management of same until said devisees are both of age. (e)

Lease and Release of lands specified in Indenture of 9 Feb., 1747 (possibly 500 acs. and 197 acs. of Nutfield Estate) remainder of lands of Henry Strudwick deceased which John Tharp had not previously acquired. (e)

Attached:-

.

Probate, 2 Dec.., 1772.

Attached:- 1 Nov., 1789. Declaration of Mayor of Chester attesting signatures.

5 Nov., 1789. Declaration of same attesting affidavit of John Humphries.

Attached: Declarations as to R.55.7.122. (d).3.

Lease and Release of estate and slaves in Jamaica, formerly Henry Strudwick's who was grandfather of G. H. Warrington.

Attached:

7 Mch. 1791. )

8 Mch. 1791. ) 5 affidavits attesting signatures to above.

3 Aug., 1803)

Discharge of arrears of annuity chargeable on Pantre Pant estate.

Enclosing

14 Nov., 1750. Plan of estate of 300 acs. formerly of Henry Strudwick.

20 Ap., 1795. Sarah W. Bolt to John Tharp. Receipt for annuity.

Articles of Agreement for Lease for 13 years 5 months 15 days of Cheshire Plantation and a moiety of Hambrocke Penn, both in P. of St. James, at £375 for first 4 years, £500 p.a. for next 9 years, and £500 for residue of lease.

Further Articles of Agreement relating to Lease as above, and provision for re-valuation of estate.

Enclosing 13 Oct. 1786. Draft of said Articles

Ref. R.55.7.122.(e).3. R.W. Spragge to receive two thirds and J. Spragge one third of £1000 p.a..

Lease and Release of Cheshire Estate of 325 acs. in P. of Trelawney with mills, negroes and other stock; and of title to 300 acs. in Trelawney and 391 acs. near Martha Brae.

Attached: 25 Feb., 1792. Affidavit attesting signatures to above.

Grant of 1308¾ acs. land in Trelawney in 2 parcels marked A and D on attached plan. (e)

Attached: Diagramatic abstract of title.

Conveyance of 520 acres in St James with tenements etc (e)

Plan attached

Grant of 150 feet land being, a wharf in Martha Brea. (e)

Agreement that Tharp be reimbursed the taxes he had paid since taking possession of the Merrywood. Estate and Summerhill Pen (formerly Cuniffe’s)

Conveyance in trust to bar estate tail of Pedro Estate of 100 acs. and slaves (A in schedule), messuage and Batchelor's Hall Sugar Plantation of 260 acs Morris's Pen, and Old Pen of 150 acs., all in P. of Hanover, with slaves (B in schedule). (e)

Attached Schedule of slaves.

Re-conveyance of lands, &. as in R.55.7.122.(h).1. (e)

Mortgage of Pedro Plantation of 212 acs. with slaves, &c. (e)

Grant of 240 acs. land, formerly in P. of St. James but now partly in P. of Trelawney. (e)

Grant of moiety of 120 acs. in Trelawney. (e)

Assignment of Mortgage of 300 acs. in St. James and 2 negro women slaves. (e)

Grant of 300 acs. in Trelawney, formerly in P. of St. James(e)

Attached: 9 Sept., 1751. Summary of letters patent granting said land to George Reid, with Plan.

Grant of 300 acs. in Trelawney. Plan attached. (e)

Grant of 300 acs. in Trelawney. Plan attached. (e)

Grant of Hawkerton Plantation of 958 acs. and slaves. (e)

Attached: Plan of estate.

Grant of 2831¾acs. land near Martha Brea (sic) in P. of St. James. Plan of lands attached.

Mortgage of Pedro Estate of 212 acs. in P. of Hanover with slaves and other stock. (e)

Grant of 300 acs. land in St. James. (e) Plan of estate attached.

Mortgage of mules, steers and horses on Pedro Estate.

Grant of equity of redemption of 300 acs. land, 2 negro women slaves and other stock in Trelawney. (e)

Assignment of Mortgage R.55.7.122.(i).2.

Mortgage of Cacoon Estate, P. of Hanover, of 568 acs. land with 147 slaves and other stock. (e)

Schedule of slaves attached.

Grant of 600 acs. land in P. of St. Anne, Plan of estate attached.

Grant of 500 acs. land in P. of Trelawney. (e)

Plan of estate attached.

Grant of 815 acs. land being part of Haddington Penn in P. of St. James. (e) Detailed and clear plan of estate attached.

Mortgage of Moiety of Potosi Estate of 600 acs. in P. of St. James, with slaves.

Dean's Valley Waterwork Plantation of 1400 acs. in Westmoreland with slaves. (e)

Endorsed: 14 May, 1776.

Robert Perris to Richard Watt and Alexander Allardyce. Assignment of Bond.

Lease and Release of Dean's Valley Waterwork Plantation of 1400 acs. with slaves in trust to secure annuity of £570 to W. Webber and to other uses.

Schedules of slaves attached

Affidavit attesting signatures of Willian Blake attached.

Confirmation of grant as in R.55.7.122.(j).4. and discharge of Sarah Blake’s right of dower in said lands. List of slaves attached.

Attached: 6 Aug., 1777. Affidavit attesting signatures.

Conveyance (under decree of High Court of Chancery, Jamaica, to satisfy creditors and execute Will of W. Blake) of Dean's Valley Water-work Plantation of 2200 acs. with all stock. (e)

Attached :- Plan of estate; Schedules of slaves, cattle, &c.

Assignment of annuity of £100, part of annuity bequeathed by Thomas Partridge first husband of said Katherine, chargeable on his personal estate in Jamaica, in trust to pay surplus, after annuity of £67 - 10s. to said D. Jobson had been deducted, to said Katherine.

Endorsed: 11 Mch. 1785. David Jobson to John Tharp.

Receipt for £29 - 10s. arrears of certain annuities, and release of annuity.

Endorsed: 11 Mch., 1785. Memo. of discharge of above annuity by John Tharp.

Settlement on proposed marriage of John Tharp and Ann Gallimore widow both of Trelawney, of Lansquinet and Cheshire plantations now cultivated as one estate of 750 acs. in Trelawney with slaves, &-c. , in trust for uses stated.

Schedule of 375 slaves on estate attached.