[Jamaicans, like James Craggs, often petitioned the Jamaican Assembly to allow their illegitimate, mixed-race children access to rights and privileges routinely enjoyed by all classes of whites. These records indicate that heiresses of color also did so on behalf of their children. The petitions of Patience Hermitt and Susannah Young were “assented to” and became ‘Acts’ after three favorable readings ot their bills before the Jamaican Assembly. Such Acts entitled Hermitt, Young, and their respective offspring the same rights and privileges with English subjects born of white parents, under certain restrictions.” Alternately, Andrew Wright’s will, notarized under English law, presents another way that a white father could secure significant property and monies to his ‘reputed’ children and get around the 1761 Jamaican Act designed ‘to restrain and limit ... exorbitant grants and devises made by white persons to negroes and the issue of negroes’ (passed 19th December 1761, Act 28).]
1. From Votes of the Honourable House of Assembly of Jamaica, ... Begun the 25th October,... 1791 ...And ended the 15th of March, 1792 Being the Third, Fourth and Fifth Sessions of the Present Assembly (Saint Jago de la Vega: Printed by Alexander Aikman, 1792)
Page 83
A petition of James Craggs, of the parish of Vere, esquire, was presented to the house, and read, setting forth,
“That, by an act of the legislature of this island, made and passed in the year of our Lord 1761, entitled, ‘An act to prevent the inconveniences arising from exorbitant grants and devises made by white persons to negroes, and the issue of negroes; and to restrain and limit such grants and devises,’ the petitioner is prevented from making such disposition of his estate and fortune as he is inclined to do, unto his reputed son and daughters, named John Craggs, Elizabeth Craggs, and Susanna Craggs, free quadroons, the children of Ann Summers, of the parish ofVere, a free mulatto woman, and which said children have been severally baptized and instructed in the principles of the Christian reli
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gion, and have been educated in a decent and reputable manner:
“And praying, that the house will give leave for a bill to be brought in, for enabling the petitioner to settle and dispose of his estate, real and personal, by deed or will, in such manner as he shall think proper, notwithstanding the said act:”
Ordered, That the above petition be referred to Mr. Osborn, Mr. Anderson, and Mr. Turner; that they enquire into the allegations therein set forth, and report the facts, with their opinion thereon, to the house.
Page 76
A petition of Patience Hermitt, of the parish of St. Catherine, a free mulatto woman, on behalf of herself and of Mary Hermitt, Benjamin Hume-Hermitt, William Hermitt, Catherine Hermitt, and Ann Hermitt, free quadroons, the children of the said Patience Hermitt, was presented to the House and read, setting forth,
“That the petitioner hath been baptized, educated, and instructed in the principles of the Christian Religion, and in the Communion of the Church of England, as by law established, and hath been decently brought up; and hath caused her said several children to be baptized, and, as they arrived at a proper age, hath brought them up in the same principles, and given them such an education as will enable them to earn their livelihood in an honest and industrious manner, and put them on a more respectable footing than people of colour are in general; but, from the unfortunate circumstance of their births, they are subject and liable to the same pains and penalties with persons of that complexion who have been brought up in ignorance an idleness:
“And praying that the House will give leave for a bill to be brought in for granting to her and her said children, and their issue, the like privileges as have heretofore been granted to persons in the same circumstances.”
Ordered, That the above petition be referred to Mr. Bryan Edwards, Mr. Shirley, and Mr. Rodon, that they enquire into the allegations therein set forth, and report the facts, with their opinion thereon, to the House. *
Pages 91-92
Mr. Bryan Edwards, from the committee to whom the petition of Patience Hermitt, of the parish of St. Catherine, a free mulatto
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woman, on behalf of herself, and of her several children, Mary Hermitt, Benjamin Hume-Hermitt, William Hermitt, Catherine Hermitt, and Anne Hermitt, free quadroons, was referred, reported, that the committee had enquired into the allegations set forth in the said petition, and do find they are true, and are of opinion that a committee should be appointed to bring in a bill agreeably to the prayer of the said petition.
Resolved, That the House do agree to the report.
Ordered, That Mr. Bryan Edwards, Mr. Shirley, and Mr. Rodon, be a committee for that purpose.
Page 96
A petition of Susannah Young, of the parish of St Elizabeth, a free mulatto woman, on behalf of herself and of her several children, William Salmon, John Salmon. Charles Salmon, Edward Salmon, Sarah Salmon, Ann Salmon, and Susannah Young Salmon, free quadroons, was presented to the House and read, setting forth,
“That the petitioner has been baptized, educated, and instructed, in the principles of the Christian Religion, and in the communion of the Church of England, as by law established, and hath caused her said children, William Salmon, John Salmon, Charles Salmon, Edward Salmon, Sarah Salmon, Ann Salmon, and Susannah Young Salmon, to be baptized, all of whom, except the youngest, are sent to England, there to be brought up and educated in the same religious principles:
“That the petitioner begs leave to represent, that she is possessed of property, real and personal in this island, sufficient to maintain herself and her children and to place them in situations much more respectable than that of free people of colour in general, but, from the unfortunate circumstances of their births, the petitioner and her children are subject to the same pains and penalties to which free-people are liable who have no property:
“And praying that the House will give leave to bring in a bill granting to the petitioner and her children, and their future issue, such privileges as have been heretofore granted to persons under the like circumstances.”
Ordered, That the above petition be referred to Mr.Vanheelen, Mr. Lewis, and Mr. Bryan Edwards, that they enquire into the allegations therein set forth, and report the facts, vita their opinion thereon, to the House.
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Mr. Vanheelen, from the committee to whom the petition of Susannah Young, of the parish of St Elizabeth, a free mulatto woman, on behalf of herself and of her several children, named William Salmon, John Salmon, Charles Salmon, Edward Salmon, Sarah Salmon, Ann Salmon, and Elizabeth Young Salmon, free quadroons, was referred, reported that the committee had enquired into the allegations set forth in the said petition, and do find they are true, and are of opinion that a committee should be appointed to prepare and bring in a bill agreeably to the prayer of the said petition.
Resolved, That the House do agree, to the report.
Ordered, That Mr. Vanheelen, Mr. Lewis, and Mr. Bryan Edwards, be a committee for that purpose.
Pages 120-21
Mr. Bryan Edwards, according to order, presented to the House a bill to entitle Patience Hermitt, of the parish of St. Catherine, a free mulatto woman, and Mary Hermitt, Benjamin Hume-Hermitt, William Hermitt, Catherine Hermitt, and Ann Hermitt, free quadroons, the children of the said Patience Hermitt to the same rights and privileges with English subjects born of white parents, under certain restrictions; which was received and read the first time.
Ordered, That the said bill be read a second time on Monday next...
Mr. Vanheelen, according to order, presented to the House a bill to entitle Susannah Young, of the parish of St. Elizabeth, a free mulatto woman, and William Salmon, John Salmon; Charles Salmon, Edward Salmon, Sarah Salmon, Ann Salmon, and Elizabeth Young Salmon free quadroons, the children of the said Susannah Young, to the same rights and privileges with English subjects born of white parents, under certain restrictions, which was received and read the first time.
Ordered, That the said bill be read a second, time on Monday next. .?
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2. From Andrew Wright’s “Last Will and Testament”
(1806)
I Andrew Wright of the Parish of Saint Elizabeth in the County of Cornwall in the Island of Jamaica Esquire but now residing in
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Great Tower Street in London do make publish and declare this to be my last will and testament in manner and form following...
...in trust to pay and apply a competent part of the residue of the ... monies to arise from the sale of the said produce and consignments aforesaid for the ... education and benefit of my reputed daughters Ann Wright and Rebecca Wright born of the body of Ruth Sinclair until such of my said daughters as shall be last living under the age of twenty one years and unmarried shall attain that age or be married or die which ever of the said last mentioned events shall first happen...
...half part thereof the whole into two equal parts to be divided in Trust for the said Ann Wright and her assigns and during the term of her natural life and to the intent that she and they may hold and enjoy the same without impeachment of waste and from and after her decease in trust for all and every child and children of the said Ann Wright lawfully to be begotten to be divided between or amongst them...
...and I do hereby also direct and declare that in case the said Ann Wright and Rebecca Wright or either of them shall at any time or times after my decease without the previous consent in writing of the trustees or trustee being of this my will return or come into the said island of Jamaica single and without having been married then and in such case ... of them or her so returning single and without having been married or without such previous consent in writing of the trustees or trustee for the time being of this my will of and in my said real and personal estate hereinbefore devised and bequeathed respectively for their benefit as aforesaid shall be in trust for and shall go over to such person or persons as would by virtue of the trusts and limitations hereinbefore contained be entitled to such shares of my said real and personal estate respectively in case they the said Ann Wright and Rebecca Wright or such of them as shall so return as aforesaid were they virtually dead without issue of their or her bodies or body as aforesaid...
I hereby nominate and appoint the said John Chambers, John Pusey Wint, Jeremiah Snow and James Cross and the survivors and survivor of them and the Guardian and Guardians of the persons and person of the said Ann Wright and Rebecca Wright until they respectively attain the age of twenty one years or be married which shall first happen...
...And I direct my said executors to devise to the said Ann Wright and Rebecca Wright respectively as soon as conveniently may be after my decease true copies of this my last will and tes
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tament to the intent that they may be fully acquainted with the contents thereof and particularly the clause prohibiting their return to Jamaica under the circumstances aforesaid and I do hereby revoke all my former wills in witness thereof... To this my last will and testament contained in nine sheets of paper set my hand to the first eight sheets and to this ninth and last sheet thereof my hand and seal this twenty first day of February in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and six.
Andrew Wright.
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