Extracts from William Salmon's will

Extracts from the will of William Salmon of Jamaica

Written 25^th July 1794. Will proved 3^rd July 1795

William Salmon of the Parish of Saint Elizabeth and Island aforesaid Esq……”this my last will and testament”…….. four thousand pounds capital three per cent Bank Stock, estate at Alveston and houses at Thornbury my “Good friends George Rolph and John Cullimore both of Parish of Thornbury, Glos, Attornies at Law” as trustees “My dear father John Salmon….My nephew John Salmon son of my brother Brice Webb Salmon….My late brother Thomas Stokes Salmon….My nephew Thomas Stokes Salmon son of my late brother John Salmon”        Two thousand pounds capital three per cent Bank Stock….

My reputed daughters Susannah Salmon and Elizabeth Salmon each of them to enjoy the dividends on one thousand pounds each for and during their natural lives and in case either of my reputed daughters should be married in that case I do empower my trustee or trustees to sell or transfer such a part of the said stock for each of their marriage portion as they my said trustee or trustees shall think fit and proper for them provided it do not exceed five hundred pounds capital……..

I give and bequeath unto each of my reputed sons Brice Vassal Salmon, Thomas Salmon, Henry Salmon and Lewis Salmon to each of them the sum of Seven Hundred Pounds sterling money of Great Britain to be paid to each of them when they reach the age of twenty one…….

I give devise and bequeath unto Mary Vassall a free woman of colour three hundred pounds current money of Jamaica to be paid her twelve months after my decease and I do give and bequeath unto the said Mary Vassall my negro boy named Arthur born of a negro woman named Paibba? To have and to keep the said negro boy named Arthur until the first day of July in the year of Our Lord one thousand eight hundred and four and from that time I do give the said negro boy named Arthur his freedom and I desire he may be put apprentice to some trade and paid ten pounds sterling per annum during his natural life

And I give devise and bequeath unto the said Mary Vassall that house and about twelve acres of land situate to the westward of Black River whereon now or lately (I? or she?) did dwell to have the same for her natural life and after her death to my reputed son Brice Webb Salmon …….and whereas I stand possessed of an undivided half of the Penn or Plantation called New Crawle and the slaves and stock thereon situate in the Parish of Saint Elizabeth in the Island of Jamaica I give all my right title and interest unto my brother Brice Webb Salmon and his heirs…..And I do give my negro man named Barry Salmon an annuity of twenty pounds sterling money of Great Britain…..that the said negro man be made free and mannimised from the day of my decease….And to a negro man named Thomas Salmon whom I have already mannimized an annuity of ten pounds sterling

Codicil 12^th August 1794

A monument to be created in the church at Black River to the memory of my late dear brother Thomas Stokes Salmon with the following inscription: “To the memory of Thomas Stokes Salmon Esq of the parish of Thornbury in the County of Gloucester in the Kingdom of Great Britain many years a resident of this parish he died at Arraboldo on the fifteenth day of October 1793 universally regretted aged 51 years 11 months”

Whereas I gave my negro slave twenty pounds sterling a year…the said negro man to be paid thirty pounds sterling as an annuity further that a certain negro man named Thomas and a negro boy named Arthur allowed ten pounds currency per annum in my will be allowed twenty pounds currency…… a certain negro man named James Adams be allowed twenty pounds currency per annum

I give my reputed son Brice Vassal Salmon my watch and request that a compleat suit of Mourning….for a free Mulatto woman named Mary Vassall and a sufficient quantity of mourning for two women servants and one boy servant….

Codicil

…all my reputed children be put in…mourning and…two negro men named Barry Salmon and James Adams to have mourning….likewise all the reputed children of my late brother Thomas Stokes Salmon…….my request that immediately upon my death the said negro boy named Arthur be delivered to Mary Vassall and the annuity allowed him be paid to her….

As I have a pipe of Madeira wine a puncheon of rum and about twelve dozen bottles of Madeira wine on board it is my wish that the bottled wine and half of the puncheon rum be delivered to my father and the other half of the puncheon rum and the pipe of Madeira wine be delivered to my executors for their use as they may think proper.