KEARTON Family 4
Posted on November 26, 2006
Posted UnderFamily Pages |
FAMILIES OF ST. VINCENT
KEARTON/KIRTON
GEORGE KEARTON, junior, of St. Vincent (1722-1783) (Cont’d.)
We have a transcription of the Indenture (next page) which was agreed between the partners on 23 Jan., 1770, from the Public Record Office in London, which even though very hard to read, makes it clear that LINDOW had been the original purchaser in 1765, by a grant of letters patent under the great seal of the Southern Caribbee Islands, dated 2 Mar., 1767. The 1770 Indenture formalized the agreement between them “that from 14 and 15 July, 1765, George KEARTON and his heirs and assigns received all that said undivided half of the said plantation, and also one full undivided half part of all the houses, outhouses, edifices, sugarworks, buildings, mills, stills, coppers (large pans for the fast boiling of sugar cane) and negroes……………..lying and being in that part of the Parish of St. Patrick formerly called Barrewally, in the said island of St. Vincent containing 123 acres of land.” It seems that the intention was that George should be responsible for all the day to day running of the whole plantation, which seems to be why the whole plantation was named “KEARTON’S”, while LINDOW, who had at least two other properties, evidently lived elsewhere. Furthermore, we have been able to find a copy of the actual inventory which was made at the time when George KEARTON actually took over at the plantation in 1765 (see Inventory). This “The Inventory and Appraisement” of the within mentioned Indenture mentioned and referred to “KEARTON’S Estate at Barrowally” (sic - the nearby town is now written “Barrouallie”) covers every detail of the property, including purpose, function and valuation in pounds, shillings and pence. There were ten buildings on the property, with a total evaluation of £3,319; all the “Utensils” are fully detailed, complete with all their values; the same applies to all the livestock on the property:- 11 mules, 8 horses, 2 asses, 2 bulls, 3 cows, 8 sheep, 2 young bulls & 1 cow and 1 “heffer.” The slaves are all listed in a male list and a female list, many with their identified, specialized tasks, and their values. There are thirty named male slaves, and twenty-five females, with the proviso “that £577/10s. has been left with George KEARTON for the purchase of 10 new negroes.”Life for an European in this part of the world was undoubtedly quite risky; one only has to look at the death toll recorded for British soldiers in the West Indies; in the 9 years between 1793 and 1802 an estimated 45,000 soldiers died there, including 1,500 officers, nearly all of them from fevers. In 1796 alone some 41% of all white soldiers there died, most of them having been in the West Indies for less than one year. (ibid, page 3.)
By 1765 the English Church had begun holding services on the island, and all seemed set for a successful future.
However, 24 Sept., 1772 saw the beginning of the First Carib War. It seems that the British still had regular army units based on the island, who were under the command of Sir William YOUNG; his force including the 32nd Regiment of Foot, and the two Regiments of St. Vincent Militia (Northern and Southern). The Caribs seem to have had some encouragement in their resistance by some French agents provocateurs, but the British were quickly able to bring in several reinforcements, with the 13th Regiment of Foot arriving from North America, and the 70th Regiment of Foot from Grenada. (ref.: The Virginia Gazette, 14 Jan., 1773).
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