Part 222s – Smith Robertson Genealogy – Indenture Research – 1815 James & William Smith

Morning,

The next Record includes both the names James and William Smith. Not knowing of this James Smith’s relationship with the other names addressed in the Document, there is no apparent clue that could lead me to know, at this present stage of my genealogy and ancestry search that this James could be my ggg-grandfather James Smith.

The Record is of the Grenada Registers of Records, 1817-1837 (v. R2-Z2) of Item 1 of the microfilm FHL [1563329]. The date that this Document was written was 13 July 1815, sworn to 28 May 1818, and entered to the Registers 26 May 1818. And of course, the dates of the sequence of events do not make any sense to me as the swearing of the Document occurred two days after the Record was entered to the Registers. Do any of you have any ideas?

All-things-being equal here are the two pages; 299 and 300 –

And here is my transcription –

299

Examd
Grenada

Entered 26th May 1818

Know all Men by these Presents that We James Smith John
Clarkley Richard Lawson and Joseph Otway Executors of the Last Will and Testa-
ment of the late John Beverly Lumsden of the Town of St Georges in the Island
of Grenada deceased by Virtue and according to the Tenor of the said Will dated
the       day of      and duly recorded in the Register Office of this Island
the       day of      and for the due execution thereof according to the Intent
of the said Testator Have manumitted and for ever Set free and by these presents
do manumit enfranchise and for ever set free and discharged from all and all
manner of servitude Bondage and Slavery the Man named Cain Lumsden
heretofore a Slave to the said Testator John Beverly Lumsden So that he may
from henceforth be to all Intents and Purposes as free as if he had not been born
in a state of Slavery or Servitude And we the said James Smith John Clarkley,
Richard Lawson and Joseph Otway in our said qualities as Executors to the Will,
of the late John Beverly Lumsden and thereby expreʃsively authorize hereto Do
hereby acknowledge and declare that the Heirs of the said John Beverly Lumsden
deceased and all Persons claiming or to claim by force? or under these or any of them
are and shall be hereby barred and for ever precluded from all Title Claim and
Pretention? to the said Cain Lumsden in to his Labour in to his Labour or Service from the day of the
date these presents In Witneʃs whereof We have hereto set our Hands and
Seals this thirteenth day of July in the Year one thousand eight hundred and
fifteen

James Smith LS. Richd Lawson LS. John Clarkley LS. Joseph Otway LS.

Signed sealed and delivered in the presence of Willm Smith A Lumfries
Grenada

Before John Hoyes Esquire one of the Aʃsistant Judges of His
Majesty’s Supreme Court of Judicature for the Island of Grenada & Dependencies &
Personally appeared William Smith of the Parish of Saint George Clerk one of the
subscribers Witneʃses to the preceding deed of Manumiʃsion who Maketh Oath

On

300

On the Holy Evangelists of Almighty God and saith that he was personally present to-
gether with Anthony Lumfries the other subscriber Witneʃs and did see James Smith
John Clarkley Richard Lawson and Joseph Otway in their qualities as Executors to the
Last Will and Testament of the late John Beverly Lumsden deceased the Party exe-
cutting the said Deed sign seal and deliver the same as and for the free and voluntary
Act and deed of the said late John Beverly Lumsden when alive and so directed
by his Last Will and Testament to be executed by his said Executors And the Deponents
further saith that the Names William Smith and Anthony Lumfries set and subscribed
as Witneʃses to the due Execution thereof were? so set and subscribed in the presence of
the said James Smith John Clarkley, Richard Lawson and Joseph Otway and of each other
and are the respective handwritings of the said Anthony Lumfries and of him the De-
ponent

Willm Smith

Sworn to Before me this 28th day of May 1818 Jn Hoyes Senior Aʃsistant Judge

And you know what is weird and ever so extremely strange, the very blustery winter winds outside are blowing the palm trees.

Enjoy,

Jim