Part 344s – Smith Robertson Genealogy – Indenture Research – 1838 Richard Oliver Smith – Last Will and Testament

Morning,

After an interesting breakfast of ham and eggs and home fries and a Kosher pickle I now delve into my genealogy research.

And now for an interesting Document and Record… All-things-being-equal it does not have anything to do with ggg-grandfather James Smith but after all of my research and search thus far I would venture that ggg-grandfather James may have been acquainted with Richard Oliver Smith. It is amazing the priceless finds one can uncover when searching for one’s ancestry, genealogy, and scurrying through the branches of one’s family tree.

This next record, entered to the Grenada Registers of Records 10 April 1840 was written by Richard Oliver Smith 23 July 1838. It is his Last Will and Testament. It also connects him to his family members in Grenada, Barbados and Tobago, as well as associations in Bristol, England. Classic.

All-things-being-equal I would tender a guess that his daughters, as mentioned in his Will, Emily and Elizabeth Georgiana, are his daughters by his wives, Mary (née Broderip) and Harriet, respectively. My conjecture is based purely on the information that I have gathered to date. . I have created a Descendant Chart that presents Richard Oliver Smith’s ancestors.

This Document is from Item 2 of the microfilm FHL [1563330] of the Grenada Registers of Records, 1837-1881 (v.Z2-G3). I have downloaded images of the three pages 73, 74 and 75.

The copy is not great and here is my transcription of the LWT.

(73)

Entered 10th April 1840

This is the Last Will and Testament of me Richard
Oliver Smith of Revolution Hall Estate in the Island of Grenada
Subject to the payment for all my just debts I give and bequeath unto my
dear Wife her Executors Administrators and Assigns all my personal
property of every description and I also give bequeath & devise to my
dear Wife for the _____ of her natural if she shall now _____
and unmarried the whole of the rents and profits of my real Estate

wheresoever

(74)

Wheresoever situated but in the Event of her marrying again
the one half of the same from the period of her so marrying again
And subject to the said Life Estate & Interest of my dear Wife in
my said real Estate I give & devise the same to my dear Son
Richard Joseph Sanderson Smith his Heirs and Assigns for ever
Further I bequeath to my dear daughter (by my first Marriage) Emily the
Wife of the Revd John _____ of the Island of Barbados the sum
of Two hundred Pounds Sterling payable out of my real Estate when
clear of Debt. To my dear daughter (by my second Marriage) Elizabeth
Georgiana Smith, in consequence of her being already amply provided for I
bequeath the small Sum of Twenty five pounds Sterling as a token of my
remembrance, payable out of my personal Estate I constitute my dear Wife
Executrix & Joseph Orgias George Henry Ames of Bristol in Great Britain
and Edward Dyer Sanderson of the Island of Tobago Esquires Executors
of this my Will and I also appoint my dear Wife while single, Guardian
of my Children conjointly with the said Joseph Orgias Esquire of this Island
In Witness whereof I have hereunto set and affixed my Hand and Seal
this twenty third day of July One thousand eight hundred and thirty
eight.

R.O. Smith (LS)

Grenada Signed Sealed and delivered by the said Testator Richard Oliver
Smith as and for his last Will and Testament in presence of us who in
his presence and in the presence of each other have subscribed our Names
as Witness thereto the day and year above written.

Henry James Ross – Barrister Plaisance

Henry Warner – Barrister Trinidad - Robert Mather – Plaisance 

Grenada

Before his honor Matthew Davies President of Her 

Majesty’s Council and Commander in Chief in and 

over the Island of Grenada and its Dependencies 

Chancellor & Ordinary within the same

Personally appeared Henry James Ross Esquire Barrister at Law
one of the Subscribing Witnesses to the within Will who being duly Sworn
made Oath that he was present together with Henry Warner and
Robert Mather the other subscribing Witnesses thereto and did see
Richard Oliver Smith the Testator therein named duly sign seal
and deliver the same and did hear the said Testator duly publish
and declare the same as and for his last Will and Testament and
the deponent further made Oath that at the request of the said
Testator in his presence and in the presence of each other they this
Deponent the said Henry Warner and the said Robert Mather did
severally and respectively subscribe their names as Witnesses to the

due

(75)

Due Execution thereof And lastly this Deponent made Oath that at
the time the said Testator so executed published and declared the said within
written Will as and for his last Will and Testament as aforesaid he was to
the best of this Deponent’s Judgment and belief of sound and disposing
mind memory and understanding

Henry James Ross

Sworn to before me this 9 day of April 1840

Math Davies, ___

Next.

Enjoy,

Jim