Part 527s – Smith Robertson Genealogy – Indenture Research – 1798 William Smith – Antigua, Demerary, & Grenada

Afternoon,

The research continues in the search for the origins of ggg-grandfather James Smith.

Thank you to Richard, in Australia, for your informative email regarding your relationship and connections to your ancestors William Smith and Richard Oliver Smith. It is amazing the stories how the Smith surnames do get changed over time and history.

This next Indenture from the Grenada Registers of Records was entered 20 June 1799 of a document written 16 July 1798. There is no reference to ggg-grandfather James, but the Indenture is witnessed by William (Wm.) Smith. And I cannot from the information provided determine if this William Smith is connected to ggg-grandfather James.

There is a wealth of information in this contract pertinent to the Byam, Ottley, and Beete families. This Indenture is an “Indenture Tripartite” which, by definition could mean that it is a contract or agreement between three parties. In this case, the First Part – Ottleys; the Second Part – Byams; and the Third Part – Beete… covering Antigua, Demerary, and Grenada.

I have included a 1762 English version of the 1710 French Plan Map of Fort Royal and St. George’s Harbour. (The source of this image is Paul R. Huey and the Bureau of Historic Sites, New York.) The other, a photograph by Jim Rudin is of Fort George and part of The Carneage, Grenada. These two images provide a semblance of possibility as to where the property referred to in the Indenture may have been located.

Here are images of the Pages 476 through and including 479 of the Grenada Registers of Records, as downloaded from Item 1 of the microfilm FHL [1563378].

My transcription –

476

Examined

Entered 20th June 1799

This Indenture Tripartite made the Sixteenth day
of July in the Year of our Lord One thousand seven hundred and ninety eight
Between Thomas Ottley of the Island of Antigua Esquire Father and Natural
Guardian of George Weatherhill Ottley, Drury Ottley and Richard Ottley being Minor
Children of the said Thomas Ottley and Grace Ottley his Wife a Sister of Sir Ashton
Warner Byam deceased late His Majesty’s Attorney General of the Island of Grenada
(acting herein by his sole constituted Attorney Thomas Turner Wise of the said Island
Esquire Of the first Part The honorable Edward Byam President of His Majesty’s
Council for the Island of Antigua who was one of the Executors of the said Sir
Ashton Warner Byam named in his Will is now the sole surviving Executor thereof
and would have been Heir at Law as Eldest Brother of the said Sir Ashton Warner
Byam if he had not made a Will (acting herein by his constituted Attornies the
Honorable William Arnold of the said Island Esquire and the said Thomas Turner
Wise ) Of the second Part and Joseph Beete late of the said Island of Grenada and
now of the Colony of Demarary on the Southern Continent of America Esquire (action
herein by his constituted Attorney George Henry Horsley of the said Island Esquire)
Of the third Part witne∫seth That for and in Consideration of ten shillings
Current Money of the said Island of Grenada to each of them the said Thomas
Ottley and Edward Byam in Hand well and truly paid by the said Joseph Beete
at or before the Sealing and Delivery of these Presents the Receipt whereof is hereby

acknowledged

477

Acknowledged They the said Thomas Ottley and
Edward Byam Have and each of them Hath granted bargain’d and
Sold and by these Presents Do and each of them Doth Grant Bargain and
Sell unto the said Joseph Beete his Executors Administrators and A∫signs All
that Tract or parcel of Land which was of the said Sir Ashton Warner Byam at
the Time of his Decease with the Mansion or Dwelling House Out Offices and all
and singular other the Buildings thereon call’d Mathew Place situate
lying and being in the Town of Saint George in the said Island of Grenada
together with all Ways Paths Pa∫sages Waters Watercourses Trees Woods Underwoods
Rights Privileges Easements and Advantages to the same Annex’d appertaining
or belonging or had and enjoy’d therewith or reputed to be so which said Tract
or Parcel of Land comprehends or Comprises two distinct Lots Pieces or Parcels of Land
namely All that Lot Piece or Parcel of Land granted to John Ahmuty late of the
Town of Saint George in the said Island of Grenada Esquire now deceased by His
Mayesty’s Letter Patent under the Seal of these Islands (Grenada and the Islands
call’d the Grenadines annex’d thereto or dependent thereon) bearing date the
sixteenth Day of February in the year of our Lord one thousand seven hundred and
eighty five and therein said to be situate lying and being between the Road
leading to Fort Royal and the house call’d Chanteloup’s and lately in the Po∫se∫sion
of The Honorable Samuel Williams in the said Town of Saint George the said Lot
being bounded Northerly by a Lane or narrow Street leading from the Carenage to
the Fort Easterly by the before mentioned Lot call’d Chanteloup’s and partly by a
Pa∫sage le∫s between the said Lot and the Prison Southerly on another Lot then lately
Granted to the said Sir Ashton Warner Byam and Westerly on the Road leading to the
Glacis (of the Fort) or however otherwise the same might or may be butted bounded
lying or being which said Lot Piece or Parcel of Land the said Sir Ashton Warner Byam
afterwards purchased from the said John Ahmuty for the consideration mentioned in
an Indenture of Feoffment made the fifth day of July in the Year of Our Lord One thousand
seven hundred and eighty five between the said John Ahmuty of the one Part and the
said Sir Ashton Warner Byam then Ashton Warner Byam Esquire of the other Part as in
and by the said Indenture duly executed proved and Recorded in the Registry of Deeds
in the said Island of Grenada Relation being thereunto had will more fully and at
large appear And all that Lot Piece of Parcel of Land granted to the said Sir
Ashton Warner Byam (then Ashton Warner Byam Esquire) by the Name or Description of

the

478

The Honorable Ashton Warner Byam of the Town of Saint George in the Island
of Grenada Esquire by His Majesty’s Letters Patent under the Seal of these Islands
(Grenada and the Islands call’d the Grenadines annex’d thereto or dependent thereon)
bearing Date the sixteenth Day of February in the Year of Our Lord One thousand
seven hundred and eighty five and therein said to be situate lying and being
between the Road leading to the Glacis of Fort Royal and the common Goal in
the said Town of Saint George butted and bounded in the same Form and
Manner as the Diagram annex’d to the Grant made to the said Sir Ashton Warner
Byam (then the Honorable Ashton Warner Byam represents Which said
two distinct Lots Pieces or Praceld of Land together now form one Tract or Parcel of Land
butted and bounded as follows (that is to say) To the East partly by a Lot of Land
formerly of Ane Chanteloup and lately of Samuel Williams Esquire and partly by the
Goal Wall, to the West by the Road leading thro’ the Gate to the Artillery Hospital, to
the North by the Alley leading from the Carenage to Fort George and to the South by
ungranted Lands or howsoever otherwise the said Tract or Parcel of Land may be butted
and bounded situate lying and being To have and to hold to the said Tract
or Parcel of Land comprehending or comprising the said two distinct Lots Pieces or
Parcels of Land granted as aforesaid to the said John Ahmuty and the said Sir
Ashton Warner Byam (then the Honorable Ashton Warner Byam) and all and
singular other the Premises herein before mention’d or intended to be hereby Granted
bargain’d and Sold with their and every of their Appurtenances and every Part and
Parcel thereof unto the said Joseph Beete his Executor Administrator and A∫signs from
the Day next before the Day of the Date of these Presents for and during and unto the
full End and Term of One whole Year from thence next ensuing and fully to be complete
and ended Yielding and Paying therefor unto the said Thomas Ottley
as Father and Natural Guardian of the said George Weatherill Ottley Drury Ottley
and Richard Ottley (by and with the Consent and Approbation of the said Edward Byam
testified by his signing and Sealing these Presents ) the Rent of one pepper Corn only at the
Expiration of the said Term if the same shall be lawfully demanded to the Intent
that by virtue of these Presents and by Force of the Statute for transferring Uses into Pro∫se∫sion
the said Joseph Beet may be in the actual Po∫se∫sion of the hereby bargain’d and sold
Premises with their and every of their Appurtenances and every Part and Parcel thereof and

be

479

Be thereby enabled to accept and take a Grant and Release of the Reversion
and Inheritance thereof to Him his Heirs and A∫signs to and for the only proper
Use and Behoof of him the said Joseph Beete his Heirs and A∫signs for ever In
Witne∫ whereof the said Thomas Ottley and Edward Byam have hereunto set their
respective Hands and Seals the Day and Year first above mention’d

Thomas Ottley (LS) Edward Byam by his (LS)
by his Attorney Attornies W Arnold

Sign’d seal’d and deliver’d in the presence of JFrederickson Jr. Wm Smith
Received on the Day of the Date of these Presents the Consideration within mention’d
to be paid to us respectively.
Thomas Ottley by his Attorney
Thomas Turner Wise

Witne∫s
JFrederickson Jr.
Wm. Smith
Edward Baym by his Attornies
W. Arnold
Thomas Turner Wise

The next Indenture appears to a companion to this one; written the next day 17 July 1798 and entered to the Grenada Registers of Records on the same 20 June 1799.

Stay tuned, the next is the last one of Item 1.

Enjoy,

Jim