Part 866s – Smith Robertson Genealogy – 1791 William Smith - Sale £99

Good Day,

Today's record from the Grenada Registers of Records is one entered 27 April 1798 but actually composed 21 January 1791. There does appear to be a lag of time between the actual timing of an event and between the actual recording of the same. I guess this is all a part of my search and research for any information of ggg-grandfather James Smith.

In this record William Smith is one of the primary parties. The record is a 1791 sale of a slave, Lucy to one Felicité Boisfermé. It appears that William Steil was witness in both 1791 and 1798.

The following images are of the records from Item 1 of the microfilm FHL[1563328], pages 290-292.

My attempt at a transcription -

290

Entered 27th April 1798

This Indenture made the Twenty first day of January in the year of
Our Lord one thousand seven hundred & Ninety one Between William Smith
of the Town of Saint George in the Island of Grenada Merchant of the one part
and Felicité Boisfermé of the said Town and Island a free Mulatto Woman of the
other part Witneſseth that for and in Consideration of the Sum of Ninety nine
pounds Current Money of the said Island to the said William Smith in had well
and truly paid by the said Felicité Boisfermé at or before the Sealing and delivery
of these presents (the Receipt whereof the said William Smith doth hereby acknowledge
and thereof and therefrom and from every part and parcel thereof doth Acquit Release
exonerate and for ever discharge thesaid Felicité Boisfermé her Heirs Executors and
Admonistrators by these presents) He thesaid William Smith Hath Granted
Bargained Sold Aliened Enfeoffed Conveyed and Confirmed and by these presents Doth
Grant Bargain Sell Align Enfeoff Convy and Confirm unto the said Felicité Boisfermé
her Heirs and Aſsigns for ever A certain female Negro Slave named Lucy with her future
Iſsue and Increase And the Reversion and Reversions Remainder and Remainders
Rents Iſsues Services and Profits of the said Slave and also all the Estate Right Title
Interest Use Trust poſseſsion property Benefit Claim and demand whatsoever both
at Law and in Equity of him thesaid William Smith of in to or out of the said female
Negro Slave named Lucy together with all Deeds Evidences and writings relating to or
concerning the same Slave To Have and to Hold thesaid female Negro Slave named
Lucy herein before mentioned with her future Iſsue and Increase as aforesaid unto
thesaid Felicité Boisfermé her Heirs and Aſsigns to the only proper use and behoof of
the said Felicité Boisfermé her Heirs and Aſsigns for ever And the said William
Smith for himself his Heirs Executors and Administrators doth Covenant promise

and

291

and agree to and with the said Felicité Boisfermé her Heirs and Aſsigns that he
the said William Smith now hath in himself good Right full power and lawful
Authority to Grant Bargain Sell Alien Enfeoff Convey and Confirm thesaid female Slave
before named unto the said Felicité Boisfermé her Heirs and Aſsigns to the only proper use
benefit and behoof of the said Felicité Boisfermé her Heirs and Aſsigns for ever according
to the true intent and meaning of these presents And also that she thesaid Felicité
Boisfermé her Heirs and Aſsigns shall and may from time to time and at all times
hereafter peaceably and quietly have hold Occupy poſseſs and enjoy thesaid female Slave
hereinbefore mentioned without the Let Suit Trouble hindrance Molestation Interruption
of him the said William Smith his Heirs or Aſsigns or of any other person or persons whatsoever
and Lastly that he the said William Smith and his Heirs the said Slave herein
before mentioned unto the the said Felicité Boisfermé her Heirs and Aſsigns against him the
said William Smith his Heirs and Aſsigns and against all and every other person and
persons whatsoever shall and will Warrant and for ever defend by these presents In
Witneſs whereof thesaid parties have hereto set their Hands and Seals respectively the day
and Year first above written

WM Smith (LS)

The Mark

X

of Felicité Boisfermé (LS)

Sealed and Delivered
In the presence of

Rd. Owen – Wm. Steil –

Received on the day of the date of the above written Indenture of and from the above
named Felicité Boisfermé the sum of Ninety nine Pounds Current Money of the said
Island being the Consideration Money above mentioned to be by her paid to me. I say
Received……………………………………………………………………………….£99 Curry

Wm. Smith

Witneſs

Rd Owen – Wm Steil

Be it Remembered that on this Twenty first day of January In the Year of our
Lord one thousand seven hundred and Ninety one peaceable and quiet poſseſsion
Livery and Seisin of the female Negro Slave named Lucy in the preceding Indenture
particularly mentioned was delivered by the before named William Smith to the also
before named Felicité Boisfermé according to the tenor and effect of the before written
Deed or Feoffment _ In the Presence of us whose Names are hereunto Subscribed

Rd Owen

Wm Steil

Grenada _ Before the Honorable Thomas Bridgwater Esquire Chief Justice of
His Majesty’s Court of Common Pleas for said Island established.
Personally appeared William Steil of the Town of Saint George in the said Island
Mason one of the subscribing Witneſses to the within Indenture who being duly Sworn on
the Holy Evangelists of Almighty God maketh Oath and saith That he was present with
Richard Owen (since deceased) the other subscribing Witneſs thereto and did see William
Smith one of the parties to the said Indenture sign Seal and deliver the same as

and

292

and for his free and voluntary Act and Deed; And that he also saw him
sign the Receipt for the Consideration Money written at the foot of the said
Indenture And the Deponent further saith that he also saw Felicité
Boisferme the other party to the said Indenture sign the same by making a
Croſs opposite the second Seal at the foot of the same Indenture and also saw
her Seal and deliver the same as and for her free and voluntary Act and Deed.
And the Deponent also saith that he was also present with the said Richard
Owen and did see peaceable and quiet poſseſsion Livery and Seisin of the
within mentioned female Negro Slave Lucy delivered by the said William
Smith to the said Felicité Boisfermé according to the Tenor and Effect of the
said Indenture And the Deponent lastly saith that in Testimony of such
Execution and Livery and Seisin as beforementioned the said Richard Owen
and the Deponent did subscribe their Names to the said Indenture as Witneſses
thereto.

Wm Steil

Sworn to before me the 27th day of April 1798

Thomas Bridgwater

This record does not provide any immediate link or connection between William Smith and ggg-grandfather James Smith. Next.

Enjoy,

Jim

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Part 865s – Smith Robertson Genealogy – 1794 William Smith - Inquiry of Sale

Good Day,

Well it looks like the confusion of the construction has almost come to a completion.   (Apologies about the near alliteration.) This means, of course, that I can now get back to an uninterrupted flow of my search and research for my ggg-grandfather James Smith.

My energy for the next little while, while I wait for some anticipated family information and details, will be to work with and transcribe the records and documents from the Grenada Registers of Records that do relate and possibly reference the surname Smith. All things being equal, and this is not a promise to myself, but I hope to work on at least two documents a week… for the next while.

Thank you Steve, Ashley, and Zöe for your comments and ideas.

The next document was entered in 1797, but written 6 August 1794. It appears to be a letter of intent presented by Mr. John Tarleton with what appears to be an offer to purchase. My guess would be that the "Smith" referred to in the record is the same William Smith who was appointed Power of Attorney 12 March 1794. See Part 861s.

This record was downloaded from the Grenada Registers of Records 1797-1817 (v. Gr-R2) and microfilm FHL[1563328].  Here are the images of pages 37 and 38.

The following is my transcription.

37

Entered 30 September 1797

Gentm.

Liverpool 6 Augt 1794

We have already wrote you fully by this opportunity to which we beg
have to refer The purpose of the present is therefore to acquaint You that if
you incline to sell the Mary's Cargoe of Negroes from Angola in any way of the
British Windward or in any of the lately conquered Islands, Mr. John Tarleton,
the writer hereof, will accept and pay your drafts upon him at the customary
sight of Bills at the time of the Sale of this Cargo of Slaves. You are on this
account to draw £2 ½ &Ct on the Sale and £2 ½ &Ct on the remittances for
this Cargo, & Mr. Tarleton who guarantees the debts & Bills is to draw the
remaining £5 & Cent as well as to entitled to any accruing interest on the same
in the same manner and mode, as he lately guaranteed Meſs Howard & Smith
respecting the Sale of the African Cargoes disposed of by them in Dominica
The Bills are to be drawn upon him payable in London, and in favor of Meſs
Tarletons & Backhouse, he also trusts they will not be drawn at leſs than 12, 15, &
18 months Sight, as his sole motive for guaranteeing You arises from the desire of
giving You a commiſsion on the Sale of these Negroes which on account of the
diſsolution, and termination of our late partnership, with Mr. Tarleton must be
sold under guarantee, and also to give you a farther testimony of his confidence
in your _____ to serve himself, and Mr Backhouse, and the sincere friendship
& regard he entertains for You

We are with much esteem

Dear Sirs

Your most obedt. Servt

Tarleton & Backhouse

Superscribed
Meſsrs Postlethwait & Smith

March Grenada

Grenada – Before the Honorable Thomas Bridgwater Esquire Chief Justice
of the Court of Common Pleas for said Island established
Personally appeared John Dawson of Liverpool in the Kingdom of Great Britain
Merchant at present in this Island, who being duly Sworn on the Holy Evangelists of
Almighty God maketh Oath and saith that he knows and is ell acquainted with
John Tarleton of Liverpool aforesaid Merchant carrying Trade there with
Daniel Backhouse under the Firm of Tarleton and Backhouse and also with his
manner and Character of Hand writing and Subscription having often seen him
write and subscribe his Name, and having viewed and carefully perused the Letter
written on part of the second & third Sides of this Sheet of Paper purporting to be a
Letter from the said Meſsrs Tarleton & Backhouse to Meſsrs Postlethwaite and Smith
of this Island Merchants and dated “Liverpool 6th August 1794” He saith that

he

38

He verily and in his Conscience believes the whole of the said Letter beginning
with the Words “Gentn We have already” and ending “ and the “sincere friendship
& regard he entertains for you” and subscribed “Tarleton & “Backhouse” is of the
proper hand writing & Subscription of the said John Tarleton of Liverpool aforesaid.

John Dawson

Sworn to before me this }
30th day of Septr. 1797. }

Thomas Bridgwater

This record does not provide a link back to ggg-grandfather James Smith, but it may be setting the stage for something more to come. Stay tuned and keep following my search and research. I certainly appreciate comments, ideas, thoughts and questions. Something more than just my wee and paltry grey matter may unlock some clue somewhere and sometime.

Enjoy,

Jim

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Part 864s – Smith Robertson Genealogy – 1797 William Smith - Manumission

Good Day,

Continuing my work and search for ggg-grandfather James Smith I present another record from the Grenada Registers of Records.

This record was dated 20 November 1797. The document is a recorded manumission, the release of a slave named Dick. Apparently William Steil is acting on behalf of and fulfilling the obligations as Executor for the late William Smith. He, William Steil, is carrying out a requirement as directed by the “last Will and Testament” of the late William Smith.

This is not the first time that I have discovered an interrelationship between the two Williams; William Smith and William Steil. I did work on another record, dated 21 January 1791 and entered 27 April 1798, which included both men. See Part 170s.

This new work is the record from Page 105 of Item 1 from the microfilm FHL [1563328].

Here are the images.

And my transcription –

105

Grenada

Entered 29th November 1797 –

Know all Men by these Presents that I William Steil of the Town of
Saint George in the said Island Gentleman acting in this behalf as the only qualified
Executor named in the last Will and Testament of William Smith late of the same Town
and Island Merchant deceased, for divers good Causes and Considerations _____ hereunto
moving and to the end that the Intention of the said Testator as expreſsed in his said
Will (a Copy whereof is before written) may be carried into Effect, Have manumitted
Enfranchised and for ever set free and by these Presents Do Manumit Enfranchise
and for ever set free a certain Negroe Man Slave named Dick, late the property
of the said William Smith deceased And I the said William Steel have given and
granted, and by these Presents Do give and grant unto the said Negroe Man Slave
Dick his full free and absolute Manumiſsion Enfranchisement and Freedom

from

106 

from the day of the date hereof to his proper Use and behoof for ever Subject
to no Service Labour or Servitude Right Title Claim and Demand of Service Labour
or Servituded or of other Recompence in lieu thereof, to or for the benefit of me my Heirs
Executors or Administrators at any time thereafter, so that neither I the said William
Steil nor any of amy Heirs Executors or Administrators nor any person claiming
under me them or any of them, shall can or may at any time hereafter have or
claim any Estate Right Title or Interest in or to the said Negroe Man Slave –
Dick or to his Servitude or to any benefit Advantage or Emolument whatsoever
arising from his Labour or Employment but that from henceforth We and each and
every of us shall be therefrom for ever barred and utterly precluded by these Presents
In Witneſs whereof I the said William Steil have hereunto set my hand and
Seal this Twentieth day of November One thousand seven hundred and Ninety
seven.

WM Steil (LS)

Signed Sealed and Delivered }
In the Presence of………… }

John Waters Martindale ____ J Frederickson(?) Jr.

Grenada ____ Acknowledged before me by William Steil the Party
executing the above Deed of Manumiſsion as and for his free and voluntary
Act and Deed this twenty ninth day of November One thousand seven
hundred and Ninety Seven.

GH Horsley

Dep Register

Is this the same William Smith whose Last Will and Testament is presented 1 December 1796 and entered 6 December 1796? See Part 538s.

Is this the William Smith whose brother James Smith, the Weaver of Logie, Scotland is searching for? See Part 178s.

Could William Steil also be a William Steele?

Is there some relationship between this William Steil and Richard Steele the father of George Steele who married my gg-grandaunt Mary Ann Smith, who was also the daughter of my ggg-grandfather James Smith?

Okay, it is now late, even with Daylight Savings time. There are many, many “If’s” and “Could’s”. There has to be some clue somewhere to either connect this William Smith or prove that there is no logical possibility that he may be in some way related to ggg-grandfather James Smith. And I just continue my search and research.

Regards,

Jim

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