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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Part 440s – Smith Robertson Genealogy – 1797 – The Logie Smith Mystery Continues

Good Afternoon,

I think I may have solved a part of a mystery... well, a mystery to me. This is all from the due course of my search and research for the origins and genealogy of my ggg-grandfather James Smith.

In Part 178s I introduced a James Smith, a Weaver from Logie in the County of Perth in Scotland. Long story short, he was, in December of 1797 searching for the Estates of his departed brother William Smith and of his son James Smith. Both, it appeared had been Merchants in Grenada.

Yesterday, going through some of my filed images, I discovered a Burial Registration dated January 1797. It is the burial record of one, Mr. William Smith, Merchant, who was buried on 2 December 1796.

Here is the image of the page 255 of the Parish of St. George Register from Item 2 of the microfilm FHL [1523656].

This part of the Parish Register, 1784 to 1804, was transcribed by John Randolph Bertrand and Wilfred Jones-Bateman and was declared on 13 March 1903. Here is my transcription of the transcription.

255

1797

1491 Mr. William Smith, Merchant; was buried on the 2nd day of Decbr. 1796

signed Thos. May

Rector of St. Andrew & St. David

All-things-being-equal, this Burial Registration could be an entry referencing the brother William Smith of the Weaver James Smith of Logie, Scotland. Here are the sequence of events in what I believe is date order.

1. 2 December 1796 – Burial of William Smith, Merchant in Grenada
2. January 1797 – Entry of Burial Registration in Saint George Parish Register
3. 26 December 1797 – Contractual appointment of George Wilson Power of Attorney by James Smith, Weaver, of Logie Scotland and brother of William Smith
4. 26 December 1797 – Written mention of search for the Estates of William Smith and of James Smith, brother and son, respectively, of James Smith, Weaver of Logie, Scotland
5. 7 June 1803 – Entry of 26 December 1797 contract and Indenture to Grenada Registers of Records

I did also find a detached and disconnected Register entry, which based on the clear-cut information entered, may or may not suffice for the burial registration of the son of James Smith the Weaver of Logie, Scotland.

Downloaded from Item 2 of the microfilm FHL [1523656] here is Page 210.

As you can read from my transcription there is not much in the text to hang-a-hat-on, so-to-speak.

210

1795

1218 _____ Smith, was buried in St. George’s _____ on the
18th day of September 1795
Witness
_____

signed Thos. May

Rector of St. Andrew & St. David

All I can say is that there are three clear facts that could “possibly and cogently” tie this entry to the son, James Smith, of James Smith the Weaver of Logie, Scotland. The facts are:

1. Location – Grenada
2. Surname – Smith
3. Date of burial – 18 September 1795 which occurred prior to the date of James Smith the Weaver’s Power of Attorney Contract, 26 December 1797

And at this point I rest my case... for now. Ponder a bit and let me know your thoughts.

Regards,

Jim

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