Person:William Irish (6)

Introducing William Irish of England and Montserrat_______________________

Beginnings of Research on William Irish

Calendar of State Papers, Colonial Series, Preserved in the Public Record Office, Great Britain PRO, 1908

p422 - 7 Sept 1699, Whitehall

• Instructions to Christopher Codrington as Captain General and Governor in Chief of HM Carribbee Islands, lying to leeward from Guardaloupe to the Island of St. John de Porto Rico. Upon arrival to assemble the Council. Councillors nominated for Montserrat - Col Thomas Delaval, LG, Col Edward Fox, Edward Parsons, William Fox, Anthony Hodges, JR, Thomas Lee, Richard Clayton, John Irish, William Fry, John Seet, Janes Thynne.

The Society of Genealogists in London has on microfiche 'Caribbeana' a collection of lists of wills made and details of business transacted. The first Irish to be mentioned on Montserrat is 1654 William Irish who was a member of the Council in 1688-89.

Caribbeana, Vere Langford Oliver, London, 1912, V2 p223

William Irish had debt of tobacco owing to Hubert Van-Gagell-Dounce and Hance Van-de Kenderth, merchant of Amsterdam on 12 July 1654: William Irish 30 (pounds) tobacco.

William Irish's Son Nathaniel Irish as Apprentice

Gerald Fothergill, Apprentices to and from Overseas (see ante, p. 29) Notes and Queries, 1922, s12-X: 69. Oxford Journal, 12S.X. Jan 28, 1922 p6 nq.oxfordjournals.org/cgi/reprint/s12-X/198/69-c.pdf

Nathaniel Irish, son of William Irish of Mount Surat, in West Indies, Mercht. dec'd. App. to Isaac Waldoe, Cit. and Grocer. 7 Sept. 1716. Consid. £25. (Inl. 1/5-16.)

Will of William Irish

Will of William Irish of Island of Montserrat dated 6 May 1713, Records of Prerogative Court in the Series of Prerogative Court of Canterbury in the Register of Leeds Quire #95-138, PROB 11/533 4 pages PDF

WILL OF WILLIAM IRISH OF MONTSERRAT

September 17th 1699.

First part of the will appears to be in Latin.

IN THE NAME OF GOD AMEN. I William Irish Senr. Of the Island above said being sick and weak in body, but of good and perfect memory thanks be to God for it and calling to mind the uncertain state of this transitory life and that all flesh must yield to death when it shall please God to call do make, constitute and ordain this my last will and testament in manner and form following. I give and bequeath my soul to God who gave it to me hoping through the merits and mediation of my blessed Savior to obtain remission of my sins. And my body to the Earth to be buried in sufficient manner as to my Executors hereafter named shall seem meet and convenient. And for such Worldly Estate which it has please God to bestow on me my Will is that it be disposed of as follows.

• I give and bequeath unto my daughter Mary Irish One Hundred and twenty thousand pounds of sugar or eight hundred pounds current money to be paid her out of the produce of my whole estate when she comes to the age of twenty years. I also give to my said daughter one negro girl named Molly and one pyed cow called Molly both to be delivered to her immediately after my decease. And the said cow and her increase to be pastured on my plantation till the said Daughter arrives at the age of Twenty years.
• I give and bequeath unto my daughter Ann Irish one hundred and twenty eight thousand pounds of Sugar or eight hundred pounds of the current money of the Country to be paid her out of the product of my whole estate when she comes to the age of twenty years. I also give to my said daughter one negro girl named Nanny and one young pyed Cow called Cherry both to be delivered to her immediately after my decease. And the said cow with the increase to be pastured on my plantation till the said daughter arrives at the age of twenty years.
• I give and bequeath unto my daughter Elizabeth Irish one hundred and twenty eight thousand pounds of sugar or eight hundred pounds current money of the country to be paid her out of the product of my whole estate at the age of twenty years. I also give unto my said daughter one negro girl named *** and one pyed cow called *** both to be delivered her immediately after my decease. The said cow with her increase to be pastured on my plantation till my said daughter arrives at the age of twenty years.
• I give and bequeath to my child which my wife is now big with provided it be a boy my Norwind plantation and five hundred pounds current money of this country both to be paid and delivered him when he comes to the age of twenty and one years. But if said child be a girl then I give and bequeath her one hundred twenty and eight thousands pounds of sugar or eight hundred pounds current money to be paid out of the product of my whole estate when she comes to the age of twenty years. I also give to the said child provided it be a girl one negro girl and one cow. And my will and meaning is that all my said children Viz. Mary, Ann, and Elizabeth Irish as also the child my wife is now big with shall have their maintainence out of my whole estate suitable to their quality and conditions and the circumstances of the said estate until they and every of them shall arrive at the age of twenty years or be married. And if my said daughters Mary Ann and Elizabeth or either of them should dye before their respective legacies become due then my Will and meaning is if one dye the two surviving sisters shall have both of them thirty two thousand pounds of sugar added to their before bequeathed sugars. And if two of the said daughters should dye before the said time then the surviving daughter shall have sixty four thousand pounds of sugar or the value thereof in money added to her former sugar to be paid her out of the product of my whole estate at the time the said sugar shall become due. Viz, at the age of twenty years. *I give and bequeath unto my Kinsman Ensign William White one good Beaver Hatt, three pair of gold Shirt Buttons and one mourning Ring.
• I give and bequeath unto my will beloved friend Richard Molinoux Senr one Beaver Hatt three pair of Gold Shirt Buttons and one mourning ring.
• I give and bequeath unto Agnus Molinoux Wife of the said Richard Ten pound sterling to buy her a pair of ***.
• I give and bequeath unto Mr James Cruikshank one Beaver Hatt three pair of gold Shirt Buttons and one mourning ring.
• I give and bequeath unto the poor of the Parish of St. George of this Island aforesaid four thousand pounds of sugar to be disposed of as the guardians of my Children shall think fit.
• My will is that after my debts be all paid and also after the sugars bequeathed to my two eldest daughters are likewise paid and satisfied that then my will beloved wife Jane Irish have in consideration of her Dower the possession use and benefit of one third part of the Good and Chattles I dye possessed of during her life but the property of the said goods and chattles to be in my Heir and after her death he my said Heir to have the same returned him to his own use and behalf.
• I also appoint my said wife Jane Irish to have the whole and sole management of my whole estate and the custody charge and care of my children during her widowhood provided she give Bond to the Guardians of my said children hereby constituted and appointed that she convert the whole profits and product of said estate to the use and benefit of my said children and advancement of said Interest allowing her what may be requisite and necessary for a handsome and *** maintaining herself and house suitable to her degree and quality and circumstances of her condition and also provided she give account when and as often as thereunto required to my childrens Guardians of the management profits and losses of said estate. During the minority of my heir and my said wife to have Twelve thousand pounds of sugar per (annum?) till the sugars bequeathed to my two eldest daughters are paid and satisfied and then she to have the use and benefit of the Third of the Good and Chattles I dye possessed during her life as before mentioned and provided and if my wife marry again then my will is that the whole and sole management of my estate and the charge and care of my children be committed to their Guardians hereby constituted and appointed..
• I give and bequeath to my son William Irish all the rest of my estate both real and personal to him and his heirs forever hereby constituting and appointing my son William Irish to be my whole and sole willing and requiring also ordaining and appointing my trusty will beloved friends Richard Molinoux Senr and Ensign William White to be Guardians of the Body and Estate of my said son and to act and do under him during his Minority and to see my will fulfilled performed and executed according to the *** intent and meaning thereof. I also appoint the said William White and Richard Molinoux to be Guardians to the rest of my children.

William Irish. Signed and Sealed in the presence of us. *** George Wyke ***.

                                  30th April 1713

APPEARED personally His Reverend James Cruikshank of the Parish of St. Paul Covent Garden in the County of Midsx Clerk and being Sworn on the Holy Evangelist to dispose truth does declare that William Irish late of this Island of Montserrat in the West Indies being of sound mind and perfect memory and understanding did in the month of September 1699 make publish and declare his last will and testament in writing and therein did nominate constitute and appoint William Irish Jr. His son a minor then of the age of about eight or nine years but now 21 years his sole executer and in the month of October following did depart this life and that the probate of the said last will and testament was granted under the seal of the said Island of Montserrat to Richard Molinoux Sr. And William White both of Montserrat aforesaid Planters as Guardians for and during the minority of the said William Irish. The executor aforesaid and this deponent does further declare that soon after the death of the said William Irish the testator he did make a new copy of the said testators last will and Testament from the Original thereof *** is hereunto annexed dated at Montserrat Sept. 17, 1699 and that he carefully examined the same with the Original Will aforesaid and does by virtue of his Corporal Oath declare that he verily believes the said paper hereunto annexed which is signed by him this Deponent which is all of his this deponents own handwriting to be a true copy of the said last Will and Testament of the said William Irish the Testator and that he this deponent is very creditably informed and believes to be true that in the Month of July last past the French landed and took possession of the said Island of Montserrat and afterwards plundered and ransacked the said Island and carried away burnt or destroyed all or most part of the papers and records belonging to the said Island amongst which were, as he verily believes, the original last will and testament of the said William Irish deceased and the probate thereof under the seal of the said Island. *** Cruikshank.

William Irish and Richard Molineux - Was Agnes Irish His Daughter?

If the Irish Ran the World: Montserrat, 1630-1730, Donald Harman Akenson, McGill-Queen’s Press, 1997

Montserrat is one of the small Leeward Islands tucked nicely into formation along with the other members of the Leeward and Windward archipelago stretching in an arc from Puerto Rico to Venezuela. It was named by Columbus after a monastic town in Spain that the Romans had called Mount Serrat, and which, like Montserrat, featured a serrated landscape.

P 125 - The Reverend Richard Molineux settled into his charge of life on Montserrat in 1678. Because Molineux is a major name in Irish politics in both the 17th and 20th centuries, one must emphasize that this man was not Irish but English. He was the son of an Established Church parson of Garsington, in the County of Oxford. He was very young (only 21 when he arrived, which was below the canonical age for ordination) and therefore was very malleable and later in his career very quick to recognize his own self-interest. He went along and got along. He married locally, the daughter of William Irish, a medium-sized plantation owner. In 1697 he became a member of the legislative council of the island and in 1699 received a legacy from William Irish of some size; he was able to give up half of his clerical income, splitting it with the Rev James Cruickshank, a junior cleric (who probably did all the work in established tradition). Richard Molineux died in 1721 and was buried at St. Peter’s Church, Montserrat.

P 140 - The French invasion of 1712 was a major disaster for the islanders. An entire squadron of French warships took the island for 12 days of looting and burning. When they left they took between 1200 and 1400 of Montserrat’s African slaves, about 1/3 of the island’s black population. “The enemy overrun great part of the island, burnt our towns, destroyed our houses in the country, sugar works and plantations, carried away sundry of our slaves, killed and tok with them most of our horses, cattle and small stock, broke, burnt and carried with them our household stuff, cloathing, and merchandizes, in so much that they left many of us destitute of the very necessaries of subsistence, food and rainment.” Once more, white settlers of Montserrat were starting over, almost from scratch.

P149 – For the year 1729 Richard B. Sheridan sorted out the 30 leading sugar plantations. In order to make a ranking of the largest plantation owners on Montserrat, lacking in both a religious census and decent parish records, the next thing (the author) to do was to take the 18 certainly Irish names (those of ethnicity) on the list of the 30 largest sugar growers and compare them with all available lists of councils, acting governors, and holders of judicial office because Catholics were totally locked out of governmental posts after 1702. This ranking is by the number of acres planted in sugar cane and finds Irish as #10, Meade as #11, Thomas Lee at #14, Peter Lee at #25, Daly at #22; on the Catholic side James Farrill was ranked #2 and John Farrill at #12.

P152 – The most pleasing career was that of Rev. Mr. Molineux and his descendants. Though not Irish he might as well have been for he and his descendants mined the formerly-Catholic among the Montserrat Irish with the touch of the born diamond merchant. The cleric himself married into the “Irish” family (Irish was both their name and their ethnicity), the tenth-largest sugar estate in 1729, who themselves were intermarried with the Wykes (of English origin and the largest estate holder on the island). In the next generation the rector’s second son, John, after being educated at Trinity College, Oxford, married the daughter of Edward Buncombe (who before death in 1712, was one of the largest slave holders and the former speaker of the council). On the mother’s side the new Mrs. Molineux was from landed people as well (the Sayers, medium-sized planters) and more importantly, tied into the Trant connection.

People of Interest in Irish Research

Richard Molineaux

Monumental Inscriptions of British West Indies, Vere Langford Oliver, FG Longman Publishers:Dorchester, 1927, p41, 63

Richard Molineux, 1678, Rector of St. Anthony in Montserrat, As son of Rev. R. Molineux of Garsington Co, Oxford, he matriculated from Trinity College, Oxford, 25 Oct 1672, aged 16, BA 1676. The Bishop of London sent him out in 1677 and Governor Stapleton presented him in 1678. Member of Council 1697. Buried at St. Peter's 8 Oct 1721.

1 Nov 1677 - The Bishop of London writes Governor stapleton that he has selected the following clergy - Messrs. Molineux, Davis, who are embarking. (Col Cal, p174)

24 Jan 1678 - Governor Stepleton writes that he has presented Mr. Molineux to Montserrat but he does not mention Davis.(Col Cal, p212)

James Cruickshank

Calendar of State Papers, Colonial Series, Preserved in the Public Record Office, PRGreat Britain, 1908

p80 - 27 Feb 1699 [Board of Trade, Leeward Islands, 64 p540]

• Minutes of Council and Assembly of Montserrat. Major John Scott and Capt Joseph Littell chosen as Coroners for the Island. Ordered that writs be issued to one of the Council and two of the Assembly to take the names of all whites, from 16 to 60, and blacks from birth upwards, in order to raise a levy. The debts due from inhabitants to the public treasury were assigned to Cpt William Frye who made the highest bid, 16,000 pounds of sugar for them, This sum ordered to be paid half to Richard Molineux and half to James Cruickshanke.

p102 - 14 Mar 1699 [Board of Trade, Leeward Islands, 64. p542]

• Minutes of Council of Montserrat. Act for Billeting Col Collingwood’s regiment read and assented to. The proposal of the Assembly that James Cruickshank be allowed 20,000 pounds of sugar per annum provided he preach every Sunday, catechise, and read prayers in the afternoon, agreed to until this island is provided with another minister and no longer.

Monumental Inscriptions of British West Indies, Vere Langford Oliver, FG Longman Publishers:Dorchester, 1927, p41

James Cruickshank, Rector of St. Anthony in Montserrat, wrote to the Bishop of London in 1724. He was to receive 20,000 lbs yearly and preach every Sunday until this Island is provided with another minister. See his affidavit of 1713 in London, attached to the will of the Honorable William Irish which he copied in Montserrat and brought to England.

Unconnected Irish in Montserrat

Monumental Inscriptions of British West Indies, Vere Langford Oliver, FG Longman Publishers:Dorchester, 1927, p44, 50

Number 10. On the south wall of St. Anthony's Nave, east of Transept, white and black marble - Sacred to the Memory of Mary Francis Irish and Ann Irish, who died 16 Sept 1866 aged 59 and 54 years, Erected by their only surviving Brother. (See pedigree in Caribbeana IV, p359).

Number 34. On headstone in St. George's within a large space enclosed by a low stone wall - Sacred to the Memory of George Irish who died 26 no month 1841, aged 39 years. See No. 10

Number 35. On an unright piece of wood in curbed grave - In Memory of Allan Irish died 20 Dec 1908 aged 60 years.