John Chorley

Liverpool merchant and slave-owner in Jamaica. John Chorley was shown as owner of Burtons 1790-1809 while John Chorley 'of Liverpool' was shown as in possession of Preston estate 1788-1797. These were the same man, a Liverpool merchant and partner with Henry Rawlinson (q.v.). Burtons had belonged to Sir Charles Price, for whom Caribbeana Vol.II shows a deed with Henry Rawlinson and John Chorley of Liverpool in 1779 on plantations in St Thomas-in-the-Vale, while for Preston John Chorley is identified as of Liverpool and was tied to Henry Rawlinson in relation to the Preston estate in legal action reported in 1822. The firm of Rawlinsons & Chorley gave John Bolton (q.v.) his start in the slave-economy

1. 'John Chorley' [probably two different men, given they appear 20 years apart] appears in the Trans-atlantic Slave-Trade Database, with three voyages in 1754-1756 in partnership with Benjamin Heywood and others; and two in 1776, one alone and one with Henry Rawlinson.

2. John Chorley merchant of Liverpool was bankrupt in 1805. Later in the bankruptcy process the estate of Henry Rawlinson was pulled into the proceedings.

3. The will of John Chorley of Prescot in Lancashire proved 10/02/1815 was made in November 1805 and might have been of the bankrupt or possibly of his father: in it the testator said that he had provided for his son John and 'some years ago' transferred his business to him, and left £3000 to each of three of his daughters, Mary, Frances and Elizabeth, on condition that they renounced earlier settlements in favour of the residuary legatee, their sister Jane. The will also refers to the testator's late uncle, John.

4. John Chorley was dead by 1810.

We are grateful to Steven Carter for his assistance in compiling this entry.

1. Trans-atlantic Slave-Trade Database; London Gazette 17840 03/08/1822 p. 1286 shows litigation over Tophill and Preston involving the late firm of Rawlinson & Chorley and John Chorley deceased. .

2. London Gazette 18594 17/07/1829 p. 1352; London Gazette 15861 09/11/1805 p. 1405.

3. PROB 11/1565/191.

4. Morning Chronicle, Friday 28 September 1810, p. 4.