Charles Shand

Liverpool and Antigua merchant, partner in C., W. and F. Shand with William and Francis Shand. A Liverpool slave-trader of the same name appears as a co-owner in some 30 voyages between 1796 and 1806 and is probably the same man.

1. Charles Shand, son of Francis Shand, merchant in New North Kirk, and his wife Janet Wilson, born 26/12/1772 and baptised 31/12/1772 in Edinburgh. His father was a merchant baillie in Edinburgh. Married Grace, eldest daughter of John Mitchel of Maryton, Montrose, 1797 in Edinburgh. Nine children born in Liverpool and baptised in the Particular Baptist church: Jean (1799), Francis (1800), Janet (1803), John (1804), a daughter whose name is blank in the baptism record (1806), William (1810), Elizabeth (1812), Alexander (1814), Margaret (1815). Some of the children were re-baptised in the Church of England in the 1820s, including Grace Shand of Everton in 1824, whose Particular Baptist record has not been found.

2. Joined the partnership of Rodie & Sons in Liverpool by 1795, which later became Rodie & Shands. The partnership was terminated on the death of Thomas Rodie in 1818. Listed at 7 Islington in 1796. Charles, William and Francis Shand were at 4 Old Church-yard in 1828, presumably their business address. Purchased Rupert House, Rupert Lane, Everton, in 1814.

3. 'A melancholy act of suicide was committed on Thursday last at Liverpool. Mr. Charles Shand, a highly respectable West India merchant, left 'Change early, and, proceeding thence to his counting-house, blew out his brains with a large pistol. A paper was found on the unfortunate Gentleman's desk, containing the following words:- "I die a martyr to West india persecutions. I cannot support my family, and they will not take me to the workhouse."'

4. Burial of Charles Shand of Everton aged 59 15/04/1832 at St George Everton, Walton-on-the-Hill Lancashire.

1. GROS OPR Births 685/1 340 143 Edinburgh. Ancestry.com, England & Wales, Non-Conformist and Non-Parochial Registers, 1567-1970 [database online]. For an extensive family tree of the Shands see '2012JulyCrocker' by Astral14 on Ancestry.co.uk, https://www.ancestry.co.uk/family-tree/person/tree/44813967/person/6262123639/facts [accessed 20/10/2018].

2. Email from Mandy Francis 14/08/2018; London Gazette 23/01/1819, Issue 17443 p. 159; Gore's Liverpool Directory 1796; Pigot's Directory 1828; Liverpool Mercury 22/02/1908 transcribed at http://www.old-merseytimes.co.uk/evertonbarracks.html [accessed 22/10/2018].

3. Morning Post 16/04/1832.

4. Ancestry.com, Lancashire, England , Deaths and Burials,1813-1986 [database online].

We are grateful to Mandy Francis for her assistance with compiling this entry.