Charles Bernard of Jamaica and Bristol

Profile & Legacies Summary

???? - 1797

Biography

With his brothers (David Bernard, William Rhodes Bernard and Daniel Bernard) active in Jamaica in the second half of the 18thC. All were probably sons of Charles Bernard jun. (1720-1790) (q.v.). The Charles Bernard of this entry moved to Bristol by 1795. Died by November 1797. Bequeathed an annuity of £67 p.a. to his wife Elizabeth Jane (plus her marriage settlement) and a capital sum to provide an annuity of £140 p.a. to his daughter Rebecca. Residuary legatees were his sons James and Charles.

Charles Bernard married Elizabeth Jane Westland in St James, Jamaica, 15/03/1787. Two children baptised in St James: Charles (1788) and Elizabeth Jane (1789).

James and Rebecca appear to have been children of a previous marriage. Charles Bernard married Margaret Irving in St James, 07/07/1775 and they had two children baptised in St James: James (1777) and Rebecca (1780).

James Bernard, son of Charles Bernard of Jamaica, gentleman, matriculated Trinity College Oxford 16/03/1797 age 18. No further trace of James has been found.

Sources

PROB 11/1297/303; Familysearch.org batch no. I03814-1; Ancestry.com, Oxford University Alumni, 1500-1886 [database online].

NB LBS has identified 6 separate men named Charles Bernard, and the possibility of confusion remains: (1) 'Charles Bernard senior' of the 1754 listing; (2) 'Charles Bernard junior' of the 1754 listing, whom we have concluded was Charles Bernard (1720-1790), probably the son of (1); (3) Charles Bernard 'of Bristol' (1750-1797), son of (2) and father of (4); (4) Charles Bernard of St James (d. 1820), son of (3); (5) Charles Bernard of Frampton Lodge (d. c. 1826), probably son of David Bernard (d. c. 1804) and nephew of (3) and first cousin of (4); and (6) Charles Bernard of Carpenters Hall, who was alive at the time of compensation and was probably the son of (5). There was possibly a seventh, 'Charles Bernard senior' (perhaps in fact 'Charles Bernard Senior'), active in St James in the 1820s.

Further Information

Absentee?

Transatlantic

Spouse

[1] Margaret Irving [2] Elizabeth Jane Westland

Children

With [1] James, Rebecca. With [2] Charles, Elizabeth Jane

Will

PROB 11/1297/303 - precis.

Charles Bernard late of St James in Jamaica but now of the City of Bristol Esquire. All my estate real and personal in Jamaica and Britain to my brothers William Rhodes Bernard of Bath in Somerset and David Bernard of St James in Jamaica, and Ralph Mountague of the City of Bristol Esquire upon trust for the purposes hereinafter given.

To my wife Elizabeth Jane during her widowhood the use of my plate, linen, china, books and household furniture. On her death or remarriage to divide my plate equally between my children. At the same time to sell my furniture, books, linen and china, the proceeds to form part of my residuary estate. My wife also to have the use of my residence at Upper Park Street in Bristol, where I now live, for as long as I have the lease and she remains my widow. To my wife during her widowhood an annuity of £67 sterling together with the jointure made in our marriage settlement.

To my son James Bernard £2,000 at age 21.

To my daughter Rebecca Bernard upon trust to invest in the public stocks a sum of money to ensure her a yearly sum of £140 sterling per annum for life from age 21, to be paid into her own hands and not to be subject to the debts of any husband. On her decease this to pass upon trust to any of her children at age 21.

All the remainder to be divided between my sons James and Charles share and share alike as tenants in common age age 21. Should James not live to age 21 then £2,000 to my daughter Rebecca at age 21 or marriage, the remainder to Charles.

William Rhodes Bernard, David Bernard and Ralph Mountague to be executors and guardians of my children during their minorities. Should none of my executors be resident in Jamaica then I nominate Samuel Sharp of Montego Bay to be an executor in trust in Jamaica jointly with my other executors.

Signed 15/07/1795.

Proved in London 16/11/1797 by Ralph Mountague, William Rhodes Bernard and David Bernard.

Associated Estates (3)

The dates listed below have different categories as denoted by the letters in the brackets following each date. Here is a key to explain those letter codes:

SD - Association Start Date
SY - Association Start Year
EA - Earliest Known Association
ED - Association End Date
EY - Association End Year
LA - Latest Known Association

1792 [EA] - 1797 [LA] → Joint owner

Eden Estate [ Jamaica | St James ]

- 1820 [LA] → Previous owner

Eden Estate [ Jamaica | St James ]

The presence of Ralph Mountague as agent in this year suggests the Charles Bernard as previous owner was Charles Bernard of Jamaica and Bristol, whose executor Mountague was.

1771 [EA] - 1775 [LA] → Attorney

Green Pond Estate [ Jamaica | St James ]

Attorney and executor