John Fowler

Native of Ross & Cromarty, dying in Jamaica in 1792.

1. There is a plaque commemorating John and Andrew Fowler erected by their brother James Fowler (q.v.) 'of Grange and Raddery' in 1821 in Rosemarkie Church, Ross and Cromarty. The plaque confirms the deaths in Jamaica of John Fowler of Friendship estate in 1792 and of Andrew in 1796. John Fowler's inventory of 1793 included 167 [sic] enslaved people, and personalty of £74,374 19s 61/2d. He left £100 to the poor of Fortrose and 100 guineas to the 'new foundation or Charity for Instructing Youth' there, legacies which might not have been honoured by his executors. John Fowler had been an agent for the Bristol slave-trader James Rogers. John Fowler's natural daughter Sarah Williams Fowler, whose mother Sarah Williams was a free woman of colour, married at Leith 29/08/1811 and died 17/06/1816 aged 26 at Dulcie Bridge, Grantown on Spey.

2. The inventory of John Fowler taken 07/01/1793 showed goods and chattels of £88,722 19s 61/2d currency, including 127 enslaved people on Friendship estate and Thatch Hill Pen in Trelawny. The discrepancy between the 'goods and chattels' of £88,722 19s 61/2d and the personalty of £74,374 19s 61/2d shown above appears to lie in the inclusion in the former total of the valuation of the enslaved people (and possibly cash), whereas the £74,374 19s 61/2d comprised numerous debts owing to John Fowler: of this total, the largest single items were approximately £21,000 owed by Neill Campbell on a mortgage on Lottery estate; c. £13,000 on bonds from Brady & [James] Mulloy and c. £5000 owed by William Barnett on a mortgage on Lisworney [sic] estate.

1. Freda Bassindale, Rosemarkie Connections: a village history told through its church and churchyard (Bassman Books, Dingwall, 2015), pp. 15-20, 'The Fowlers of Raddery'.

2. http://www.jamaicanfamilysearch.com/Members/M/Mfowlerletters.htm [accessed 11/09/2019]. The webpages also include letters by John Fowler.