Thomas Gowland the elder

Profile & Legacies Summary

???? - 1778

Biography

London merchant, creditor of estates in Jamaica including Springfield in Westmoreland. His will, made in 1778 and proved 02/06/1779, identified his attornies in Jamaica as Charles Russell and Robert Holden, and his nephew Thomas Gowland as also in Jamaica. This was presumably the West India merchant of the same name 'conversant in the Jamaica trade ever since the year 1764', previously captain of a ship trading to Jamaica since 1756, who gave evidence to the Parliamentary enquiry of 1778 into rum contracts in the Americas. His first wife Emma Chamberlayne was the second cousin once removed of Jane Austen. Their son Thomas Gowland Chamberlayne (who appears in his father's will as Thomas Gowland and to whom his father left £1000 'extraordinary' based on the likely support to his [the son's] step-siblings from the family of his [the testator's] second wife) became an important English merchant in Buenos Aires.

Sources

PROB 11/1054/13; Parliamentary Register...during the fourth session of the 14th Parliament Vol. IX (1778); Corley, T. A. B. "Gowland, John (d. 1776), apothecary and inventor of Gowland's lotion." Oxford Dictionary of National Biography. 23 Sep. 2004; Accessed 23 Jan. 2020. https://www.oxforddnb.com/view/10.1093/ref:odnb/9780198614128.001.0001/odnb-9780198614128-e-58752.

Further Information

Absentee?

British/Irish

Spouse

(1) Emma Chamberlayne (2) Ann Harriott

Associated Estates (1)

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

1777 [EA] - → Mortgage Holder

Springfield [1] [ Jamaica | Westmoreland ]

1799, Aug. 13. Ind. of 4 parts betw. Charles Boldero, Stephen Thurston Adey, Sir Steph. Lushington, Bt, and Edw. Gale Boldero of London, Merchants and cop., of 1st pt; Henry Jackson of L., Mt, of 2d; James Inglish Keighly of L., Mt, of 3d; Rob. Shawe of L., Esq., of 4th. Whereas by Ind. of 29 and 30 April 1777 betw. Jacob Johnson, Esq., now decd, of the 1 pt, and Tho. Gowland, Esq., also decd, of the other, J. J. conveyed his plantation in W'ld called Springfield, 3720 acres and 223 slaves, 90 steers, 50 mules, 10 horses and 95 breeding cattle subject to redemption on payment of £5000 sterling. Tho. G. died and m. his will 5 Feb. 1778 (recited), Tho. G., now of Gt Britain, a Trustee and Executor, and by Ind. of 26 Sep. 1786 Hen. Jackson pd £6951 due and estate was conveyed to him. Seal. Crest: A hind's head couped, in its month an arrow bendwise. (5 large skins.)