Lucy Rattray (née Lechmere)

Awarded with Alexander Rattray (q.v.) the compensation for two claims, both in Kingston Jamaica.

1. Lucy Lechmere was born 13/10/1806 and baptised 10/11/1806 in Port Royal, Jamaica, daughter of 'Richd.' Lechmere and Mary Webster. The Port Royal Register as we now have it is a copy, made in the 1820s by, and at this point in the handwriting of, Thomas Alves, the Rector of the time. Since no Richard Lechmere can so far be traced in Jamaica, let alone Port Royal at this time, it is possible that the original forename entry may have been 'Nichs.', short for Nicholas. Nicholas Lechmere had six children with 'free quadroon' Sarah Letitia Webster between 1795 and 1812. It is possible that 'Mary Webster' was a mistranscription for 'Sarah Webster'; at any rate, Lucy was a member of the family for Nicholas Lechmere and Sarah Letitia Webster; Nicholas left enslaved people in trust to his children (including Lucy) and Sarah Letitia Webster acted as trustee in the slave register of 1820.

2. In 1851 Lucy Rattray, head, widow, annuitant aged 44 born Kingstown Jamaica, was living at 7 Netherfield Road South, Everton with daughter Charlotte aged 17 and son Netham [sic] aged 14, both also born Kingstown Jamaica, and  a 'relative', N.L. Ellis also born Jamaica. This 'relative' is probably Nicholas Lechmere Ellis, son of Thomas Ellis and Lucy Rattray's sister, Elizabeth, and born in Kingston in 1831. 'Netham' was almost certainly named after Netlam Tory (q.v.), formerly of Kingston and then relocated to Liverpool, a co-awardee with Alexander Rattray. In 1861 and 1861 Lucy Rattray was at Sion Hill, Barnacre with Bonds, Lancashire;  in 1881 she was living with her son Netlam ('retired cotton spinner') at 70 Gloucester Terrace, London.

3. Netlam Rattray, age 27, widow, manufacturer of East Cliffe married Anne Eliza Beazley, age 17, spinster of East Cliffe, in St John, Preston, Lancashire, 27/08/1863. The groom's father was given as the late Alexander Rattray, Store Keeper, and one of the witnesses was Lucy Rattray.

4. The will of Lucy Rattray formerly of 70 Gloucester Terrace but late of 94 Palace Gardens Terrace who died 27/04/1890 proved by Netlam Rattray of Chilliswood, St Mary's Road Long Ditton, the son and sole executor, 20/05/1890, personal estate £29758 16s 5d.

Kingston nos. 296 & 297.

1. Familysearch.org, Jamaica Church of England Parish Register Transcripts, 1664-1880 [database online]. See also entries for Nicholas Lechmere's children Nicholas Lechmere junior, Elizabeth Ellis nee Lechmere, Mary L. Lechmere and Frances Lyles nee Lechmere.

2. 1851, 1861 and 1881 censuses online.

3. Lancashire Online Parish Clerk, https://www.lan-opc.org.uk/Preston/Preston/stjohn/index.html [accessed 23/02/2021].

4. National Probate Calendar 1890.

We are grateful to Jim Brennan and William Norton for their assistance with compiling this entry.