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Samuel Greatheed (1710) of Guy's Cliffe: © Charles Soderlund 02/23
(Another Greatheed with a connection to Gildersome)
(Another Greatheed with a connection to Gildersome)
Samuel Greathead was born in 1710 in the Caribbean, probably on St. Christopher's Island, commonly referred to as St. Kitts. John Greatheed, his father, owned a productive sugar plantation (1) there, worth £3,000 a year (2) at the time of his death. Samuel inherited the plantation along with a large but unknown quantity of slaves. During his proprietorship he became one of the largest slave owners in Britain. He left the management of the plantation to his brother Craister and retired to a lifetime of ease in England where he used his great wealth to ingratiate himself with the upper classes. He apparently succeeded as he married Lady Mary Bertie, the second daughter of the Duke of Ancaster, moved into a lavish residence called Guy's Cliff and became a member of Parliament for Coventry (1747-1761). He died in 1761 (3). Today, knowledge regarding Samuel's ancestors goes back only as far as his parents.
On this page, I intend to present convincing evidence, including an admission by Samuel himself, that his great grandfather was none other than Major Joshua Greatheed of Gildersome: Civil War hero, the Crown's principal informer and betrayer of the 'Northern Plot' in Yorkshire and Hearth Tax collector for the Exchequer. It also follows that if the Major was Samuel's great grandfather, then one of his children must have been his grandfather.
(To avoid confusion, from this point on I shall refer to Samuel as Samuel (gc) of Guy's Cliff and his father as John (sk) of St Kitts) Up to the present, the commonly accepted story of Samuel's (gc) antecedents was, that the Greatheed family came from near Leeds where they were forced to leave after their property was seized by the Crown (4). The most specific source for the family's origin came from the editors of a journal written by Bertie Greatheed, Samuel's(gc) son. The editors presumably had access to his family papers and wrote this: The family of Greatheed is said to have been of French origin and to have settled first in Yorkshire, where in the 17th century, they possessed property at Morley and Geldersome (sic), near Leeds. The immediate founder of the families fortunes seems to have been John Greatheed, who emigrated to the West Indies, eventually settling at St. Mary Cayon, St. Kitts..... (5) Any attempt to establish Samuel's (gc) father's lineage stopped there. There were plenty of Greatheed, or Greathead, families in the Gildersome area and all were probably more or less related to one another. Aside from Gildersome, they resided in Morley, Leeds, Beeston, Holbeck, Batley, Drighlington and Wakefield. Though never a large clan, the stumbling block has, as always, been the lack of records, especially during the Parliamentary and Restoration eras. At present, no birth record exists between the 1660s and 1680s, that can specifically be credited to be the John Greatheed (sk), Samuel's father. Also, prior to 1708, no credible marriage record can be found for Samuel's father and mother (Frances surname unknown). It's possible that they were married in the Caribbean.
Another accepted fact concerning Samuel's (gc) early life was that circa 1718, in order to obtain a proper education, he was sent to live with his grandfather "near Leeds" (6). There he attended Bradford's Grammar School. This assertion is confirmed in his Trinity College records (below). A check of the Bradford school records reveals that a Mr Butler was headmaster at that time. Bradford is but eight miles or so from Gildersome.
(See Trinity College Admissions, below) Let's turn our attention to what's known about John Greatheed (sk), Samuel's father. It's well documented that around 1710, he surfaced on the West Indies' Isle of St. Christopher (St. Kitts) and who, according to several 1739 obituaries, became "Speaker of the Assembly, Judge of the Admiralty and Register of that Island." (7)
Another source states: John and his wife Frances emigrated to Montserrat in the late 1600’s before moving to St Kitts and Nevis where he purchased 200 acres of land from the Crown at £5/acre outside the capital town of Basseterre. At some point he became Speaker to the Council of St Christopher. (8) In a 1718 letter, Minister James Craggs writes to Governor Archibald Hamilton of Jamaica about the progress on St. Kitts, John Greatheed and other land owners were mentioned. Of them he said:
.....having had grants for lands in the Island of St. Christophers, they have by themselves or undertenants manured a great part thereof, built boyling houses, and other works for sugar making, and been at great expence and charge, whereby the produce of that Island and the settlement thereof has been very greatly improved..... (9) It certainly appears that John Greathead (sk) didn't just arrive on St Kitts and carve out the wilderness with his bare hands; instead he arrived with bags full of money. The land alone cost him at least 1,000 pounds (10), not to mention the added expenses of purchasing slaves, clearing land, fertilising, planting, processing etc. Whether the funds were his alone or he had entered into partnership with others remains to be seen. In addition, he didn't rise to the exalted ranks mentioned in his obituary without a certain amount of schooling, including law. Unfortunately there's no record of his attendance at any of the higher ranked institutions. However, the conclusion that he belonged to a wealthy middle class family is unavoidable.
Recently, while examining a packet of letters from the West Yorkshire Archives from Samuel Greatheed (gc) to his good friend William Robinson (4th Baronet of Newby), I discovered the following illuminating passage:
....For my own part I have the greatest veneration for Yorkshire & think I have an Hereditary Right to stile (sic) my self of that County; for tho' I was born in his Majesties Plantations my father was a native of Yorkshire & descended from Major Greatheed who's family was ruined in the Civil Wars; ..... (11) Given Samuel's disclosure above, and supplemented by all the facts thus far presented, the only "Major Greatheed" it could possibly be was the notorious Major Joshua Greathead of Gildersome, whose property was seized by the Crown in 1666. He was married to Susannah Crowther on 28th of May 1640. They would have been Samuel's great grandparents. We know who Samuel's (gc) parents were but who were Samuel's grandparents on his father's side? They would have had to of been one of Joshua's seven children. Since there's no credible proof that any of his children bore Samuel's (gc) father, either anecdotally or officially, we may never know his or her identity and thus can only speculate.
The Children of Major Greatheed:
Here's some of what we know, including some conjecture at the end, regarding each of Joshua and Susannah's children (Note, all their children were born in Gildersome): Alice - Born about 1641 died 1727. She married John Smith of Gildersome about 1658. They had at least 5 children and numerous grandchildren. Joshua: Born about 1642, died about 1665? in Gildersome. Little is known about Joshua. In the 1665 Hearth Tax list for Gildersome he appeared living at his father's house on Church St. He was presumably unwed before he died though he could have fathered a legitimate or illegitimate child. |
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This mezzotint of Samuel Greatheed (born 1710), above, resides today at the National Portrait Gallery in London. For some unknown reason, in West Yorkshire it's still mistaken for a portrait of Major Joshua Greatheed (born 1615), of Civil War and Farnley Wood Plot fame. Below is the Gallery's own citation: Sitter: Samuel Greatheed by Richard Houston, after William Hoare mezzotint, mid 18th century 12 1/2 in. x 8 3/4 in. (316 mm x 222 mm) Purchased with help from the Friends of the National Libraries and the Pilgrim Trust, 1966 Reference Collection NPG D2487 William Hoare (1707-1792), Portrait painter. Artist associated with 74 portraits, Sitter in 6 portraits. Guy's Cliffe, mentioned above, located in Warwickshire, is a ruin today. In 1751, It was purchased by Samuel Greatheed The grounds have been around since Saxon times and derives its name from the legendary Guy of Warwick. Guy is supposed to have retired to a hermitage on this site, this legend led to the founding of a chantry. The chantry was established in 1423 as the Chapel of St Mary Magdelene and the rock-carved stables and storehouses still remain. After the Dissolution of the Monasteries by Henry VIII the site passed into private hands. When Samuel moved in he began a process of renovations and additions. To do some of this work it was said that he brought slaves over from St. Kitts. His son Bertie Greatheed inherited the estate after the death of his mother in 1774, he further improved the house and grounds in 1810, to "heighten the picturesque qualities of the site". (12)
(Above and below) The busts of Samuel Greatheed and his wife Lady Mary Greatheed nee Bertie; situated at Guy's Cliffe House.
Bertie Greatheed (1759–1826) was an English dramatist, slave owner and landowner. He was instrumental in the development of Leamington Spa as a resort town, and wrote several literary works
Samuel Greatheed (of Guy's Cliffe) had a brother named Craister and Craister had a son named John Greatheed (abt 1765 - 1796). John was accepted to the Inner Temple as a law student on Jan 1768. In May of 1774 he became a candidate for a position at the Bar along with three others, one of whom was John's second cousin, Watson Scatcherd of Morley. Together, and with one other, John and Watson secured a position at Clifford's Inn in London. If this was not a coincidence, it would appear that the two families were still in contact.
(Below from: Calendar of Inner Temple Records Vol 5 1750 to 1800) |
Samuel: Born about 1644, died 1721 in Gildersome. He married Susannah Appleyard of Gildersome in 1682. Unlike his brothers, John and Henry, there's no documentation showing that Samuel ever lived in London after the Crown's property seizure, though he may have for a short while. Samuel appeared in records as a clothier located in either Gildersome or Morley. When he married Susannah he was 38 so it's possible he could have been previously married. No birth records have been found for any children born to Samuel but this is not surprising since he was a Presbyterian and a member of Morley's Old Chapel congregation. At the time of his marriage to Susannah the Old Chapel had been shut down since 1663 and wouldn't be restored to the congregation until at least 1689. In 1728 a son called Samuel, of Gildersome, presented himself before the probate court at Pontefract to lay claim to a portion of his father's property.(13)
John: Born between 1645 and 1650, died 1709 in London. He may have married Jane Hill in London on
08 April 1670 and had at least two children. ( One of whom may have been John (sk), the father of Samuel (gc)). Jane died in 1684 (14). He married Margaret Boote in London in 1689, they had no children.
In 1665 he was an assistant Hearth Tax collector, under the direction of his father, and compiled the Morley assessment. Soon thereafter, his father and partners were called before the sheriff to account for an arrearage amounting to about £3,500, John was among the defendants. After the deliberations, the Greatheed portion owed was determined to be about £1,300, less than half the original sum. Being unable or unwilling to pay, Greatheed properties, in Gildersome, Morley, Drighlington and elsewhere, were seized by the Crown (15). John left Gildersome for London, exactly when is not clear. The earliest I can specifically place him there comes from a lease dated 1684 between John and his father Joshua. In it John is described as of London in the parish of St Andrews and late of Gildersome (16). Yet there is circumstantial evidence that he may have taken up residence there earlier than that. By 1688, after the death of his father, the debt owed the Crown was lifted and most of his father's properties were returned to the family (17). That same year he was awarded the post of assistant clerk with the Customs Commissions in London (18), and the next year, 1689, he was promoted to the position of assistant Searcher of Ships, (19) for which he was required to put up a bond of £1,000.
The year 1689 was also the year that John married Margaret Boote (1655-1725) (20), a wealthy and influential spinster from Cheshire, then living in London. The couple were married at St Giles Cripplegate and took up residence in that parish. John died intestate in 1709. Margaret, in Feb. of 1710, applied to the Prerogative Court of Canterbury and York, as having goods above a certain value within the court’s jurisdiction and was granted administration of John's estate, saving the rights of anyone else who might also apply for the grant (21). Applying at York meant that John had revenue and or properties in the Leeds and Batley parish area. When Margaret died in 1721, she left the bulk of her estate to her family but her last will and testament contained the following two curious bequests. One, she left 20 pounds to John's nephew in Gildersome, Joseph Smith and his wife Mary; thereby verifying John's connection to the family. Second, she left to her best friend, Lady Catherine Murray: a picture of my late husband and that of his daughter (22). The implication of this can't be more explicit, John had a daughter, most likely from a previous marriage, and that this union bore at least one child. John could have previously married in the period between the 1660s and 1680s as there are several marriage records found, both in West Yorkshire and the London area, in which a John Greatheed, or Greathead, was the groom, similarly, there are several births in the same regions involving children of a John Greatheed, or Greathead, but none of these records can be attributed specifically to our John.
Susannah: Born about 1649, died sometime after 1721. Died a spinster.
08 April 1670 and had at least two children. ( One of whom may have been John (sk), the father of Samuel (gc)). Jane died in 1684 (14). He married Margaret Boote in London in 1689, they had no children.
In 1665 he was an assistant Hearth Tax collector, under the direction of his father, and compiled the Morley assessment. Soon thereafter, his father and partners were called before the sheriff to account for an arrearage amounting to about £3,500, John was among the defendants. After the deliberations, the Greatheed portion owed was determined to be about £1,300, less than half the original sum. Being unable or unwilling to pay, Greatheed properties, in Gildersome, Morley, Drighlington and elsewhere, were seized by the Crown (15). John left Gildersome for London, exactly when is not clear. The earliest I can specifically place him there comes from a lease dated 1684 between John and his father Joshua. In it John is described as of London in the parish of St Andrews and late of Gildersome (16). Yet there is circumstantial evidence that he may have taken up residence there earlier than that. By 1688, after the death of his father, the debt owed the Crown was lifted and most of his father's properties were returned to the family (17). That same year he was awarded the post of assistant clerk with the Customs Commissions in London (18), and the next year, 1689, he was promoted to the position of assistant Searcher of Ships, (19) for which he was required to put up a bond of £1,000.
The year 1689 was also the year that John married Margaret Boote (1655-1725) (20), a wealthy and influential spinster from Cheshire, then living in London. The couple were married at St Giles Cripplegate and took up residence in that parish. John died intestate in 1709. Margaret, in Feb. of 1710, applied to the Prerogative Court of Canterbury and York, as having goods above a certain value within the court’s jurisdiction and was granted administration of John's estate, saving the rights of anyone else who might also apply for the grant (21). Applying at York meant that John had revenue and or properties in the Leeds and Batley parish area. When Margaret died in 1721, she left the bulk of her estate to her family but her last will and testament contained the following two curious bequests. One, she left 20 pounds to John's nephew in Gildersome, Joseph Smith and his wife Mary; thereby verifying John's connection to the family. Second, she left to her best friend, Lady Catherine Murray: a picture of my late husband and that of his daughter (22). The implication of this can't be more explicit, John had a daughter, most likely from a previous marriage, and that this union bore at least one child. John could have previously married in the period between the 1660s and 1680s as there are several marriage records found, both in West Yorkshire and the London area, in which a John Greatheed, or Greathead, was the groom, similarly, there are several births in the same regions involving children of a John Greatheed, or Greathead, but none of these records can be attributed specifically to our John.
Susannah: Born about 1649, died sometime after 1721. Died a spinster.
Henry: Born about 1658, died 1718 in Gildersome. He married Martha Fox (nee Kinge) in London 1689, she died in Morley 1722, they had at least one child, Mary born 1691. (23).
Henry was about 9 years old when the trouble between his father and the Crown began. There's no indication of what Henry was doing before coming of age but at some point he became a brewer's apprentice in London and in 1696 took an oath with the guild of "Worshipful Company of Brewers." (24). An apprenticeship with the Guild took 7 to 10 years so it's unclear whether he was swearing in as a new member or taking the oath merely as a reaffirmation.
When he married Martha at Saint Dunstan's Church, Stepney, London. it was described in the parish register that both were from Stepney. Henry was a bachelor about 28 years old and Martha was a widow about 30 years old. Witnessing the marriage was Henry's brother, John Greatheed, "gentleman", whose address was given as "St Andrews, Holborn, Middlesex; or at Greenwich, Kent"(25). This firmly establishes a connection with his brother in London. Henry Greatheed owned and operated a brewery in Lymehouse, a short distance south of Stepney, along the river. When he opened his establishment is unknown. In 1705 he became insolvent and faced the Commission of Bankruptcies (26). It took three years (1708) before his debts were settled and the charges were dropped.
As far as can be told, Henry and Martha had only one child together, Mary also born in Stepney, and baptised at Saint Dunstan's Church. (27)
By 1713 Henry and family may have removed to Gildersome, as revealed in 1713 when he witnessed the will of Matthew Miller, a clothier there. (28)
Henry died on the 15 August of 1718. In his will located at York it states, London (but late of Gildersome, Batley, Yorkshire), (29) so he must have died in Gildersome and was later buried in the Scatcherd Mausoleum in Morley. His will, written 1711 in the Parish of St Giles Cripplegate, probably cleared probate in York the same year as his death but, 10 years later (1728), it was submitted to the Probate Commission in London. In it he left: All the rest of both reall and personall estate goods and chattles and credits whatsoever I give to my loving daughter Mary Greatheed... Mary married Samuel Scatcherd 19 Jun 1716 at Batley, All Saints. In 1728, Mary Scatcherd with her husband, Samuel Scatcherd, appeared before the London Probate Court to settle Henry's property in London.
Hannah - Hannah's birth and death remains uncertain. In 1718 she was named in brother'Henry" will as a sister. How long she lived after that is unknown. She died a spinster.
Henry was about 9 years old when the trouble between his father and the Crown began. There's no indication of what Henry was doing before coming of age but at some point he became a brewer's apprentice in London and in 1696 took an oath with the guild of "Worshipful Company of Brewers." (24). An apprenticeship with the Guild took 7 to 10 years so it's unclear whether he was swearing in as a new member or taking the oath merely as a reaffirmation.
When he married Martha at Saint Dunstan's Church, Stepney, London. it was described in the parish register that both were from Stepney. Henry was a bachelor about 28 years old and Martha was a widow about 30 years old. Witnessing the marriage was Henry's brother, John Greatheed, "gentleman", whose address was given as "St Andrews, Holborn, Middlesex; or at Greenwich, Kent"(25). This firmly establishes a connection with his brother in London. Henry Greatheed owned and operated a brewery in Lymehouse, a short distance south of Stepney, along the river. When he opened his establishment is unknown. In 1705 he became insolvent and faced the Commission of Bankruptcies (26). It took three years (1708) before his debts were settled and the charges were dropped.
As far as can be told, Henry and Martha had only one child together, Mary also born in Stepney, and baptised at Saint Dunstan's Church. (27)
By 1713 Henry and family may have removed to Gildersome, as revealed in 1713 when he witnessed the will of Matthew Miller, a clothier there. (28)
Henry died on the 15 August of 1718. In his will located at York it states, London (but late of Gildersome, Batley, Yorkshire), (29) so he must have died in Gildersome and was later buried in the Scatcherd Mausoleum in Morley. His will, written 1711 in the Parish of St Giles Cripplegate, probably cleared probate in York the same year as his death but, 10 years later (1728), it was submitted to the Probate Commission in London. In it he left: All the rest of both reall and personall estate goods and chattles and credits whatsoever I give to my loving daughter Mary Greatheed... Mary married Samuel Scatcherd 19 Jun 1716 at Batley, All Saints. In 1728, Mary Scatcherd with her husband, Samuel Scatcherd, appeared before the London Probate Court to settle Henry's property in London.
Hannah - Hannah's birth and death remains uncertain. In 1718 she was named in brother'Henry" will as a sister. How long she lived after that is unknown. She died a spinster.
Speculation:
Though it seems unlikely, one of the daughters may have had a child out of wedlock. At the time it was typical for an illegitimate child to receive the surname of the mother. It was also typical that the mother, shunned by society, would remain a spinster for the rest of her days. Of the three sisters, Alice was probably too young before her marriage, but Susannah and Hannah never married. The Greatheed family could have supported an illegitimate boy and sent him far off for schooling.
Brother Samuel, may have had the means to send a son to college, but alas there is no birth record of any children born to him and Susannah his wife, though he may have had several unrecorded children in Morley or Gildersome. Some accounts of young Samuel Greatheed (gc) say that he was sent to Yorkshire for his education and resided there with his grandfather. If this were true, Samuel, of Gildersome and Morley, was the only one of the brothers to have lived long enough to have taken him in. However, this particular story may have changed over time and young Samuel (gc) might have stayed with an aunt, uncle or cousin.
Henry owned a brewery in Limehouse close to maritime facilities on the Thames. There he had contact with the commercial traffic that had plied the waters of the Caribbean and all the news therefrom. He may have even been tempted to invest there. Could his 1705 bankruptcy have been the result of a Caribbean investment gone wrong? He did have the means to give a child a proper education but one important fact calls into question a paternal connection with John of St Kitts. Henry was the only one of his siblings to have left a viable will. In it he leaves bequests to his wife Martha, brother Samuel and his three sisters, his three stepchildren (Martha's kids) and his Smith niece and nephews. He left the bulk of his estate to his daughter Mary who married Samuel Scatcherd. It seems to me that if Henry had a son who was out of favour, only the deepest of rifts would prevent that son from being named in his will. Especially so if Samuel (gc) turns up around the same time to attend Bradford's grammar school.
Though it seems unlikely, one of the daughters may have had a child out of wedlock. At the time it was typical for an illegitimate child to receive the surname of the mother. It was also typical that the mother, shunned by society, would remain a spinster for the rest of her days. Of the three sisters, Alice was probably too young before her marriage, but Susannah and Hannah never married. The Greatheed family could have supported an illegitimate boy and sent him far off for schooling.
Brother Samuel, may have had the means to send a son to college, but alas there is no birth record of any children born to him and Susannah his wife, though he may have had several unrecorded children in Morley or Gildersome. Some accounts of young Samuel Greatheed (gc) say that he was sent to Yorkshire for his education and resided there with his grandfather. If this were true, Samuel, of Gildersome and Morley, was the only one of the brothers to have lived long enough to have taken him in. However, this particular story may have changed over time and young Samuel (gc) might have stayed with an aunt, uncle or cousin.
Henry owned a brewery in Limehouse close to maritime facilities on the Thames. There he had contact with the commercial traffic that had plied the waters of the Caribbean and all the news therefrom. He may have even been tempted to invest there. Could his 1705 bankruptcy have been the result of a Caribbean investment gone wrong? He did have the means to give a child a proper education but one important fact calls into question a paternal connection with John of St Kitts. Henry was the only one of his siblings to have left a viable will. In it he leaves bequests to his wife Martha, brother Samuel and his three sisters, his three stepchildren (Martha's kids) and his Smith niece and nephews. He left the bulk of his estate to his daughter Mary who married Samuel Scatcherd. It seems to me that if Henry had a son who was out of favour, only the deepest of rifts would prevent that son from being named in his will. Especially so if Samuel (gc) turns up around the same time to attend Bradford's grammar school.
In my opinion there's a great deal of circumstantial evidence suggesting that John Greatheed of Gildersome was the father of John Greatheed of St Kitts. As mentioned earlier, John appears to have been previously married. Whether his son John (sk) was legitimate or not makes little difference to this history but if he was not, it might explain why there are virtually no records of him prior to his appearance in the Caribbean. The exception is one curious baptism, in 27 Dec 1673 at St Nicholas, Deptford, Greenwich; a son born to a John Greted named John (30). This record comes the closest in time and place to John's marriage to Jane Hill, and though the misspelled surname was common, we know that John of Gildersome was most likely in the London area at that time.
In this narrative above it states that John (sk) emigrated to Montserrat in the late 1600’s before moving to St Kitts (31). The timing coincided with his father's marriage to Margaret Boote and his father's new position at the Custom Office. As a "Searcher of Ships" elder John received £300 per annum not to mention a percentage of all the contraband he recovered, in one case it amounted to a single payment of £300 (32). He had the financial ability to see a son through school and possibly to finance, or help to finance a Caribbean investment. Though it's unknown how much the Greatheed family was worth, it's certain that a lot of its wealth had been hidden from the Exchequer. When John died late in 1709, Margaret administered his estate, the details of its distribution is unknown at the present time and, as no one stepped forward to dispute or enter a claim, the return of property to John's heirs must have been satisfactory. The date of Margaret's administration, 1709-1711, dovetails neatly with the arrival of John (sk) and Frances on St Kitts.
John's wife, Margaret Booth, was wealthy by her own account if judging by her will of 1721 where she dispensed money, jewels, property, and furniture to her family and friends. She did not bequeath any Greatheed property though, except for the house in London where she and her husband had lived. She loved her husband and requested in her will to be buried next to him when she died.
John's position at the Customs Service brought him into constant contact with sea captains and crew, smugglers, plantation owners, ship owners, Caribbean investors and lords and ladies. He would have known the latest news from the Caribbean and would have been eager to invest there. Coincidently, his boss at the Customs House was Peregrine Bertie (1634-1701) (33), whose brother was the grandfather of Lady Mary Bertie, who married Samuel Greatheed of Guy's Cliff in 21 February 1747. It's not beyond reason to speculate that there might have been a partnership between the Bertie and Greatheed families.
If John did have a son called John(sk), he was probably a business partner as well. It seems sensible that there might have been other parties invested in the scheme but that's unknown at the present. John could have sent his son to scope out the British possessions in the Caribbean with the hope of securing a bargain. In the early 1700s St Kitts and Nevis came fully into British hands. The London government offered land for sale at five pounds per acre. As we now know, a John Greatheed (sk) purchased 200 of those acres. In my opinion this same John (sk) was the son of John Greatheed of Gildersome.
Click on the Tree below to see a larger version:
In this narrative above it states that John (sk) emigrated to Montserrat in the late 1600’s before moving to St Kitts (31). The timing coincided with his father's marriage to Margaret Boote and his father's new position at the Custom Office. As a "Searcher of Ships" elder John received £300 per annum not to mention a percentage of all the contraband he recovered, in one case it amounted to a single payment of £300 (32). He had the financial ability to see a son through school and possibly to finance, or help to finance a Caribbean investment. Though it's unknown how much the Greatheed family was worth, it's certain that a lot of its wealth had been hidden from the Exchequer. When John died late in 1709, Margaret administered his estate, the details of its distribution is unknown at the present time and, as no one stepped forward to dispute or enter a claim, the return of property to John's heirs must have been satisfactory. The date of Margaret's administration, 1709-1711, dovetails neatly with the arrival of John (sk) and Frances on St Kitts.
John's wife, Margaret Booth, was wealthy by her own account if judging by her will of 1721 where she dispensed money, jewels, property, and furniture to her family and friends. She did not bequeath any Greatheed property though, except for the house in London where she and her husband had lived. She loved her husband and requested in her will to be buried next to him when she died.
John's position at the Customs Service brought him into constant contact with sea captains and crew, smugglers, plantation owners, ship owners, Caribbean investors and lords and ladies. He would have known the latest news from the Caribbean and would have been eager to invest there. Coincidently, his boss at the Customs House was Peregrine Bertie (1634-1701) (33), whose brother was the grandfather of Lady Mary Bertie, who married Samuel Greatheed of Guy's Cliff in 21 February 1747. It's not beyond reason to speculate that there might have been a partnership between the Bertie and Greatheed families.
If John did have a son called John(sk), he was probably a business partner as well. It seems sensible that there might have been other parties invested in the scheme but that's unknown at the present. John could have sent his son to scope out the British possessions in the Caribbean with the hope of securing a bargain. In the early 1700s St Kitts and Nevis came fully into British hands. The London government offered land for sale at five pounds per acre. As we now know, a John Greatheed (sk) purchased 200 of those acres. In my opinion this same John (sk) was the son of John Greatheed of Gildersome.
Click on the Tree below to see a larger version:
Citations:
1. Wikipedia for Samuel Greathead.
2. Derby Mercury 11 Jan 1739
3. Wikipedia for Samuel Greathead.
4. ibid.
5. An Englishman in Paris: 1803 - The Journal of Bertie Greatheed. Edited by J.P.T. Bury and J.C. Barry. London Geoffrey Bless 1953..
Note: Though the editors do not cite a source for Gildersome and Morley as the specific origin of that branch of the Greatheed family; it must
be assumed that they had access to other Greatheed papers.
6. Wikipedia for Samuel Greathead.
7. Newcastle Current Standard 13 Jan 1739
8. A History of Landford in Wiltshire pg 45
9. 'America and West Indies: June 1718', in Calendar of State Papers Colonial, America and West Indies: Volume 30, 1717-1718, ed. Cecil
Headlam (London, 1930), pp. 264-287. British History Online http://www.british-history.ac.uk/cal-state-papers/colonial/america-west-
indies/vol30/pp264-287 [accessed 16 May 2022].
10. A History of Landford in Wiltshire pg 45
11. Leeds, West Yorkshire Archive Service WYL5013/2871 [K11] Letters from Samuel Greathead of London to Sir Wm Robinson on farm and
public matters 1739-1753 (WYL5013_2871_19_a
12. Wikipedia
13. Borthwick Institute Prerogative & Exchequer Courts Of York Probate Index, 1688-1858
14. Ancestry.com Births, Marriages and Deaths.
15. Entry Book: November 1686 21-25', in Calendar of Treasury Books, Volume 8, 1685-1689, ed. William A Shaw (London, 1923), pp. 1014-1031. British History Online
http://www.british-history.ac.uk/cal-treasury-books/vol8/pp1014-1031 [accessed 26 February 2023]. Page 415
16. West Yorkshire Archives WYL323/185 Joshua Greathead to John Greathead, 1684
17. Entry Book: February 1687, 11-20', in Calendar of Treasury Books, Volume 8, 1685-1689, ed. William A Shaw (London, 1923), pp. 1191-1209. British History Online
http://www.british-history.ac.uk/cal-treasury-books/vol8/pp1191-1209 [accessed 26 February 2023]. Kings Warrant Book XII, pp 18-19
18. Entry Book: June 1688, 16-20', in Calendar of Treasury Books, Volume 8, 1685-1689, ed. William A Shaw (London, 1923), pp. 1946-1956. British History Online
http://www.british-history.ac.uk/cal-treasury-books/vol8/pp1946-1956 [accessed 26 February 2023]. Out Letters (Customs) XI, p. 188
19. Entry Book: June 1689, 16-30', in Calendar of Treasury Books, Volume 9, 1689-1692, ed. William A Shaw (London, 1931), pp. 160-173. British History Online
http://www.british-history.ac.uk/cal-treasury-books/vol9/pp160-173 [accessed 26 February 2023]. Out Letters (Customs) XI, p. 188
20. Ancestry.com Births, Marriages and Deaths.
21. Borthwick Institute Prerogative & Exchequer Courts Of York Probate Index, 1688-1858,
22. The Will of Margaretta Greatheed: The National Archives' reference PROB 11/607/334
23. Ancestry.com Births, Marriages and Deaths
24. Surrey And City Of London Livery Company Association Oath Rolls, 1695-96
25. Records of the Archbishop of Canterbury, page 135, 1689-90
26. 1705 London Gazette
27, Ancestry.com Births, Marriages and Deaths
28. 1713 Will of Matthew Miller of Gildersome, West Yorkshire Archive Service
29. Borthwick Institute Prerogative & Exchequer Courts Of York Probate Index, 1688-1858, ref. 73/24
30. Ancestry.com Births, Marriages and Deaths.
31. A History of Landford in Wiltshire pg 45
32. 'Minute Book: March 1703', in Calendar of Treasury Books, Volume 18, 1703, ed. William A Shaw (London, 1936), pp. 17-30. British History Online http://www.british-
history.ac.uk/cal-treasury-books/vol18/pp17-30 [accessed 16 February 2023].
33. The National Archives, Kew: E 134/5WandM/East27
1. Wikipedia for Samuel Greathead.
2. Derby Mercury 11 Jan 1739
3. Wikipedia for Samuel Greathead.
4. ibid.
5. An Englishman in Paris: 1803 - The Journal of Bertie Greatheed. Edited by J.P.T. Bury and J.C. Barry. London Geoffrey Bless 1953..
Note: Though the editors do not cite a source for Gildersome and Morley as the specific origin of that branch of the Greatheed family; it must
be assumed that they had access to other Greatheed papers.
6. Wikipedia for Samuel Greathead.
7. Newcastle Current Standard 13 Jan 1739
8. A History of Landford in Wiltshire pg 45
9. 'America and West Indies: June 1718', in Calendar of State Papers Colonial, America and West Indies: Volume 30, 1717-1718, ed. Cecil
Headlam (London, 1930), pp. 264-287. British History Online http://www.british-history.ac.uk/cal-state-papers/colonial/america-west-
indies/vol30/pp264-287 [accessed 16 May 2022].
10. A History of Landford in Wiltshire pg 45
11. Leeds, West Yorkshire Archive Service WYL5013/2871 [K11] Letters from Samuel Greathead of London to Sir Wm Robinson on farm and
public matters 1739-1753 (WYL5013_2871_19_a
12. Wikipedia
13. Borthwick Institute Prerogative & Exchequer Courts Of York Probate Index, 1688-1858
14. Ancestry.com Births, Marriages and Deaths.
15. Entry Book: November 1686 21-25', in Calendar of Treasury Books, Volume 8, 1685-1689, ed. William A Shaw (London, 1923), pp. 1014-1031. British History Online
http://www.british-history.ac.uk/cal-treasury-books/vol8/pp1014-1031 [accessed 26 February 2023]. Page 415
16. West Yorkshire Archives WYL323/185 Joshua Greathead to John Greathead, 1684
17. Entry Book: February 1687, 11-20', in Calendar of Treasury Books, Volume 8, 1685-1689, ed. William A Shaw (London, 1923), pp. 1191-1209. British History Online
http://www.british-history.ac.uk/cal-treasury-books/vol8/pp1191-1209 [accessed 26 February 2023]. Kings Warrant Book XII, pp 18-19
18. Entry Book: June 1688, 16-20', in Calendar of Treasury Books, Volume 8, 1685-1689, ed. William A Shaw (London, 1923), pp. 1946-1956. British History Online
http://www.british-history.ac.uk/cal-treasury-books/vol8/pp1946-1956 [accessed 26 February 2023]. Out Letters (Customs) XI, p. 188
19. Entry Book: June 1689, 16-30', in Calendar of Treasury Books, Volume 9, 1689-1692, ed. William A Shaw (London, 1931), pp. 160-173. British History Online
http://www.british-history.ac.uk/cal-treasury-books/vol9/pp160-173 [accessed 26 February 2023]. Out Letters (Customs) XI, p. 188
20. Ancestry.com Births, Marriages and Deaths.
21. Borthwick Institute Prerogative & Exchequer Courts Of York Probate Index, 1688-1858,
22. The Will of Margaretta Greatheed: The National Archives' reference PROB 11/607/334
23. Ancestry.com Births, Marriages and Deaths
24. Surrey And City Of London Livery Company Association Oath Rolls, 1695-96
25. Records of the Archbishop of Canterbury, page 135, 1689-90
26. 1705 London Gazette
27, Ancestry.com Births, Marriages and Deaths
28. 1713 Will of Matthew Miller of Gildersome, West Yorkshire Archive Service
29. Borthwick Institute Prerogative & Exchequer Courts Of York Probate Index, 1688-1858, ref. 73/24
30. Ancestry.com Births, Marriages and Deaths.
31. A History of Landford in Wiltshire pg 45
32. 'Minute Book: March 1703', in Calendar of Treasury Books, Volume 18, 1703, ed. William A Shaw (London, 1936), pp. 17-30. British History Online http://www.british-
history.ac.uk/cal-treasury-books/vol18/pp17-30 [accessed 16 February 2023].
33. The National Archives, Kew: E 134/5WandM/East27