Jacob Wilkinson
Jacob Wilkinson (c. 1723-1799), London merchant, East India Co. director, slave-owner and MP, does not appear in the TASTDB, but he was shown as co-owner of the Oronoko under letters of marque in September 1759. TASTDB shows the Oronoko making two slaving voyages from Liverpool, one to Bonny and Barbados leaving 23/09/1759 and one to Bonny and St Domingue in 1761, both shown under the ownership of Stretch Cowley (the captain), Richard Cowley and John Cheshire: the latter two appear among the co-owners with Jacob Wilkinson of the ship under letters of marque (for which Stretch Cowley was commander). Although there are discrepancies with the account given by Lewis Namier of Jacob Wilkinson MP for Berwick-upon-Tweed and then Honiton in the History of Parliament, the Legacies of British Slave-Ownership project concluded that the slave-owner Jacob Wilkinson of Bedford Row who died in 1799 was the same man as the MP.
Title: /
First name: Jacob
Middle name: /
Last name: Wilkinson
Aliases: /
Primary cohort: Unknown
Sex: Male
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Relations
No information
Political Offices Held
Parliament
MP for Berwick-upon-Tweed 1774-80 and Honiton 1781-1784
Bankruptcies
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Geographic experiences
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Internal migrant: Yes
Native of Berwick-upon-Tweed
Foreign born: No
Supplier to slave trade voyages: Don't know
Creditor to slave trade voyages: Don't know
Philanthropy: Don't know
Plantation owner: Yes
Sources: HCA 26/11/97 Description: Commander: Stretch Cowley Ship: Oronoko. Burden: 200 tons. Crew: 50. Owners: Richard Cowley, John Cheshire, James Bradshaw, John Bradshaw and Jacob Wilkinson of London, merchants. 1759 September 4. Voyages nos. 90810 and 90811. https://www.historyofparliamentonline.org/volume/1754-1790/member/wilkinson-jacob-1716-91. The birth date and death date given by Namier appear to refer to another Jacob Wilkinson, not to the MP. https://www.ucl.ac.uk/lbs/person/view/2146638777 PROB 11/1328/47
Other Individuals
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Organisations
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Crossings
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Birth
Date: 1723
Location: /
Death
Date: 24/06/1799
Location: City of London (Middlesex)
Burial
Date: 29/06/1799
Location: Watford (Hertfordshire)
Memorial details: Here lie the Remains of JACOB WILKINSON Esq Late of Grove Mill in this Parish, and an Old and Respectable Merchant of the City of London. He departed this life... on the 24th June 1799, Aged 76 Years...
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Residencies
City of London (Middlesex)
Learn moreOccupation: /
Schools
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Universities
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Inns of Court
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Military training
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Imperial positions
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Apprenticeships
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Livery company affiliations
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Other business activities
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Was slave trading profitable: Don't know
Will
Value of Total Personalty: /
Value of Known Legacies (where material to total estate): £57,000
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Town/City: /
Courts: PCC
Will of Jacob Wilkinson of City of London [made in 1798] proved 18/07/1799. His executors were his sons Thomas and David Wilkinson and his son-in-law John Bourdieu. He left his wife Ann an annuity of £400 p.a., to be secured either on an appropriate investment in the funds or on his English real estate, at his trustees' discretion, as well as £300 and the household furniture etc. at his house at Bedford Row. He left: £6000 each to his daughters Mary Ann, Elizabeth and Fanny Wilkinson; £2000 to his niece Elizabeth Wilkinson; £2500 each to his grandchildren Philadelphia and Amelia Bourdieu, the daughters of John Bourdieu and Wilkinson's deceased daughter Ann. He secured a further annuity of £400 p.a. to his wife on his real estate and enslaved people in Jamaica and Tobago, as well as further monetary legacies of £4000 to each of his three daughters and £6000 to each of his younger sons, Daniel and Hugh.
Legacies
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