The Jamaica Herons

I was searching the web the other day and came across some suspect  claims regarding the Williamsfield property in Manchester. A Post on Genforum indicated that the Williamsfield Great House was built by a Captain Alexander George Heron in the early 1700s. I am not sure where this information came from, but it is totally inaccurate. There was a Captain George Heron who died in the 1720s, I think in India, but I have found no evidence that he was connected to Alexander Heron of Wigtownshire, the father of Alexander Woodburn Heron. If there is, I would really appreciate it if it were shared.
With regard to the Williamsfield Great House in Manchester, I researched the history of the property when I was in Jamaica in November, and there is absolutely no connection between Captain George Heron and Williamsfield. When Captain Heron died in the 1720s, Williamsfield was still virgin land owned by the King. Briefly, its history is as follows :

Sept 24 1764; Robert Blenshall patented 600 acres of land in what was then North West Clarendon.
June 19 1765; Joseph McCulloch, a Scotsman, purchased the 600 acres from Blenshall;
source Liber Old Series 215, folio 216.
July 25 1787; Charles Graham bought the property from Micheal McCulloch, the brother and heir of Joseph McCulloch : source Liber Old Series 372 folio 88.
Graham married sometime before 1790, and had a daughter Dorothy who was born in 1790. Another daughter, Janet died in 1798, at their residence at Salt Pond Hut Pen, in St Catherine.
Charles Graham died in 1801, and left the residue of his estate,including Williamsfield after several legacies, to his only surviving legitimate child, Dorothy. Graham had too other “reputed” children, who received annuities.
1805, Sir John McDonald, married Dorothy Graham, who was 15 at the time, and with the marriage, received the estate of Dorothy in trust.
1850 Sir John McDonald died, followed by his wife Dorothy, in 1854.
1869, the heirs of Sir John and Dorothy McDonald sold  the Williamsfield property to Alexander Woodburn Heron.

The first mention I have found of Williamsfield being called “Williamsfield” is in the 1799 Accounts Produce record in the Archives at Spanish Town.

Who actually built the house is another  question, but it definitely was NOT Captain George Heron.

I am in the process of writing an article on the history of the property, and will post more when it is finished.

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to the Heron family where ever you are in the world!

In the article posted earlier, “Anna Maria Smith”, I suggested that the Elizabeth Smith who married John McCatty, was not the daughter of James Smith. With more facts now known, and a more reasoned look at them, I believe that Karen Palandri is right, and  that she was the sister of Anna Maria Smith.   The facts as I known them are as follows:

- There is no birth record of an Elizabeth as the daughter of James and Mary Smith.  All of James and Mary’s children who we have records for are born in Hanover.

- There is a marriage record (1793) of an Elizabeth Smith, of   St Elizabeth, to John McCatty.

- Anna Maria Smith is from the parish of  St Elizabeth when she married Alexander Heron.

- Ana Maria names her second daughter (b 1801)  Elizabeth McCatty Heron.

-The 1804 Gazetters map of Jamaica, with property owners, shows “McCattys” located in St Elizabeth.

-In 1809, John McCatty leases land from Colin Ingram (LOS 590 folio 241). Note: that Liber can not be found at the IRO, but we can assume it was located in St Elizabeth.

-In 1810 Elizabeth McCatty, widow, buys land (22 acres) in St Elizabeth, from James Smith, also of St Elizabeth. (LOS 593 folio 161). Of interest is that the conveyance is witnessed by Rob Heron, (Alexander Heron’s brother’s name was Robert Heron. He died after March 1810) and is dated Jan 9 1810.

Without an actual birth record, we can only use the preponderance of the evidence to make a connection. I believe that given the facts that  James Smith is in St Elizabeth in 1809,  Elizabeth McCatty was from St Elizabeth in 1793 when she was married,  Anna Maria Smith was from St Elizabeth in 1798, when she was married, that Anna Maria named her second daughter Elizabeth McCatty Heron, and that the Rob Heron who witnessed the transaction in 1810 MAY have been the brother-in-law of Anna Maria Smith, seems to leave no doubt that Elizabeth Smith McCatty was the sister of Anna Maria Smith.

Also from the facts above, the John McCatty who died in 1801, must have been a son, as John McCatty, husband of Elizabeth was alive in 1809.  The property referred to as “McCattys”  in the 1804 map also must have been “Bruntte” where the young John McCatty died.

I will be in Jamaica Nov 8-19, so will be able to answer any requests for access to the family tree. The web site will be down for a while sometime in that period as it gets moved to a new server.

Welcome to the new look web site. It is essentially the same as before but this will allow me to give family updates from time to time. I think it also allows for feedback.

This is the first post, so bear with me a while.

Another Heron Reunion will be held in Mandeville, Jamaica from July 24 to July 29.

In July 2005 there was a Heron reunion in Mandeville, which was attended by many of Captain Heron’s descendants. A few of us chopped our way up to the top of Shooter’s Hill to get a look at the graveside and monument to Capt Heron’s life.