William Chisholme

WILLIAM CHISHOLME (aka WILLIAM CHISHOLM)

Scottish Slave Owner

William Chisholm, here treated, is the son of Thomas Chisholm, surgeon, present Dean of Guild, and Agnes Bannatyne his wife. He was born on 18 February 1737 and his baptism was registered on 20 February 1737, at Selkirk in Selkirkshire, Scotland. Legacies of British Slave-ownership [National Records of Scotland, Selkirk Baptisms, 1720-66, reference OPR.778/2]

William Chisholme, here treated, was the owner, or part owner of six different estates in Jamaica. Legacies of British Slave-ownership

Biograhical Summary

Apparently the son of a Selkirk doctor and trained as one himself before moving to Jamaica. Later became owner of Thomas's River, North Hall, Health Crawl and Breadland Pen in Clarendon, Jamaica, as well as owning a quarter share of Trout Hall, Green River, Troys and Chisholm's Mammee Gully pen in Jamaica, the latter estates being mainly owned by his brother James.

Left £20,000 to his reputed son Charles, a writer in the East India Company. Bought Chisholme House near Hawick when he returned to Britain. Of Queen Anne Street, Middlesex, in 1801.

Not found as a graduate at the Universities of Edinburgh or Glasgow within likely dates.

William Chisholm, son of Thomas Chisholm, surgeon, present Dean of Gild, and Agnes Bannatyne his wife, was born 18/02/1737 and baptised 20/02/1737 in Selkirk. James Chisholm, son of Thomas Chisholm, surgeon and late baillie, and Agnes Bannatyne his wife, was born 06/09/1744 and baptised 08/09/1744 in Selkirk.

Sources:

• Alexander Mackenzie, History of the Chisholms (Inverness, 1891) p. 189. Note this source contains some inaccuracies, stating for example that William Chisholme was married and failing to note that his only son was illegitimate, as well as giving the year of William Chisholme's return as 1874. The Selkirk connection is clear - William bought Chisholme House near Hawick when he returned to Scotland and left money to the poor of Selkirk in his will. Familysearch.org, Jamaica Church of England Parish Register Transcripts, 1664-1880 [database online]. Will of Samuel Virgin, PROB 11/1566/347.
• National Library of Scotland MSS.5462-5495.
• GROS OPR Births 778 20 132 and OPR Births 778 20 198 Selkirk.

Note: In FS record written a wrong year of his baptism as 1736 or seems date of his birth as 18th Feb 1737 in the above published online source ?