John Prettejohn

  General Notes:

John was considered very wealthy and married into aristocracy (Charlotte Worsham).

Charlotte Worsam is assumed to be a daughter of Richard Worsam, since, Charlotte is a descendant of Richard and Mary Worsam who owned the Constant Estate in Barbados and Richard is the only known surviving son of Richard and Mary. Charlotte Worsham married John Prettejohn of Barbados in 1771. John and Charlotte lived at Constant Plantation, Barbados (sugar estate )and Hare Hatch, Berks, UK.

Catriona Aldridge (nee Prettejohn) London, England, 2004, writes:

" I am related to Catherine Worsham (sometimes spelt Worsam) who married John Prettejohn (d.1803) There are family graves at St Georges Church Barbados. Some information that the Constant Estate owners in Barbados have recently given me shows that in 1705 Sir Henry Pickering owner the estate bequeathed £500 to nephew Richard Worsham RB 6/16/255 Richard and Mary Worsham owned the estate in 1720 RB3/32/91 and it was divided in half. In 1765 John Prettejohn owned the estate through marriage to Catherine Worsham. He joined up the two estates again. The estate then stayed with descendants of their family until 1900 when it was bought by the Robinson family who still own it today. We have silver with our Prettejohn crest from those days. They also had a big house in Hare Hatch Berkshire. Their daughter Charlotte Worsam married Gen Frederick Maitland and they lived in Sussex UK, still having connections with the lands in Barbados. The current owner of the house has a picture drawn by the general of the house and his children a copy of which she is mailing me."

Chancery Case - Mapp v. Elcock - 1847 - like many Chancery cases at that time referred to a will made in the late 18th century

The will, which was made in the island of Barbadoes, was as follows:

I give all my estate, both real and personal in this island to Edward Elcock, his executors. administrators, or assigns, to and for the several uses, intents, and purposes following; that is to say, out of the rents, issues, and profits, and interest of all debts due to me, to pay unto my dear wife Anna Maria £300 yearly, in addition to her own fortune which survives to her ; and in trust, likewise to permit her to have the full use and enjoyment of all my negro slaves, except Jackey, whom I direct to be freed at the expense of my estate ; and in trust, also to permit her to use all my household furniture and plate, during her natural life ; and in trust, also to receive the interest only of the debt due to me from John Prettejohn, Esq., during the lives of the said John Prettejohn, and the lives of his son and daughter Charlotte Prettejohn, and John Prettejohn, [794] jun; and in trust, likewise to discharge *the said John Prettejohn from the sum of £2500, which sum I bequeath unto his two children, the aforesaid Charlotte Prettejohn and John Prettejohn ; and, in case of their death, unto the aforesaid John Prettejohn himself ; and in trust, also to divide the remainder of the interest of debts due to me in the following manner, in equal proportions between N. E. Nolder Parris, Margaret Elcock, and Anna Maria Elcock, daughters of the aforesaid Edward Elcock ; and in case my said wife Anna Maria should intermarry and have children, in trust to divide the principal sums amongst such of the children as shall be living at the deaths of the aforesaid John Prettejohn, sen., Charlotte Prettejohn, and John Prettejohn, jun., and in the meantime to divide one principal sum of £1500, part of the debt due to me from the estate of Samuel Rons deceased, among and between the aforesaid N. E. Nolder Parris, and Margaret Elcock, and Anna Maria Elcock. On the death of the aforesaid Anna Maria my said wife, if there should be any doubt of the legality of the above trust for the children of my present wife by a future marriage, I then give such sum or sums as would have been their share or shares unto herself, upon such events as are before mentioned. Lastly, I nominate, constitute……….

November 12 at Reading, Augusta, wife of John Prettejohn Esq. of Barbados and late of Harehatch in this county (Berks) - 1835 - (this would be the grandson of Nicholas).

The Development of West Indies Cricket By Hilary McD. Beckles

If the St. Ann's Club can claim to be the incubator of Barbadian/West Indian cricket, it can also be justly proud of the rapidity with which the culture spread to neighbouring districts infecting élite communities with which it had close contact. Again, the Barbadian informs us in 1849 that 'gentlemen' in the parish of St. Michael, in which the garrison was located, had constituted themselves into two 'well organized cricket companies' - the 'City' and 'St. Michael's' clubs. The editor described the first game between these clubs as an affair watched by “highly respectable ladies and gentlemen” that “evinced great spirit and extreme goodwill”. The game was played on a specially prepared field at Constant Plantation, owned by Mr. Prettejohn, who also provided tents and refreshments for spectators

Constant Plantation in the 18th Century was owned by the WORHAM (sic) Family, ancestors of Gen MEADE, Commanding General of the Union Army at Gettysburg during the American Civil War. His counterpart from the Confederate Army, Gen. Robert LEE was also of Barbadian ancestry. Gen. Meade's greandmother is buried in St. George's Parish Church, quite close to the altar.]

Hurricanes and Society in the British Greater Caribbean, 1624-1783 by Matthew Mulcahy

The Great Hurricane struck on Tuesday, October 10, 1790.........The Barbados Mercury reported widespread and horrifying destruction.....John Prettejohn claimed losses of £7000, including twelve slaves....

John married Charlotte Worsham, daughter of Richard Worsham and Katherine, in 1771 in Barbados, West Indies.