John Duer Cranstoun of Antigua

John Duer Cranstoun was the first born son of David Cranstoun and Elizabeth Symes and was my great, great grandfather. He was a planter, plantation overseer and plantation owner who inherited Blizzard's Estate and a place called Adelaide Cottage (Adelaide Cottage with buildings and 15 acres purchased from the late John Athill is Willed to the children born of Elizabeth. He was left the furniture and dwelling house at Buckley's Estate - most likely the place mentioned in "A Visit To Mr. Cranstoun's" and also had property interests left to him by his father David Cranstoun on Nevis Street and High Street in St. John's, Antigua.

What I find interesting here is that David named his first born son John Duer Cranstoun. Why? History would suggest that the first born son be named after the father. David named his first born son John Duer, not David why would he do that? The name John Duer obviously came from the Duer family of Antigua and they had been there for years and owned large plantations. In my research I was to find out that David Cranstoun was the attorney for John Duer's, Little Duer's estate - coincidence in the naming of his son, or was David raised on the Duer Estate and became manager and named his son out of respect?

There is not much information that can be found on a search for John Duer Cranstoun other than a small court case in which he sued an employee for killing a cow. Seems the man neglected his duty and the cow died and his punishment was 14 days in jail.

John Duer Cranstoun was born on the 14 September, 1819 in St. John's, Antigua, British West Indies and died 9 July 1883 in St. John's, Antigua, British West Indies of exhaustion due to fever. He was married first to Ann Sarah Ashford (1811-1845) who had been married to Patrick Larner Ryan in 1832, the marriage was witnessed by John Athill, a close friend of David Cranstoun, his father.

John Duer was the Overseer for the Union and Cooks Estates, as well as having his own properties inherited from his father, David Cranstoun, John's brother George Augustus must have lived with him because when he died, in 1873 of Elephantisias, Langford Selly Cranstoun was the informant listed as Overseer at 17 years of age.

Records obtained from the Antigua National Archives show John Duer Cranstoun was listed in the birth of his son Langford Selly Cranstoun as Overseer as Union and Cookes Estate.

Will of John Duer Cranstoun:

He is a planter. He leaves his wife Sarah Elizabeth, his daughter Mary Angelica, and his son Langford Selly, all right to and interest in Blizards, Nevis Street, Adelaide Cottage, and High Street properties.

He leaves his daughter Ann Elizabeth Ashford Cranstoun, “who married to a seafaring man named McGuire” “on account of her unnatural and ungrateful conduct”, a sum “not exceeding 1s.”

Rest to wife Sarah Elizabeth and two children.

Wife - Ann Sarah Ashcroft
- Ann Sarah Ashford, born 6 July 1811, baptised 4 September 1811, was the daughter of John Ashford and his wife Ann. Ann Sarah Ashford had a brother named William (1803-1855) and a brother named John who died at 24 years of age on 24 July 1857 in prison for larceny. Ann Sarah Ashford was married to Patrick Larner Ryan on 12 July 1832, witnessed by John Athill, they had no children.
  
  Patrick Larner Ryan born 28 August 1811 and died in May 1835, was the son of Daniel Ryan and a Mullato woman slave known as Harriet McConnell, property of Margaret Harney. In an Indenture dated 18 May 1813 between Daniel Ryan and Margaret Harney he paid her two hundred pounds for Harriet McConnell and her son Patrick Larner Ryan. An inventory of Daniel Ryan's possessions was done after his death by George Cranstoun and Ann Sarah (Ashford) Ryan.
  
  Will of Daniel Ryan - April 12, 1819
  
  In his Will, Daniel Ryan, bequeathed to his son, Patrick Larner Ryan the sum of 1000 pounds to be paid to him when he reached the age of 21. Also, a lot of land and buildings on Long Street, rented to George Hogg and a property on Saint George’s Street presently occupied by myself and charges his Executors to maintain properties and collect rents for the maintenance of his son until the age of 21. In case his son dies without lawful issue, the property shall be divided equally between his sisters children. He leaves unto Harriet McConnell a plot of land with tenaments theron situated in the Town of Saint John for her natural life and upon her death to the children of his sister. Finally, he directs all his remaining property to be sold and the proceeds to go to his father and if his father predeceases him the proceeds to be divided to his sister’s children and to pay his nephew Daniel Ryan 100 pounds over and above his respective portion.
  
  Ann Sarah Ashford-Ryan then married John Duer Cranstoun in 1842 witnessed by his father David Cranstoun. They had a daughter named Ann Elizabeth Ashford Cranstoun who married a seafarer named McGuire against her father’s wishes. Ann Sarah Ashford Cranstoun died in 1845 at the age of 34.
  
  Will of Anne Ashford - Dated 11 March 1858
  
  To my grand daughter Ann Elizabeth Ashford Cranstoun I leave as her property all my wearing apparel and linen and a long list of household items and furniture. I give and bequeath unto my granddaughter Ann Elizabeth Ashford Cranstoun my undivided portion of sixteen acres and some parts of an acre of land at the place called Blizards Hill also about twelve feet and half of land in North Street in the City of Saint John. Also my undivided portion of property of (cannot make out the exact number, looks like a 4 but it is followed by two zeros) acres ten perches and six roads with houses theron which when rented out will assist her in preventing any property she may posses from falling into arrears. I have a house in the occupation of Cherry Knight and her son Joshua Knight which they shall not be disturbed from as long as they pay rent to my granddaughter.
  
  Lastly, I nominate, constitute and appoint my friends Mr. John Hart Moore and John Shervington, Executors of this my last Will and Testament.
  
  Signed: Anne Ashford
  Witnessed: James Athill
  
  On 28 March 1867 there is an Indenture between Ann Elizabeth Ashford Cranstoun and John Ephraim Ambriose for the property on North Street inwhich she sold the property for twelve pounds. The property was measured to be twenty feet by seventy six feet.
  
  While at the Antigua National Archive Office in January 2013, Dr. Marion Blair told me she found a land deal in 1902 between Walter McGuire from Bronx, New York and an Anna Eliza Jane Mercer, St. John’s, Antigua, spinster, for property on Cross Street measuring 62 feet north to south by 42 feet east to west. This is the only record one can find of a Walter McGuire in Antigua. Because there are no records of children for Walter and Ann and in the 1910 US Census I found, it is my belief these names are purely coincidental. Deal was signed at British Consulate in New York City.
2nd Wife - Sarah Eliza Bell
- Sarah Eliza Bell was 2nd wife of John Duer Cranstoun and the daughter of John Bell and Sarah Brand in 1846 and John Duer Cranstoun and Sarah Eliza Bell had three children.
  
  Will of John Bell
  I John Bell bequeath to my wife Sarah Bell all my property to be held during her natural life not to be disposed of by her. After her death, my four daughters Jane Caroline (spinster), Sarah Eliza Cranstoun, (wife of John Duer Cranstoun), Louiza Humphreys (widow), and Grace Ann (spinster) and the children of my daughter Margaret Salina Thompson (wife) of Thomas Thompson in the island of Santa Croix shall possess allsaid property. I bequeath to my daughters Jane Caroline and Sarah Eliza Cranstoun a moity each of the house and land and premises in Tanner Street in the City of Saint John during their natural lives and after their demise to go to their survivor and lawful children.
  
  I bequeath to my daughter Louiza Humphreys one moity and to the children of my daughter Margaret Salina Thompson the other moity of the house and land and premises on Corn Street in the City of Saint John now on rent to Mrs. Mary Thibou during the natural life of my daughter Louiza Humphreys and at her demise to her children should she have any and in the event of her not having any children her portion to go to my daughters Jane Caroline and Sarah Eliza Cranstoun. I give and bequeath unto my daughters Jane Caroline, Sarah Eliza Cranstoun, Louiza Humphreys and Grace Ann the estate called Foster’s Mountain lately purchased from Joseph Pickens.
  
  29 December 1865 - Signed John Bell
  
  In 1883 Jane Caroline Bell died and left a house on Redcliffe Street and her share in the livestock at Foster’s Mountain to her nephew Adrian Henry Thibou.
  
  Based on the above Will of Jane Caroline Bell and an Indenture between David Cranstoun and Walter Thibou Ryan the Cranstoun and Thibou families are somehow related. In her Will of 26 April 1915, Grace Ann Bell left her nephew Langford Selly Cranstoun everything she possed and appointed him Executor of her will.
  
  Mrs. Mary Thibou
  
  Mrs. Mary Thibou (Mary Maria Hartley) was the daughter of a union between John Bell and Mary Hartley. She married Henry Jarvis Thibou and they had Mary Louisa Thibou, William Hartley Thibou and Adrian Henry Thibou 1844 - 1904 who was left property from his aunt Jane Caroline Bell and who died by suicide by cutting his own throat during an attack of temporary insanity.
  
  Fosters Mountain
  
  Fosters Mountain, 111 acres, was purchased by John Bell on April 14, 1864 from Joseph Pickens in the parish of St. Mary’s, Antigua, for 100 pound sterling. I have a copy of the indenture.
Children
- Mary Angelica Cranstoun was born in 1847 in Antigua, British West Indies and the daughter of John Duer Cranstoun and Sarah Elizabeth Bell. Mary Angelica never married and died on March 24, 1933 in Antigua, British West Indies and is buried in the Cranstoun family plot in the St. John's Cemetary. Mary spent her entire life living with her brother Langford Selly Cranstoun and his family.
  
  Will Of Mary Angelica Cranstoun
  
  She is a spinster of Nevis Street, died 24 March, 1933. She leaves her share and interest in land in High Street to her sister in law Evelina Cranstoun, with the exception of legacies to nephew Langford Duer Cranstoun (L5) and Eugene Edwards (L2) (she was a long time family servant). Her share and interest in property at Nevis and Cross Streets to Evelina Cranstoun, Arthur Herbert Cranstoun, Edith Kelsick (nee Cranstoun), and Florence Ethel Cranstoun, as tenants in common. Everything else to Arthur Herbert Cranstoun, nephew, who was her executor.
  
  Arthur Herbert Cranstoun died the year before in 1932 and unfortunately, Mary Angelica Cranstoun died intestate making her Will meaningless.
  
  Of all the people in the family, I would have loved to have been able to talk with her as she is the one person who would have known all members of our family. This points out why it is extremely important to speak with the old members of the family because once they're gone so is all the family knowledge they possess.
  
  Why Mary Angelica Cranstoun Never Married
  
  Mary Angelica Cranstoun was engaged to a worker who was a Plantation Foreman on, it is believed, the Cassada Gardens Plantation. Every Friday he would go to town to go to the bank to get money to pay the workers.
  
  One Friday two or three "coolies" (Chinese workers) hid in ambush of him on his way home. They jumped him and hit him in the head and killed him and took the money.
  
  They were caught and punished by death.
- Langford Selly Cranstoun - has his own section
- John David Anderdon Cranstoun born June 5, 1865 who died at two years of age on September 25, 1867
Parents

John Duer Cranstoun was the son of David Cranstoun and Elizabeth Symes.

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