Wardens in Trinidad early 1800's

[patval]

Are there any members of the Warden Family who are descended from Alexander Warden, Doctor in Arima, Trinidad in the early 1800's he died in Port of Spain in 1836.

Alexander was originally born in Peterhead Scotland in 1794, he married an american named Brittania Mary ? in Port of Spain 1827 and had children, John MacDonald , Alexander Gordon (he died in infancy), Robert Mackworth (who married first Sarah Cotton then Clara Deane), Alexander known as Sandy, Jessie Ann and finally George.

Brittania Mary eventually came to England in 1874 and died in London in 1876.

Robert Mackworth had a daughter Jessie who came to England with Brittania, she was a teacher who married Mauritz Blank in Barbados then Arthur Cleverly a coal merchant in London, they had no children.

Many thanks Patricia

[aj689]

Dear Pat
I have no obvious links with the Warden family, but my gt-gt-grandmother Jessie Philippa Mackworth was born in Trinidad in 1829, parents Herbert Mackworth and Jessie Anderson.  She came to England and Married my gt-gt-grandfather in 1851. You don't give dates for the people you are looking for, but is there a link?
Antonia

[patval]

Hello Antonia thanks for your interesting reply..

Although there is no familial association between Warden and Mackworth there is a connection in so much as Alexander Warden was a close friend of Herbert Mackworth who held the rank of Lieutenant in the Royal Navy, and who also became High Sheriff of Trinidad.   As a result of this friendship Alexander named his third son after him….

Alex wrote many letters home to his family in Scotland, 36 of those letters survived and an Uncle of my husband is custodian of them….. In one of these letters he tells his father that he names his third son Robert (born Arima June 1831)”after the boy’s Uncle (my husband’s grt grt grandfather) and Mackworth after my good friend who is the son of Sir Digby Mackworth”... Although it wasn’t mentioned in the letters I believe that Alexander’s only daughter who was named Jessie, was named for Herbert’s wife.

If your ancestor was Herbert Mackworth the son of Sir Digby M, you can find out more about the family …    http://www.thepeerage.com/p50537.htm#i505365

Kind regards Patricia

[aj689]

Thank you Patricia.  Yes I had traced quite a bit of Mackworth background in England, it is just fleshing out the Trinidad side of the picture that I am finding trickier. How did a Navy Lieutenant became High Sheriff of Trinidad? What did it entail - representing the Crown, I would presume, but was it just ceremonial like it tends to be today, or was it more?  And generally what their life there was like.  Any information that your husband's uncle's letters might contain would be gratefully received.

Regards,
Antonia

[patval]

Hi,
It’s fun isn’t it?

Take a look in the TRINIDAD ALMANACK of 1827
http://ufdc.ufl.edu/AA00000050/00001/1j?search=trinidad
Herbert is listed as an Alguacil Mayor which is some type of higher judicial post; there is a good explanation on Wikipedia. He is also a Citing officer.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alguacil

I think Herbert being the son of a Baronet would automatically hold a high social position in Trinidad…. Our Alexander was a surgeon and he seems to have circulated amongst the upper classes… He wrote of dining in the company of Sir Ralph Woodward, Governor of Trinidad.
I bought a book – on the internet entitled ‘Truths from the West Indies: including a Sketch of Maderia in 1833’ it certainly  gives an idea of what life in the West Indies was like…..

It is a while since I read the Warden letters but I found reference to Herbert Mackworth  in a letter Alexander sent to his father in Scotland dated March 1821….it may interest you..

I have been upwards of 4 years here and flatter myself have a considerable number of friends. I am still very intimate in the family of Mr Anderson in Port of Spain, but that is 20 miles distant. I seldom go there oftener than twice a month. Mr Dickson has now moved to a distanter part of the Island so that I have lost his society. A third intimate acquaintance in Port of Spain is Mr Mackworth one of our Public Officers in a situation similar to that of Sheriff of the country. He is a bachelor but is on the eve of marrying the daughter of Dr Anderson. His father is an English Baronet, Sir Digby Mackworth. My only remaining acquaintances to whom I will now introduce you are Mr and Mrs Gray. They are my neighbours (that is to say at three miles distant but I consider as nothing as I have a good horse and am as fond of riding as ever.) and most intimate acquaintances and I may add if such a thing exists – my sincere friends. Mr Gray is a planter a young man about my age and nearly three years married. Mrs Gray, then a Miss Shaw daughter of a Lt Colonel in the British Army.

I will have a look through and see if anything else may be of interest.
Regards Patricia

[patval]

ps..

Also found this reference to Herbert...

http://www.forgottenbooks.com/readbook_text/Monthly_Magazine_or_British_Register_Of_Politics_Literature_and_the_v1_1000606008/67

Patricia

[aj689]

Many years ago we went to Trinidad for a day while holidaying in Tobago - how I wish I had known about my gt-gt-gt-grandfather having lived on the Five Islands.  I found this http://www.guardian.co.tt/lifestyle/2013-08-10/brighton-trinidad ; 'Marlin Spike Hall' indeed!

[patval]

Have you tried searching for slave ownership too.   

Alexander had a slave registered in his wife's name, he was called Pitt Minister, there is also a good description of Pitt on the return...... it is highly likely that Herbert and his family owned slaves... There is a central register of slaves in the Caribbean between the years 1817 - 1834... Owners made Bi-annual returns listing their slaves... If you haven't already checked, many of the registers can be viewed on Ancestry.com, you may be lucky.

Patricia