James Stothert papers, 1784-1807

University of Michigan William L. Clements Library

909 South University Avenue

Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA

clements-reference@umich.edu

Creator:: Stothert, James, d. 1800
Abstract:: The Stothert papers consist of reports from plantation overseers in Saint James Parish, Jamaica, to their absentee landlord, James Stothert.
Extent:: 55 items
Language:: English
Authors:: Collection processed and finding aid created by Rob S. Cox, 1997

Scope and Content:: The Stothert papers consist primarily of reports from plantation overseers in Saint James Parish, Jamaica, to their absentee landlord, James Stothert of Edinburgh. Routine, at some basic level, these reports include valuable information on the condition of slaves, the profitability of crops and rents, discussions of expenses incurred in the operation of the plantations, and the routine mechanics of sugar production, including some commentary on efforts at improving the process. There is one reference to an armed conflict with fugitive slaves in Trelawny Town, and a particularly poignant letter of 1799 requests that Stothert sell or free the writer's daughter to a man wishing to marry her.
Biographical / Historical:: A native of Edinburgh, Scotland, James Stothert acquired sizeable estates during the 1760s, when he resided in St. James Parish, Jamaica. Returning home in the 1770s, he entrusted the day to day management of his plantations to a succession of resident managers, and for the remainder of his life, enjoyed a steady income as absentee landlord from rents and the production of sugar.
Acquisition Information:: 1974. M-1650 .
Rules or Conventions:: Finding aid prepared using Describing Archives: A Content Standard (DACS)