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Actions Help FAQs Can't find what you're looking for? Browse Collections A-Z University of London	William Hewitt papers Remove from selection Add to selection Request this item TitleWilliam Hewitt papers Held atSenate House Library, University of London Reference codeMS522 Date1759-1790 Creator Hewitt, William (1719-1781) Commissioner for the Sale of Crown Lands in the CaribbeanMore Info on CreatorLess Info on Creator William Hewitt was born in Coventry in 1719. He was the son of William Hewitt, mercer and draper, and later Mayor of Coventry, whose eldest son James, later Viscount Lifford, became Chancellor of Ireland in 1768. Little is known of Hewitt's activities before 1766, but internal evidence suggests that he resided in both Coventry and London before he moved to the West Indies. In 1766, through Lifford's intercession, he was appointed 'His Majesty's Commissioner for the Distribution of Land in the Southern Caribee Islands' (Grenada, the Grenadines, St. Vincent, Dominica and Tobago). Hewitt also held several minor appointments at the same time, such as Customs officer and aide-de-camp. The work of the Commission terminated in 1771 and Hewitt returned to England. In 1776 he was appointed Commissioner 'for adjusting the differences that have arisen or may arise in respect to sales and leases of lands in the islands of Grenada, the Grenadines, St. Vincent, Dominica and Tobago,' and returned to the West Indies. Hewitt did not receive his salary or expenses for the period 1776 to 1781. He lost his estates on Dominica when the island fell to the French in 1778, and having been involved adversely in several bankruptcies, he left considerable debts. He died in St. Eustatius on 16 May 1781. Scope and ContentThe papers are concerned chiefly with Hewitt's work in the West Indies 1767-1771 and 1776-1781, predominantly the latter period. The West Indian territories covered by the papers are Grenada, the Grenadines, St Vincent, Dominica and Tobago, primarily Dominica. The majority of his personal correspondence (1772-1781) is taken up with persuading the Treasury to pay his salary, and there is also material relating to his land interests in Dominica and his dealings with British merchants who invested in the West Indies. The financial papers and accounts (1759-1781) in the collection cover a longer time span than any other type, as some of the material dates from before he went to the West Indies. There are also documents concerning Hewitt's personal property, mainly bonds concerning payment for Crown lands in Dominica, 1767-1777. There are papers relating to slaves owned by him between 1768-1781. There are also legal papers (1768-1781) and official documents concerning land in Tobago, St Vincent and Dominica, 1764-1781, including commissioners' instructions, surveys, maps and correspondence. The collection also includes papers created following the death of William Hewitt, mainly relating to the settlement of his estate, 1781-1790 There collection also includes a number of letters from Viscount Lifford, but in spite of his position of Lord Chancellor in Ireland, there is very little information in them concerning Irish affairs. The material also spans the period of the American war, and there is material from 1779-1780 which contains detailed information concerning military and naval movements in the West Indies. Conditions governing accessOpen for research. At least 24 hours notice is necessary for research visits. Extent4 boxes and 14 volumes System of ArrangementThe material was received by the University of London in two separate deposits, in 1960 and 1971. The second deposit has been listed consecutively with the first, and begins at item number 343. Within these 2 groups the material has been arranged according to type of document, and then chronologically within these types. Finding aidsCatalogued online (click on the "contains" icon below). A pdf version of the hard-copy catalogue is also attached to this description. 'William Hewitt Papers: A Handlist', (1969) by Christine E. Micklem and 'William Hewitt Papers: A Handlist of the Second Deposit', (1972) by Paul Kelly both contain more detailed introductions to the material; Paul Kelly's handlist also contains an personal name index of the papers themselves (with biographical detail). Copies of both handlists are available in the library's Special Collections Room. Related files http://archives.ulrls.lon.ac.uk/resources/MS522.pdf Paul Kelly, 'An eighteenth century colonial "Civil Servant": William Hewitt and his papers', Archives, April 1972. An offprint is shelved with the handlists to the Hewitt papers. Level of descriptionfonds Hierarchy browser contains 32 parts William Hewitt papers MS522 \| 1759-1790 fonds

TitleWilliam Hewitt papers

Held atSenate House Library, University of London

Reference codeMS522

Date1759-1790

Creator
- Hewitt, William (1719-1781) Commissioner for the Sale of Crown Lands in the CaribbeanMore Info on CreatorLess Info on Creator
  William Hewitt was born in Coventry in 1719. He was the son of William Hewitt, mercer and draper, and later Mayor of Coventry, whose eldest son James, later Viscount Lifford, became Chancellor of Ireland in 1768. Little is known of Hewitt's activities before 1766, but internal evidence suggests that he resided in both Coventry and London before he moved to the West Indies. In 1766, through Lifford's intercession, he was appointed 'His Majesty's Commissioner for the Distribution of Land in the Southern Caribee Islands' (Grenada, the Grenadines, St. Vincent, Dominica and Tobago). Hewitt also held several minor appointments at the same time, such as Customs officer and aide-de-camp. The work of the Commission terminated in 1771 and Hewitt returned to England. In 1776 he was appointed Commissioner 'for adjusting the differences that have arisen or may arise in respect to sales and leases of lands in the islands of Grenada, the Grenadines, St. Vincent, Dominica and Tobago,' and returned to the West Indies. Hewitt did not receive his salary or expenses for the period 1776 to 1781. He lost his estates on Dominica when the island fell to the French in 1778, and having been involved adversely in several bankruptcies, he left considerable debts. He died in St. Eustatius on 16 May 1781.

Scope and ContentThe papers are concerned chiefly with Hewitt's work in the West Indies 1767-1771 and 1776-1781, predominantly the latter period. The West Indian territories covered by the papers are Grenada, the Grenadines, St Vincent, Dominica and Tobago, primarily Dominica. The majority of his personal correspondence (1772-1781) is taken up with persuading the Treasury to pay his salary, and there is also material relating to his land interests in Dominica and his dealings with British merchants who invested in the West Indies.
The financial papers and accounts (1759-1781) in the collection cover a longer time span than any other type, as some of the material dates from before he went to the West Indies. There are also documents concerning Hewitt's personal property, mainly bonds concerning payment for Crown lands in Dominica, 1767-1777. There are papers relating to slaves owned by him between 1768-1781. There are also legal papers (1768-1781) and official documents concerning land in Tobago, St Vincent and Dominica, 1764-1781, including commissioners' instructions, surveys, maps and correspondence. The collection also includes papers created following the death of William Hewitt, mainly relating to the settlement of his estate, 1781-1790
There collection also includes a number of letters from Viscount Lifford, but in spite of his position of Lord Chancellor in Ireland, there is very little information in them concerning Irish affairs. The material also spans the period of the American war, and there is material from 1779-1780 which contains detailed information concerning military and naval movements in the West Indies.

Conditions governing accessOpen for research. At least 24 hours notice is necessary for research visits.

Extent4 boxes and 14 volumes

System of ArrangementThe material was received by the University of London in two separate deposits, in 1960 and 1971. The second deposit has been listed consecutively with the first, and begins at item number 343. Within these 2 groups the material has been arranged according to type of document, and then chronologically within these types.

Finding aidsCatalogued online (click on the "contains" icon below). A pdf version of the hard-copy catalogue is also attached to this description. 'William Hewitt Papers: A Handlist', (1969) by Christine E. Micklem and 'William Hewitt Papers: A Handlist of the Second Deposit', (1972) by Paul Kelly both contain more detailed introductions to the material; Paul Kelly's handlist also contains an personal name index of the papers themselves (with biographical detail). Copies of both handlists are available in the library's Special Collections Room.

Related files

http://archives.ulrls.lon.ac.uk/resources/MS522.pdf

Paul Kelly, 'An eighteenth century colonial "Civil Servant": William Hewitt and his papers', Archives, April 1972. An offprint is shelved with the handlists to the Hewitt papers.

Level of descriptionfonds

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