Peter Beckford

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Colonel Peter Beckford (1643-1710) was acting Governor of Jamaica in 1702.

Peter Beckford was baptised in St James Clerkenwell, and was son of Thomas Beckford, a clothworker and slopseller whom Samuel Pepys records as being knighted in 1677. Thomas' brother, Captain Richard Beckford, was trading in Jamaica from 1659 and Peter emigrated there in 1662.

He arrived in Jamaica with 2 or 3 enslaved Africans shortly after it became an English colony and engaged himself as hunter and horse catcher.[1]. When he died suddenly, in a fit of passion, in 1710, he was the wealthiest planter in Jamaica. and it was claimed he was "in possession of the largest property real and personal of any subject in Europe". [2]

Having served as a seaman, he was granted a thousand acres (4 km²) of land in Clarendon by Royal Patent on 6 March, 1669. He took an active part island politics representing St. Catherine in the Assembly in 1675. He was later called to the Council where he was appointed President. He was the first Custos of Kingston, and a street was named after him there. he was renowned for being haughty with a strong temper and was involved in many heated debates.

He was twice married - to Bridget who died in 1691, and to Anne Ballard in 1696. He had two sons. Peter was the elder. The death of Peter senior resulted from an accident when he rushed to the defense of his son, who had caused such a commotion in the House of Assembly that swords were drawn. Peter junior gave him a grandson, William Beckford who in turn produced the great grandson, William Thomas Beckford, the writer. The later had his great grandfather's portrait on display according to Henry Venn Lansdown:

"That is the portrait of my great-grandfather , Colonel Peter Beckford. It was painted by a French artist, who went to Jamaica for the purpose, at the time he was Governor of the island." It is a full length portrait, large as life, the Colonel dressed in a scarlet coat embroidered richly with gold."[3]

Petersfield in Westmoreland is named after him.

[edit] Notes

  1. ^ Jamaica: Description of the Principal Persons there (about 1720, Sir Nicholas Lawes, Governor) inCaribbeana Vol. III (1911), edited by Vere Langford Oliver
  2. ^ A New History of Jamaica, by Charles Leslie, 1740, p. 267
  3. ^ Beckfordiana accessed 17th February 2007
Government offices
Preceded by
William Selwyn		 Governor of Jamaica, acting
1702		 Succeeded by
Thomas Handasyde, acting
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