PROBABLY LONDON, CIRCA 1810/1820

The Anti Slavery Reporter, vol. V. pp. 431-436 records William Shand's evidence to the House of Commons Committee on Slavery in December 1832. William Shand is said to have first travelled to Jamaica in 1791, leaving in 1823 and returning for little over a year in January 1824. He managed a number of estates and had land of his own. Some of his papers were deposited in the Aberdeen University Archives in 2001. They include a letter dated 4 June 1820 from William Shand at Spanish Town, Jamaica, to his brother John. It talks of his impending marriage to Miss Eliza Rankin (Aberdeen University, GB0231/Ms. 3652/1/6). A letter, again to his brother John, dated 25 August 1820 refers to his recent marriage and mentions his intention to stay on the island until 1822 (Ms. 3652/1/8). John Shand died in 1825 leaving £5,000 to each of his ten children born to his Jamaican housekeeper, a slave Frances Brown. William lived until 1848 but having become insolvent his Scottish estates were sold to pay his creditors. A memorial to his parents-in-law was raised by three of their sons in Largs parish church.