Highland Scots - Moray & Strathspey: William Innes

William Innes was born in Moray c1771 and died in Elgin in 1847. When he married Elizabeth (Eliza) Donaldson in Elgin in 1801, he was already referred to as 'William Innes Esq of Demerary'. [Edinburgh Magazine, 1801 and OPR 135/00 0060 0097]. He may have been the William Innes who managed Prospect plantation for John Sutor and Henry Anderson from 1791.

The next reference to him in Demerara is in 1803 when he was the executor of a fellow planter’s will. He was already associated with plantation Albion on the Corentyne Coast of Berbice. [Essequebo & Demerara Gazette]

In 1817 he was the joint owner of Albion, and its 113 slaves, but the Slave Return was completed by John Bethune on their behalf. In 1819 the return was made by William Campbell, on behalf of Innes ‘and others’ as owners.

Innes made his will in Elgin in 1836 referring to his ownership of ‘the one half of the plantations or estates called Albion, Nigg and Lancaster on the east sea coast of the said Colony of Berbice with the one half of the houses, machinery, negroes, crops and stocking of every description [the other half belonging to John Bond, merchant in Lancaster]’. He died in December 1847 and is commemorated by a stone within an enclosure in the burial ground of Elgin Cathedral.

Innes received half of the compensation awarded: £10725 13s 1d for 225 enslaved [LBS BG3]