Murdoch Anderson

Murdoch Anderson was born in the parish of Kiltearn (Ross-shire) and died in Demerara in 1801/02. In his will [CC8/8/144] he instructed that his estate be sold and he bequeathed the money raised to the children of his brothers Kenneth (in Inverness) and James (deceased). His executors in Demerara were Thomas Cuming and John Hopkinson; and in Scotland John and Alexander Campbell, Glasgow.

He signed the will in March 1801 in the presence of Peter Grundys, Alexander Fullerton, John Mewton, Samuel Brelly, James S Nichols, John Hackitt and Gwyn John.

He also bequeathed to a ‘negroe boy named Sam belonging to plantation Rotterdam’ the sum of 220 guilders, together with his ‘box, clothes and other necessaries’, with the exception of his watch which he left to ‘his much respected friend John Hopkinson’, the owner of Rotterdam. The equivalent purchasing power today of 220 guilders in 1801 is c£1000.

Finally he left £100 to the poor of the parish of Kiltearn.

Rotterdam was a 250-acre coffee plantation on the west sea coast of Demerara.