Nicholas Lawes
| Sir Nicholas Lawes | |
|---|---|
| Born | 1652 |
| Died | 18 June 1731 (aged 78-79) Jamaica |
| Nationality | English |
| Occupation | Governor of Jamaica 1718 - 1722 |
Sir Nicholas Lawes (1652 – 18 June 1731) (sometimes "'Laws'" in contemporary documents) was Governor of Jamaica from 1718 to 1722.
Contents
Early life
Nicholas Lawes was born in 1652 to Nicholas and Amy Lawes.
Knighthood
He was a British knight.
Governor of Jamaica
He was Chief Justice of Jamaica from 1698 to 1703 and Governor from 1718 to 1722.[1]
In his capacity as Governor during the Golden Age of Piracy he tried many pirates, among them "Calico Jack" Rackham, Anne Bonny, Mary Read, Robert Deal, & Charles Vane. He signed an arrangement with Jeremy, king of the Miskito, to bring some of his followers over to Jamaica to hunt down runaway slaves in 1720.[2]
Family
Lawes married five widows in succession. No children survived from the first three marriages.[3]
James and Temple Lawes were the sons of his fourth wife Susannah Temple who he married in 1698.[3][4] She had previously been married to Samuel Bernard.[3] Her father, Thomas Temple, is said to have given Lawes his Temple Hall, Jamaica estate as a dowry.[4]
Lawes later married Elizabeth Lawley (1690-1725). Their youngest surviving daughter, Judith Maria Lawes, married Simon Luttrell, 1st Earl of Carhampton and so became both wife and mother of the Earls of Carhampton.[3]
Coffee and printing
At Temple Hall Lawes experimented with a variety of crops and introduced the very lucrative coffee growing into the island in 1721 according to some sources[4][5] or 1728 according to others.[6]
He is also credited with setting up the first printing press in Jamaica.[3]
Death
He died 18 June 1731 in Jamaica.
References
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ Michael Olien, "The Miskito Kings and the Line of Succession," Journal of Anthropological Research 39 (1983),
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| Government offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | Governor of Jamaica 1718–1722 |
Succeeded by The Duke of Portland |
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