Sir John Gay Alleyne, 1st Baronet (28 April 1724 – 1801) Barbadian politician and the first of the
Alleyne baronets which still exists today.
Background
Alleyne descended from the first settlers on
Barbados
Barbados is an island country in the Lesser Antilles of the West Indies, in the Caribbean region of the Americas, and the most easterly of the Caribbean Islands. It occupies an area of and has a population of about 287,000 (2019 estimate). ...
and was born at
St James Saint James or St. James may refer to:
People Saints
*James, brother of Jesus (died 62 or 69), also known as James the Just
*James the Great (died 44), Apostle, also known as James, son of Zebedee, or Saint James the Greater
**Saint James Matamoro ...
as the second son of John Alleyne and his wife Mary Terrill, daughter of William Terrill. On 19 October 1746 at
St James Church, Barbados, he married Cristen Dottin, fourth daughter of Anne Jordan Dottin and Joseph Dottin, with whom he had a son. After her death in 1782, Alleyne remarried his forty years younger cousin Jane, daughter of Abel Alleyne, on 29 June 1786. With her, he had five daughters and two more sons.
Career
In 1757, Alleyne was elected for the Parish of
St. Andrew
Andrew the Apostle ( grc-koi, Ἀνδρέᾱς, Andréās ; la, Andrēās ; , syc, ܐܰܢܕ݁ܪܶܐܘܳܣ, ʾAnd’reʾwās), also called Saint Andrew, was an apostle of Jesus according to the New Testament. He is the brother of Simon Peter ...
to the
Parliament of Barbados, a seat he held for the next forty years, with only a break in 1771. Already after a decade in the Parliament, he became
Speaker of the House of Assembly of Barbados, serving until 1770 and after another two years was reappointed until 1779. Despite being a slaveowner, Alleyne publicly voiced opinions unpopular to the planter class at that time, declaring in the House of Assembly that he disapproved of the system of slavery, "an unhappy sight which leaves an immense debt upon us to clear the obligation of human nature".
Alleyne was created a
baronet
A baronet ( or ; abbreviated Bart or Bt) or the female equivalent, a baronetess (, , or ; abbreviation Btss), is the holder of a baronetcy, a hereditary title awarded by the British Crown. The title of baronet is mentioned as early as the 14th ...
, of Four Hills, in the Island of Barbados on 6 April 1769.
Death and legacy
Alleyne's wife died in 1800 and he survived her until the following year. Both older sons having predeceased him, he was succeeded in the
baronetcy by his third son Reynold.
In 1770, Alleyne financially laid the groundwork for establishing The Seminary, a school for "the maintenance, support, and education of poor boys".
While originally intended for white boys, it received permission to also admit young boys of colour.
Eventually renamed The Alleyne School, it continues today and was the first government co-educational secondary school in Barbados.
, makers of the world's oldest known rum brand still in existence, was renamed from its earlier name of Mount Gilboa Plantation/Distillery.
Upon Alleyne's death, his close friend John Sober who had employed him as manager of the company,
posthumously
Posthumous may refer to:
* Posthumous award - an award, prize or medal granted after the recipient's death
* Posthumous publication – material published after the author's death
* ''Posthumous'' (album), by Warne Marsh, 1987
* ''Posthumous'' (E ...
changed the name of the company in honour of him.
See also
*
Notes
References
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Alleyne, John
1724 births
1801 deaths
Colony of Barbados people
Baronets in the Baronetage of Great Britain
Speakers of the House Assembly of Barbados
Members of the House of Assembly of Barbados