William Peartree, Mayor 1703-1707: Peartree (c. 1643 – 1714) began his career in Jamaica and lived in Port Royal. He owned land there, but it is unclear if it was a plantation. He was a merchant who had extensive dealings with Jacobus Van Cortlandt and engaged in piracy.[1]

In the New York census of c.1703, Col. William Peartree is listed as having six enslaved people in his household in New York City: two adult males, two adult females, one minor male, and one minor female.[2]

In his will, Peartree describes his property in Jamaica in the usual language of wills of the time as “houses, lands, tenements…buildings” and gives it to his wife, Anna. In his will, he also gives his wife “…all my household goods and furniture whatsoever and all my wrought plats [sic] and all my negro slaves.” He also left property to his grandson, William Smith.[3]

[1] Conquest and Change, Ch.3, Kindle edition location 934

[2] NYG&B Record, January 1879: Volume 10, issue 1, p.32

[3] Northeast Slavery Records Index; Conway, Rosanne: Lists of Inhabitants of Colonial New York, p. 31; New York, U.S., Wills and Probate Records, 1659-1999, Wills, Vol 008, 1710-1716, Will Date 20 Jan 1713, Probate Date 29 Apr 1714, Ancestry.com, link

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