Notes |
- Oliver, last of the Nugents of Drumcree. In 1687, Oliver had married his cousin, Jane, daughter of Christopher Nugent of Dardistown, eldest son of Francis Nugent of Dardistown, Co. Westmeath, who was the second son of Sir Thomas Nugent Bart of Moyrath. Oliver survived the battle (of the Boyne, 1690), where many Nugents perished - 16 according to one account - but his estates in County Westmeath were forfeited. King William III subsequently published an amnesty but Oliver did not submit within the prescribed time, and Drumcree passed into the possession of Mr Smyth. Oliver became a Major General in the French army and died at St Germains in France.
According to the family pedigree, the only son of the marriage was Walter, and there was a daughter, Jane, who died unmarried. Walter, our ancestor, became a captain in the Imperial service, and married Elinor, daughter of James Cusack of Flinstown, Co. Westmeath. Their only son, also called Walter, travelled to Liverpool where he "freighted a vessel with his own merchandise?. going himself in the ship to dispose of her cargo at Antigua."
Of Oliver's children, only Robert, the eldest child of his first marriage, and Nicholas, the eldest child of his second marriage, had any offspring of their own. Robert added Dunbar to his surname, becoming Robert Nugent-Dunbar, apparently as a condition to inherit lands from his mother at Marchermore, Kircudbrightshire, south west Scotland.
The Nugent succession passed to Oliver's son, Nicholas.
Oliver Nugent's first born son, Robert (by Elizabeth Dunbar) inherited lands from his mother at Marchermore, Kircudbrightshire, south west Scotland, agreeing to change his name to Nugent-Dunbar. Oliver's second son, Nicholas (by Bridget Lynch) became a doctor and lived most of his life in Antigua, becoming Speaker of the Assembly. In 1829 he bought or inherited back the 'Nugent/Skerrett' estates from his cousin, John Lynch, Antoinetta Skerrett's nephew.
At the time of emancipation in 1834, Nicholas managed 'Lyon's' estate in the east of the island (north of Willoughby Bay, west of Nonsuch Bay) and lived there whilst evidently owning 'Skerretts'. Later he lived at Merrywing Hall, whose location is unknown.
His son, the future Sir Oliver Nugent, spent his early married life at 'Betty's Hope', an estate in the middle of the island owned by the Codrington family. In 1860 Sir Oliver acquired 'Millar's' estate, close to Fitches Creek, living on the estate and managing its substantial sugar production. Named for Dr William Millar, of Paisley, Renfrewshire, 'Millar's' consisted of 406 acres in 1829 and 929 acres by 1921. Despite never having converted to steam, in 1836 it recorded the largest production of sugar in the whole island. In 1891 the estate passed to Sir Oliver's son-in-law, Sir Charles Cameron Lees (husband of Maria Nugent) who was previously Governor of the Leeward Islands. Later it was acquired by the Comacho family, and was leased to the United States air force as an officers' club during the Second World War. If any remains still exist they are within the perimeter fence of Antigua's 1950s-built airport.
In 1891 Sir Oliver and Lady Nugent acquired 'Skerret's and Folly', previously owned by his father, who had died in 1843 - probably part of the land originally acquired by Walter Nugent around 1720. At some stage Sir Oliver, or perhaps Lady Nugent, gave or sold plots from 'Skerret's and Folly' for good causes, including a home for truant boys and a cemetery for the poor. The land on which stand Antigua Grammar School, the old and new Parliament buildings and Holberton Hospital are all thought to have been owned by the Nugents at this time. Clare Hall, though, was no longer in Nugent hands having passed to Charles Warner Dunbar in 1790 and later to Sir C Bethel Codrington. It is now the site of a school of that name and a model housing complex.
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