Transcripts of letters from Rev. Francis Tremayne to the Methodist Missionary Society, Jamaica

Transcripts of six letters from Rev. Francis Tremayne to the Methodist Missionary Society, from Jamaica, dated 1823 to 1825, with introduction and references. The transcriptions were made by Michael Tremayne from the originals held at SOAS as part of the Methodist Missionary Society archive. The letters reflect aspects of the religious, racial, political, social and economic conditions in Jamaica during the 1820s. They encompass Francis Tremayne's voyage from England to Jamaica; his views on slavery and how they differed from the local land owners; how those views created tensions between the Church and the landowners; and the harsh economic climate of Jamaica at that time. The letters are as follows: 1. 13 March 1823 2. August 4 1823 3. December 18 1823 4. December 19 1823 5. March 1 1825 6. August 2 1825

Francis Tremayne was born in Truro, Cornwall, on 5 May 1795. In 1822 he married Elizabeth Ann Tremaine of Falmouth. From 1823 to 1825 he served as a Methodist Missionary in Jamaica, and was stationed first in Spanish Town, then St Ann's Bay, Bellemont and Goshen, and finally at Bath and Manchioneal. He returned to England in 1825 and emigrated to the United States in 1831. In early 1836 he moved to Canada and served as a Minister for the Church of England in Ontario until his death at Smiths Falls on 27 Feb 1863. His wife Elizabeth Ann died on 3 Mar 1863. They left six children, William, Elizabeth Webster, Rev. Francis, Ebenezer, Caroline Johnson and Henry.

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Presented to SOAS Library by Michael Tremayne in December 1998.

Methodist Missionary Society