Nathaniel Wells
Encyclopedia
Nathaniel Wells was the son of a Welsh
merchant
and a black
slave. After inheriting his father's plantations, he became a wealthy land owner, magistrate
, the second black person to hold a commission in the Armed Forces of the Crown (after Captain John Perkins
. He was also Britain's first black High Sheriff
.
family to St Kitts where he was a successful slave trader
and latterly became a wealthy plantation owner. After his British wife died, William began fathering children by his slave women - at least six, all by different women. Although rape
was a well known practice, Wells looked after both the children and their mothers, giving them their freedom and sums of money to live on—including Nathaniel's mother Juggy and leaving the bulk of his estate to Nathaniel.
to be educated. On completing his education he stayed in Britain and seems to have been accepted despite his colour and illegitimacy by other members of high society, becoming a respected land owner in Monmouthshire
. Wells also became a magistrate
, sitting in judgement over white people at a time when most black people in Britain's colonies - including on Wells' own estates — would have had no rights to such a court hearing.
plantation estates like any other absentee white owner. Wells would have had little control over the way the slaves he owned were treated, as the estates were leased out to local managers. The punishment of slaves by one of these managers was singled out for criticism by abolitionists and became the subject of an abolitionist tract, although it would appear that this was with the tacit consent of Wells, who refrained from suppressing its publication in the Courts. There were only supposed to be 39 lashes administered in a certain period of time, while it was alleged that this manager gave 39 lashes plus a 'brining' - putting pepper water on to those lashes to make the slaves scream.
He remained a plantation owner and slave owner until emancipation
was enacted in St Kitts in 1833, and was compensated financially by HM Treasury
.
.
In 1802, he bought Piercefield House
, Chepstow
from Colonel Mark Wood, after agreeing to buy it for £90,000 over dinner. Wells added to Piercefield until it reached almost 3,000 acres (12 km²). Wood stated: "Mr Wells is a West Indian of large fortune, a man of very gentlemanly manners, but so much a man of colour as to be little removed from a Negro".
Wells seems to have taken a full part in local society. In 1804 he was appointed a churchwarden of St Arvans Church near Piercefield, a position he held for forty years. In 1806 he was appointed a Justice of the Peace, whilst in 1832 he was on the committee of the Chepstow Hunt.
when he was appointed High Sheriff of Monmouthshire
by the Prince Regent
, and a Deputy Lieutenant
of the county.
Troop of the Yeomanry
Cavalry of Gloucestershire and Monmouth. This makes Wells the second black person to be commissioned into the Armed Forces of the Crown and no more black officers are known to have been commissioned until Walter Tull
almost one hundred years later. However, Yeomanry commissions were signed only by the Lord Lieutenant
of the County, not by the King as were regular army commissions and those in the later Special Reserve as held by Tull. Wells' military service was not just an honorary role. As Lieutenant Wells, it is recorded that he took part in action against striking coal-miners and iron workers in South Wales
in 1822. Jackson's Oxford Journal of 11 May 1822 reprinting an article from the Bristol Mercury
recorded that: "It was then decided that a party of the cavalry, under the command of Lieutenant Wells, of Piercefield, should form a kind of advance guard, and should precede the main body by about a mile, to prevent the breaking up of the roads." However, the road ran along a steep-sided valley, and his party came under attack from the iron workers through down large stones and rocks. Even with the arrival of the rest of the Yeomanry, and the reading of the Riot Act
, the road could not be cleared, and was not until three hours later, with the arrival of the regular cavalry of the Royal Scots Greys behind the workers, that the road was cleared. He resigned his commission on 7 August 1822.
twice (his second wife was called Esther), and had 22 children.
He died in Bath, Somerset in 1852 at the age of 72, worth an estimated £100,000.
A memorial tablet can be seen at St Arvans Church, near Chepstow
, Monmouthshire
. Piercefield estate is now the home of Chepstow Racecourse
, while the house is abandoned and derelict.
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
merchant
Merchant
A merchant is a businessperson who trades in commodities that were produced by others, in order to earn a profit.Merchants can be one of two types:# A wholesale merchant operates in the chain between producer and retail merchant...
and a black
Black people
The term black people is used in systems of racial classification for humans of a dark skinned phenotype, relative to other racial groups.Different societies apply different criteria regarding who is classified as "black", and often social variables such as class, socio-economic status also plays a...
slave. After inheriting his father's plantations, he became a wealthy land owner, magistrate
Magistrate
A magistrate is an officer of the state; in modern usage the term usually refers to a judge or prosecutor. This was not always the case; in ancient Rome, a magistratus was one of the highest government officers and possessed both judicial and executive powers. Today, in common law systems, a...
, the second black person to hold a commission in the Armed Forces of the Crown (after Captain John Perkins
John Perkins (Royal Navy officer)
Captain John Perkins, Royal Navy was a British naval officer.Perkins, nicknamed Jack Punch, was the first black commissioned officer in the Royal Navy. He rose from obscurity to be one of the most successful ship captains of the Georgian navy...
. He was also Britain's first black High Sheriff
High Sheriff
A high sheriff is, or was, a law enforcement officer in the United Kingdom, Canada and the United States.In England and Wales, the office is unpaid and partly ceremonial, appointed by the Crown through a warrant from the Privy Council. In Cornwall, the High Sheriff is appointed by the Duke of...
.
Family
Wells was the son of William Wells, who emigrated from a rich CardiffCardiff
Cardiff is the capital, largest city and most populous county of Wales and the 10th largest city in the United Kingdom. The city is Wales' chief commercial centre, the base for most national cultural and sporting institutions, the Welsh national media, and the seat of the National Assembly for...
family to St Kitts where he was a successful slave trader
Slavery in the British and French Caribbean
Slavery in the British and French Caribbean refers to slavery in the parts of the Caribbean dominated by France or the British Empire.-Conditions:The Lesser Antilles islands of Barbados, St...
and latterly became a wealthy plantation owner. After his British wife died, William began fathering children by his slave women - at least six, all by different women. Although rape
Rape
Rape is a type of sexual assault usually involving sexual intercourse, which is initiated by one or more persons against another person without that person's consent. The act may be carried out by physical force, coercion, abuse of authority or with a person who is incapable of valid consent. The...
was a well known practice, Wells looked after both the children and their mothers, giving them their freedom and sums of money to live on—including Nathaniel's mother Juggy and leaving the bulk of his estate to Nathaniel.
Return to Wales
Wells' father sent him to LondonLondon
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
to be educated. On completing his education he stayed in Britain and seems to have been accepted despite his colour and illegitimacy by other members of high society, becoming a respected land owner in Monmouthshire
Monmouthshire
Monmouthshire is a county in south east Wales. The name derives from the historic county of Monmouthshire which covered a much larger area. The largest town is Abergavenny. There are many castles in Monmouthshire .-Historic county:...
. Wells also became a magistrate
Magistrate
A magistrate is an officer of the state; in modern usage the term usually refers to a judge or prosecutor. This was not always the case; in ancient Rome, a magistratus was one of the highest government officers and possessed both judicial and executive powers. Today, in common law systems, a...
, sitting in judgement over white people at a time when most black people in Britain's colonies - including on Wells' own estates — would have had no rights to such a court hearing.
Slave estates
Wells managed his inherited sugarSugar
Sugar is a class of edible crystalline carbohydrates, mainly sucrose, lactose, and fructose, characterized by a sweet flavor.Sucrose in its refined form primarily comes from sugar cane and sugar beet...
plantation estates like any other absentee white owner. Wells would have had little control over the way the slaves he owned were treated, as the estates were leased out to local managers. The punishment of slaves by one of these managers was singled out for criticism by abolitionists and became the subject of an abolitionist tract, although it would appear that this was with the tacit consent of Wells, who refrained from suppressing its publication in the Courts. There were only supposed to be 39 lashes administered in a certain period of time, while it was alleged that this manager gave 39 lashes plus a 'brining' - putting pepper water on to those lashes to make the slaves scream.
He remained a plantation owner and slave owner until emancipation
Emancipation
Emancipation means the act of setting an individual or social group free or making equal to citizens in a political society.Emancipation may also refer to:* Emancipation , a champion Australian thoroughbred racehorse foaled in 1979...
was enacted in St Kitts in 1833, and was compensated financially by HM Treasury
HM Treasury
HM Treasury, in full Her Majesty's Treasury, informally The Treasury, is the United Kingdom government department responsible for developing and executing the British government's public finance policy and economic policy...
.
Piercefield House and Monmouthshire
By 1801, Wells had property worth an estimated £200,000 and was married to the only daughter of Charles Este, a former chaplain to King George IIGeorge II of Great Britain
George II was King of Great Britain and Ireland, Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg and Archtreasurer and Prince-elector of the Holy Roman Empire from 11 June 1727 until his death.George was the last British monarch born outside Great Britain. He was born and brought up in Northern Germany...
.
In 1802, he bought Piercefield House
Piercefield House
Piercefield House is a largely ruined neo-classical country house designed by Sir John Soane, located near Chepstow in Monmouthshire, south east Wales. Its extensive surrounding park overlooking the Wye Valley includes Chepstow Racecourse...
, Chepstow
Chepstow
Chepstow is a town in Monmouthshire, Wales, adjoining the border with Gloucestershire, England. It is located on the River Wye, close to its confluence with the River Severn, and close to the western end of the Severn Bridge on the M48 motorway...
from Colonel Mark Wood, after agreeing to buy it for £90,000 over dinner. Wells added to Piercefield until it reached almost 3,000 acres (12 km²). Wood stated: "Mr Wells is a West Indian of large fortune, a man of very gentlemanly manners, but so much a man of colour as to be little removed from a Negro".
Wells seems to have taken a full part in local society. In 1804 he was appointed a churchwarden of St Arvans Church near Piercefield, a position he held for forty years. In 1806 he was appointed a Justice of the Peace, whilst in 1832 he was on the committee of the Chepstow Hunt.
High Sheriff
On 24 January 1818 Wells became Britain's first black high sheriffHigh Sheriff
A high sheriff is, or was, a law enforcement officer in the United Kingdom, Canada and the United States.In England and Wales, the office is unpaid and partly ceremonial, appointed by the Crown through a warrant from the Privy Council. In Cornwall, the High Sheriff is appointed by the Duke of...
when he was appointed High Sheriff of Monmouthshire
High Sheriff of Monmouthshire
This is a list of High Sheriffs of Monmouthshire, which was created in 1536 but not fully settled until 1540. The shrievalty was finally abolished in 1974 when the county and shrievalty of Gwent was created.-List of Sheriffs:Served under Henry VIII:...
by the Prince Regent
Prince Regent
A prince regent is a prince who rules a monarchy as regent instead of a monarch, e.g., due to the Sovereign's incapacity or absence ....
, and a Deputy Lieutenant
Deputy Lieutenant
In the United Kingdom, a Deputy Lieutenant is one of several deputies to the Lord Lieutenant of a lieutenancy area; an English ceremonial county, Welsh preserved county, Scottish lieutenancy area, or Northern Irish county borough or county....
of the county.
Yeomanry commission
On 20 June 1820 Wells was commissioned as a Lieutenant in the ChepstowChepstow
Chepstow is a town in Monmouthshire, Wales, adjoining the border with Gloucestershire, England. It is located on the River Wye, close to its confluence with the River Severn, and close to the western end of the Severn Bridge on the M48 motorway...
Troop of the Yeomanry
Yeomanry
Yeomanry is a designation used by a number of units or sub-units of the British Territorial Army, descended from volunteer cavalry regiments. Today, Yeomanry units may serve in a variety of different military roles.-History:...
Cavalry of Gloucestershire and Monmouth. This makes Wells the second black person to be commissioned into the Armed Forces of the Crown and no more black officers are known to have been commissioned until Walter Tull
Walter Tull
Walter Daniel John Tull was an English professional footballer who played as an inside forward for Tottenham Hotspur and Northampton Town...
almost one hundred years later. However, Yeomanry commissions were signed only by the Lord Lieutenant
Lord Lieutenant
The title Lord Lieutenant is given to the British monarch's personal representatives in the United Kingdom, usually in a county or similar circumscription, with varying tasks throughout history. Usually a retired local notable, senior military officer, peer or business person is given the post...
of the County, not by the King as were regular army commissions and those in the later Special Reserve as held by Tull. Wells' military service was not just an honorary role. As Lieutenant Wells, it is recorded that he took part in action against striking coal-miners and iron workers in South Wales
South Wales
South Wales is an area of Wales bordered by England and the Bristol Channel to the east and south, and Mid Wales and West Wales to the north and west. The most densely populated region in the south-west of the United Kingdom, it is home to around 2.1 million people and includes the capital city of...
in 1822. Jackson's Oxford Journal of 11 May 1822 reprinting an article from the Bristol Mercury
Bristol Mercury
|-See also:-Bibliography:* Bridgman, L, Jane's fighting aircraft of World War II. Crescent. ISBN 0-517-67964-7* Gunston, Bill. World Encyclopedia of Aero Engines. Cambridge, England. Patrick Stephens Limited, 1989. ISBN 1-85260-163-9...
recorded that: "It was then decided that a party of the cavalry, under the command of Lieutenant Wells, of Piercefield, should form a kind of advance guard, and should precede the main body by about a mile, to prevent the breaking up of the roads." However, the road ran along a steep-sided valley, and his party came under attack from the iron workers through down large stones and rocks. Even with the arrival of the rest of the Yeomanry, and the reading of the Riot Act
Riot Act
The Riot Act was an Act of the Parliament of Great Britain that authorised local authorities to declare any group of twelve or more people to be unlawfully assembled, and thus have to disperse or face punitive action...
, the road could not be cleared, and was not until three hours later, with the arrival of the regular cavalry of the Royal Scots Greys behind the workers, that the road was cleared. He resigned his commission on 7 August 1822.
Declining years
Eventually and in light of his failing health, Wells sold Piercefield to John Russell (1788-1873) in 1850. Wells had been marriedMarriage
Marriage is a social union or legal contract between people that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged in a variety of ways, depending on the culture or subculture in which it is found...
twice (his second wife was called Esther), and had 22 children.
He died in Bath, Somerset in 1852 at the age of 72, worth an estimated £100,000.
A memorial tablet can be seen at St Arvans Church, near Chepstow
Chepstow
Chepstow is a town in Monmouthshire, Wales, adjoining the border with Gloucestershire, England. It is located on the River Wye, close to its confluence with the River Severn, and close to the western end of the Severn Bridge on the M48 motorway...
, Monmouthshire
Monmouthshire (historic)
Monmouthshire , also known as the County of Monmouth , is one of thirteen ancient counties of Wales and a former administrative county....
. Piercefield estate is now the home of Chepstow Racecourse
Chepstow Racecourse
Chepstow Racecourse is a thoroughbred horse racing venue located just outside the town of Chepstow in Monmouthshire, Wales, near the southern end of the Wye Valley which forms the border with England...
, while the house is abandoned and derelict.