Sir John Alleyne, 1st Baronet
Encyclopedia
Sir John Gay Alleyne, 1st Baronet (28 April 1724 – 1801) was a baronet and Barbadian politician.

Background

Alleyne descended from the first settlers on Barbados
Barbados
Barbados is an island country in the Lesser Antilles. It is in length and as much as in width, amounting to . It is situated in the western area of the North Atlantic and 100 kilometres east of the Windward Islands and the Caribbean Sea; therein, it is about east of the islands of Saint...

 and was born at St James as 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 firstly Christian, fourth daughter of Joseph Dottin and had by her a son. After her death in 1782, Alleyne remarried his forty years younger cousin Jane, daughter of Abel Alleyne on 29 June 1786. By his second wife he had two more sons as well as five daughters.

Career

In 1757, Alleyne was elected for St Andrews to the Parliament of Barbados
Parliament of Barbados
The Parliament of Barbados is the national legislature of Barbados. It is accorded legislative supremacy by Chapter V of the Constitution of Barbados. The Parliament is bicameral in composition and is formally made up of: HM Queen Elizabeth II, Queen of Barbados The Parliament of Barbados is the...

, 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. Alleyne was created a Baronet, 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 Alleyne School, though it was actually without schoolhouse until 1784. Mount Gay Distilleries Ltd.
Mount Gay
Mount Gay Rum is produced by Mount Gay Distilleries Ltd. of Barbados, the easternmost island of the West Indies. The oldest surviving deed for the company is from 1703, making Mount Gay Rum the oldest existing brand of rum in the world...

, 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 changed the name of the company in honour of him.
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