Thread: James Iles Choppin, Sugar Planter of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines & Bath b. 1751

My many times great grandfather James Iles Choppin was born in 1751, and died in 1824, in Bath, Somerset, UK. He was a west indian planter and slave owner from Saint Vincent and the Grenadines. One of his plantations was called Harmony Hall. He may have been born in England, or in the caribbean(I can't find any records for his baptism in England, and records in the caribbean are patchy, depending on the island). The family, at least when they were in Bath, were known as both CHOPPIN and COPPIN. Some children were baptised at Walcot St Swithins, others at Bath St James.

He married Martha Vanderpool 30 March 1790 in Saint Vincent, and they had seven children that I know of(adults at his death), as well as possibly two base-born sons in Bath, who were minors at the time he died, and living with him and their mother Elizabeth.

Martha Vanderpool's family were from Antigua, and Nevis. There is an earlier Choppin line fron Nevis that I am also researching, but I haven't found a link as yet -if they're linked, there's a missing generation.

There was a Maria Choppin living with him and Martha at Harmony Hall in 1817, who had one slave according to the slave register. I don't know whether she was a daughter, mother, niece, spinster sister etc.

I apologise for rambling on, but it's good to know what I do know and what I don't, so you know where to start.

I do not know who James' parents were, nor if he had any siblings. His parentage is my major brick wall, I have been stuck for literally years. This is what I'm asking for help with. Can anyone help me track down his parents? It's been...between 5-8 years, this brick wall of mine, so I'd be absolutely estatic if anyone comes up with anything.

Hello

A fascinating story,

there is quite a bit of information on books.google.co.uk related to harmony Hill and sugar plantations, this is one particular book that displays family trees, you will be able to source a libray local to you, holding a copy from the site
Caribbeana:being miscellaneous papers relating to the history, genealogy, topography, and antiquities of the British West Indies

Vere Langford OliverCanDoo Creative Publishing, 2000

I googled James Iles CHOPPIN, a family tree came up suggesting he was the son of Robert CHOPPIN and his wife Sarah

elsabels

Hello

google Denise Janet CHOPPIN.....

Yes I know of Denise, she is a distant cousin several times removed, and knows about as much as I do about James, some of my info has come from her, and some I have discovered in my own researches(Wills etc). She actually got me into this whole genealogy thing as a teenager after she contacted my brother.
The idea that James was the son of Robert and Sarah is...rife over the internet...but the dates don't add up. If you look at the trees that have this, James is born & dies near a century after his "siblings" . I suspect there's a generation or two missing, but I am pretty sure that he is related to the Nevis Choppin, which I am researching seperately at the moment, especially as his wife's family were from Nevis. Although a lot of people have just added it, it just cannot possibly work, so I disregard that linking. There is a link, I'm sure, but that's just not it.

I use Caribbeana a lot, it's been a real boon, but is mostly a little early for James. It has been very helpful with researching his wife's Vanderpool family, and for into what what I call the Nevis Choppin's, but I haven't found anything in it that links the two branches.

Thanks for your help, it's a kicker of a problem...the area, the time...

Cambridge University Alumini
James Iles. CHOPPIN
College:ST JOHN'S
Entered:Easter. 1826
More Information: Admission pens. at ST JOHN'S, Mar. 17, 1826. B. at Bath.
Matric Easter. 1826; B.A. 1830.

Brougth to my attention by another Moderator!
On line there is an extensive list of slaves (89) 'belonging' to James Iles CHOPPIN of Harmony Hall, the document is signed by Thomas CHOPPIN and dated 17/06/ 1817
Further document dated 31/12/1822
( subsc site A********)

Thanks, the Cambridge Alumni is for his son, also James Illes(also sometimes spelt Isles for this Son James jr). I knew he'd been, but didn't know for certain that he'd graduated, or what in, also I see it says he was born at Bath, when I had in my records that he was born St Vincent.

You think you've trawled the internet so many times that there can't possibly be anything you haven't come across, when a pair of fresh eyes finds something new. Thank you

I have the slaves registers for Harmony Hall for 1817, 1825 and 1834(just before the abolishment of slavery). The Choppin's were involved in an west indies company 'Prothero/e Brothers'...James senior's daughter Caroline was also married to Joseph Protheroe, from Bristol.

I'm interested in naming practices (and Choppin). One of my ancestors name was Cecil Isles Bonadie, son of Elizabeth Choppin(1857-1923) and Joseph Burns Bonadie of St Vincent. I don't know who her Choppin ancestors were and would like to make the connection. But doesn't it seem a little odd that she would give one of her sons that Isles middle name if it didn't belong to one of her ancestors?

I think I have some information which may help you find what you're looking for. Sorry if you know most of it already!

Robert Choppin (1616 - 1684) married Sarah (1626 - 1675) and had at least two children: (Francis d. aft 1724, and John who died before 1724 in Nevis). James Iles Choppin may well have been the grandson of one of these two. He married in 1790 in St Vincent and died in 1839. He was my great-great-great-great grandfather. One of his sons was Thomas whose son James Clement Choppin subsquently became Solicitor-General of St Vincent. He was the father of my great grand mother Caroline Marian Dalzell Choppin.

All best

Patrick Hodson