Piercefield_House, Chepstow, home of Nathaniel Wells
A few weeks ago, a reader reached out with questions about men of color in the clergy. It was during that research, that I stumbled upon Nathaniel Wells, who had several sons (out of 22 children) who would go on to enter the clergy.
Born into slavery in 1779 in Saint Kitts, Nathaniel Wells’ father was a rich Welshman who had emigrated to Saint Kitts. William Wells was first a successful slave trader and then a plantation owner, who after the death of his wife had six children, five girls and one boy, by six different female slaves. Nathaniel’s mother was Juggy Wells, a house servant.
William would go own to own three sugar plantations and amass considerable wealth.
William was noted for looking after his children and their mothers, emancipating them and providing an allowance. Nathaniel was sent to London to be educated.
Nathaniel stayed on in the UK after his education where he became a respected landowner in Mountmouthsire Wells. He would eventually become one of the first black or mixed race magistrates at time as well as Deputy Lieutenant of Monmouth. He was also the first black or mixed race person to become a High Sheriff. Married twice, Nathaniel would have 22 children.
As his father’s only son, Nathaniel would inherit the vast majority of the estate and become an absentee owner. When slavery was abolished in 1833, Nathaniel would retain slaves illegally until the 1837 Parliament negotiated compensation for emancipation.
Wells would die at the age of 72 in 1852. A memorial to him can be seen at St. Arvan’s Church in Chepstow.
Information from: Summary of Individual | Legacies of British Slave-ownership (ucl.ac.uk)
Nathaniel Wells (1779 – 1852) • (blackpast.org)
Nathaniel Wells – Bath and the Slave Trade (wordpress.com)
A blog post about one of Nathaniel’s sons: Looking for Nathaniel: NATHANIEL ARMSTRONG WELLS (1806 -1846) (narmstrongw.blogspot.com)
