INTRODUCTION xv 



families in Jamaica are descended from successful buccaneers, 

 and it is not unlikely that Peter Beckford, Commander-in- 

 chief and Governor of the island, may have been a pirate 

 chief or the son of one. Whatever his origin, this Peter 

 must have been a very able and energetic man, or he would 

 not, on the death of the Governor, have been elected to 

 fill that post. We are told that he was the owner of several 

 plantations and of slaves by the hundred. Peter Beckford, 

 his son, was Speaker of the House of Assembly, and was 

 the father of thirteen children. Two sons, William and 

 Julines, came to England, and were at the time of their 

 arrival possessed of considerable wealth. William had in- 

 herited his grandfather's energy and strength of character, 

 so that we find, instead of allowing his capital and time 

 to be idle, he entered very successfully into business as a 

 merchant in the city of London. Twice was he made Lord 

 Mayor, and on one celebrated occasion he demanded 

 audience of the king and protested stoutly against the 

 infringements of certain rights. His son William, the author 

 of Vathek, was a man who could probably have made his 

 mark in the world had he not been hampered with too much 

 riches, but he lacked the fixity of purpose which was one of 

 the strong points in his father's character. His collection of 

 art treasures at Fonthill Abbey was perhaps larger than any 

 single individual has ever owned. 



Julines Beckford was more of a student than his brother, 

 and enjoyed the quiet retirement of a country life, but we 

 find that he was at one time the member for Salisbury. He 

 married Elizabeth, daughter of Solomon Ashly, Ashly St. 

 Ledgers, Northamptonshire. The result of that marriage 

 was Peter, the author of this book and the subject of this 

 short history, who in 1773 married Louisa, daughter of Lord 

 Rivers. Peter's son became the third Lord Rivers by a 

 special Act of Parliament, and his great-granddaughter 

 married the ninth Duke of Leeds, so that the present master 



