In 1649 Christopher Codrington (of Cheltenham) emigrated with his family to Barbados. In 1684 his son founded a sugar estate at Betty's Hope, Antigua. The following year, he leased Barbuda from the British Crown at the rent of one fat sheep per year, the lease continuing until 1870, when Barbuda and Antigua were united. In 1689 he became Captain-General of the Leeward Islands. His own son took the same title, but after an unsuccessful campaign against Guadaloupe during the war against France and Spain at the end of the 18th century, he resigned his position and retired from Barbados to the family home in Antigua. After his death in 1710 he left land in Barbuda to the Society for the Propagation of the Gospel for the founding of a missionary college. Thereafter the family line decended through his uncle John Codrington, who became Treasurer of Barbados and Colonel of the island's Life Guards. John's eldest son William was created 1st Baronet of Dodington in 1721. He inherited two further Antiguan estates, 'The Cables' and 'Cotton Estate'. William also bequeathed to his third son, Christopher Bethell the Antiguan estate known as 'Rooms' and to his fourth son, Edward the 'Folly' estate. Edward later purchased the estates of 'Bolans' and 'Jennings'. A fuller account of the descent of the Codrington family up to 1894 can be found in The Codrington Correspondence 1743-1851 by Robson Lowe (London, Robson Lowe Ltd., 1951), available in the library reading room. found

Microfilm copies of papers relating to West Indian estates, Antigua and Barbuda, 1700-1869.

Bodleian reader's ticket required: http://www.bodleian.ox.ac.uk/services/admissions/.

No reproduction or publication of personal papers without permission. Contact the library in the first instance.

National Archives of Antigua, Long Street, St. Johns, Antigua

Listed as no. 777 in Manuscript Collections in Rhodes House Library Oxford, Accessions 1978-1994 (Oxford, Bodleian Library, 1996).

The library holds papers of the United Society for the Propagation of the Gospel in Foreign Parts (ref. SPG Papers), which include material on Codrington College. Gloucestershire Record Office holds papers of the Codrington family of Dodington, 1462-1940, relating to their domestic estates, and architectural plans and building accounts of Dodington House, 18th-19th centuries (ref. D1610).

Codrington | family | 1700-1869 | baronets | Antigua and Barbuda

Antigua and Barbuda | History | 18th century

Antigua and Barbuda | History | 19th century

Landowners | Antigua and Barbuda | Biography