| By
1685 the estate now known as Wingfield Manor
had passed to Christopher Jeaffreson, an absentee landlord who lived
near Newmarket, England. The family later changed the spelling of
their name to Jefferson, and there is evidence that President Jefferson
of the United States was related to the St.Kitts family through a
relative who went via Antigua to Virginia.
Romney Estate, just east of Wingfield, first appears on a map of
1735. Its great house remains are where Caribelle Batik is now situated.
A sugar factory was located just down the hill. Beginning in 1713
the Earls of Romney, who owned and operated Romney Estate, also
leased Wingfield from the Jefferson family for the payment of 400
sterling and 40 gallons of “good, pure and sound rum”.
The Earls of Romney continued as tenants of Wingfield until 1819.
Amusingly this tenancy became acrimonious as a result of the rum
being below the quality expected.
A letter from 1813 provided this interesting description of Wingfield
Manor Estate.
“Wingfield Manor is situated in ye Old
Road Division in ye Parish of St.Thomas middle Island... Manor House
and Appendages - Dwelling House of ye Negroes Garden Cow Pen &
Cow keepers house. Two mills & sugar works - two houses of distilling
of Rum two fewell house besides Sundry houses of ye tenants of ye
Manor..”
In 1819 the estate and works were appraised in anticipation
of being sold, but were instead leased. After emancipation in 1834
the smaller works at Romney estate appear to have been abandoned,
with the cane from both Romney and Wingfield being processed at
the larger Wingfield works.
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Romney Manor :
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