Samuel Greatheed ( - 2 August 1765) was a British politician. He was the member of Parliament for

Coventry Coventry ( or rarely ) is a City status in the United Kingdom, cathedral city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands (county), West Midlands county, in England, on the River Sherbourne. Coventry had been a large settlement for centurie ...

from 1747 to 1761. Samual Greatheed was the son of John Greatheed of St Mary Cayon,

Saint Kitts Saint Kitts, officially Saint Christopher, is an island in the West Indies. The west side of the island borders the Caribbean Sea, and the eastern coast faces the Atlantic Ocean. Saint Kitts and the neighbouring island of Nevis constitute one ...

, and his wife Frances. The Greatheed family probably emigrated to St. Kitts in 1663, after forfeiting their estate near

Leeds Leeds is a city in West Yorkshire, England. It is the largest settlement in Yorkshire and the administrative centre of the City of Leeds Metropolitan Borough, which is the second most populous district in the United Kingdom. It is built aro ...

to the Crown for non-payment of taxes. John Greatheed purchased land near the capital,

Basseterre Basseterre (; Saint Kitts Creole: ''Basterre'') is the Capital (political), capital and largest city of Saint Kitts and Nevis with an estimated population of 14,000 in 2018. Geographically, the Basseterre port is located at , on the south-wester ...

, in the early eighteenth century to form what became the Canaries plantation. Greatheed was sent to the UK in 1718 to stay with his grandfather and was educated in

Bradford Bradford is a city status in the United Kingdom, city in West Yorkshire, England. It became a municipal borough in 1847, received a city charter in 1897 and, since the Local Government Act 1972, 1974 reform, the city status in the United Kingdo ...

; at 19 he was admitted to

Lincoln's Inn The Honourable Society of Lincoln's Inn, commonly known as Lincoln's Inn, is one of the four Inns of Court (professional associations for Barrister, barristers and judges) in London. To be called to the bar in order to practise as a barrister ...

, on 4 April 1730, and

Trinity College, Cambridge Trinity College is a Colleges of the University of Cambridge, constituent college of the University of Cambridge. Founded in 1546 by King Henry VIII, Trinity is one of the largest Cambridge colleges, with the largest financial endowment of any ...

, on 4 May 1730. He inherited the St. Kitts plantation on the death of his father in 1739. He remained in the UK, and the estate continued to be managed by his brother, Craister (Christopher) Greatheed until 1772. Samual Greatheed leased Guy's Cliffe in

Warwick Warwick ( ) is a market town, civil parish and the county town of Warwickshire in the Warwick District in England, adjacent to the River Avon, Warwickshire, River Avon. It is south of Coventry, and south-east of Birmingham. It is adjoined wit ...

in 1743, and purchased the property in 1750. He oversaw a programme of improvements at Guy's Cliffe from around 1748 - 1758. He married Lady Mary Bertie, on 21 February 1747, daughter of Peregrine Bertie, MP, 2nd Duke of Ancaster. They had two sons, Bertie Greathead and Peregrine Francis Greatheed (1748-1766). In his will, he reaffirmed his marriage settlement which left an annuity of £600 p.a. to his wife Lady Mary secured on his estate and enslaved people in St Kitts. He also left his Saint Kitts property, including people, in trust to support a further annuity of £150 p.a. to his wife and £100 p.a. currency and £100 p.a sterling respectively to his two brothers Marmaduke and Richard. His brother Craister was to manage the plantation at the salary of £200 per annum.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Greatheed, Samuel 1710s births 1765 deaths British slave owners British landowners Members of Parliament for Coventry British MPs 1747–1754 British MPs 1754–1761