1630-1644: Land holdings of 100 acres or more
Among the first recorded issues of land was the allocation of ten thousand acres (almost one-tenth of the island) to the London Merchant House in return for financial services rendered to the syndicate. Led by Marmaduke Rawdon, they engaged John Swan, a surveyor, and George Bulkley, a plantation operator, to subdivide their land into large tenanted estates. It was during this formative stage that large estates were purchased and consolidated by individuals who emerged as sugar pioneers by the late 1640s – such figures as James Drax, William Fortescue, Thomas Pearce, James Perkins, William Hilliard, Thomas Hotersall, Daniel Fletcher, William Perkins, and Thomas Applewhaite.
(Source: White Servitude and Black Slavery in Barbados, 1627-1715, Hilary McD. Beckles, The University of Tennessee Press / Knoxville, 1989)
1630, Samuel Richardson, 100
1631, Governor Hawley, 200, Bay Plantation, St. Michael
1634, Capt. Peter Edney, 320, Mangrove Pond, St. James
1635, Capt. George Bowyer, 100, Moonshine Hall, St. George
1636, Capt. William Fortescue, 500
1637, William Perkins, 500, St. George
1638, Capt. David Bix, 200
1638, Samual Seede, 100, St. James
1638, Thomas Pearce, 100, St. James
1639, James Perkins, 100
1639, John Perrott, 100
1639, Thomas Hothersall, 100, Christ Church
1640, Capt. Woodouse, 130, Bawden Plantation, St. Andrew
1640, Capt. Woodhouse, 150, St. Peter
1640, Capt. James Futter, 1000, St. James
1640, Arthur Ashford, 100
1640, Capt. Bedingfield, 180
1640, Revd., John Forster, 100
1640, Capt. James Drax, 200, Drax Hall, St. George
1640, Revd. Samual Andrews, 200
1640, John Maniwaring, 100
1640, Capt. George Bowyer, 130, St. Andrew
1640, Francis Hewett, 100, St. Andrew
1640, Richard Estwicke, 100, St. John
1641, Capt. Lancelot Pace, 346, Mt. Clapham, St. Michael
1641, Capt. Thomas Hothersall, 1000, Pool, Claybury, St. John
1641, Governor Huncks, 240
1641, Francis Skeete, 200, St. Philip
1641, Richard Peers, 400, St. John
1641, Peter Hay, 100
1641, Capt. Daniel Fletcher, 400, Trents, St. James
1642, Alexander Ellcocke, 100, St. James
1642, Revd. Lane , 100, St. Michael
1643, John Dyer, 100, St. Andrew
1643, Thomas Horne, 340, St. Andrew
1643, Capt. Richard Leonard Dec’d, 1000, St. Peter and St. Andrew
1643, Revd. John Doughty, 240, St. Andrew
1643, Capt. Berringer, 125, St. Peter and St. Andrew
1644, Capt. Stan Hope, 130, St. Andrew
1644, Peter Hay, 160, St. Philip
1644, Capt. Thomas Ellice, 127, St. James
1644, Thomas Applewhaite, 200, St. George
1644, Capt. John Burch, 120, Christ Church
1644, Thomas Batt, 100, St. John
1644, Capt. Will Hawley, 820, St. John
(Source: RB Series, BA. Ronnie Hughes, “Presugar Land Distributiion in Barbados,” unpublished seminar paper, Dept. of History, University of West Indies, Cave Hill, Barbados, November 1980.)