Robert DeLap, Provost Marshall -General of Jamaica
Robert DeLap, Provost Marshall in Jamaica during the American Revolution, were thought to have roles helping the shipment of supplies sent by brothers Samuel and John DeLap of France, since said supplies came by the way of the West Indies and then to Boston (US Congressional Records). Son of Rev Samuel Delap, MA (c. 1680-1762), Presbyterian Minister at Letterkenny, Co Donegal, from 1707, and his wife Sarah. Elder brother of Francis and Samuel Delap (both q.v.).
Member of Assembly for Westmoreland 1745, 1747. Provost Marshal 1750. The brothers Robert and Francis Delap arrived on the island in the early part of the eighteenth century, perhaps during the latter part of the 1730s. The Scottish connection of the Delap family played a role as they settled on the western side of Jamaica, an area associated with a large Scottish presence. Married Mary Williams, daughter of George Williams of Spanish Town and of Old Hope, Westmoreland, and the widow of Col. John Guthrie 15/11/1741 (this may be the Mary Delap who married Luke Spencer Dowell (q.v.) in St Catherine in 1752). He died 11 Nov 1751. This provided Robert with a degree of wealth as two years later he was able to patent 1000 acres in the parish of St James.9 In March 1745, his standing had increased to such a degree that he was elected to represent Westmoreland in the assembly. In 1750, Robert managed to lease the patent of provost marshal when his predecessor, the Scot Alexander Innes, left the island for Edinburgh. Robert died suddenly in 1751, leaving no offspring.
Francis DeLap, Provost Marshall
Francis Delap was Provost Marshal of Jamaica Upon the death of his brother, Francis quickly stepped into the vacant role of provost marshal. He later referred to himself as the "executor, heir at law, and residuary divisee" of Robert, indicating that his brother had passed away without leaving a will. After obtaining his brother’s estate, Francis also patented land (100 acres in 1753 and 300 acres in 1754, both in St James) close to the properties that he had inherited from Robert. Two decades later he patented another 300 acres in St Mary. With the lease of the provost marshal patent, Francis Delap divided his time between his two plantations, Mount Eagle and Orange Hill, and his official duties in Spanish Town. Francis Delap never married and the ‘family’ he mentioned in his testimony referred to ‘a free woman of colour’, Mary Shippen, who bore him four children. His four children with Mary – Sarah, Robert, Elizabeth and Francis Jr – were put under guardianship of the executors. Francis had also fathered ‘a mulatto boy named Arthur Delap’, who was six years old when his will was created. He was the son of ‘Fanny the house wench’ at Monteagle estate. Francis was the Son of Rev. Samuel Delap of Rawn, or Raan, Co. Donegal, Presbyterian Minister of Letterkenny, and Sarah his wife. Younger brother of Robert Delap Probably born c1715-20. His next brother, Samuel, was stated to be 46 in 1770. (The Irish in Jamaica during the long eighteenth century (1698-1836) de Jong, Karst)
