Early Life
Gabriel Wayne would have been born in 1715 - a baptismal record from August at
St Philip and St Jacob in Bristol records his christening, son of
John Waine (the surname spelling varies from Wayne, to Waine and Wain).
Career
At the time of his marriage (see below) Gabriel is referred to as a merchant. There are a number of legal papers at
The National Archive which suggest Gabriel may have been involved in copper mining.
Family Life
Gabriel most likely married
Katherine Fleming around 1739 (which is when his son
Gabriel Winstone Wayne was born). From the
Caledonian Mercury1:
A Treaty of Marriage is on foot, and near concluded, between Gabriel Waine, Esq., eldest Son of John Wayne, Esq; an eminent Merchant at Bristol, and Miss Fleming, daughter of Governor Fleming; a young Lady adorned with all the beauties of her sex, and with a fortune of 8000 L.
We know that Miss Fleming was called Catherine because the baptismal record for Gabriel's daughter
Anna Catharina notes her mother's name.
However, to confuse things, an announcement in the
Scots Magazine in April of 1739
2 says:
William Waine, Esq - to Miss Fleming, eldest daughter of Gilbert Fleming, Esq; Lt. General of the Leeward Islands.
Now it's possible that these two notices are consistent: there could have been two Waines, Gilbert and William, who each married a daughter of Governor Fleming, both in 1739, though it does seem unlikely that they would have happened so close together. On the 19
th of April 1739, in the
Stamford Mercury, another announcement appeared:
Thursday morning, William Waine, Esq. a young Gentleman possess'd of a good Estate in Somersetshire, was married at Whitechapel Church, to Miss Fleming of Great Marlborough Street, eldest Daughter of Gilbert Fleming, Esq; Lieutenant-General of the Leeward Islands, a young Lady of great Beauty and Merit, with a Fortune of 20,000L.
The different size of the reported dowry, combined with the fact that William's spouse was both times referred to as the "eldest", whereas Gabriel's spouse was not (even though Gabriel himself was), gives credence to the possiblity that two different Waines married two Fleming sisters. Given that William Waine is reported to have lived in Somerset, and that I've found no evidence that John Wayne had a son called William, it seems likely that they weren't brothers, but perhaps cousins.
Gabriel and Catherine had three children:
- Gabriel Winstone, born 1741
- Anna Catharina, born 1742, who married Charles Coke
- Elizabeth, born 1746 and who married William Hayward of Quedgeley
The use of the Winstone name for his eldest son is intriguing: Gabriel's daughter Elizabeth married William Hayward, who adopted the surname Winstone on receiving an inheritance from his uncle (husband of his aunt Albinia). The
Selywn family tree has Gabriel actually marrying an Elizabeth Winstone, but no sources are given for this.
Death
Gabriel died in 1783 and was buried on the 27
th of March at the family church,
St Philip and St Jacob, in Bristol.
Gabriel's will, dated 5th October 1772, indicates he was
"late of Aldbury, now of Mangotsfield".
Mangotsfield was a village (now just a suburb) to the east of Bristol. Gabriel's will mentions that his daughter Elizabeth (wife of William Hayward Winstone) is sufficiently provided for so he leaves her nothing other than
"blessing and good wishes". Of his daughter Catharina (the wife of Charles Coke), he mentions that she was entitled to a legacy given her by her grandfather Gilbert Fleming Esq, as well as shares on a plantation on the island of
Tortola3 so he also makes no provision for her.
He then notes that his son, Gabriel Winstone, is the least provided for (as he only received the residual value of the estates left by his grand-father, which turns out to have been equal to zero), he proposes an agreement with the husbands of his daughters that all three of his children shall share the value of the estate equally. If the husbands should refuse, then he transferred a debt owing to him from Gilbert Fleming to his son, which was chargeable against the estate.
Gabriel made his son Gabriel Winstone the sole executor of the will, which was proved on the 6
th of October 1790. This being 7 years after Gabriel died, it seems possible that this re-allocation of benefit from the Tortola estates may have resulted in some legal dispute that delayed the proving of the will.
The will in full reads:
Gabriel Wayne, late of Aldbury but now of Mangotsfield in the county of Gloucester, who at this time am indisposed of body bot of sound and disposing sound mind, memory and understanding, I will and direct that all my just debts be paid and discharged and I charge all my real and personal Estates with the payment thereof.
My daughter Elizabeth now the wife of William Hayward Winstone Esq being sufficiently provided for I do not for this reason give unto her any part of my real and personal estate. My blessing and good wishes be ever attendant on her, her husband and children [?].
I most ardently wish and desire my daughter Catharina, now the wife of Charles Coke, being entitled to a Legacy given by her grandfather Gilbert Fleming Esq and shares on an Estate or plantation in the Island of Tortola which, when sold, is intended to be settled, is the reason I do not give unto her any part of my real and personal Estate.
Therefore, as my son Gabriel Winstone Wayne is the least provided for it is my design to make the best provision for him. I ran the said Estate in the Island of Tortola having been given to my said son and his heirs and assigns for ever by his grandfather, charged and chargeable with the payment of £1500 to each of his grand-daughters the said Elizabeth and Catharine after a debt due to me from the said Gilbert Fleming was paid. And it now appearing that such Estate will only fetch £1500 whereby no benefit or advantage can arise to my said son, but as the said Charles Coke and Sir[?] Winstone with my said son have agreed that whatever be the produce of the said Estate in case I would give up my debt due to me on the said Estate they would divide the same equally between them. Now in case the said Sir Winstone and Charles Coke shall carry the said agreement with my said son into execution, I do extinguish, disdain and give up all the remainder of my debt due and owing to me and now chargeable on the said Estate, but unless they do agree then I give unto my said son Gabriel Winstone Wayne all such my debt now chargeable on the said Estate subject to my debts as aforesaid, to hold to my said son Gabriel Winstone Wayne…
I give…to my said son Gabriel Winstone Wayne all my real and personal estates wheresoever the same be…I constitute and appoint my said son Gabriel Winstone Wayne sole Executor of this my last will and testament
Footnotes
[1]
Caledonian Mercury, 27th March 1739, page 1
[2]
The Scots Magazine, 6
th April 1739. See also
https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QPCK-FD3N
[3] See
https://www.ucl.ac.uk/lbs/person/view/2146645291
[4] Gabriel is mentioned on page 21 of
English ancestry of the Wayne family of Pennyslavania
Abt 1715 - Abt 1783 (~ 68 years)
[3, 4] 
