Azariah Pinney 1661-1720

He was banished from England in 1685 because he was involved in a rebellion. He left England with £15 and sailed to the Island of Nevis in the West Indies. He was a clever businessman and he managed to make money and buy land. Using slaves he turned this land into a sugar plantation. When he die he left his sons £23,000.

John Pinney 1 1686-1720

Though he died young he added to the family fortunes. He married a rich young girl who owned a plantation next to his father's. In those days anything owned by a woman immediately belonged to her husband when they married.

John Frederick Pinney 1718-1762

He only visited Nevis twice. He left managers in charge and lived the life of a country gentleman in England. He lived well, on the money made for him by his slaves working on his plantation. When he died he left £16,000.

John Pinney II 1740-1818

He was a cousin of John Frederick who had never married. He went to Nevis in 1764. He expressed concerns about the 'rights and wrongs' of owning slaves but recognising the money he could make, convinced himself that owning slaves was acceptable. In a letter dated 1765 he wrote:

For twenty years he stayed in the West Indies making his plantations as profitable as possible. He left Nevis in 1783 and came home to Bristol worth about £70,000.

In Bristol, he set up in business as a sugar merchant. He made even more money than he had as a plantation owner. He owned grand houses in the country and had a smart new town house built - 'The Georgian House' - now owned by Bristol Museum.