Read Elding
Read Elding was said to be a mixed British and African Barbadian who served as acting Governor of The Bahamas from 1699 to 1701. Although referred to as a mulatto in the records of his time, a closer examination of his lineage indicates that Elding was more likely 1/8 African or visibly mixed race.
Biography
Born near Speightstown, Barbados, Elding traveled or moved to Boston in 1695 and married Hannah Pemberton. Hannah was the granddaughter of James Pemberton, a founder of South Church in Boston. The couple had children, among them a daughter named Hannah, born in The Bahamas and sent to Boston, and three sons: Edward, Read and John. Hannah married Samuel Miller, who was in his life elected constable like his father Alexander. The Millers were related to Benning Wentworth. From Elding's sons, his lineage is traced to families in the area of The Current Settlement,Eleuthera, The Bahamas and Buxton, Maine.In 1699, Elding was appointed by Governor Nicholas Webb to lead a fleet of five ships against pirate Kelly. He did not capture the pirate, but returned to Nassau with the Bahama Merchant from Boston. The ship's captain claimed Elding and his associates stole it and abandoned the crew. Elding left for New Castle, Delaware and returned when Webb made him deputy governor before his death on New Providence. He replaced the vice admiral judge with a man named Dalton and appointed his brother-in-law Parker who was one of Henry Avery's men marshals. Elding was popular and fought piracy, notably having Hendrick van Hoven hanged in October 1699. He also banned correspondance with the Scots at Darién and complained of Danish activity. In 1701, Elias Haskett, who was dissatisfied with the state of affairs, became governor. In reaction to Haskett and newly appointed vice admiral judge Thomas Walker's corruption, Elding, customs officer John Graves, Ellis Lightwood, and attorney general John Warren led a revolt. In October 1701, Haskett imprisoned Elding on grounds of piracy, seeking a bribe. Warren led a mob that freed Elding and imprisoned Haskett and Walker, with Lightwood being made governor. Haskett was stripped of his allegedly ill-gotten possessions and sent to New York City. In London he attempted to indict the men of piracy, but the cases fell through. During the Raid on Nassau, Lightwood was taken to Saint-Domingue, Walker fled to the Abaco Islands near Walker's Cay, and Elding to the Out Islands; he was known to have still been in The Bahamas during the 1730s.
NB. The colonial record of the early 1700's reports that the "mistress" of Read Elding was "whipt to death"at "Thera" at the hands of the Spanish as they sought Read in order to take vengeance on him for attacking their ships. The mendacious Elias Haskett spread so many rumors about Elding's affairs that the identity of said mistress is uncertain- was she Read's lover or given that wives were often referred to as Mistress So and So, was Hannah Pemberton the victim of the Spanish? Was she the same woman later recorded in a census with Elding as Anna?
In the Bahamas, the surname Elding evolved to Elden and Eldon. Historically, it was associated with both the small but historic Current Settlement, North Eleuthera and the neighborhood near Ebenezer Methodist Church which is in the central Town District Nassau, New Providence. There is also evidence that Read and his father Captain Edward Elding traveled between Nassau, The Current Settlement, Barbados, Delaware, Boston and Buxton.
My Bahamian relative, whose DNA account I manage, is thought to have descended from Elding. She has matches, small in cM but significant in number to the Eldings of Buxton, Maine. I do not know how to format sources here but will try to figure it out and return.