Estate Mount Misery

Mount Misery includes estates 15 & 16 in St. Croix’s Northside A Quarter. Sugar was produced by the 1760s with animal mill icons on various maps, with a decommissioned windmill only appearing on the 1856 map. No windmill ruins have been found in this estate, partly from limited investigation.

Historic maps show no occupation through the 1750s at Mount Misery. The 1766 copies of Beck indicate an animal mill in estate 16, with the annotated map showing it in the northern half and the manuscript copies in the southeast corner. None of the other Beck variants depict sugar machinery.

The 1799 Oxholm map indicates an animal mill just west of the road at Mount Misery, while the 1856 Parsons map indicates a decommissioned windmill tower. The 20th-century topographic maps indicate no structures in the area of Mount Misery.

Ownership attributed to Daniel Henry Barnes on the annotated and manuscript copies of the Beck map. Ownership transitioned by 1790 to William and Sam Newton for estates 14 and 15 and John Rogers for estate 16.

McGuire geographic dictionary of the Virgin Islands (p.131) describes Mount Misery as an Old Estate that was absorbed into Mount Victory.

Historic Maps of Mount Misery

Snippet of the U.S. Geological Service topographic map of 1982 featuring Northside A quarter estates # 15-16, currently named Mount Misery.
The 1982 USGS topographic map shows no ruins identifiable as a windmill in the area of Mount Misery.
Snippet of the U.S. Geological Service topographic map of 1958 featuring Northside A quarter estates # 15-16, currently named Mount Misery.
The 1958 USGS topographic map shows no ruins identifiable as a windmill in the area of Mount Misery.
Snippet of the U.S. Coast and Geodetic Survey topographic map of 1920 featuring Northside A Quarter estates # 15-16, currently named Mount Misery.
The 1920 USCGS topographic map shows no structures in the area of Mount Misery, with the name hand written on the sheet.
Snippet of the Danish Atlantic Islands Association map of 1907 featuring Northside A Quarter estates # 15-16, currently named Mount Misery.
The 1907 map indicates no settlement in the area of Mount Misery.
Snippet of the Parsons map of 1856 featuring Northside A Quarter estates # 15-16, currently named Mount Misery.
Parsons’ 1856 map depicts a decommissioned windmill tower with other structures to the north, west, and south at Mt. Misery.
Snippet of the Oxholm map of 1799 and the copy by Lang of 1820 featuring Northside A Quarter estates # 15-16, currently named Mount Misery.
Oxholm’s 1799 map and its 1820 revision show an animal mill at Mount Misery.
Snippet of the Oxholm map of 1799 featuring Northside A quarter estates # 15-16, currently named Mount Misery.
Oxholm’s 1799 map shows an animal mill at Mount Misery.
Snippets of the Mühlenfels map of 1790 & the Janssen map of 1791 featuring Northside A Quarter estates # 15-16, currently named Mount Misery.
The 1790 & 1791 manuscript maps after Beck by Mühlenfels & Janssen, respectively, attribute ownership to William and Sam Newton for estates 14 & 15 and John Rogers for estate 16.
Snippet of the Küffner map of 1767 featuring Northside A Quarter estates # 15-16, currently named Mount Misery.
Küffner’s 1767 manuscript copy of Beck’s map depicts no settlement in the area of Mount Misery.
Snippets of all 5 annotated Beck maps plus the 2 manuscript copies made from 1766 to 1770 featuring Northside A Quarter estates # 15-16, currently named Mount Misery.
For the annotated and manuscript copies of the Beck map, only the 1766 annotated map and two manuscript copies show an animal mill in estate 16. Most attribute ownership to Daniel Henry Barns, with a variety of spellings. Most of these maps attribute ownership of the southern halves of estate 15 to Camm. Sobotker and estate 16 to Manning Roger. The exception is the c.1770 annotated map that reverses the ownerships, attributing ownership for the northern halves of estate 15 to Camm. Sobotker and estate 16 to Manning Roger and the southern half of both estates to Daniel Henry Barns.
Snippets of both Beck maps printed in 1754 & circa 1757 featuring Northside A Quarter estates # 15-16, currently named Mount Misery.
Neither of the Beck printings depict any sugar machinery.
Snippet of the Cronenberg and von Jaegersberg map of 1750 featuring Northside A Quarter estates # 15-16, currently named Mount Misery.
The 1750 map indicates no cultivation and attributes no ownership.
Snippet of the Lapointe map of 1671 featuring Northside A Quarter estates # 15-16, currently named Mount Misery.
During the French period, no settlement is indicated near Mount Misery.