Sir John Alleyne, 1st Baronet

Sir John Gay Alleyne, 1st Baronet (28 April 1724 – 1801) was a British baronet, Barbados landowner, and Barbadian politician.

Family Sir John Gay Alleyne was born at Saint James, Barbados, the second son of John Alleyne and his wife Mary Terrill, who was the daughter of William Terrill. The Alleyne family and 1630.

On 19 October 1746 at St James Church, Barbados, John Gay Alleyne married Cristen Dottin, who was the fourth daughter of Anne Jordan Dottin and Joseph Dottin. His marriage brought him ownership of the estate of the Jacobean mansion St Nicholas Abbey in Saint Peter, Barbados, which is now a museum that is managed by the Massachusetts Society of Colonial Dames. She was forty years his junior. They had five daughters and two sons.

Career In 1757, Alleyne was elected for the Parish of St. Andrew to the Parliament of Barbados, a seat he held for the next forty years, with only a break in 1771. Already after a decade in the Parliament, he became Speaker of the House of Assembly of Barbados, serving until 1770 and after another two years was reappointed until 1779. Despite being a slaveowner, Alleyne expressed opinions unpopular to the planter class, such as his declaration in the House of Assembly that slavery were "an unhappy sight which leaves an immense debt upon us to clear the obligation of human nature". Alleyne was created a baronet, of Four Hills, in the Island of Barbados on 6 April 1769.

Legacy In 1770, Alleyne funded the establishment of The Seminary, a school for "the maintenance, support, and education of poor boys"

Alleyne introduced mahogany to Barbados and planted the impressive mahogany avenue leading to Cherry Tree Hill.

Death Alleyne's wife died in 1800 and he survived her until the following year. His two elder sons had predeceased him and he was succeeded in the baronetcy by his third son Reynold Abel Alleyne (1789–1870), by whose daughter he was the great-grandfather of the Belgravia cricketers Richard Clement (cricketer) and Reynold Clement.