Antigua and the Antiguans Volume I Part 11

When a female slave proved _enceinte_ of her first child, her master was to provide her a house containing two rooms, and not compel her to go to the sick-house, under penalty of 20l. During pregnancy, they were not to be employed in the general work of the estate, but lighter occupation was to be found them; and no punishment was to be inflicted but imprisonment. So anxious did they appear for the comfort and well-being of their slaves, that it was further enacted, that sufficient clothing and provisions should be provided for them, even if the estate was in debt; and the costs for such articles was to be liquidated before any other claim.

A melancholy catastrophe occurred during this year, at Antigua.

Lord Camelford, then acting as commander of his majesty's sloop "Favourite," had a private quarrel with Lieutenant Peterson, of H. M. S. "Perdrix;" and some very unpleasant recriminations pa.s.sed between the parties. Soon after this, Lord Camelford gave Lieutenant Peterson an order, which he unfortunately refused to obey, at the same time making use of some disaffected expressions; and the consequences were, that Lord Camelford shot him. His lordship was tried by a court-martial, and honourably acquitted; but he must have carried a blighted conscience with him, for-

"Alas! they had been friends in youth; But whispering tongues can poison truth; And constancy lives in realms above; And life is th.o.r.n.y; and youth is vain: And to be wroth with one we love, Doth work, like madness, in the brain."

It was this Lord Camelford, who, when travelling through Italy some years after, pointed out a spot in one of the fair valleys of Savoy, as the place where he wished to be buried; and accordingly, his remains were deposited there, amid Nature's loveliest works. The end of Lord Camelford was untimely; he fell in a duel, by the hands of Captain Best, a native of Barbados, whose ideas of honour obliged him to challenge a professed duellist, although he was himself a complete novice in such affairs. Captain Best's first fire, however, took effect, and Lord Camelford fell, mortally wounded. The quarrel originated with an unfortunate woman, a second Millwood in character; and Lord Camelford, who was the aggressor, confessed to his second, before the duel took place, _that he knew he was in the wrong, but he would not retract words he had once uttered_. It is said that Captain Best, the successful duellist, was never a happy man afterwards. He met with heavy domestic afflictions; but in his last moments he said to a friend, that all his sorrows would have appeared trivial, could he have wiped from his recollection all traces of that unfortunate duel.

In 1798 sheep-stealing was made a capital crime in Antigua. It had been considered so in England since 1740; and the Antiguans found it necessary to punish such offence as that statute directed. In 1799, an a.s.size of bread was const.i.tuted, which was intended to prevent bakers from taking undue advantage of the public. Many other regulations were agreed to, upon this head, such as not allowing any one to sell bread without licence; obliging bakers to put a mark upon their bread, and if changing such mark without further licence, to forfeit 50l. If such bread was imperfectly baked, to be fined as if deficient in weight; if damaged flour was used, the bread to be destroyed by a magistrate, and a fine imposed upon the baker of 20l.; and if a diseased person was employed in the bakehouse, another 20l.

penalty was enjoined.

In 1800, a law was pa.s.sed to ascertain the number of negro slaves in Antigua; and the total number of births and deaths upon an average, for the last three years; when, upon taking the census, the number of negroes was found to be 37,000. About this year the legislature thought proper to increase the salary of the colonial agent to 200l. sterling, considering that the sum appointed for his recompence in 1698, namely 100l. sterling, was an insufficient compensation for the trouble. The agent at this period was the late Anthony Brown, Esq. Several serious accidents having occurred during the last few years from the custom of throwing about squibs, or other fireworks, it was determined that should any one in future, let their s.e.x or quality be what it might, offend in this respect, such offender should be fined 40s.

If any slave made or sold fireworks, they were to suffer such correction as the magistrate before whom the complaint was brought should deem proper.

Thus ended Mr. Thomson's public career, after having held the government for nearly four years. As before remarked of Mr.

Thomas, very little can be said about him; for he made St. Kitts head-quarters, in opposition to the orders which had been sent out by his majesty, to const.i.tute Antigua the residence of the commander-in-chief; and did not repair to this island to take upon him the administration of the government.

[51] Perhaps it may be scarcely necessary to mention that St Christopher's is as frequently called St Kitt's as its real name.

[52] This has been known throughout the West Indies as the famous "Melioration Act." This appears to have been the last time the general council and a.s.sembly for the Leeward Islands met.

[53] A shilling currency is equal to sixpence sterling. It must be borne in mind, that all these specified sums are Antigua currency.

CHAPTER XII.

Governors: The Right Honourable Ralph Lord Lavington-William Woodley-James Tyson-John Julius-Hugh Elliot-Sir James Leith- Henry Rawlins-S. Rawlins-Major-General Ramsay.

In 1801, the Right Honourable Ralph Lord Lavington was re-appointed to the office of commander-in-chief, to the gratification of the Antiguans, who, as before remarked, were so pleased with his government in 1771, when he was Sir Ralph Payne.

Lord Lavington came to Antigua about the latter end of January; and soon after his arrival, it was agreed for the country to allow him an annuity of 1000l. to be paid quarterly out of the public treasury of the island; and a further sum of 300l. to be paid in like manner until a government house was built for his reception. And that his excellency might better support his dignity, another annuity of 700l. was granted him, as long as he remained within his government. About this time the practice of slaves stealing sugar and retailing it in the markets, or selling it to shopkeepers privately, was so general, that it was found necessary to lay a duty upon that article when retailed. If any person sold less than 100lbs. of sugar without having a licence for six months, and the further entering into a bond with one security for the sum of 50l., such person was liable to a penalty of 50l. for the first offence.

It was this year that slaves were condemned to work in the streets, for the first time, as a punishment for offences. If any slave was committed to jail for refusing to give their owner's name, they were put to such work until claimed; when convicted of a crime less than felony, they were to be kept to hard labour in the streets for the s.p.a.ce of three months; and if they had been sentenced to death, and afterwards pardoned by the governor, his excellency could annex to such pardon an order for the guilty slaves to work in the streets for any time he thought proper.

These culprits were made to work in a gang, chained two and two together, and, at the close of the day, when their toil was over, they were conveyed to the common jail, and closely confined until the next morning, when their labours were resumed. When a slave was pardoned on condition of working in the street-gang for a certain time, their owners were paid a shilling a-day until the release of their slave.

Doubts having arisen with regard to the validity of certain laws pa.s.sed during the administration of A. Esdail, J. S. Thomas, and R. Thomson, on account of their not repairing to Antigua to take upon them the administration of the government, it was found necessary to obviate all doubts by framing another law, to confirm them, as also all civil and military commissions which had been granted during their government.

The treaty of peace which had been signed between France and England in 1801 was not of long continuance. During the latter end of 1802, the French government began to act in a very menacing manner towards England; and from the military and naval preparations which were being carried on by Bonaparte, it was evident that war was intended. On the 13th of May, 1803, affairs were brought to a crisis, by Lord Whitworth, the amba.s.sador at the French court, quitting Paris, by order of his sovereign; and immediately after, the French amba.s.sador left England, and war was declared between the two powers. Notice to this effect was directly forwarded to Lord Lavington, by Lord Hobart, (late governor of Madras,) who at that period was one of the princ.i.p.al secretaries of state; and upon the arrival of the despatches, Antigua was put into a state of defence. Not wishing to declare martial law in force through the whole island, yet at the same time seeing the necessity of part of the militia being on service, it was thought proper to ordain, that in future it would be lawful for the governor, with the concurrence of the council and a.s.sembly, to call out a portion of it for the purpose of keeping guard, &c., and, by proclamation, requiring the whole body to hold themselves in readiness. It was also deemed necessary to revive an act, (which had expired upon the treaty of peace being signed at Amiens, March 25th, 1802, between England, France, Spain, and Holland,) laying a powder-tax upon all vessels trading to and from Antigua. Accordingly, all commanders of ships were obliged to pay into the hands of the receiver appointed one full pound of powder per ton, to the size of the vessel; half in cannon, and the other half in pistol powder.

In 1804, Mr. Wilberforce's annual motion for the abolition of the slave trade, which was supported by Mr. Pitt and Mr. Fox, was carried by 124 to 46 voices; and a bill presented, limiting the period when ships would be allowed to clear out from any English port for this inhuman traffic, to October 1st of the same year.

This bill pa.s.sed the third reading in the house of commons, but was rejected in the house of lords on account of the lateness of the session. In Antigua the negro population had decreased 1000 since the last year.

In the early part of the following year, a French squadron, consisting of six sail of the line, and two frigates, contrived to elude the vigilance of Lord Nelson's blockading squadron; and leaving Rochefort (France), where they had been hemmed in for the last two years, proceeded to the West Indies. After having made a descent upon Dominica, and levied a heavy contribution upon the inhabitants, obliging the town of Roseau to surrender upon certain terms, the squadron proceeded for Antigua. Great were the fears of the inhabitants when this intelligence reached them; the court of king's bench and grand sessions were prevented from sitting their usual days on account of the alarm; the militia were called out, and the whole island put into a posture of defence. The French squadron, however, pa.s.sed Antigua, and landed upon Nevis, and after laying the inhabitants under contribution, proceeded to St. Kitts, and lightened a little the pockets of the Kittifonians. The alarm had scarcely subsided, when news of the arrival of the Toulon fleet, under Admiral Villeneuve, in these seas, was received. Again Antigua prepared for war; but the ferment did not last long; Lord Nelson quickly followed the enemy; and upon his arrival at Barbados on the 4th of June, heard that Admiral Villeneuve had only reached Martinique. The name of this gallant officer so intimidated the French admiral, that he immediately quitted the West Indies, and was followed by Lord Nelson, who was in hopes of overtaking him, and chastising the French for their audacity.

The departure of these squadrons gave the Antiguans a little rest, and enabled them to settle their island business. As peace was not likely to ensue at present, and knowing how liable they were to alarms like the foregoing, the governor, council, and a.s.sembly ordained, that in future whenever the court of king's bench and grand sessions were prevented from sitting on account of the fear of an invasion, it would be lawful for any three or more justices, provided three out of the number should be of the quorum, to meet at the court-house, and by proclamation, adjourn the sessions to a period not less than ten, or longer than fourteen days. An act also pa.s.sed about this time, containing sixty-eight clauses, respecting the better regulating the militia in these times of danger.

By order of his gracious majesty George III., Lord Lavington invested Sir Samuel Hood with the order of the Bath, as some reward for his gallant achievements in these seas. Upon this occasion his excellency Lord Lavington made a very powerful speech, which has been justly praised, but which is too long for insertion here. Antigua was visited (1805) by the very clever author of "The Chronological History of the West Indies," Capt.

Southey. This gentleman mentions seeing a female slave, with an iron rivetted round her ankle, which had two bars, sharp at each point, crossing each other, and projecting about a foot in four directions. Her owner informed Capt. Southey it was to keep her at home, which was impossible to do without it. This historian alludes to the melioration act, which pa.s.sed in 1798, prohibiting such punishments except, (and, as Mr. Southey justly remarks, the exception neutralizes the prohibition) _such as are absolutely necessary_.

On the 13th of November, died Mr. John Baxter, the head of the methodists in Antigua. Mr. Baxter, who was by trade a shipwright, had been sent out from Chatham dock-yard to English Harbour in 1778, and upon his arrival exerted himself in gathering together the little society of methodists which Mr. Gilbert had established, but which since his death had been scattered about for want of a pastor. A further notice of Mr. Baxter and his praiseworthy exertions will be found in another part of the work.

In 1806, the abolition of the slave trade was again brought before the English parliament, and considerable progress was made towards its accomplishment. A bill was also pa.s.sed prohibiting the exportation of slaves from the British colonies after the first of January in the succeeding year. On the 22nd of January, 1807, the total abolition of the slave trade was accomplished, and the bill ordained that no slaves should be landed in any of the British colonies after the 1st of March, 1808.

Thus this great work was ended, which had been annually discussed since 1787; and Mr. Wilberforce reaped the reward of his labours.

For two hundred and forty-four years had England allowed this blood-stained traffic, and shut her ears to the cries of the distressed Africans; but a more glorious era had dawned-liberty was exerting her power, and paving the way to the future freedom of that despised race.

About the middle of the year died the Right Honourable Ralph Lord Lavington, Baron of Lavington, one of his majesty's most honourable privy council, knight companion of the most honourable order of the Bath, captain-general and commander-in-chief of his majesty's Leeward Caribbee Islands. His lordship, it is said, was a very hospitable man, and very fond of splendour; his Christmas b.a.l.l.s and routs were upon the highest scale of magnificence; but he was a great stickler for etiquette, and a firm upholder of difference of rank and _colour_. It is a.s.serted, that he would not upon any occasion, receive a letter or parcel from the fingers of a black or coloured man, and in order to guard against such _horrible defilement_, he had a golden instrument wrought something like a pair of sugar tongs, with which he was accustomed to hold the presented article. In his household he was also very particular. He had, of course, an immense number of attendants, but he would not allow any of the black servants to wear shoes or stockings, and consequently his ebon footmen used to stand behind his carriage as it rolled along, with their naked legs shining like pillars of jet, from the b.u.t.ter with which, in accordance to his excellency's orders, they daily rubbed them.

Lord Lavington entered upon his government the latter end of January, 1801, and resided at Antigua, with the exception of a short visit to Monserrat, until the day of his death. He died regretted by the "magnates of the land:" his tomb may still be seen at an estate called Carlisle's,[54] but the garden in which it stands is overgrown with weeds, and the surrounding walls are falling to ruins. Were I the possessor of Carlisle's, this should not be the case. If only in respect to the old and n.o.ble family of the Paynes, Lord Ralph's last resting-place should not be thus dishonoured; a few flowers should shed their sweets around; a few trees should shade that old grey tomb. There is a very handsome monument erected to his memory in the church of St. John's, which will be further mentioned in the description of that edifice.

Lord Lavington's family, on his father's side, had long been resident in St. Christopher's, where they were of great eminence and distinction, having filled some of the highest offices in that island. They originally came from Lavington, in the county of Wilts, from whence the t.i.tle, and are said to have been of great antiquity, tracing their descent from Ralph de Payne, a follower of William the Conqueror, who took his name it is said from Payne in Normandy. His lordship's intimate connexion with Antigua is derived from his mother, Alice Carlisle, of a family originally from the neighbourhood of Bridgewater, in Somersetshire, and whose lineage will be found in the Appendix, where it is given from the same source I have derived other genealogical information.

After the decease of Lord Lavington, William Woodley, Esq., again resumed the reins of government; but he did not repair to Antigua, being in a delicate state of health. Sir Alexander Cochrane, with a squadron under his command, visited the island during this year on his return from taking the Danish West India colonies of St. Thomas, St. John, and St. Croix.

In the month of March, 1809, Wm. Woodley, Esq., the then acting commander-in-chief, departed this life; and James Tyson, Esq., represented himself as the first counsellor, and accordingly took upon himself the administration of the government, without repairing first to Antigua, as he ought to have done.

In 1809, it was found necessary to award certain punishments to dealers in witchcraft. Obeah,[55] as it was termed, raged to a great extent among the negro population in these islands, and led many of them into the deepest crimes. To strike a blow at this infatuation, it was ordained, that if any negro pretended they had communication with any evil spirit by whose aid they could cause death, &c., such slave upon conviction was to suffer capital punishment; and if any slave prepared a mixture which was intended to cause death, although the poison did not take effect, such slave and their accessories were also liable to the same punishment.

In the latter part of 1809, John Julius, Esq., another resident of St. Kitts, elected himself to the office of commander-in-chief, but neither did he repair to Antigua to take upon him the administration.

About this period, the Antiguans, out of respect to their late respected governor Lord Lavington, agreed to allow his widow, Lady Frances Lavington, an annuity of 300l. sterling during her life, which was to be paid out of the treasury.

The following year, 1810, Hugh Elliot, Esq., was appointed to the government of Antigua and the rest of the Leeward Islands. During his administration, it was again ordained, that no medical man should practice in this island without a licence; and no licence should be granted unless such persons as applied produced a certificate from the Surgeons' Hall, or from one of the universities in Great Britain, shewing his admittance in them.

One reason for this regulation was, on account of the numerous cases of poisoning among the negroes; and it was conjectured that they procured deleterious drugs from some of the low venders of medicines, who, like Shakspeare's half-starved apothecary-

"If a man did need a poison --- would sell it him."[56]

This wise regulation appears to have emanated from the governor, who saw the absurdity, if not _guilt_, of allowing the public to place their lives in the hands of the low "self-educated physicians," of whom, in those days, the medical body was pretty generally composed.

Nor was this the only salutary step proposed by his excellency during his administration. Although, as before mentioned, the general a.s.sembly of the Leeward Islands had, during a meeting at St. Kitts, in 1798, pa.s.sed the "Melioration Act," with the hopes of restricting the owners of slaves from excessive cruelty in their dealings with their negroes. No limits had been put to the _number of lashes_ to be given at _one time_, and for _one offence_, and accordingly some maliciously disposed persons had evaded the law, and treated their slaves in a most barbarous manner. The governor had full proof of this soon after his arrival, in the case of a member of the council, at Nevis, who, setting aside the laws of humanity, had caused "300 lashes of cart-whip, or nearly that number, to be inflicted in the public market-place (without the sentence of a magistrate) upon a considerable proportion of a gang of thirty-two negroes, who were all, more or less, severely punished, without having been convicted of any act, which, by the most forced construction, could be deemed mutinous, or dangerous to the community at large."

In the governor's communications with the Earl of Liverpool, in 1810, upon this subject, he alludes to the "Melioration Act," and deplores that the punishment of whipping was not restricted to 39 lashes, as in the 14th clause of the "Consolidated Act," pa.s.sed in Jamaica, in 1792; and further proposes, that the clause in question should be _immediately annexed_ to the "Leeward Island Melioration Act."

That such was not done upon the pa.s.sing of the act, cannot be laid to the charge of the representatives of Antigua, who fully coincided with Mr. Burke, the attorney-general of the Leeward Islands, in his proposal that such measure should be adopted, but which proposition was not carried into effect by the general council and a.s.sembly.

In 1812, this suggestion of his excellency's, limiting the number of lashes to be given in the chastis.e.m.e.nt of a slave, was fully carried into effect. The Antiguans had had another example brought before them, where a Tortolian slave-master had murdered several of his negroes, in a most shocking manner, and cruelly ill-treated others; and the Antiguans appear to have been wishful of exterminating that plague-spot cruelty from their little island! For this reason, they forbad owners, jailors, or any other person who had the superintendence of such inflictions, to give their slaves _more than 39 lashes_ at one time, and for one offence; nor were they to repeat the punishment within 14 days, under a penalty of 100l. No slave was to receive more than six lashes at one time, for one offence, unless the owner's attorney, manager, or overseer, should be present It is strange, very strange, that so many dreadful deeds should have been practised in Antigua, and still so many laws been framed for the protection of the slaves, even long before the period I am now writing about. What answer are we to give to this enigma? Alas! alas! in many instances, we must again exclaim with Captain Southey, "_The exceptions neutralize the prohibitions_."

In 1813, his excellency Hugh Elliot left the government, and John Julius again entered upon the administration, but he did not reside at or visit Antigua. This was the first year a police force was established; it consisted of five reputable white men, who had been recommended to the commander-in-chief, (or in his absence, the president of the island,) a.s.sisted by about as many discreet black or coloured persons. One of these white men was to be called "Clerk of the Police," and it was his duty to attend the sittings of magistrates on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, and summon accused parties and witnesses. These police-officers had several duties to perform-such as taking up slaves who were found selling any article in the streets, on the working days, unless they could produce a pa.s.s from their owners; to forbid them selling fresh b.u.t.ter or milk, unless in possession of like certificate; and to turn out of the town, upon the ringing of the church bell at half-past nine at night, all country negroes, and oblige such as resided in the capital to retire to their houses.

In the middle of June, 1814, Sir James Leith arrived in Antigua, to fulfil the office of captain-general and governor-in-chief over the Leeward Caribbee Islands, but he did not remain here much longer than a year, for, having suffered from indisposition, he obtained leave of absence, and embarked for England, where he shortly afterwards died. Nothing of much importance occurred during the period Sir James resided in the government. Admiral Cochrane was still stationed in these seas, and kept so strict a watch upon the enemy, that they were unable to distress this or the other islands.

After the departure of Sir James Leith, another resident of St.

Kitts, Henry Rawlins, Esq., acted as commander-in-chief. During his administration, an act was pa.s.sed, founded upon that celebrated one of Lord Ellenborough's against cutting and maiming, punishing with death those who discharged fire-arms with intent to injure any one, setting fire to cane pieces or buildings, or perpetrating any other malicious deed.

In the year 1814 was signed the treaty of peace between France and England, and once more Antigua was freed from her alarms and watchings. Henry Rawlins dying, Stedmans Rawlins exercised the government in 1816. Neither of these gentlemen, however, resided in this island. The yellow fever again made its appearance, and carried off a great many persons, particularly among the soldiers.