Antigua and the Antiguans Volume I Part 7

While these dissensions were going on in Antigua between the governor on the one side, and the members of the a.s.sembly and the princ.i.p.al inhabitants on the other, Mr. Nevin and Mr. Cary were using their best endeavours to get a favourable answer to their complaints from the home government. At length, after many delays, Mr. Nevin returned to Antigua, bringing with him the queen's letter, directing that witnesses should be examined to prove the several articles of impeachment sent home against the governor, as well as his excellency's answers to the same. "The depositions and answers were sworn before Edward Byam, Esq., one of the council, and Nathaniel Crump, Esq., speaker of the house of a.s.sembly, and were ordered to be sealed with the broad seal of the island, and forwarded immediately to England." The governor, however, refusing to seal the affidavits of the complainants, upon the plea that his own answers were not ready, from the delays of the justices before whom they were sworn, his opponents were obliged to use another seal, and then despatch them, under the care of Mr. Nevin, to England.

During the year 1709, Queen Anne recalled Colonel Parke from his government, to the great joy of the Antiguans. To this command the infatuated man, however, would pay no attention; and, exasperated by the triumphant looks of his accusers, which they could not, or would not, conceal, he proceeded to measures which could be only deemed those of a maddened despot.

The year 1710 was ushered in with no better feeling between the governor and the members of the legislature. One of their first causes of complaint alleged against his excellency arose from the following circ.u.mstance:-

It had ever been the privilege of the house of a.s.sembly to choose their own "clerk;" but during this despotic administration, the governor overlooked this, and wished to appoint to that office a friend of his own-a Mr. Hinton.[40]

This encroachment upon the a.s.sembly's privileges gave rise to a great deal of ill feeling, and many acrimonious messages pa.s.sed between his excellency and the members of that body. The following paragraph, copied from one of the governor's speeches, alludes to this subject:-

"If you still persist that it is your undoubted privilege to choose your 'clerk,' and will do no business until that be yielded to you, you certainly will have the 'Lords' Committee'

opinion. It is an undutiful attempt upon her majesty's prerogative; and I do a.s.sure you, gentlemen, if the queen does not appoint any other before I go, I will leave you time enough to raise money during this crop to pay off all the public debt!"[41]

This unhandsome taunt of the governor's was deeply felt, and resented by the "house," who, in reply to it, remarks-

"We cannot but observe how severe and bitter your excellency reflects upon, and reproaches our country with, the not paying its debt, but compounding the same. We well remember, when the country paid your excellency 1000l. in sugar, at 12s. 6d., your excellency sold that very sugar for 18s.; so that we hope your excellency has but little reason to complain of the public compounding their debt."

And then, in reference to a recommendation of the governor's to enlarge the provision for the clergymen, they go on to mention-

"Your excellency next recommends to provide a better maintenance for the clergy. They are already allowed 100l.; but as we are a people so much in debt, as your excellency observes, it cannot be expected, during these troublesome times, for us to advance their salaries, especially such scandalous persons as too many of the present clergy are."

This was only the third meeting of the legislature since the election, after a recess of three years; although, from the unsettled condition of the West Indies, (arising from the state of affairs in Europe, where Marlborough, at the head of the British forces, was engaged in frequent skirmishes with the French,) the Antiguans were in momentary expectation of an invasion. After being prorogued from the 18th of November to the 27th, (1710,) the legislature again met, but without any better feeling between the governor and the members of the a.s.sembly. A fresh cause of dispute arose, from his excellency having caused a Mr. Hill to be sworn in as clerk of the a.s.sembly, (in place of his former favourite, Mr. Hinton,) but whom the members would not recognise; and after a great deal of altercation upon the subject, that body addressed the following to the governor:-

"If your excellency's resentment so far prevails as to despise these our propositions, and that the public affairs must with us still suffer, as unworthy your regard and consideration, we do then, as the only and last expedient, humbly propose your excellency's visiting some other island of the government; thereby to afford us the opportunity and means, in conjunction with the lieutenant-governor and council, to provide for the public security, to heal our divisions, restore discipline, and our broken const.i.tution, after the best manner we can. And we are unanimously of opinion, that in case your excellency rejects this our humble motion, and will not surcease such administration, as afore-mentioned, (which is so very opposite to the nature of our const.i.tution, to the opinion of the lieutenant-governor, the council, as well as this house, and to the sense of the inhabitants in general,) we shall be under the unhappy necessity of withdrawing our obedience from you as chief governor, which, by your dispensing with her majesty's positive command for leaving the government, we shall, in duty to her and justice to ourselves, (which we ought long since to have done;) and that this her colony, our persons and estates, may no longer be exposed to such unhappy conduct and administration, which seems entirely-we must say, foully-devoted to the ruin and destruction of all."[42]

After receiving this message, the unhappy, infatuated governor sent the following to the house:-

"Gentlemen,-You are adjourned until Thursday, the 7th of December, then to give myself and council a meeting at the town of St. John's, by eight of the clock in the morning.

"By command," &c.

Alas, that very morning, the sun arose for the last time to him!

and by a fearful and unhallowed death, he was sent with all his sins upon his head, to render in an account of his stewardship.

The cause which led to this melancholy event was this:-Worn out with the proceedings of Colonel Parke, and looking upon him as an usurper of the government, the Antiguans threw off all restraint; and as the last remedy, determined to arm against, and force him to quit the island.

Accordingly, upon the morning of the 7th December, 1710, a large body of men, in number about 500, proceeded to Government House, in two parties-the one headed by Mr. Piggot, then speaker of the house of a.s.sembly; the other, by Captain Painter, another member of that body. Colonel Parke, who was not ignorant of these proceedings against him, had quartered in Government House, some time before, the soldiers stationed in the capital; and who, along with many of his private friends, (among whom was Mr.

French, his historian,) had made arrangements for resisting any attack upon the governor.

Upon the approach of the armed party, Colonel Parke sent the provost-marshal (the man whose appointment to that office had given the Antiguans such offence) with a proclamation, ordering them to disperse immediately. This they refused to do; but in order, if possible, to save an effusion of blood, they despatched Nathaniel Crump, Esq., (the former speaker of the a.s.sembly,) and George Gamble, one of the council, to the governor, desiring him, in the name of the inhabitants, to discharge his guards, and quit the government, without any further contest. Colonel Parke returned for answer, "that neither threats nor fear of death should make him do so; for the queen had intrusted him with it."

Through the delegates, Mr. Crump and Mr. Gamble, he bid the a.s.sembly "sit at Parham, if they were afraid of the troops at St.

John's," but consented at the same time to dismiss the soldiers, if six of the princ.i.p.al inhabitants would remain with him as hostages. As the negotiators considered the proposal of the governor's to be far preferable to commencing hostilities, they agreed to be two of the hostages, and endeavour by their influence to obtain four more from among the a.s.sembled mult.i.tude.

Many of their party, upon hearing this proposition of the governor's, agreed with them in their opinions, and laid down their arms; but the majority of the people, fearful of any agreement made with the governor, and thinking that delays might induce others of the group to withdraw also, determined to commence the attack, and endeavour to secure the person of the governor. The two companies, headed by Captain Piggot and Captain Painter, immediately drew up before Government House, which they saluted with a warm discharge of musketry. This was returned by the governor's party; volley succeeded volley from within and without; the b.a.l.l.s whistled hotly around; until at length the a.s.sailants burst open the doors, and rushed into the dwelling.

Captain Piggot fell by the hand of Colonel Parke, at the commencement of the affray, although it was the belief of many that Ayon, the provost-marshal and _ci-devant_ foot-soldier, came behind him and shot him in the back. After some deaths on both sides, Colonel Parke, who had retired into his bedroom, received a shot in his thigh, which, breaking the bone, disabled him from further retreating, and the people rushing upon him, literally tore him to pieces while alive. They afterwards burnt down Government House, the ruins of which remain to this day a memento of his dreadful crimes and fearful punishment. Colonel Parke was dragged into the streets by some of his adversaries, where he remained for some time, still sensible, but suffering agonies impossible to describe, until at length his mutilated body was carried to the house of a person named Wright, who lived near to the spot, where he shortly expired. His body was deposited in the vault of the old church; but so detested was his memory, that the people broke down the pew which had been appropriated for him and his predecessors.

Some writers maintain that only the _common people_ were concerned in the last act of this tragedy; that those of the higher rank proceeded to the house of John Yeamans, the lieutenant-governor, and quietly laid down their arms. Mr.

French, the historian of Colonel Parke, writes, however, very differently upon this part of the subject; but it ought to be taken into consideration, that he was a particular friend of Colonel Parke, and consequently might give a higher colouring to the melancholy picture. He says, that when Colonel Parke lay in the street suffering the pangs of a dismembered body, the members of the house of a.s.sembly stood round reviling and insulting him in his last agonies; that among the number were Andrew Murray, Francis Carlisle, Mr. Tomlinson, and Captain Painter. I cannot believe this a.s.sertion. Although Parke was their common foe, still they must have been possessed of those feelings of honour, if not humanity, which would forbid them to triumph over a dying enemy. Mr. French goes on to state, that it was Colonel Byam who was most active in convening the inhabitants, and appointing a certain day for them to come into town well armed. This, too, has been contradicted. There were not many clergymen then upon the island; but among their number, Mr. James Field, rector of St.

John's, took the part of the people; and Mr. Baxter, rector of Parham, that of Colonel Parke.

All writers upon the West Indies mention the crimes and fate of Parke; and consequently I am obliged to follow in the wake, or else I should have buried his errors-or, more properly speaking, his vices-in oblivion.[43]

[38] Barbuda is a small island, about twenty miles broad, and lies twenty-six miles to the north of Antigua. It has belonged to the Codrington family from about the year 1691, when William III.

granted it to General Codrington, then governor-general of the Leeward Islands. It raises a great number of horned cattle, ponies, donkeys, &c., and its sh.o.r.es are very prolific in turtle and various kinds of fish; while its beach is strewed with many beautiful sh.e.l.ls. Deer, also, range amid its sylvan glades; and their flesh occasionally affords another dish at a West Indian dinner. The chief emoluments arising from this island, however, are the number of wrecks; three or four sometimes occurring in a year. The reason of these frequent maritime disasters is, that the island lies so low, and is generally encompa.s.sed with fogs, that vessels are upon the reefs (by which it is almost entirely surrounded) before they are aware. It was upon one of this chain of reefs, that H. M. S. Woolwich was wrecked.

Barbuda contains about 1500 inhabitants, of which the greater part are employed as huntsmen and fishermen: the former make use of the lazo to catch the wild horses, &c.

[39] This spot is now appropriated for the Wesleyan burial-ground.

[40] The following is an authentic copy of Mr. Hinton's commission and warrant, as drawn out in Colonel Parke's own handwriting:-

"By his Excellency Daniel Parke, Esq., Captain-General and Governor-in-Chief in and over all her Majesty's Leeward Caribbee Islands in Antigua.

"I do hereby authorize and appoint you, Gabriel Hinton, of the said island aforesaid, to be clerk to the a.s.sembly of this island, and which is this day appointed to meet; and to receive all fees, proffitts, and perquisites thereto belonging, for which this shall be your sufficient warrant and commission.

"Given under my hand and seal this twenty-second day of May, 1710.

(Signed) "Daniel Parke."

[41] At this period, the island had fallen considerably in debt; and the legislature not having met for some time, from the unhappy differences between them and the governor, they had no opportunity of relieving themselves from their burdens; which difficulties were pleasing to Colonel Parke, in the hopes of their being compelled to make a general compromise.

[42] It may be well to remark, that any peculiarities in the diction of the foregoing extracts must be attributed to the time in which they were written: they having been copied _verbatim_.

For a list of the members of the house of a.s.sembly at this time, see Appendix, No. 11.

[43] The last will of Governor Parke will be found in Appendix, No. 12.

CHAPTER VIII.

Governor Walter Hamilton-Walter Douglas's Disturbances- Complaints against him sent to England-Queen Anne recalls him, and reappoints Walter Hamilton-Lord Viscount Lowther-John Hart- Lord Londonderry-Lord Forbes-Colonel William Crosbie.

After the death of Colonel Parke, the government, of course, devolved upon the lieutenant-governor of Antigua, John Yeamans, until such time as despatches could be forwarded to Nevis, where General Hamilton, who was next in command to the late captain-general, (and who had married the widow of Sir William Stapleton, a former governor,) was residing. Four of the members of the legislature were, accordingly, sent to General Walter Hamilton, advising him of the death of Colonel Parke, and inviting him to come to Antigua in order to a.s.sume the chief command. General Hamilton received the party with great urbanity and kindness, and accompanied them back to Antigua, where he took up his residence, for the time being, with Dr. Mackinnon, one of the actors in the late affray.[44]

Upon the intelligence of Colonel Parke's death reaching England, Queen Anne was very much incensed against the inhabitants of Antigua; but, after hearing the catalogue of Parke's crimes, and in order to prevent any further effusion of blood, her majesty was graciously pleased to send a general pardon to all that were concerned in that transaction.

But although the queen thought proper to extend her clemency to the Antiguans, she made some alteration in the affairs of the Leeward Island government. General Walter Hamilton was recalled, and General Walter Douglas appointed in his room; and John Yeamans was removed from the situation of lieutenant-governor of Antigua, and that appointment conferred upon Colonel Edward Byam.

During the period General Douglas administered the government, he received instructions from England to see an act put into execution, which had been pa.s.sed in the time of Christopher Codrington the younger, respecting the ascertainment of the value of current coin.

The 24th of June, 1712, Admiral Sir Hovenden Walker again visited Antigua with a fleet of seven ships under his command. Soon after his departure, M. Copard, the French admiral, with a fleet of eight ships and seventeen sloops of war, manned with about 5000 men, made an attack upon the island; but we find, from despatches sent to England by the governor, General Douglas, their attempts at landing were frustrated.