Mrs. Lanaghan - Antigua and the Antiguans (Vol. 1&2)

At the departure of Major-General Leigh, there happened to be none of the lieutenant-governors of the Leeward Caribbee Islands in the West Indies; and accordingly, Archibald Esdail, Esq., a counsellor of St. Christopher’s 51claimed the administration of the government, and acted as such until his death, which happened about three months after; but he did not visit Antigua to take upon him the administration of the government, as he ought to have done by direction of the reigning monarch. Upon his decease, the lieutenant-governors being still absent, John S. Thomas, Esq., another resident of St. Christopher’s, represented himself as first counsellor, and exercised the office of governor until April, the following year, (1797.) Nothing of any consequence occurred during his short administration, and very little can be said about him in this place, for, like his predecessor, he never honoured Antigua with his presence. The Kittefonians appeared to have had it all their own way at that period, for no sooner had Mr. Thomas breathed his last sigh, than another member of that community, Robert Thomson, Esq., followed the example set before him, represented himself as the oldest counsellor, and, consequently, entitled to the vacant government; in which office he continued until the arrival of the Right Honourable Lord Lavington, (who was formerly governor under the title of Sir Ralph Payne,) in 1801. During the three years Mr. Thomson was governor, he visited Antigua for about three days, in March, 1800, so that the Antiguans had not much of their commander-in-chief’s society; but the council and assembly appear to have gone on very well without him, and framed some very good laws.

The first year of Mr. Thomson’s government, Antigua had a visitor in the person of that indefatigable, but unfortunate traveller, Mungo Park. Mr. Park had embarked on board the “Charlestown,” an American slaver, commanded by a Captain Harris, who was bound to Antigua with his live cargo. Upon nearing the island, the vessel struck upon a rock and narrowly escaped shipwreck; it was, however, at length got off, and brought into St. John’s harbour, where part of the cargo was sold. Mr. Park remained in Antigua until the arrival of the “Chesterfield” packet, in which he took passage to England. He speaks of Antigua as the loveliest of all lovely isles.

Whilst Mr. Thomson was residing at St. Kitts as commander-in-chief, the Antiguans were busy in again raising funds to defray the expenses of the war, which had been, and still were, very great. It was also enacted, that if any free coloured, or white person, killed or wounded a slave belonging to themselves or any one else, such offenders were to be considered as murderers, and, consequently, as worthy of punishment as if their victim possessed the fairest skin. That the life of a negro was no longer to be considered “in law” as the “life of a dog,” but that he was at length to be looked upon as human.

Antigua has always been liable to droughts, and, in such season, serious losses have occurred from the slaves dying for want of good water; to remedy this evil, as far as laid in their power, a tax was imposed upon all sugar plantations and houses in the island, which did not possess one or more cisterns.

This year (1798) appears to have been the first time that slaves were really tried by jury, which was then made to consist of six reputable white inhabitants. If upon trial they were found worthy of death, the justices of the peace were to acquaint the governor, or whoever might at such time be in command of the island, with the sentence, in thirty-six hours after it was pronounced, under a penalty of 20 l. The provost-marshal was also obliged to attend such trial, under a fine of 20 l. ; and for his trouble he was to receive 3 s. for summoning each juror, and 33 s. for his attendance.

In the middle of this year, a general council and assembly was held at St. Kitts; and amongst other affairs discussed, it was determined to pass certain regulations which would tend to ameliorate the condition of slaves. 52All owners of slaves were to furnish a certain quantity of provisions for each slave, under a penalty of 10 s. per head weekly, which was to be distributed among the negroes at the discretion of the master, and old and infirm slaves were to receive their full allowance. Perhaps it may not be uninteresting to some of my readers to know what was the weekly allowance the law allowed for slaves, and consequently, will insert it:—​“Nine pints of corn or beans, or eight pints of peas, or wheat or rye flour, or Indian corn flour, or nine pints of oatmeal, or eight pints of Cassava flour or Farine, or eight pounds of biscuit, or twenty pounds of yams or potatoes, or sixteen pounds of eddoes or tanias, or thirty pounds of plaintains or bananas; and also one pound and a quarter of herrings, shads, mackarel, or other salted provision, or double the quantity of fresh fish or other fresh provisions,” all of which were to be of good quality. Owners of slaves were not allowed to pay them in money, unless there was absolute necessity for so doing, under a fine of 20 l. ; but when circumstances obliged them to recompense their slaves by cash, each negro was to receive the sum of 4 s. 53weekly, and have two half days allowed them to come to market for the purpose of laying it out. The clothes allowed slaves for a year were, two jackets of woollen cloth, and two pair of trousers, made of Osnaburghs, for the men; and two woollen wrappers, and two Osnaburgh petticoats, for the women. If preferred by the slave, and agreed to by the master, a blanket and a cap were given in place of one suit of these clothes. When employed in agricultural work, half an hour was allowed for breakfast, and two hours for dinner, and they were not to be called to work before five in the morning, nor after seven in the evening, unless in crop time, or from evident necessity! If any owner of slaves cruelly whipped or imprisoned a slave without sufficient support, they were liable to imprisonment, or to be fined at the discretion of the justices before whom the case was tried; and if they deemed it necessary for the further protection of the slave, they could cause such slave to be sold at public auction. If any owner of slaves used unnecessary severities towards them, or put upon them iron collars, chains, or weights, such owner was liable to a fine not exceeding 100 l. When any slave was attacked by illness, medical assistance was to be procured without loss of time; and whatever nourishment the doctor ordered, such as wine, &c., was to be given, under penalty of 50 l. In cases of sudden death among the slaves, (when they had not been visited by a medical man forty-eight hours before,) notice was to be sent to the coroner or justice, when an inquest, of not less than three persons, was to be held on the body; should the owner neglect to do this, another fine of 100 l. was imposed. With regard to the “marriage rites” of slaves, if their union can be called so, which was only nominal, owners were to encourage them to have only one husband or wife; and if faithful to each other, the woman was to receive four dollars for her first child, (provided it was alive six weeks after its birth,) and five dollars for each succeeding child under the same circumstances, and the slave and his wife to receive one dollar each at the end of the year. Should their master fail to do this, it was punished by a fine of 50 l. ; while the female who, in this state of conjugal fidelity, had borne six children, was exempt from any but light work upon her youngest child having obtained its seventh year.

Religion appears also to have been encouraged among them; for no owner or manager of negroes was to restrain them from attending a place of worship on a Sunday, under a penalty of 5 l. ; and if any clergyman refused to baptize a slave which was supposed to be sufficiently informed, such clergyman was to forfeit 30 s. To insure further their comforts, it was ordered that no estate was to be without a commodious sick-house, furnished with proper conveniences for the use of the sick, and a sufficient number of attendants, under direction of a white person, to minister to their wants. In omitting to do this, the owner of such estate was liable to a penalty of 100 l. for the first offence; and 20 s. for the latter. They were also obliged to return an annual account of the births and deaths of their slaves, and how the sick were treated, under fine of 100 l.