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

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 20 l. 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 passed 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 thorny; 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 assize of bread was constituted, 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 50 l. 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 20 l. ; and if a diseased person was employed in the bakehouse, another 20 l. penalty was enjoined.

In 1800, a law was passed 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 200 l. sterling, considering that the sum appointed for his recompence in 1698, namely 100 l. 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 sex or quality be what it might, offend in this respect, such offender should be fined 40 s. 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 constitute Antigua the residence of the commander-in-chief; and did not repair to this island to take upon him the administration of the government.

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

52This has been known throughout the West Indies as the famous “Melioration Act.” This appears to have been the last time the general council and assembly for the Leeward Islands met.

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

Table of Contents

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 1000 l. to be paid quarterly out of the public treasury of the island; and a further sum of 300 l. 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 700 l. 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 50 l. , such person was liable to a penalty of 50 l. 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 space 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.