Unravelling Devon involvement in Slave-Ownership...Unravelling Devon involvement in Slave-Ownership...
Transcript of Unravelling Devon involvement in Slave-Ownership...Unravelling Devon involvement in Slave-Ownership...
UnravellingDevoninvolvementinSlave-Ownership
LucyMacKeith
‘TheearlyhistoryoftheUnitedStatesofAmericaowesmoretoDevonthantoanyother
Englishcounty.’
CharlesOwen(ed.),TheDevon-AmericanStory(1980)
MytaskthisafternoonistounravelDevon’sinvolvementinslave-ownership.Ihave
foundthetaskoverwhelmingbecauseofconstantlyfindingnewinformation–thereare
leadstofollowdownlittlebranchesoffamilytrees,thereareDevon’scountryhouses,a
wealthofdocuments,and–ofcourse–theinternet.
SothisisaVERYbriefintroductiontounravellingDevon’sinvolvementwithslave-
ownership–muchhasbeenleftout.Let’sstartwithEliasBall.HisstoryisinSlavesin
theFamily,writtenbydescendantEdwardBallandpublishedin1998.
EliasBallbyJeremiahTheus(1716-1774).
‘EliasBall,...wasbornin1676inatinyhamletinwesternEnglandcalled
Stokeinteignhead.HeinheritedaplantationinCarolinaattheendofthe
seventeenthcentury...Hislifeshowshowonefamilyenteredtheslavebusiness
inthebirthhoursofAmerica.Itisatalecomposedequallyofchance,choiceand
blood.’
ThebookhasmanyDevonlinks–anenslavedwomancalledJennyBullerremindsusof
RedversBuller’sfamily,ahillinoneoftheBallplantationscalled‘HallidonHill’reminds
usofHaldonHilljustoutsideExeter;twofamilymembersreturntoEngland,oneafter
theAmericanWarofIndependence.ThiswasColonelWambawEliasBallwhohadbeen
involvedintradinginenslavedAfricansinCarolina.Hewaspaid£12,700sterlingfrom
theBritishTreasuryandalifetimepensionincompensationfortheslaveshehadlostin
thewarofindependence.Wesometimesforgetaboutthistrancheofcompensation
paymentstoBritishslaveowners.
EdwardBall’sdescriptionoftheaccentofoneoftheBalls’blackdescendantssounds
likeaDevonianaccent:thespeaker’sgreatgrandmotherwasthoughttohavebeenborn
inBarbadosin1820andJoannaTraynor’spaperhasexplainedsuchaDevon
connection.
WecanenvythewriterEdwardBallwhohadsuchacollectionofpapersfromwhichto
writehisfamilyhistoryinsuchexquisitedetail.YoucangoonlineandhearEdwardBall
lectureonthissubject.Irecommenditfortheissuesitraises.Butitisraretohave
accesstosuchcomprehensiverecords.
Dopeopleleavetidyevidenceforhistorianstowriteuplater?Sadlynot.Wehaveto
scrabblearoundandpiecetogetherwhatwecanfind.Andsomeimportantsourcesof
evidenceaboutthehistoryofDevonSlave-ownershiparelost.
Theearthquakeon7June1692atPortRoyalinJamaicadestroyedthesettlement.Who
knowswhatevidenceofDevoninvolvementwaslostthroughthatevent?Onlyhalfa
dozenoftheRoyalCustomsBooksandafewoftheCityPettyCustomsBooksforExeter
stillexist.Theywouldhaveprovidedrichinformation.TheExeterProbateOfficewas
bombedin1942soearlyDevonwillsaremissing–anotherrichsourceofmaterial
unavailable.
Itisunlikelythatwewillsuddenlycomeacrosspreviouslyunseenmaterials–though
wecanliveinhope!Butifwelookatmaterialswealreadyhavefromadifferentangle
thanearlierhistorians,wewilluncovernewthreadsinthehistory.
Take,forexample,TheVisitationsofDevon(1895)byLieut-Col.J.L.Vivian.It’sthe
recordofthecoatsofarmsofnobilityandgentryandtheirfamilytreesoftheC16thand
C17th.Itisasortof‘upperclasscensus’.Inthisdocument,ofover900pages,thereare
examplesoffamilymemberslivinginBarbados,Jamaica,SouthCarolina,America,
Boston,Nevis,StKittsandVirginia,oftentheyoungersons.
Thecompensationpaymentsagreedinthe1833ActofAbolitionhasbeenthefocusof
theUCLproject.However,bythattime,alotofinvestmentinslaveshadbeen
transformed,exchangedforinvestmentinotherpartsoftheglobeandineducationand
trainingtojointheprofessionalclassesandonbuyingaplaceamongstthepowerfulin
Devon(andelsewhere)bybuyingandbuildinglargehouses.Thishasmeantthatthe
earlyinvolvementofDevon’sfamiliesinslaveownershiphasbeenobscured.
The‘HeritageIndustry’presentstouristswithasentimentalised,sanitisedand
comfortableviewofthepast.Slave-ownershipisnota‘comfortable’componentinour
past–nowonderitoftengetsleftout.
BucklandFilleighHouse,Devon,watercolourof1797byRev.JohnSwete.Thehouseburneddownthefollowingyearandwasrebuiltc.1810byJohnInglettFortescue.
ThewealthoftheSwetefamilyfromModburyinSouthDevoncamefromtheirestatesin
AntiguaandpassedtoJohnTripein1781onconditionthathechangedhisnameto
Swete.Hispaintingsofhouses–someofthembuiltontheprofitsofslave-ownership–
areverymuchpartofour‘DevonHeritage’.Hisinheritancegavehimtheleisureto
travelandpaint.ThisparticularwatercolourbytheRevJohnSweteisofBuckland
Filleigh,thehomeoftheFortescuefamilywhohadinterestsontheIslandofStVincent
throughmarriage.
WefindmaterialinDevonrelatingtootherpartsofBritain(forexample-theGale-
MorantpapersatExeterUniversitySpecialCollectionswhichprovidethebasisofthe
2006‘WhoseHistoryIsIt?’exhibition).Ontheotherhandwefindarchivesrelatingto
thehistoryofthelegacyofDevon’sslave-ownershipwhicharenotsittingcomfortably
andeasilyaccessibleintheDevonHeritageCentreatSowton,ontheoutskirtsofExeter.
Forexample,in1984theLondonRecordSocietypublished‘TheLettersofJohnPaige,
LondonMerchant,1648-58’:
‘Likemostofthe'newmerchants',PaigewasaLondoneronlybyadoption.Hismigration
fromStokeFleminginDevon,wherehewasborninabout1627,wasoneinstanceinan
establishedpatternofmobilitywhichhadhadconsequencesforLondon'strade...(Other
westcountryfamiliesalso)senttheirsonstoLondoninthesixteenthcentury.
Forme,thisraisesthequestionoflocal,national,worldhistorylinksinlookingatthe
legaciesofBritishslave-ownership.
Inthepast‘localhistory’hasmeantthestudyofparticularlocalsubjects–agricultural
practices,craftskillsanddomesticaccountsinahermeticallysealedgeographically
strictlylimitedarea–incontrasttothestudyofthebigissuesofnationaland
internationalhistorywhichwerestudiedquiteseparately.Ifwewanttounderstand
howthedifferentelementsofhistoryconnectandinfluenceeachotherweneedtoknit
thesethreadstogether,asSylviaCollicottdidinher1986bookConnectionsHaringey
Local–National–WorldLinks.
SomewiderthreadsinthehistoryofDevoniansinthelegacyofBritishslave-ownership
include:
• TheEnglishcolonisationofIreland
• TheNewfoundlandfishingindustry
• ThegrowthoftradeandcoloniesintheAmericas
• AndtheclosetieswiththeDutchprovinceswhichwereconfirmedfrom1688
whenWilliamofOrangewasinvitedtotakeoverthethrone.
ThecolonisationofIrelandgavetheinvadingEnglishtheopportunitynotonlytocarve
outwealthbytakingoverIrishlandsbutalsogavethemaccesstotheenforcedlabourof
Irishpeople.TherearemanyrecordsofwealthyDevoniansinIrelandinVivian’s
Visitationsandonchurchmemorials.
ThepicturesqueEggesfordchurchcanbeseenfromtrainsontheTarkaLine(theNorth
Devonrailway,whichincidentallywaspartlyfundedbycompensationmoniesfollowing
theActof1833).ThechurchhousestwoornatememorialstotheChichesterfamily
(whomarriedintotheFortescuefamilywhosehomeatBucklandFilleighwaspainted
bytheRevJohnSwete.SwetealsopaintedEggesfordHouseacoupleoftimes).The
EnglishpractisedtheirtechniquesofcolonisationinIreland.
MonumenttothewivesofArthurChichester,1stEarlofDonegal(1606-1674/5),EggesfordChurch,Devon.
TheNewfoundlandfishingindustryprovidedpreserved/driedfishforbothhome
consumptionandintheAmericas.‘Saltfish’isastapleinCaribbeancuisine.Inthe
seventeenthcenturyhouseholdaccountsoftheEarlofBathatTawstockinNorthDevon
andtheReynellfamilyofForde‘Canadafish’,‘Nulandfish’,‘dryfish’and‘PoorJohns’
featureregularly.
ThegrowthoftradewiththeAmericasastheplantationsdevelopedchangedexisting
patternsoftradeandconsumptioninDevonandbeyond.Thesamehouseholdaccounts
asabovelistpurchasesofsugar–28lbsfor£113sonFriday30November1627forSir
RichardandLadyLucyReynellofFordeandtheTawstockaccountslist‘PaidMrGeorge
ShurteofBiddefordforaquarterofahundredofsugarat13dperpound011[s]04[d]’.
Itisinterestingtonotethat‘JamestheBlackamoor’earnedwagesof£4ayear–ontop
ofboard,clothesandlodging–ascooktotheEarlofBathinTawstock,Devon,inthe
1640s.Doesthisindicateanassociationofthehouseholdwithslave-ownership?
ThelateLisaJardine’sbookGoingDutchexaminesthecloserelationship–political,
economicandcultural–betweenBritainandHolland,arelationshipwhichhasbeen
underestimated.TheDutchstylehousesinTopshammanifestDutchinfluencein
Devon.IntheExeterMilitarysurveyof1522morethanathirdofthe66‘aliens’listed
wereDutch.BritishmerchantsappreciatedthattheDutchwerehighlydevelopedin
theirtradingpracticesanddevelopmentofmoderncapitalism–completewithastock
exchangeinAmsterdam.Thegentryherefoundthisveryattractiveandsupported
WilliamofOrange’sclaimtothethronein1688.
ExampleofaDutchhouseinTopsham,Devon.
The‘200Blacks’whowerepartofWilliamofOrange’sentourageasheprocessedfrom
BrixhamtoLondontoclaimthethronein1688arenowquitewellknown.Lesswell
knownistheleadstatueofanAfricanwhichusedtobeinagardenabout6milesfrom
Exeter.WilliamofOrangehimselfplacedthefirstorderforthisstatueforHampton
Palaceanditwasrecordedasthemostpopularofalltheleadgardenstatuesmadein
BritainintheeighteenthcenturyandisasymptomoftheadoptionofDutchculture.
ThisimageofanAfricanwasaveryparticularlegacyofBritishslave-ownershipin
Devon.
BlackpeoplemarchfromBrixhamtoLondon.FromabroadsheetaccountofWilliamofOrangearrivinginExeteron17October1688.
Anexampleofa‘Blackamoor’gardenstatue.
Sometimeswecanmisinterpretevidence.SirJohnHawkins’coatofarmsincludesan
Africanfigure/Africanfiguresandthishasbeeninterpretedasacknowledgingwhere
hiswealthcamefrom.ButwhatoftheAfricanheadsonacoatofarmsintheNational
TrustpropertyAlaRonde,nearExeter,builtbytwowomen,cousinsintheParminter
family,ontheirreturnfromtheGrandTourinEurope.ThecoatofarmsoftheHurlock
family,withAfricanheads,isondisplayinthelibraryatAlaRonde.Ihavebeenvery
firmlytoldthat‘ThefamilyhadnoconnectionswiththeSlaveTrade.’
AndindeedthereareOTHERexplanationsfortheheadsofAfricansoncoatsofarmsnot
relatedtoslave-ownership.Theyaredescribedas‘MoorsHeads’bytheCollegeof
Heraldsanddatebacktothe13thcenturyinBritishHeraldry.
However–thereAREconnectionswithAlaRondeandSlave-ownership.
TheParminterfamilyoriginallycamefromBidefordinNorthDevonwheretheywere
merchants.JohnParminterhelpedfinanceashipcalledElizabethtotheGuineacoastin
1700.TheParmintershadconnectionsbymarriagewiththeRolle,WalrondandBaring
families,allinvolvedwithslave-ownership.
Left:JohnHawkins’coatofarms.
Below:AlaRonde,nearExeter.
Belowleft:thecoatofarmsoftheHurlockfamilyondisplayinthelibraryatAlaRonde.
AnotherbackgroundfactortoexplaintheinterestinplantationsintheAmericasfor
Devonianswastheeconomicsituation:eighteenthcenturyBritishfarmswereless
productivethanWestIndiansugarestates:one300acresugarestatecouldmake
£7,000pawhereasone250acreestateinEnglandonlymade£2,000pa.Itwasano-
brainerifyouwantedtomakemoney.
Theideaofthetriangulartradeisaconstructofhistorians.Whileitisusefultoexplain
muchaboutthetransatlanticslavetrade,itdoesnotfullydescribeallthetradepatterns
oftheearlyDevoninvolvementinslave-ownership.
TheJohnBurwellBook,intheDevonRecordOffice,listsvoyagesmadebyDevonships
in1699and1700.CargolistsincludeTobacco,EnglishSpirit,Beans,GuineaGrain,Cloth,
IronBarrs,Gunpowderandmore.DestinationsincludeGuinea,EastIndia,Callibar,
ShidakoffcoastofGuinea.Youcanseethatthe‘EastIndies’meansthelistedvoyageis
notsimplyfollowingtheTriangularTradepattern.
TheJohnBurwellBooklistscolumnsoffigureslookslikeadivisionofsharesfroma
voyage:
GodfreyWebster750Jnata129
JonathanLow250““43
DanwellJemin?aud600““103-4-0
CapWmKetch400““68-16-0
ClaudJominson600““103-4-0
Tho&JohStark1000““172-0-0
ClaudHay?s120““120-8-0
LanGaldy700““206-8-0
JohDenson600““103-4-0
------------------
61001049-04-0
‘Janata’isthenameofaBangladeshibanktodaysoIsuspectitisanEastIndian
currency.NickDraperhassuggestedthattherighthandcolumnisthesamemoney
expressedin£sd,perhapsprofitsfromajourney?
AnothersectionofJohnBurwell’sBookgivesanaccountof‘GoodsBroughtandSoldat
Morandoros1698/9’.Whetheritisatapointofpurchaseorsale,itseemsclearthat
theseareenslavedpeople:
GoodsboughtandSoldatMorandoros1698/9
Men 98
Women 71
Boys 37
Girls 9
215
WehaveanideaofwhatshipsinvolvedintheTransatlanticSlaveTradecarried.The
frameworkoftheTriangularTradeidentifiesbeads,firearms,cloth,alcoholand
manufacturedgoodstravellingfromEuropetoAfrica;enslavedmen,womenand
childrenfromAfricatotheAmericas;andthenproductsoftheplantations,including
sugar,rumandmolassesfromtheAmericasbacktoEurope.Whatismissingfromthese
lists–withoutwhichthewholeenterprisewouldhavefailed?
Theprosaic–requirementsforeverydayliving–food,pottery,clothing,shoes,toolsand
itemssuchasnails,shacklestocontroltheenslaved–ahundredveryordinarythings,
plustheluxuryitemsforthewealthyplantationownerswantingtomaintaintheirway
ofliving.Whoprovidedtheseitems?Theinvoicebelowprovidesanexampleofgoods
firstshippedfromExetertoLondonandthensentontoJamaica.
Invoiceisfor‘sixcasesofshoesand
pumps’aswellascloth,shippedto
Jamaica.Mostofthecargowere
kersiesandlongells,clothmadein
Tavistock.
Plantationeconomiesarebasedonagriculturalmassproductionofcropsgrownon
largefarmscalledplantations.Plantationeconomiesrelyontheexportofcashcropsas
asourceofincome.Theyareoftendependentonthemetropolitancountryforessentials
forliving.Itisoneofthewaysthecolonisingcountriesmakemoremoney.
Themapbelowreflectsthecomplexityofthetraderoutesrelatingtoslave-ownership.
ItisinadequateasitidentifiesthetraderoutesonlytothenorthernstretchofWest
Africaandisstillsimplified.Ifounditoninternetandhavenoprovenanceforit.
However,whatIlikeaboutitisthecomplexityofthepatternsoftradeinwhichit
demonstratestheinvolvementofBritish,includingDevontraders,beyondthe
triangularidea.
SomeexamplesoftradebetweenDevonandtheAmericasfromnewspapersinclude:
24January1670Barnstable.YesterdayarrivedheretheEXCHANGEbelongingtothisport,
JOHNMARKES,Master,fromLysbonne,ladenwithSugar....
April21686Barnstable..OnWednesdaylastsailedfromhencenineshipsboundfor
Newfoundland..OurVirginiashipsarenotyetarrived.....
April111709ThisdaycameintheBRITANNIAofBarnstaple,JohnMALLACK,Master,in
30daysfromVirginia....
24June1698:Plymouth...thisdayarrivedheretheHannahofBiddifordwithSugarfrom
theBarbados....
InthePlymouthMuseumcollectionisafineexampleoftheapparatusforanAfrican
game–knownvariouslyasayo,mancala,bara.Ontheothersideoftheboardisa
carvingofamanholdingaflintlockamongstotherdetailedcarvings.Ihavenoevidence
offlintlockgunsbeingmanufacturedinDevonbutwehaverecordsthatDevonians
tradedingunsandgunpowderonslavetradingexpeditions.Thisarmstradecreated
destabilisationinAfricathroughouttheyearsofslavetrading.Westernimportsof
weaponsalteredthebalanceofpowerinAfrica.Stilltoday‘thearmsbusinesshasa
devastatingimpactonhumanrightsandsecurity,anddamageseconomicdevelopment.’
Thisisanotherlegacyofslave-ownership.
TwosideimagesofamancalaboardfromPlymouthMuseum.Notethecarvingofamanholdinga
flintlockinthelowerimage.
WeneedtobeimaginativeinunravellingthehistoryofthelegacyofDevonandSlave-
ownershipandIdonotmeanthatweshouldmakethingsup.Thelackofeasein
interpretingevidencedoesnotmeanthatnothinghappened.Evidencehassometimes
beenobscuredinthepast.
Alocalresearcheroncewrotethistome:
‘AsregardsthelocalfamilyIdidalittleresearchon;itwastheWalrondfamily
whopurchasedDulfordHouse,formerlyknownasMontrathHouse,near
Cullompton.Theirfortunewasmade,overseveralgenerations,inAntigua.Imust
addthatIhavenodirectevidencethattheyhadslaves,butIdoubtwhetherthey
madetheirfortunefromthefruitoftheirownmanuallabour!’
Thereareinterpretationsofhistoryindifferentartformssuchaspaintingandwriting.
Formetheyareaninspirationtounravelthestoryfurther.
Turner’spainting,TheSlaveShip,waspaintedinresponsetothestoryoftheZong
TheSlaveShipbyWBTurner
Originaltitle–ThrowingtheDeadandDyingOverboard
FredD’AguiarwroteFeedingtheGhostsinresponsetothesamestoryabouttheZong.
ThiswasashipwhichwascarryingenslavedpeoplefromAfricatotheAmericaswhen
thecaptaininstructedthecrewtothrowsomeofthosepeopleoverboardbecauseit
madebetterfinancialsensetoclaimfortheirlossthroughtheirinsurancepolicythanto
letthemstayalive.
FredD’Aguiarendsthebookwiththesewords:
‘Wewerealldead.Theshipwasfullofghosts.Allthecrueltieswesustainedwere
maintainedbyus.
...Ihavealistofnames.Iknowwhodidwhattowhom.Butmydetailedknowledge
hasmadenotaniotaofdifferencetohistoryortothesea.Alltheknowledgehas
doneistoburdenme.
Iaminyourcommunity,inacottageoranapartmentorcardboardbox,tucked
awayinaquietcorner,ruminatingovertheseverythings.TheZongisonthehigh
seas.Men,womenandchildrenarethrownoverboardbythecaptainandhiscrew.
Oneofthemisme.Oneofthemisyou.Oneofthemisdoingthethrowing,theother
isbeingthrown.I’mnotsurewhoiswho,youorI.
.....Thereisnofear,norshameinthispieceofinformation.Thereisonlythefactof
theZonganditsunendingvoyageandthosedeathsthatcannotbeundone............
Wheredeathhasbegunbutremainsunfinishedbecauseitrecurs...........Theghosts
feedonthestoryofthemselves.
Thepastislaidtorestwhenitistold.’
Selectbibliography
Ball,Edward,SlavesintheFamily(1998)
Collicott,Sylvia,Connections:Haringey,local-national-worldlinks(1986)
D’Aguiar,Fred,FeedingtheGhosts(2014)
Eyres,Patrick,etal.,TheBlackamoorandtheGeorgianGarden(2011)
Gray,Todd(ed.),DevonHouseholdAccounts,1627-59:Pt.1SirRichardandLadyLucy
ReynellofForde;Pt.2Henry,FifthEarlofBath,andRachel,CountessofBath,ofTawstock
andLondon(1996)
Jardine,Lisa,GoingDutch.HowEnglandPlunderedHolland’sGlory(2008)
Kennedy,P.A.(ed.),Oakum–beingstrandsdrawnfromtheMaritimeHistoryofDevon.
(1970)
MacKeith,Lucy,etal,TraditionandtheYorubaArtist–catalogueforthesummer
exhibitionattheRoyalAlbertMemorialMuseum,Exeter(1986)
SaintGeorge,Henry,etal,VisitationsofthecountyofDevon...comprisingtheHerald's
Visitationsof1531,1564,and1620,withadditionsbyLieut-ColJ.L.Vivian(1872)
Snetzler,Marjorie(ed.),DevonExtracts1665–1850(1987)
Steckley,G.F.(ed.),TheLettersofJohnPaige,LondonMerchant,1648-58(1984)
availableathttp://www.british-history.ac.uk/london-record-soc/vol21
CampaignAgainsttheArmsTradewebsite:https://www.caat.org.uk/