Thomas M. Truxes » slavery

London Court Upholds Freedom of Former Slave, 1735

ttruxes — Wed, 03 Nov 2010 05:00:18 +0000

London [December 6, 1735]. Yesterday . . . at the Sittings of the of the Court of King’s Bench at Guildhall . . . one Codrington Galway, a Black, appeared upon his Recognizances for a Breach of the Peace, and refusing to serve the Remainder of his Time with the Administrator of his former Master, who was lately Dead; when the Court declared, that though a Negroe he was now a Christian, and in a Christian Country, which allow’d of no Slavery; and thereupon they set him at full Liberty to go where he pleas’d, but withal advis’d him to get into some honest Employment by Sea or Land, that he might not become a Vagrant.

[London] General Evening Post, December 6, 1735.

Plea for Help from Enslaved British Sailor, 1749

ttruxes — Wed, 13 Oct 2010 05:00:29 +0000

London. Extract of a Letter from Algier, Jan. 5, 1749.

“Sir, This being the first Opportunity I have had since my being in Slavery, I have embraced it by the Trial Sloop of War, which arrived here about four or five Days ago, being bound to Plymouth.

When I left London I came to Portsmouth, and shipped myself Mate of a Ship to Lisbon and arrived safe at Portsmouth the First of November from Lisbon, and the 8th following I shipped myself on board the unhappy Ship I was taken in, the Endeavour, John Jones Captain, myself Mate, and the 17th following sailed from Portsmouth for Falmouth, and the 29th sailed from Falmouth for Civita Vecchia.

In the Mediterranean, December 15, off the Rock of Lisbon, to my great Grief, we fell in with an Algerian Rover, who took me and two Foremastmen out, and put ten Algerines on board, with Orders to proceed to Algiers with the Rover; two Days after, it blowing a hard Gale of Wind, we lost Sight of our Ship; at New Year’s Day we arrived at this unhappy Place, where I spent the Hollidays in Slavery, and so I am like to remain.

Here has been Commodore Kepple, with several of his Majesty’s Ships, here is at present about 500 Christian Slaves; 45 are English. When the Commodore was here, we expected to have been released; but are now out of all Hopes of Liberty; my Fetters are 36 Pounds Weight, which, with the Heat of the Country and Slavery, if I have not a speedy Remedy, I cannot survive it long. There is not one Slave so heavily fettered as myself.

I am going up into the Country, there to be close confined with four more Slaves, for trying to make our Escape: Our Enemies since that Attempt, have been very cruel to us, and daily whip us most cruelly, and frequently threaten my life in particular: but I am determined, at the Risque of my Life, at the first Opportunity, to make the second Attempt, &c.

I am, &c.
George Gale.”

On Monday Morning 16 Algerine Prisoners, who have been confined here [London] for some Time past, were conveyed in a Waggon to Portsmouth, under the Care of Mr. Butson, one of his Majesty’s Messengers, w[h]ere they are to be put on board a Man of War appointed to carry them to Gibraltar, in order to their being exchanged for a like Number of English Prisoners; and we hear that what other English Prisoners may be found at Algier may be ransomed.

Old England, March 31, 1750.

British Account of Jamaican Slave Uprising, 1760

ttruxes — Mon, 26 Apr 2010 03:59:13 +0000

“AMERICA. Jamaica, May 8. The Rebellion amongst the Negroes has been of bad Consequence to the whole Island. Their plot was deep and cruel. Their Design was to rise at Kingston and Spanish Town, in one Night; to have set Fire to these Towns in several Places at once, and to murder every Body in them. At the same Time they were to have risen in St. Mary’s and Sixteen-Mile-Walk; but the Negroes in St. Mary’s began too soon: They commenced with murdering all the white People upon one Estate; upon which the Overseer’s Boy got his Master’s Horse, and rode Express to the Governor, to tell him of it, for which he is to receive his Freedom. They afterwards seized what Arms and Ammunition were to be found, and went to a small Fort at Port Maria, where there was only one white Man and a Negro; they killed the white Man, and took away three Barrels of Powder, and marched to another Estate, where the Overseer was apprised of their Intentions. There were five white Men, which he armed, shut the Doors, and armed some of his own Negroes. He defended the House for an hour and a half, and the Rebels were going away; upon which he opened the Door, and wanted to bring them to their Duty, by speaking to them, which whilst he was doing, one of his own Negroes shot him in the back, the rest rushed in and killed all the white People, except one, whom they mangled in a most shocking manner, cutting off his Nose, and leaving him for dead; but he still languishes, and wishes for Death. They cut off the Overseer’s Head, put his Blood in a Calabath, mixed gunpowder with it, and eat their Plantains dipp’d in it, as they did by every white Man they killed: In short, their savage Barbarity can scarcely be parallelled.

Upon the first Notice of it to the Governor, he sounded the Trumpet, and proclaimed Martial Law; upon which all Business ceased, and every Man was a Soldier. The Regulars marched from Spanish Town, and the Troop of Militia, and those with the Force they had got together at St. Mary’s, obliged the Rebels to act upon the Defensive, and after two skirmishes, they had an Engagement with the wild Negroes, who brought in 17 pair of Rebels Ears, for which they received 17 Doubloons directly: That broke their Strength, some came in, many cut their Throats, and now they reckon about 60, who are all hemmed up in a Cave, from whence they cannot escape. Their chief Man is not yet taken. I believe

“there are about 25 of them made Prisoners, who are severally carried to Spanish Town, Kingston, and the places where they committed their Barbaries. I was last Saturday at Spanish Town, before which time, one who had not been in the Rebellion, actually was burnt alive for having sworn to cut his Master’s and Mistress’s Heads off, and to make Punch Bowls of them. On Saturday I heard the Trials of four more, who were found guilty of being concerned in the Murder of the white People: Two were burnt alive the same Afternoon; two were hanged, their bodies burnt, and their Heads stuck on poles. On Monday last, two were tried at Kingston for the same Offence, and found guilty. Their Sentence was to be gibbetted alive 20 Feet high. The rest will be punished according to their demerits.

Another Account from the same Person, dated May 21, 1760, says, ‘The Sentence against the Rebel Negroes, was put in Execution. One of them lived nine days, wanting six hours, without a drop of Water, hanging in an excessive hot place, though they complained of the cold in the night. The first of the Rebels, named Tackey, is since shot in the Wood, and his head stuck upon a pole; and within this half hour, we have an account of the Negroes having left three Estates at Manchioneal, and gone to the Woods; but hope it will not be so bad as is reported.’”

Cork Evening Post, 11 August 1760.

Desperate Attempt to Flee from Slavery, 1755

ttruxes — Thu, 04 Mar 2010 06:00:14 +0000

“PLANTATION NEWS. New-York, Nov. 18. Yesterday arrived here Capt. Leacraft, in eight Days from Bermudas, and says, that, just before he sailed, the Schooner Ruby, John Seymour, late Master, arrived there from this Port; the People whereof reported, that soon after they left the Hook,* bound to that Island, on the 8th Instant, a Spanish Negro they had on board, and shipp’d from this Place, suddenly took the Advantage of and murdered Capt. Seymour, his Mate, and a Negro Man; and almost dispatched a Passenger on board; that the Spaniard thereby became Master of the Vessel, and kept her in Possession for three Days, when being overcome with Sleep, and appearing drowsy, a Negro Man on board knock’d him on the Head with a Handspike, and retook the Schooner.”

The London Evening-Post, February 15, 1755.

*Sandy Hook, New Jersey, the entry point to New York Bay.

Slaves Defend British Slave Ship Against Spanish Privateer, 1740

ttruxes — Thu, 18 Feb 2010 06:00:47 +0000

“Williamsburg, in Virginia, July 10 [1740]. This Week arrived in York River, the Snow Seaflower, Capt. Edwards, (the former Capt. being dead) from Guinea, with 159 Slaves, consigned to Col. Braxton & Son. They met with a Spanish Snow, about 90 Tons, in Lat. 27, 17, No. Long. 67, 7, W. who hoisted a French Jack, and fired several Shot at them, and threatened if they did not immediately strike, they would give them no Quarter; the Capt. gave them the like Answer; and tho’ he had but 6 Sailors and a Boy, and none of them would stand by him but the Boatswain, yet he was resolv’d to make the best Defence he could, and accordingly fired a Broadside into the Privateer (which burst one of his own Guns,) he got up the Chest of small Arms, put Firelocks, Pistols, and Cutlasses into the Hands of some of the Negroes, whom he made to understand him, who fought so desperately in their Way, shooting, slashing, and throwing Fire into the Privateer, when they attempted twice to board him, that by their Bravery they sav’d the Ship and Cargo, and oblig’d the Privateer (who acknowledg’d he was fitted out in Hispaniola) to sheer off without doing any considerable Damage.”

Pennsylvania Gazette, July 30, 1740.

Sailors of the Royal Navy Freed from Slavery, 1760

ttruxes — Thu, 11 Feb 2010 06:00:36 +0000

“Ireland. Galway, June 12 [1760]. Monday last arrived in this harbour, the Europe of Guernsey, James Stearn, Master, from London, with Porter, Sugars, Iron and Junk, to Mr. Pierce Joyce of this town. On Friday last, said vessel fell in and spoke with the Briton, Hutchinson, Commander, last from Gibraltar for Plymouth, in lat. 51. 30. and longitude 7. 30. on board of which, were Capt. Barton, Commander of his Majesty’s Ship the Litchfield, and all his Officers lately redeemed from Slavery; into which they had the misfortune to fall, on the 29th of November 1758, when said ship in convoying troops to Senegal was cast away and wrecked to pieces on the Barbary coast.”

Cork Evening Post, 19 June 1760.