The West Indies in 1837 : being the journal of a visit to Antigua, Montserrat, Dominica, St. Lucia, Barbadoes, and Jamaica; undertaken for the purpose of ascertaining the actual condition of the Negro population of those islands / By Joseph Sturge and Thomas Harvey.

  • Joseph Sturge
Date:
1838
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: The West Indies in 1837 : being the journal of a visit to Antigua, Montserrat, Dominica, St. Lucia, Barbadoes, and Jamaica; undertaken for the purpose of ascertaining the actual condition of the Negro population of those islands / By Joseph Sturge and Thomas Harvey. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    431/496 (page 415)
    [F ] JAMAICA: SECTION I. Note on Priscitta Tayitor’s Casze.—The statement in our Journal having been taken down in the public room of the Ferry tavern, a garbled report of the investigation was published in the island newspapers. The facts of the case are much stronger than what originally appeared in England. We took much pains on subsequent occasions to verify them, and have in our possession more detailed statements which explain the motives in which these disgraceful proceedings originated, and contain particulars of a still more revolting character than what are now laid before the public. We were also favored, during our stay in the island, with a letter from the Special Magistrate implicated in the transaction, who admits the fact of Priscitta Tayutor having been chained toa man, but denies his participation in it. She subsequently purchased her freedom by valuation, under the fear of further per- secution in consequence of our having seen her, for sixty nine pounds. The money was lent to her by a friend, on the security of a verbal promise of repayment from herself and her husband, who belongs to a different master. The gentleman alluded to in- forms us that part of the amount has already been repaid out of the produce of their labor in cultivating provisions. SECTION II. Hatrway Tree WorkKHovuse.—We have before us the report of an action, (WILKINS vs. LIDDELL) instituted by a person on behalf of herself, her son and her daughter, against the Supervisor of this Workhouse for trespass. The complainants were appre- hended as runaway apprentices, and confined for nearly a week in chains before they were taken before any special magistrate, during which time the son was worked publicly in the penal gang. The