Jamaican Family Search Genealogy Research Library

This information is taken from the book Jamaica, as it was, as it is, and as it may be written in 1835 by "A retired Military Officer", who may be identified as Bernard Martin Senior.

[Additions and corrections by jamaicanfamilysearch.com are in [] square brackets]

Among various authenticated accounts published, the following has been selected, as coming nearer to the actual facts than any other; but in this there may be some omissions, and a few trifling inaccuracies, yet the greatest care has been taken to procure a correct statement from each of the suffering parishes.

Abbreviation for buildings: Res = Residence

Besides many others more or less damaged

It will be remembered, that the burning of properties commenced in St. James's, and had been carried on to a fearful extent before any arrest could possibly be made to it by the military; also, that this beautiful parish abounds in sugar estates, on all of which there must be one, two, or more (according to its size) immense buildings, called trash-houses, which are supported by stone or brick pillars, and contain the dry stalk, etc. (denominated trash) of the sugar cane, stored as fuel for the following year, after the juice has been expressed by the mill; the extensive roofs of which being composed of the broad-leaf cedar or bullet tree shingle become, from the heat of the sun, in a short space of time equally combustible with the dry trash they cover, consequently, the simple act of setting fire to them, could be as easily executed by a child as by an adult, and frequently performed by such juvenile miscreants, under the inspection of their elders. Thus, the disastrous effect of one spark was to deprive the owner of his fuel, at least for the next year's crop, and an expensive building. The proprietor's residence is, in most cases, principally composed of wood, as is almost invariably that of his overseer, and all the out-offices; and the negro, from his mode of life, is a great adept in the use of fire. As soon as the extent of the loss and injury the rebellion could be ascertained, occasioned by the slaves wilfully setting fire to buildings, grass, and cane-fields; by robbery and plunder of every description; by damage done to the present and succeeding crops; by loss of the labour of slaves, those killed in suppressing insurrection, and such as were executed after trial ; also incendiaries, rebels and murderers, returns were furnished to the House of Assembly, when the session was prolonged to this advanced period of the year, 1832, instead of ceasing at Christmas as usual, and it was found to amount to the following sums, viz.-

To which is to be added the sum of £165,000. currency, being the expence incurred in suppressing the rebellion during the period martial law was in force; and of another expence, amounting to about £7000. which had accrued since martial law ceased, being the pay of a portion of the maroons, as well as detachments of the island militia, employed in the pursuit of such of the rebellious slaves as had not yet surrendered themselves, but remained out, and were sheltered amongst the most inaccessible forests and fastnesses in the interior districts of the island.

It will, doubtless, be concluded, that this enormous amount was to be raised by additional taxes on those who had been already sufferers to a dreadful extent. The house of assembly, however, almost to a man, proprietors themselves, knew the sum must be raised, and they did not hesitate heavily to augment the island taxes: that rate per head, for instance, on slaves, which had heretofore annually been fixed at 5s. 10d. or 6s. 8d. at farthest, was now augmented to 8s. 4d. and that on stock to 2s. 1d., which generally had hitherto been 10d. per head. Thus was one lamentable calamity succeeded by another most grievous burthen, and to be borne by the ruined proprietors.

As the vile incendiaries received some severe checks before they penetrated far into the parish of St. Elizabeth's, the principal losses sustained in that parish, besides the properties named as burnt, were in negroes taken during the rebellion, who were tried and executed; but there is no doubt this fine parish would have suffered to a great extent, if the career of devastation had not been thus timely arrested, as it was well known that every properly was to share the same fate.

In the parish of Manchester, some few properties were destroyed; but the damage here estimated was chiefly comprised in the loss of labour, occasioned by the general suspension of work, and the failure of crop, from its remaining uncut and ungathered, till the canes were dried up by the sun, or trampled down by the now neglected stock, and the coffee-berries had dropped off the trees from over ripeness, and became an easy prey to innumerable hosts of rats which infest the plantations at that particular period of the year. Nothing could exceed the depreciation of property that ensued. Every article, though of course in no abundance, was a mere drug, from the circumstance that few had funds to purchase, by reason of the loss or scantiness of their own crops, and the heavy weight of taxes each individual was expected to meet; and such as could command a supply in England, were disinclined to trench thereon, lest, seeing that nothing in the island was now secure, they might require every farthing already out of danger for future maintenance. In such a state of things, many collected all they could, and repaired either to England or to America, to commence the world again with what little funds they then possessed, leaving their landed interests in the hands of such as, from being otherwise situated, felt either inclined to continue in the country, or were compelled to make a merit of necessity, by remaining to bear the brunt of whatever might be the result of the late disastrous proceedings.

SEARCH THIS SITE

GO TO:

Home

Plan of this website

Help - Frequently Asked Questions

Items in the Samples Directory

Items in the Members Directory

Photographs, maps, prints, etc.

Jamaica Almanacs (property owners; civil & military)

Registers (Church of England, Dissenters, Civil Registration); Wills

Jamaican Roman Catholic Church Registers

Jamaican Methodist Baptisms

Slaves and slavery in Jamaica

Immigration Immigrants to Jamaica