Jamaican Family Search Genealogy Research Library
SLAVES AND SLAVERY IN JAMAICA
Under the command of Penn and Venables the English captured Jamaica from the Spanish in 1655. In 1662 there were about 400 Negro slaves on the island. As the cultivation of sugar cane was introduced, the number of slaves grew to 9,504 by 1673. The landowners acquired more slaves to do the work on the estates, and in 1734 there were 86,546 slaves. In 1775 there were 192,787. The 19th century Almanacs on this site show the numbers of slaves on each property, until slavery was finally abolished.
In the meantime, there were movements in England pushing for the abolition of slavery. In 1807 the African slave trade was abolished by Parliament, effective January 1, 1808. Theoretically this meant that no more slaves could be brought from Africa to the colonies in the British West Indies, but slaves could be transported from one colony to the other.
Recognizing that the law was not being adhered to, the House of Commons in England passed a bill in 1815 requiring the registration of slaves. It became effective when it was adopted by the colonial legislatures. In 1816 an act was passed for a more particular return of slaves with more information, effective in June 1817, to keep a stricter check on any movement of the slaves. Returns were made until 1834.
In 1823 the British government pledged to adopt measures for the abolition of slavery in the colonies. In the ensuing years there was a considerable exchange of letters on the subject between Britain and the colonies, particularly the legislatures and planters. The slaves by this time were agitated about their status, as the slave trade had already been abolished. In 1824 there was a slave insurrection in Hanover, followed in 1831 by a more widespread insurrection in the county of Cornwall. In June 1833 the governor wrote a Proclamation to the slaves to clarify their status. By December 1833 there was a Bill for the abolition of slavery, and it became effective on August 1, 1834. At that time all slaves became apprentices. They remained working for the same slave masters. The system was a failure, and that too was abolished. Slaves received their unrestricted freedom on August 1, 1838.
Relative to that brief history of slavery in the British colony of Jamaica, please see the following items on this site, each identified either with an [F] (free access to all) or an [M] (available to Members only):
Excerpts from the Courant for June 22 to 29, 1754, contain the names of some runaway slaves or indentured servants, and information about them. See Courant 1754. [M]
Acts of the Jamaican Assembly 1760-1810 with respect to certain people of African or part-African descent. Acts of Assembly, and Acts of Assembly (2) [F]
Reports of the 1776 slave uprising in Hanover, taken from newspapers, and private letters. [F]
The Marriage Contract between Joseph Thomas Patrice DuBourg and Josephine Charlotte Benigne Brusle widow de Mauleon (translated from the French). The contract lists the names of 95 slaves. [M]
A Return of the Number of White Inhabitants, Free People of Colour and Slaves in Jamaica in 1788, by Parish. This list is from CO 137/87. It consists of total number of persons in each category in each parish, and it contains no names. It also shows the number of Maroons in each area. It is typical of the kind of "census" that was sent to England from Jamaica in the early days. See 1788 Return. [F]
Letter from John Fowler, Jamaica, dated 1789, to James Stothert, referring to purchase of slaves.
An analysis of data for the ship "Crescent," and crew and slaves on board.
See Fowler 1789 [M]
List of Slaves on Golden Grove Estate 30th June 1790. This estate was in St. Thomas in the East. [M]
Slave tables from the 1790 Almanac, showing statistics on slave trade with Africa. [F]
Letter from J. Fowler, Jamaica, dated September 1790, concerning a recent delivery of slaves on the slave ship "Sarah".
An analysis of data for the ship "Sarah," trips made, and slaves on board.
A Bill of Sale for provisions purchased by John Fowler for the ship "Sarah" dated August 30, 1790.
See Fowler 1790 [F]
The ship "Daniel" left Africa in 1792 with slaves to be delivered to John Fowler in Martha Brae/ Falmouth, Trelawny. An analysis of the mortality rate of the slaves and crew.
See Voyage of the "Daniel" 1792. [F]
It was common to put a Notice in the newspaper to seek the capture and return of Runaway Slaves. This is an example.
List of Slaves on Friendship Estate and Thatch Hill Penn in Trelawny in 1793 [M]
The Royal Gazette often listed the names and descriptions of runaway slaves, and the rewards offered by their slave masters for their return. [F & M]
1802-1833 Colonial Office Correspondence on the subject of Religion among the slaves.[M]
Sale of land and slaves, Levy to Cerf. See Deed of Sale. [F]
Baptisms of some slaves 1806 in the Anglican Church in St. Ann, showing the former slave name and the new baptismal name. [F]
Baptisms of some slaves 1806-1814 in the Anglican Church in St. Ann, showing the former slave name and the new baptismal name. [M]
Deed of Sale, Henriques to Henry Cerf. See slave sale. [F]
1807-1808: Colonial Office Correspondence in the interlude between the passing of the Act for the Abolition of the Slave Trade and its implementation.[M]
1808-1810: Excerpts from Colonial Office Correspondence concerning the Act for the Abolition of the Slave Trade and the continuing argument between the Government in Britain and the Assembly in Jamaica.[M]
Some Slave Baptisms 1810-1811, in the Roman Catholic Church, Kingston. [F]
1814-1817 Returns of baptisms of slaves in Hanover, showing names of properties and proprietors, and number of slave baptisms by date, from Colonial Office Correspondence. [M]
1815-1817: The reaction to the Registry Bill proposed for the Registration of Slaves, taken from Colonial Office Correspondence.[M]
1816-1831 Amelioration of Slave Code, taken from Colonial Office Correspondence. [F]
From the Slave Registers for St. Ann for 1817, four returns of slaves from the T71/43 records in the Public Records Office (National Archives) in England. [M]
The 1817 Slave Registers for Cousins Cove in Hanover.[M]
The 1817 Slave Registers for Davis Cove in Hanover.[M]
Some slaves, found listed in documents in the Public Records Office (now the National Archives), London, as "belonging" to Garsias, 1817, 1820, 1823, 1826, 1829, 1832. [F] Garsia2
These lists give the date, name of slave being freed, and the name of the person by whom the slave was manumitted. [F] Manumissions
Addendum to Manumissions. [F]
Mortgage from Wolff to Cerf. See mortgage. [F]
1821-1822: Slaves and the Courts. Three incidents reflecting the increasingly tense situation, as found in Colonial Office Correspondence[M]
Deed from Cerf to Wolff. See Conveyance. [F]
July 1824: The aftermath of the Hanover Slave Rebellion, as found in Colonial Office Correspondence [M]
This report is taken from the 1834 book "Jamaica, as it was, as it is, and as it may be." There is a list of the properties burned in the County of Cornwall with the names of proprietors and properties, and the number of slaves. The list for St. James also includes the types of buildings that were burned. The list is followed by an explanation of its contents, and estimates of the financial losses caused [M]. See 1831 uprising.
From a New York newspaper, brief accounts of the 1831-1832 slave rebellion. [F]
The 1831 Slave Insurrection: Excerpts from letters from Jamaica stating opinions and the underlying issues, as found in Colonial Office Correspondence.[M]
1832-1833 Comments on Emancipation, prior to the government's final proposals,as found in Colonial Office Correspondence. [F]
The Inventory of the estate of George Huie of Trelawny contains the names of over 50 slaves.[M]
A Conveyance from Anthony Wilkinson to John Clark in 1838 included the names of 112 slaves, who were by then apprentices.[F]
A proclamation by Governor Smith concerning apprentices from Colonial Office Correspondence CO 137/231-232. [M]
Emancipation 1838, a view of Spanish Town square and the celebrations. [F]
Reception of members in the mission in Lititz, St. Elizabeth 1839-1845, containing new name, old slave name, country of origin, and residence in Jamaica [M]. See [F] links to Lititz receptions.
Excerpts from the book Jamaica in 1850 look at some of the causes of the economic problems of Jamaica in 1850. [F]
Throughout the Registers of the various churches that are found on this site, there are people identified as slaves or apprentices. Using the Search button, a search should be done for them by name, or doing general searches on the words "slave" or "slaves".
The names of slaves may often be found in Wills, as slave 'owners' left their slaves to their descendants or others. Sometimes a testator left instructions in the Will for certain slaves to be freed. For an example of a will with a long list of slaves, see John Malcolm's will [M].
An Inventory and Appraisal was made of the personal property and rights of deceased persons as a part of Probate. For some Inventories that contained the names of hundreds of slaves [M], see Inventories and Appraisals [F].
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