Details

Subject(s)

• Caribbean Area—History [Browse]
• Letter writing [Browse]
• Letters [Browse]

Digitizer

• Adam Matthew Digital (Firm) [Browse]

Series

Colonial Caribbean: Module 2

Compiled/​Created

Jun-Oct 1839.

Summary note

• CO 28/128/1. Acknowledges receipt of certain despatches. General No. 13, folios 2-2A. 03/06/1839. CO 28/128/2. Forwards account of expenses incurred on his recent visit to other islands. Explains inability to visit St Vincent because of illness. Barbados No. 68, folios 3-4A. 08/06/1839. CO 28/128/3. Acknowledges receipt of certain despatches. General No. 13 [number repeated], folios 5-5A. 12/06/1839. CO 28/128/4. Printed copy of despatch forwarding reports of appeals combined with general abstracts of cases heard by local magistrates. Barbados No. 69, folios 6-12. 15/06/1839. CO 28/128/5. Acknowledges receipt of certain despatches. General No. 14, folios 13-13A. 17/06/1839. CO 28/128/6. Forwards blue book for 1838 [not in item]. Barbados No. 71, folios 14-14A. 01/07/1839. CO 28/128/7. Acknowledges receipt of certain despatches. General No. 16, folios 15-15A. 01/07/1839. CO 28/128/8. Submits vouchers [not in item] supporting his expenses for recent visit to Tobago, Trinidad and Grenada. Barbados No. 72, folios 16-16A. 08/07/1839. CO 28/128/9. Printed copy of despatch forwarding charge of the chief justice and reply of the Grand Inquest at the recent Bridgetown sessions, with report of disposal of prisoners. Barbados No. 73, folio 17. 10/07/1839. CO 28/128/10. Printed copy of despatch forwarding reports of appeals before the Assistant Court of Appeal combined with a general abstract of cases heard by local magistrates during June. Barbados No. 74, folios 18-21. 10/07/1839. CO 28/128/11. States that he has granted six months' leave to John Rycroft Best and John S Gaskin, members of the Council. Barbados No. 75, folios 23-23A. 10/07/1839. CO 28/128/12. Forwards address to the queen from 'certain lately emancipated Agriculturalists of the parish of St Thomas' [51 names appended]. With their message to the governor and his reply. Barbados No. 76, folios 24-29. 10/07/1839. CO 28/128/13. Acknowledges receipt of certain despatches. General No. 17, folios 31-31A. 16/07/1839. CO 28/128/14. Acknowledges receipt of instructions from English Friendly Societies which have been laid before the Council and Assembly. Unnumbered, folio 32. 23/07/1839. CO 28/128/15. Returns seal of Barbados of the reign of William IV [not in item], for which the seal of Queen Victoria has been substituted. Barbados No. 77, folios 33-33A. 23/07/1839. CO 28/128/16. Forwards copies of his messages to the Legislature relating to the Police and Militia laws. Barbados No. 78, folios 34-38. 23/07/1839. CO 28/128/17. States that he has granted six months' leave to Sir Reynold Alleyne and James Holder Alleyne, members of the Council. Barbados No. 79, folios 39-39A. 26/07/1839. CO 28/128/18. Acknowledges receipt of certain despatches. General No. 18, folios 40-40A. 01/08/1839. CO 28/128/19. Forwards copies of addresses to him presented by the House of Assembly on his recent illness. Barbados No. 80, folios 41-44. 02/08/1839. CO 28/128/20. Forwards Act [unnumbered] 'to amend the Quarantine Law of this Island' [copy of Act not in item]. With summary and report of the solicitor general. Barbados No. 81, folios 45-47A. 06/08/1839. CO 28/128/21. Reports that amendments of the Militia Act and a new Police Act have been passed by the House of Assembly and he expects that the enactments will be carried in the Legislative Council. Barbados No. 82, folios 48-48A. 07/08/1839. CO 28/128/22. Reports intention of the House of Assembly to name Mr Clarke, solicitor general and acting attorney general, as their speaker. States his objection on ground that the roles are incompatible. Barbados No. 83, folios 49-52. 07/08/1839. CO 28/128/23. States that he will provide Mr Phipps with an appointment as soon as a suitable position arises. Barbados No. 84, folios 54-54A. 14/08/1839. CO 28/128/24. Reports his provisional appointment to seats in the Council of Samuel Maxwell Hinds and John Henry Nurse. Barbados No. 85, folios 55-56A. 15/08/1839. CO 28/128/25. Acknowledges receipt of certain despatches. General No. 19, folios 57-57A. 20/08/1839. CO 28/128/26. States that legislation regulating the Militia and the Police has been unanimously agreed by the Legislative Council. Barbados No. 86, folios 58-59. 26/08/1839. CO 28/128/27. Forwards papers relating to the recent outbreak of small pox in Barbados and asks for a supply of vaccine. Barbados No. 87, folios 60-67. 27/08/1839. CO 28/128/28. Acknowledges receipt of certain despatches. General No. 20, folios 69-69A. 27/08/1839. CO 28/128/29. Forwards letter from Mr Clarke on the subject of compatibility of positions of attorney general and speaker of the House of Assembly, but states that Mr Clarke's views have not changed his own opinion. Barbados No. 88, folios 70-78. 28/08/1839. CO 28/128/30. Forwards papers relating to the proposed prosecution of Mr Taylor for a breach of the British laws against the slave trade. Proposes sending Captain Hamilton on a mission to Texas to recover certain enslaved persons. Barbados No. 89, folios 79-83A. 02/09/1839. CO 28/128/31. Forwards further documents relating to the small pox outbreak. Barbados No. 90, folios 84-97. 13/09/1839. CO 28/128/32. Printed copy of a despatch forwarding reports of appeals before the Assistant Court of Appeal combined with a general abstract of cases heard by the local magistates during July. Barbados No. 91, folios 98-102. 13/09/1839. CO 28/128/33. Forwards the following Acts [copies not in item]: No. 698, 'to consolidate and amend the provisional Acts relating to the Militia of this Island and to provide for the better organisation of the same' -- No. 699, 'to augment the number and increase the pay of the Police Force and to consolidate the Laws relating thereto'. With summaries and reports of the solicitor general. Barbados No. 92, folios 103-124. 13/09/1839. CO 28/128/34. Forwards the following Acts [copies not in item]: No. 700, 'to authorise the payment of a certain sum of money to Thomas, a labourer of Mapp's Plantation in the Parish of St Philip in this Island' -- No. 701, 'to authorise the appointment of Weighting Officers at the shipping ports in this Island' -- No. 702, 'to confer certain rights on persons of foreign origin' -- No. 703, 'to remunerate the Honorable Robert Bowcher Clarke, Her Majesty's Solicitor General of this Island, for his services in conducting prosecutions at the Courts of Grand Sessions, and otherwise executing the office of Attorney General'. With summaries and legal opinions. Barbados No. 93, folios 125-131. 13/09/1839. CO 28/128/35. Printed copy of despatch forwarding certain documents illustrating the anxiety of the Privy Council, solicitor general and special justices to facilitate appeals on the part of persons 'in poor circumstances'. Barbados No. 94, folio 132. 13/09/1839. CO 28/128/36. Acknowledges receipt of certain despatches. General No. 21, folios 133-133A. 13/09/1839. CO 28/128/37. Reports the arrival of Mr Day as emigration agent for British Guiana, and explains the precautions he has taken short of imposing undue restrictions on the movement of labourers. Barbados No. 95, folios 134-168. 19/09/1839. CO 28/128/38. Printed copy of a despatch relating to the Colonial Office opinion that Barbados lacks 'proper laws to regulate the relations between the labourers and their employers'. Barbados No. 96, folio 168. 19/09/1839. CO 28/128/39. In reply to a request for a testimonial from Reverend W M Harte, rector of St Mary's, states his favourable opinion of Harte's character and merits, and refers to the 'unwearied zeal and humanity exhibited by him in his care and attendance on the prisoners in the Gaol of Bridgetown'. Barbados No. 97, folios 170-171. 21/09/1839. CO 28/128/40. Printed copy of a despatch forwarding reports of appeals before the Assistant Court of Appeal combined with a general abstract of cases heard by the local magistates during August. Barbados No. 98, folios 172-174. 21/09/1839. CO 28/128/41. Expenses of conveying five military convicts to England. Convicts named as: John Sullivan, 36th Regiment -- James Smith, 69th Regiment -- Owen M Mayne, 69th Regiment -- John Wisby, 36th Regiment -- and Tomothy Cotton, 14th Regiment. Barbados No. 106, folios 175-175A. 21/09/1839. CO 28/128/42. Arrangements for the transporting of military convicts. Barbados No. 107, folios 176-177. 21/09/1839. CO 28/128/43.
• Reports that he has granted six months' leave of absence to Samuel Hinds, recently appointed provisionally to a seat on the Council, and forwards copies of communication between himself and Hinds and of an address to Hinds from inhabitants of the parish of St Peter's. Refers to Hinds as 'an accomplished Gentleman of Fortune'. Barbados No. 99, folios 178-182A. 30/09/1839. CO 28/128/44. Forwards further papers relating to small pox and the sanitary conditions of the island. Barbados No. 100, folios 183-193. 03/10/1839. CO 28/128/45. Forwards copy of the examination of Colonel Falls, deputy adjutant general, and Colonel Tyler, deputy quartermaster
• general, before a committee of the Legislature with reference to the Police and Militia laws. With statement of annual expenditure and probable outlay for the Police Force. Barbados No. 101, folios 194-201. 03/10/1839. CO 28/128/46. Acknowledges receipt of certain despatches. General No. 22, folios 202-202A. 08/10/1839. CO 28/128/47. Forwards correspondence relating to Mr Day's attempts 'to seduce the Laborers of Barbados to emigrate to British Guiana'. States that since the disallowance of a British Guiana ordinance Mr Day is now conducting the traffic in emigration on his own private account. Barbados No. 102, folios 203-254. 09/10/1839. CO 28/128/48. Describes the various appointments he has held in the West Indies since 1832 and expresses his mortification at being overlooked during recent changes that have taken place in the Government of Jamaica and the command of the forces in the Windward Islands. Barbados No. 103, folios 255-261. 09/10/1839. CO 28/128/49. His thanks for grant of six months' leave of absence. Barbados No. 104, folios 262-263A. 09/10/1839. CO 28/128/50. States that he has repaid to the military chest the sum of £20, part of his expenses on his recent visit to other islands, not accepted by the Treasury. Barbados No. 105, folios 264-265A. 09/10/1839. CO 28/128/51. Asks for certain of his despatches to be renumbered. Unnumbered, folios 266-266A. 15/10/1839. CO 28/128/52. Refers to appointment of Lord John Russell as secretary of state for the Colonial Department. General No. 23, folios 267-267A. 19/10/1839. CO 28/128/53. Acknowledges receipt of certain despatches. General No. 24, folios 268-268A. 19/10/1839. CO 28/128/54. Forwards the following Acts [copies not in item]: No. 704, 'to authorise John Perkins Archer to drive piles and erect a wharf in the sea aback of his premises situate in Speight's Town in the Parish of St Peter' -- No. 705, 'to establish associated Fire Companies for the more adequate protection of the inhabitants of Bridgetown against the effects of fire'. With summaries and legal opinions. Barbados No. 106, folios 269-275. 23/10/1839. CO 28/128/55. Forwards address to the queen from the agricultural population of the parish of St John, expressing 'their gratitude for the boon of freedom', together with copies of correspondence between their deputation and himself. Barbados No. 107, folios 277-282. 24/10/1839. CO 28/128/56. Printed copy of a despatch forwarding reports of appeals before the Assistant Court of Appeal combined with a general abstract of cases heard by the local magistrates during September. Barbados No. 108, folios 283-286. 24/10/1839. CO 28/128/57. Explains that no suitable employment for Mr Phipps has been found. With statement of Phipps's claim. Barbados No. 109, folios 287-290. 25/10/1839. CO 28/128/58. Reports the arrest of Mr John Taylor on a charge of having 'on or about the 6th Day of November 1835, in and on board a certain vessel called the Mary Ann , carried away and removed from this Island, certain persons to wit, April Lashley, Samuel McIntosh, William Hicks, Edward Whitaker, William Gunsil, Samuel Redman, Hard Fare, and Thomasin Ann, in order to their being dealt with as slaves.'. With various enclosures. Barbados No. 110, folios 291-304. 26/10/1839. CO 28/128/59. Complains about proceedings of Mr Day as emigration agent for British Guiana, describing him as 'extensively and unscrupulously troublesome'. With various enclosures including memorial from Day, extracts from newspapers, and representations from Joseph Thorne, the harbour master, 'which derive unusual interest from his well known worth, and benevolence of character, and from the circumstance of his having been himself a Slave'. Barbados No. 111, folios 306-333. 26/10/1839. CO 28/128/60. Printed copy of despatch forwarding returns of appeal cases and magistrates' reports together with return of the quantity of sugar manufactured by the emancipated labourers and of stock in their possession. Barbados No. 112, folios 334-365. 26/10/1839.

Notes

• AMDigital Reference:CO 28/128.
• CO 28.

Original version

Reproduction of: Barbados, Jun-Oct 1839, Despatches : Evan Murray John McGregor, governor of Barbados, Jun-Oct 1839.

Location of originals

The National Archives, UK

Copyright note

Images including crown copyright images reproduced by courtesy of The National Archives, London, England. www.nationalarchives.gov.uk

Language note

English

Statement on language in description

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