Details

Subject(s)

• Caribbean Area—History [Browse]

Digitizer

• Adam Matthew Digital (Firm) [Browse]

Series

Colonial Caribbean: Module 2

Compiled/​Created

1837.

Summary note

• Despatches from Governor Major General Sir Stephen Chapman as well as letters from various 'offices' (Government departments and other organisations) and individuals on matters related to Bermuda. Despatches are described at item level -- correspondence from offices and individuals is not. CO 37/98/1. Quarterly report of the governor's service. Unnumbered, folio 3. 01/01/1837. CO 37/98/2. Acknowledges the receipt of despatches. Unnumbered, folio 5. 01/01/1837. CO 37/98/3. Quarterly report of officers in execution of their duties from 1 October to 31 December 1836. No. 39, folio 7. 01/01/1837. CO 37/98/4. Forwards a list of the Members of Council showing the dates they were appointed to the Council as well as the dates they were appointed to other offices. No. 40, folios 9-10. 01/01/1837. CO 37/98/5. Reports the wreck of the Enchantress. Notes that the 74 emigrants on board had arrived in 'a state of destitution'. Explains he had used his own salary to assist them because the Powder Fund was empty and the Legislature was not in session. No. 41, folios 13-21. 28/02/1837. CO 37/98/6. Forwards the Blue Book for 1836 [not included in volume]. Encloses the Blue Book report. No. 42, folios 22-28. 04/03/1837. CO 37/98/7. Quarterly report of officers in execution of their duties from 1 January to 31 March 1837. No. 43, folio 29. 01/04/1837. CO 37/98/8. Quarterly report of the governor's service. Unnumbered, folio 31. 01/04/1837. CO 37/98/9. Forwards a copy of the governor's speech given at the opening of the Legislature on 16 May. Notes that the abolition of slavery had worked well without the intermediate state of apprenticeship. Recommends precautions against small pox as found in the West Indies. Considers that a more efficient police system is needed in the towns of St. Georges and Hamilton. Recommends devising a general plan of education for poor children without distinction of class or colour. Reports that an agricultural society had been formed from which beneficial results were expected. No. 44, folios 33-39. 18/05/1837. CO 37/98/10. Explains the inconvenience of the present system of landing the mail at Ireland Island instead of St Georges as was done previously. Encloses correspondence with the Admiral on the subject. No. 45, folios 40-46. 18/05/1837. CO 37/98/11. Forwards a letter from the trustees of Devonshire Academy offering the college's building and land to the Board of Ordnance for use as barracks or other military buildings. The offer was refused. No. 46, folios 47-51. 15/06/1837. CO 37/98/12. Quarterly report of the governor's service. Unnumbered, folios 52-53. 01/07/1837. CO 37/98/13. Acknowledges the receipt of despatches. Unnumbered, folio 54. 01/07/1837. CO 37/98/14. Quarterly report of officers in execution of their duties from 1 April to 1 July. No. 47, folio 56. 01/07/1837. CO 37/98/15. Considers that a lighthouse would be very useful as there had been twelve wrecks during the year. In reply to a despatch concerning H Tucker's suggestion of establishing a lighthouse. No. 48, folios 58-62. 04/07/1837. CO 37/98/16. Sends a message from the Assembly agreeing to reimburse the governor for the £196 16s taken from his salary to assist the emigrants from the wreck of the Enchantress but also recommending that measures be taken to protect them from such 'burdens' in the future. No. 49, folios 63-69. 04/07/1837. CO 37/98/17. Reports sending three convicts under sentence of transportation to England on the merchant brig Stedfast. Listed are Francis Ashley, Hugh Shearlock, and Martin Swan. No. 50, folios 70-75. 11/07/1837. CO 37/98/18. Requests more blank copies of the Blue Book. No. 51, folios 78-81. 15/07/1837. CO 37/98/19. Forwards an application from the chief justice for a commission as judge of the Vice Admiralty Court. No. 52, folios 82-89. 29/07/1837. CO 37/98/20. Forwards an application from the Assembly for the temporary use of a diving bell from the Naval Yard in order to deepen a channel leading to the Port of Hamilton, for which £4000 was voted. No. 53, folios 90-95. 04/08/1837. CO 37/98/21. Reports that the 'fraudulent possession of soldier's necessaries' is a rare crime. In response to a despatch concerning the matter. No. 54, folios 97-100. 30/08/1837. CO 37/98/22. Reports proclaiming Her Majesty Queen Victoria. In response to a despatch announcing the death of the King. No. 55, folios 101-102. 31/08/1837. CO 37/98/23. Forwards an address from the Assembly concerning the arrangements made for the Customs Establishment. In response to a circular of 29 April. No. 56, folios 103-110. 08/09/1837. CO 37/98/24. Forwards a letter from Solicitor General Duncan Stewart asking for a judicial appointment. No. 57, folios 111-115. 09/09/1837. CO 37/98/25. Forwards and recommends an application from Searcher and Waiter Smith, also a Member of Council, for the newly created post of landing and tide surveyor. No. 58, folios 116-124. 27/09/1837. CO 37/98/26. Reports there is no reason why William Tudor Tucker should not be made the United States consul. No. 59, folios 123-124. 30/09/1837. CO 37/98/27. Quarterly report of officers in execution of their duties from 1 July to 1 October. No. 60, folios 125-126. 01/10/1837. CO 37/98/28. Quarterly report of the governor's service. Unnumbered, folios 127-128. 01/10/1837. CO 37/98/29. Forwards the envelope of a despatch of 20 June, announcing the death of William IV, which only arrived on 4 October although the duplicate arrived on 27 August. No. 61, folios 129-132. 01/10/1837. CO 37/98/30. Reports being unable to persuade the Legislature to amend the Act for the education of poor 'white' children. Suggests this is due to the idea that children of 'white' and 'coloured' people could not be made to associate in the same schools. No. 62, folios 133-134. 12/10/1837. CO 37/98/31. Forwards the minutes of the Privy Council from 29 August 1836 to 28 August 1837 [not included in volume, set to the Colonial Office Library]. No. 63, folios 135-136. 14/10/1837. CO 37/98/32. Forwards the minutes of the Legislative Council from 16 May to 5 September [not included in volume, set to the Colonial Office Library]. No. 64, folios 137-138. 14/10/1837. CO 37/98/33. Forwards the journal of the proceedings of the House of Assembly from 16 May to 5 September [not included in volume, set to the Colonial Office Library]. No. 65, folios 139-140. 14/10/1837. CO 37/98/34. Forwards the seventeen Acts passed during the last Legislative session with the attorney general's report [acts not included in volume]. Listed are: No. 1 'An Act to continue and amend an act entitled an act for payment of witnesses attending the Courts of General Assize or Quarter or General Assizes of the Peace in criminal cases' -- No. 2 'An Act to continue an act entitled an act to authorise special sessions of the Court of General Assize' -- No. 3 'An Act to continue an act entitled an act for imposing a tax upon dogs' -- No. 4 'An Act for raising a public revenue' -- No. 5 'An Act to regulate retail liquor shops' -- No. 6 'An Act to continue the act for the regulation of the public gaols, and the act for regulating the diet of prisoners' -- No. 7 'An Act to continue the act for the summary punishment of common assaults and batteries' -- No. 8 'An Act to continue the act for the preservation of the several harbours of these islands' -- No. 9 'An Act to continue the act for consolidating and amending the laws relative to larceny and malicious injuries to property, and the act for the protection of palmetto tops' -- No. 10 'An Act for vesting all estates and property in the Bermuda Islands occupied for the Ordnance service, in the principal officers of the HM Ordnance, and for granting certain powers to the said principle officers' -- No. 11 'An Act to encourage a general vaccination of the inhabitants of these islands' -- No. 12 'An Act to deepen one of the channels leading into the Harbour of Hamilton' -- No. 13 'An Act to establish a company called The Bermuda Flour and Bread Company' -- No. 14 'An Act in addition to the acts related to the public road' -- No. 15 'An Act to amend the act entitled an act to provide for the Custom House Establishment in Bermuda' -- No. 16 'An Act to continue the act to restrain and punish vagrancy' -- No. 17 'An Act for the encouragement of the drainage of marsh lands'. No. 66, folios 141-161. 14/10/1837. CO 37/98/35.
• Forwards a copy of the governor's speech given at the closing of the Legislature on 5 September. No.
• 67, folios 162-165. 14/10/1837. CO 37/98/36. Acknowledges the receipt of a circular of 25 May and despatch No. 51 of 31 August concerning the decision to discontinue the use of transportation as a secondary punishment. Asks how this would operate with military convicts. No. 68, folios 166-168. 19/10/1837. CO 37/98/37. Forwards the Prison returns with answers to the queries and copies of the regulations in force. Also includes plans of the jail lots in Hamilton and St Georges.
• In response to a circular of 5 July. No. 69, folios 169-189. 27/10/1837. CO 37/98/38. Forwards returns of all retired allowance and all officers absent on leave or whose duties were performed by deputies. No. 70, folios 190-199. 23/11/1837. CO 37/98/39. Reports that the disease which had been found in the colony was a very slight yellow fever and had disappeared. No. 71, folios 200-202. 27/11/1837. CO 37/98/40. Strength of the Garrison: forwards his reply to Admiral Sir C Paget's application to detach two companies from the Bermuda garrison due to the rebellion in Canada. Refers to his report to the commander in chief of 20 October 1832. Considers that due to the proximity of the colony to the United States, there was a danger that it could be taken by a 'coup de main'. No. 72, folios 203-217. 20/12/1837. Offices: Admiralty (orders for the mail boat to land at St Georges rather than Ireland Island, chief justice's appointment as judge of the Vice Admiralty Court, agrees to lend a diving bell, confirmation of the Act granting land for the Naval Commissioner's use) -- Foreign Office (appointment of Mr Tucker as United States Consul) -- Home Office (convict John Powers) -- Law Officers (confirmation of the Act encouraging ship building) -- Board of Ordnance (increased estimate for Ireland Island barracks, declines purchase of Devonshire Academy building) -- Treasury (Archdeacon's salary, salary of the secretary of the Auxiliary Commission of Slave Compensation, charge of Custom's Department in St Georges). Individuals: Call Martin and Company (Colonial Secretary Robert Kennedy's salary) -- Cox and Company (the governor's salary certificate) -- James Christie Esten, Chief Justice (his removal from the Council, the religious instruction of 'Negroes') -- B Charles Gray, Agent (Chief Justice Butterfield's application for a commission as judge of the Admiralty) -- John N Harvey (son's inability to do his duty in Customs and his need for employment) -- Thomas Pyne, Curate of Holdenhurst (convict James Clarke) -- John Sankey (convict John Powers) -- Aubrey G Spencer, Archdeacon of Bermuda (arrival in England on leave, salary, dividing the Diocese of Barbados into three Archdeaconries, transfer of Bermuda to another See, need of the Bishop's approval for the nomination of his deputy) -- Henry Tucker (need for a lighthouse to be built in Somerset).

Notes

• AMDigital Reference:CO 37/98.
• CO 37.

Original version

Reproduction of: Bermuda, 1837, Despatches, Offices and Individuals, 1837.

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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