Court records from Dominica, a British colony in the Leeward Islands, January 1814 (CO 71/51)
Transcript
| 1814 Jan[uar]y 15 | John Pierre | Mr Grano | 1814 Jan[uar]y 15 John Pierre Mr Grano Co[ur]t Martial | Attempting to return to the Runaways with Provisions & having been runaway 2 Months | To be hanged | Hanged : Head cut off & put on a Pole. Body hanged on a Gibbet, 16 Jan[uar]y 1814 |
| 15 & 16 | Peter | Hillsbro' Estate | ditto | Exiting a Mutiny among 20 Negroes of the Estate & harvesting them with provisions & while runaway | To be hanged | Hanged. Head cut off & put on a pole. Body hanged on a Gibbet 18 Jan[uar]y 1814 |
| 16 | Hector | Mr Lionne | ditto | Runaway | To receive 100 lashes & to be worked in chains 6 months | Received 100 lashes 16 Jan 1814 & sold 21st April |
| Rachel | Mr Grano | ditto | ditto | To receive 30 lashes & to be worked in chains 3 months | Received 30 lashes & delivered to owner 16th April 1814 | |
| 22 | Dick & Daniel | Hillsbro' Estate | ditto | ditto | To receive 100 lashes | Rec[eived] 100 lashes each, & released to owners att[ention] 22nd Jan 1814 |
| Sarah | ditto | ditto | ditto | To receive 50 lashes | Pardoned & released 30th Jan[uar]y | |
| Hetty, Penny & Placide | ditto | ditto | ditto | To receive 40 lashes each | Received 40 lashes each & returned to owner's att[ention] 22nd Jan[uar]y | |
| 28 | Joseph | Mr Dubocq | ditto | supplying Runaways with salt & with provisions | Not guilty | Discharged |
| Pierre | Mr Polus Estate | ditto | Encouraging the Neg[roe]s upon that estates who had absconded to stay away | To receive 100 lashes & to be worked in chains 6 months | Rec[eived] 100 lashes & died in Jail 6 april | |
| Charles | Mr Bonnjean | ditto | Being runaway near 17 months | ditto | Rec[eived] 100 lashes |
1. Read Source 1. Look at the names on the document.
- These enslaved people originated in Africa. Are these African names? Who named them?
- How many names do the enslaved Africans have? Why weren’t they given surnames?
- Which enslaved people are male and which are female? Does their gender make any difference to how they were treated by the court?
- Dominica had been a French possession until 1763. Which of the slaves have French names?