Barking Programme teaching materials

The Church and the Slave Trade

These are a collection of transcripts of documents taken from the Essex County records Office at Chelmsford relating to Essex and the Slave Trade and the Church in Essex and East London and the Slave Trade.If you have any parish / church records of peoples originally from the Caribbean and or Africa prior to the First World War we would be very interested in knowing about them. Please e-mail the Barking programme at livingfaith@stluke-ilford.org.uk

This is a significant chapter in the Church's history and one that needs to be carefully studied and understood as its still has implications for today. This study day will form part of a series of events held through out the Diocese and will link into the field trip to a special exhibition on the slave trade planned for latter on in the year.

How you might use these documents?

In a discussion group get people to think about:

An inventory of the Estate owned by a wealthy Essex gentleman.

Inventory of Sundry's on the Estate of John Conyers Esqr taken the 15th of February 1779

One Dwelling House with a Cellar underneath, In good repair

One Kitchen & Steward roomOne Sick House & Horse Stable } Wants Repairing

One Necessary House }

One Thatched Shed for the Mules, Wants a good one

One Boiling House & Curing House with a Cellar underneath

The Curing House In good RepairIn the Boiling House is

Three Coppers & one Furnace, FiveScummers, Three Ladles, One Lamp,

Three Coolers, OneReservoir, Two Wire Strainers, One Shovel,

Two Spouts & Two PailsIn the Cellar under the Curing (say Molasses Cellar) is part

Of two Keggs wth Spikes & Half Crown Nails, One large Oil Jar,One small do,

One old broken Bell & a few Tiles

One Distilling House & a rum Cellar underneath wth Two Stills

In the Distilling House is Fifteen Butts for selling Liquor

One of them Bad, with Spouts, Pails, & Ladder

In the Rum Cellar is Five Butts, Two Brass Cocks,

Six Canns, a Box Bubbles, Guaging [Gauging] Rod,

Proof Phial And Wooden funnel

In the Cellar under the Dwelling House is a little Fish

And Beane which is now in Use

In the Sick House is Four Cribbs for Sick Negro's to lye on

One Cattle Mill wth Spout & Sweeps, the Mill a bad one

One Cart for Horned Cattle in good order

One do. for Mules good for nothing

One New Copper, One old do., One Pr Steelyards, One Silver brand

One Grindstone, Two large Iron pots, Two Small do.,

Coopers & Carpenters Tools, One Pick Axe, Crow & Sledge,

One GunOne Sword, One Pr of old brass Mounted Pistols,

One ??? ofSugar H hds Truss Hoops7 Horned Cattle, two of them old

16 Mules, several of them old

103 Negro's as ? list Annexed

NB the Coppers & Stills want to be new Hung List of Negro's such as are fitt for Service

Fay

Driver

Harry

Hereford Boiler

Peter

Mouo George

Aaraw Fire Men

Hamilton

Noey Distillers

Vanlo

Simon

Jacko Carter

Tom

Frank

Franswa

Morall Mill Boys

Quashe

Dick

Mathew, Cooper & Carpenter

Crusoe, Cooper very Old

George, Stock Keeper Old

Boatswain

Sampson

Jack

Sammy

Sambo

Cox

Ernesto

Johnny

James

Will, a new Negro

Creole Will In the House

William

Johnny

Vanlo With George

Tyrconnell

Hannah

Grace

Cubba

Mary Barbary

Doll

Sarah

Charlotte

Agnes

Dutchess

Rose

Cumba

Bess

Betty

Madge

Nanny

Peggy

New Negro's

Cotto

Mimba

Tenah

Lukey

Molly

Susannah

Suey

Cathrina

Polly

Sally

A List of Small Negro's, such as doe light Work

Battie

Ben

Toe

Lewey

Jenny

Daniel

List of Children

John

George

Phillip

Mathew

Whitum

A List of Infirm & Invalids

Sewin

Angulla

Infirm & of very little Use

Bass

Phillip

Nobody

Monday

Little Peiro

Adam

Friday

Good for nothing

Fido

Cotto

Sue

Jenny

Moll Nice

Eve

Nancy

Meah

Minnah

Kate

Dianah

Hannah

Marote

Mark

Infirm & of very little Use

Dinah

Ruthey

Joan

Ann

Mouo

Chole

Good for nothing

Philliday

Thompson

Betty is blind

Precilla NB Precilla Is one of the New Negro's distempered many of the others Indiffrent

Dianah Hannah

Born since the last list sent you

Witman

Big Peiro

Dyed since the last List

Church wardens Accounts for St Margaret's Barking 1748

The Parish of Barking D[irections] to Wm Knight Churchwarden

For Disbursements to the Poor etc... June 4th 1748

To a Company of Poor Slaves 0. 1. 0

The Letter of Attorney of Archibald Ingram concerning his slave holdings 1776.

To all to whom these Present shall Come I Archibald Ingram late of the Island of Saint Vincent in America now of Stratford nearBow in the county of Essex Esquire but shortly going again to the said Island Send Greetings Where as I the said Archibald Ingram am Seized or Possessed of Interested in or Intitled unto the several Plantations Pieces and Parcels of Land Hereditainments and Premises Situated in the Island of Saint Vincent in America and herein after mentioned that is to say To Three Town Lots in the Parish of Saint George in the Town of Kingstown No 13, 14 and 15 fronting the Sea one hundred and fifty feet and the same backwards to long Lanes by Onehundred and forty feet deep fronting one way to the River of Kingstone and large Parade and bounded the other way by Town lots the property of Benjamin Franklin Esquire of London together with the several Buildings thereon Erected Standing or being and also of in or to a Plantation Piece or Parcel of land Called the Thatchd House Plantation in the Parish of Saint Patrick in the Said Island Containing Ninety Acres or thereabouts part thereof Planted in Coffee and part in Wood And also of in or to Another Plantation Piece or Parcel of Land situated in the said Parish of Saint Patrick in the said Island called the Whim Plantation Containing Fifty seven Acres or thereabouts partly Planted with Coffee partlywith provisions and partly in Woods And also of in and to the several Messuages Tenements Dwelling Houses Negroe Houses Boiling Houses Still Houses Edifies Erected Buildings Etc... Mills Stills Worm Coppers Furnaces and of and in all other Plantation Utensils now Standing being or belonging to the said two several Plantations pieces or parcels of land or any part thereof And also of in and to fifty three Negroes or Slaves on or about the said several Plantations and Premises and herein after particularly named that is to say Negroe Men Alick James, Caledon, Sterling, Quashie, Gelding, Peter, Glasgoe, Fortune, Chance, Tom, Hob, Paddy, Joe, Martin, Cato, Primrose, Bob, Green, Oliver, MarchmountPeregrina, Willmot, Neare and Wilker, Negroe Women Marcia, and her Child, Cook Nurse, Maret Sally, Baby, Peggy, Creole Nancy, Ellis Nancy, Yellow nanny, black Fanny, Bella, Nelly, Saphy, Venies, Cloe, Mary, Jessey, Bess and Violet. Young Children Boys and Girls Kate, Clarissa, Diana, Naricissa, Charlotte, Tom, Archie and Johnny And Whereas I the said Archibald Ingram being about to Go to the said Island of Saint Vincent in America and being Desirous that John Mills and Sherland Swanson Of Great Saint Helens London Merchants and Partners should have a full Power and Authority from me to raise any Sum or Sums on Money they shall or may think proper Not exceeding the Sum of Four Thousand pounds sterling on the said Plantation Messages Lands Tenements Negroes Hereditaments and Premises or any part thereof or on all or anyother Plantation Message Lands Tenements Negros Hereditatments and Premises I am or shall be Possessed of Interested in or Intitled unto in the said island of Saint Vincent in any party thereof where by mortgage or by grant Annuancey for one or more Live or Life And to leave the said John Mills and Sherland Swanson full power and Authority for that purpose as hereafter mentioned Now therefore Know Ye that the said Archibald Ingram Have Made Ordain Constituted and Appointed and in my place and stead putand by these present Do make Ordain Constitute and Appoint and in my place and Stead put the said John Mills and Sherland Swanson and each of them my true and lawful Attorneys and Attorney Jointly or severally for me the said Archibald Ingram and in my Name to borrow procure and take up any Sum or Sums of Money not exceeding the Sum of Four thousand pounds sterling they my said attorneys shall think proper either on the said Plantations Messages Lands Tenements Hereditaments and Premises or any part thereof Andon all or any other Plantations Messages Lands Tenements Negroes or Slaves Hereditaments and Premises I am or shall be Seized or Possessed of Interested in or Intailed unto in the said Island of St Vincent by way of Mortgage or Mortgages in fee for a Term or Terms of years or by Granting one or more Annuity or Annuities for a life or Lives and for any Sum or Sums of money and for Such consideration as they my said Attorneys or Attorney or either of them shall hereafter from time to time think proper And also for me and in myName place and stead to execute Sign Seal and deliver as my Act and deed or Acts and Deeds any Deed or Deeds with such Covenants Clauses Provisions and Agreements And any Bond or bonds Solely in my Name or with any other person or persons for the purpose aforesaid or either of them And also to ask demand and Receive of and from all and every person or persons whomsoever all Debts Dues Dutys Sum and Sums on Moneys and Effects now due Owing or belonging unto me or which shall hereafter become Due Owing or belonging unto me from any person or persons whomsoever and on Payment thereof or of any part thereof to give Receipts Accquttances or other Discharges for the same And in Case of non-payment or non delivery thereof or of any part thereof to Commence one or more Action or actions either in Law or Equity and to Prosecute the same with Effect and generally to do all other Acts Matters and things as they my said Attorneys or either of them shall think fit or proper as fully and Effectually to all Intents and Purposes as I the said Archibald Ingram might or could do if personally present hereby ratifying Allowing and Confirming and I will at all times hereafter ratify Allow and Confirm All and whatsoever my said Attorneys or either of them shall lawfully do or Cause to be done in about touching or concerning the said Premises by Virtue of these Present And I the said Archibald Ingram do hereby Nominate Constitutre and Appoint William Walker and William Neale of the said Island of St Vincent Esquires my true and lawful Attorneys and Attorney Jointly or either of them severally to Acknowledge the hand and Seal of me the said Archibald Ingram Set and affixed hereunto to be the Hand and Seal of me the said Archibald Ingram and to Acknowledge this present Letter of Attorney as the Act and deed of me the said Archibald Ingram before the Register of the said Island of Saint Vincent for the time being or his lawful Deputy or other Competent person in Order that the same may be Registered and recorded in the said Island of Saint Vincent according to the Laws and Constitutions thereof as fully and Effectually to all Intents and Purposes as I the said Archibald Ingram might could or ought to do if personallypresent and the doer thereof In Witness whereof I the said Archibald Ingram have hereunto set my Hand and Seal the twenty seventh day of April in the sixteenth year of the reign of king George the third and in the year of our lord One Thousand Seven hundred and Seventy six. Sealed and Delivered being firstduly Stamped in the Presents of Us

Essex Records Office D/DA T575

Extract from a Newspaper Article from 1711 recorded in the Essex Review for 1918

Woodford. Tho. Smith a well set black man, lank black hair, much pock broken, about five foot a half high, about 30 years of age, born at Watford Hertfordshire, went away from his master Tho. Bekford of Woodford in Essex, Cordwiner, on Friday, the 17th inst and robbing him of money out of his said masters drawers. Whoever discovers the said Tho. smith and gives notice to Tho. Bekford aforesaid, or to Mr. Welsh at the Talbot White Chappel, so that he may be apprehended shall have 10s reward.

A Letter to a plantation owner living in Epping regarding his holdings in St Kitts.

Sept 30th 1783

Dear Sir St Kitts 

I wrote you a few lines the 29th ist via Antigua Acknowledging the Rect of your favours of the 4th June & 4th July And now inform you as soon as I reced the latter of which was not till 28 August, Agreeable to your desire, I wrote Mr Grant on the Subject of it, received his assistance in getting the Negros ready And to let me know, when I might send up for them, his answer I did not recievce till 15th Inst. Opportunities not being so frequentat this season of the year, as at other times, and was then informed the Negros seemed Happy at being removed to this Island, and that they would be ready whenever sent for - I accordingly hired a vessel On the 17th and my son sent up for them. Mr Canes him self being both of the opinion, it would be the safest and bestway of getting them down - he returned the 25th with 51 NegrosAgreeable to suit list, and I am sorry to observe to you there Is not more than thirty one that can be of any use fourteen Being superannuated, Distempered ???? etc...Six children you Desire. I will state fully the advantage this increase of strength Will be to the Estate - I will do it and in as clean as manner as I possible can - you very well know I have repeatedly wrote And also told you personally, how much your Estate was in want of Negroes, and without assistance being given the crops must fall very short of what the Estate is capable of making and I do now give it as my candid opinion, that from the strength that was on it, the Estate could not possibly have made more that 50 or perhaps 60 hunds a year, And must've been at Considerable expense, for hiring of Negros by the day to assist till made of, and whereas the addition of those Negro's from Antigua, you may expect Annually 80 or 90 hundredthsThe latter number most likely, that is after the next crop and When the Island makes a full crop you may expect 100 hundrth And without the expense of hiring Negros by the day to assist-so that it is clear to me you'l recive considerable advantage By putting this strength on your estate as to planting the Mountain lands. I would not by any means attempt it yet a whileThe pasture already under cultivation for cane will keep them employed For some time to come - the Negros are well satisfied at being Brought here and my son says look as well, if not better than When he received them at Antigua - I can not doubt their doing Well, many of them meeting their old acquaintances on theEstate, and living under a person I will answer for, will treat them with the greatest humanity - how any man aquanted with the West Indian Islands, can form an idea that Negroes Suffer anything material by being moved from one Island to Another is to me surprising and I am glad to find you look on That idea in the light it deserves - some little inconvenience Must unavoidably attend it, but even this will hardly be felt By yours for by the reasons above given - there will be a Necessity for purchasing mules and horse cattle for next crop Also your making addition to the stores, annually sent out the crop for next year promises to be a pretty good one and hope We shall meet no interruption in making of and shipping where We please, which the long delay in signing the definitive treaty Makes us in some measure fearful of I am dear sir

Your most humble Sert Stedman Rawlins

 

Oct 6th

Dear Sir

The vessel by whom the foregoing was intended Staying so much longer than expected gives me opportunity Of acknowledging the rect of your letter of August Packet Having been as far I am able sufficiently explicit, on theAdvantages that would accrue from putting on the additional Strength you have on your estate should have little more to add, was it not for What you say respecting some Planters in this Island Who for the sake of a few additional hunds of sugar, force It may be said form the vitals of their Negros. And Among whom you wish not be ranked - I musty desireIn your next letter, you be more explicit on this matter As it seems to indicate, what I can not clearly compre-hend- give me leave to assure you I know not of any Such planters, & I wish to avoid such inhuman treatment Being laid to my charge, as any man whatever I am P.S.

Dear Sir My son here recd 9 hund rum part payment of your leases & the 40? tax for this year discount

Your most hble servtIn

Stedman Rawlins

Essex Records Office D/DB B8

Letter asking for permission to hold a meeting of the abolitionist in Chelmsford 1830.

To the Chairman and Justice of the Quarter Sessions Gentlemen, It being intended to hold a public meeting of the Inhabitants of Chelmsford to consider the propriety of petitioning Parliament to abolish Colonial Slavery, the Committee of Chelmsford Anti Slavery Society would feel greatly obliged by being permitted to hold the said meeting in the Nisi PriusCourt on the 23rd Inst (Saturday) at 12 o'clock. Should the said Court be then at liberty.

I remain very respectfully etc.

John Candler

Chelmsford 16th of the 10th month (October) 1830 Secretary to the Committee.

Essex Records Office Q/SBb 501/85

A Letter from R. T. Hughes at Salem, New Jersey commenting on the slave trade 1794...

The woods in general where I am are oak of several sorts which grow an 100 ft high interspersed with Chestnut, hickory, saxifrage and without any under wood unless it be in the swamps which in general produce cedars, towards the sea shore the land bear large pine trees but there the land is poor being a barren sandy soil. One great disadvantage a farmer labours under here is the want of men to till the ground for very few labouring men are to be found in the country every man thinks himself independent and almost every man has a plantation less or more of his own. The very name of master is abohor'd and never used by any but the slaves which are brought from Africa. I wish this abominable trade was abolish'd which so much prevails in this country. I mean the slave trade, which I hope will soon be effected. The weather for the two last months has been very warm I think hotter than ever I felt it in England but the mornings and evenings are cool it has been very sultry hot to day; the mosquitoes are very trouble some and seem very fond of European beef; but I am enemy To them as they seem to govern by aristocracy, I therefore murder them if I can tho often with the loss of my own blood. I cannot but wonder Sir that you still keep contending with the French through repeated success convinces you of their impenetrability - . If I pay a visit to any of my neighbours the topic of their conversation is in declaring that Frenchmen are free, and I think every true republican will acquiesce with them - What havoch as contention made 50,000 men we are inform'd fell in flanders in the month of May without either side gaining 2 leagues of ground, is France to be conquered at this rate of human immolation if so all Europe must be depopulated, before one province in france can be subjugated; on one side freedom is the object of defence and on the other side of the allies the plea is Christianity...

Essex Record Office D/DU 371/12

Records of slaves in the Barking area from Parish Registers .

Baptisms at St Mary's South Woodford

Ffrancis the sonne of a AEthiopian, baptized at Beehive 15th June 1653

Charles Novo a black at Mr Lackstons was bapt November 1st 1695

George Pompey a black at Madm Bettons Oct 27 1699

George Pompey, a Black Servant to Sr Fisher Tench September 3rd 1735

The Parish of Leyton Baptisms

Robert Poppogunde blackamoore baptized 5th November 1667

Hope Heath a Black Mayd about 21. July 12 1696

George, a Black servant to Sr Fisher Tench Bart. Aged 20 November 7 1725

Dorothy, a black Maid Servant to Sr Richard Hopkins Kt June 29 1728

Caser Giner an East India Black 18th March 1778

John Weaver a Black about 10 years of age Oct 4 1730

Burials

Mingo a blackamore belonging to widd Johnson was buried in woollen according to the Act of Parlt as approves by certificate 4th Feb 1678/9

Thomas London A Black April 12 1729

 

Our thanks to the Essex County records Office for permission to publish these transcripts and to the Revd Dr Jane Freeman for checking the transcriptions with the originals.

Page last edited: 13/04/2007
Feedback on this page: contact Webmaster