Catalogue description Despatches from Sir James Leith, governor of Barbados [items 4, 6-11, and 16], and from...

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Details of CO 28/85
Reference: CO 28/85
Description:

Despatches from Sir James Leith, governor of Barbados [items 4, 6-11, and 16], and from President John Spooner, his deputy [items 1-3, 5, 13 and 15], together with correspondence from 'offices' (Government departments and other organisations) and from individuals on matters relating to Barbados. The volume includes papers on 'Bussa's Rebellion'. Despatches are described at item level; correspondence from offices and individuals is not, and details are as follows:

  • George Knox, merchant (memorial concerning trade and shipping);
  • Transport Office (detention of transports in the West Indies, forwards letter from their agent reporting his arrival at Plymouth with despatches);
  • Army Medical Board Office (hospital provision);
  • G W Jordan, agent for Barbados (requests interview and encloses address of the Legislature to the Prince Regent together with their resolutions on the Slave Registry Bill, further on registration);
  • Treasury (approves bill for secretary's salary and stationery submitted by Spooner, transfer of naval buildings to military authorities [two letters], President Spooner's salary claim);
  • Admiralty (President Spooner's request for promotion for his nephew, naval hospitals to be transferred to military authorities, buildings belonging to the naval establishment at Barbados to be transferred to military authorities [two letters], asks if there are any despatches to be sent to Barbados or Jamaica, forwards letter from Rear Admiral John Harvey reporting on the slave insurrection);
  • Privy Council Office (legal opinion on 1813 Act laying a duty on sugar and sugar products imported into Barbados);
  • John Fraser (seeks appointment of Samuel Otto Bayer as a commissioner in place of the late Mr Harman);
  • J W Wollin, agent to the Missions of the United Brethren (requests letter to be sent to governor recommending Mr Jens Olufsen and his wife, of Denmark, who have been appointed to assist in the work of the mission);
  • John Trotter (requests information about the slave insurrection);
  • Lloyds (forwards brief extract of a letter from their agent at St Vincent reporting that an insurrection has taken place at Barbados and that St Vincent is under martial law but that 'no bad disposition has evinced itself amongst the Negro Population');
  • W Irvine (his ship the Charles Milne);
  • Joseph Wain[?] (refers to information received from Barbados);
  • West India Committee (seeks address from House of Lords on the subject of the insurrection similar to that adopted by the House of Commons);
  • Mr Butterworth (wishes to consult laws of Barbados and St Vincent);
  • Nathaniel White (seeks appointment to the vacant post of collector of customs at Speight Town);
  • James Cook (seeks response to previous correspondence relating to his suspension);
  • Captain Thomas Moody (resumption of civil government and slave registration proposals, reports severe illness of Sir James Leith and comments on various local matters, payment of bill by his agents [two letters], memorandum to the bishop of Durham on the disposal of captured Africans and other matters);
  • Mr Freelth[?] (forwards extract of letter from Barbados claiming that 'the disposition of the Slaves in general is very bad they are sullen & sulky and seem to cherish feeling of deep revenge' and stating that the system of government in Trinidad is very superior);
  • Board of Trade (Act No 325 'for the encouragement of Hamlet Wilson ... in making and refining sea salt');
  • C Grant (statistics of captured slaves and reported plot for slave revolt in Demerara and Berbice);
  • Members of the Barbados Council (confirmation that John Spooner has administered the government);
  • M Thomas, surgeon, Royal Artillery (his travelling expenses in connection with delivery of information relating to the insurrection);
  • Inspector of Hospitals (trial of certain medicines [with details of clinical observations in cases of fever]);
  • Edward Stehelin (seeks appointment as governor);
  • Lord Combermere (seeks appointment as governor).

Date: 1816
Held by: The National Archives, Kew
Legal status: Public Record(s)
Closure status: Open Document, Open Description

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