In the early part of the following year, a French squadron, consisting of six sail of the line, and two frigates, contrived to elude the vigilance of Lord Nelson’s blockading squadron; and leaving Rochefort (France), where they had been hemmed in for the last two years, proceeded to the West Indies. After having made a descent upon Dominica, and levied a heavy contribution upon the inhabitants, obliging the town of Roseau to surrender upon certain terms, the squadron proceeded for Antigua. Great were the fears of the inhabitants when this intelligence reached them; the court of king’s bench and grand sessions were prevented from sitting their usual days on account of the alarm; the militia were called out, and the whole island put into a posture of defence. The French squadron, however, passed Antigua, and landed upon Nevis, and after laying the inhabitants under contribution, proceeded to St. Kitts, and lightened a little the pockets of the Kittifonians. The alarm had scarcely subsided, when news of the arrival of the Toulon fleet, under Admiral Villeneuve, in these seas, was received. Again Antigua prepared for war; but the ferment did not last long; Lord Nelson quickly followed the enemy; and upon his arrival at Barbados on the 4th of June, heard that Admiral Villeneuve had only reached Martinique. The name of this gallant officer so intimidated the French admiral, that he immediately quitted the West Indies, and was followed by Lord Nelson, who was in hopes of overtaking him, and chastising the French for their audacity.
The departure of these squadrons gave the Antiguans a little rest, and enabled them to settle their island business. As peace was not likely to ensue at present, and knowing how liable they were to alarms like the foregoing, the governor, council, and assembly ordained, that in future whenever the court of king’s bench and grand sessions were prevented from sitting on account of the fear of an invasion, it would be lawful for any three or more justices, provided three out of the number should be of the quorum, to meet at the court-house, and by proclamation, adjourn the sessions to a period not less than ten, or longer than fourteen days. An act also passed about this time, containing sixty-eight clauses, respecting the better regulating the militia in these times of danger.
By order of his gracious majesty George III., Lord Lavington invested Sir Samuel Hood with the order of the Bath, as some reward for his gallant achievements in these seas. Upon this occasion his excellency Lord Lavington made a very powerful speech, which has been justly praised, but which is too long for insertion here. Antigua was visited (1805) by the very clever author of “The Chronological History of the West Indies,” Capt. Southey. This gentleman mentions seeing a female slave, with an iron rivetted round her ankle, which had two bars, sharp at each point, crossing each other, and projecting about a foot in four directions. Her owner informed Capt. Southey it was to keep her at home, which was impossible to do without it. This historian alludes to the melioration act, which passed in 1798, prohibiting such punishments except, (and, as Mr. Southey justly remarks, the exception neutralizes the prohibition) such as are absolutely necessary.
On the 13th of November, died Mr. John Baxter, the head of the methodists in Antigua. Mr. Baxter, who was by trade a shipwright, had been sent out from Chatham dock-yard to English Harbour in 1778, and upon his arrival exerted himself in gathering together the little society of methodists which Mr. Gilbert had established, but which since his death had been scattered about for want of a pastor. A further notice of Mr. Baxter and his praiseworthy exertions will be found in another part of the work.
In 1806, the abolition of the slave trade was again brought before the English parliament, and considerable progress was made towards its accomplishment. A bill was also passed prohibiting the exportation of slaves from the British colonies after the first of January in the succeeding year. On the 22nd of January, 1807, the total abolition of the slave trade was accomplished, and the bill ordained that no slaves should be landed in any of the British colonies after the 1st of March, 1808.
Thus this great work was ended, which had been annually discussed since 1787; and Mr. Wilberforce reaped the reward of his labours. For two hundred and forty-four years had England allowed this blood-stained traffic, and shut her ears to the cries of the distressed Africans; but a more glorious era had dawned—liberty was exerting her power, and paving the way to the future freedom of that despised race.
About the middle of the year died the Right Honourable Ralph Lord Lavington, Baron of Lavington, one of his majesty’s most honourable privy council, knight companion of the most honourable order of the Bath, captain-general and commander-in-chief of his majesty’s Leeward Caribbee Islands. His lordship, it is said, was a very hospitable man, and very fond of splendour; his Christmas balls and routs were upon the highest scale of magnificence; but he was a great stickler for etiquette, and a firm upholder of difference of rank and colour. It is asserted, that he would not upon any occasion, receive a letter or parcel from the fingers of a black or coloured man, and in order to guard against such horrible defilement, he had a golden instrument wrought something like a pair of sugar tongs, with which he was accustomed to hold the presented article. In his household he was also very particular. He had, of course, an immense number of attendants, but he would not allow any of the black servants to wear shoes or stockings, and consequently his ebon footmen used to stand behind his carriage as it rolled along, with their naked legs shining like pillars of jet, from the butter with which, in accordance to his excellency’s orders, they daily rubbed them. Lord Lavington entered upon his government the latter end of January, 1801, and resided at Antigua, with the exception of a short visit to Monserrat, until the day of his death. He died regretted by the “magnates of the land:” his tomb may still be seen at an estate called Carlisle’s,[[54]] but the garden in which it stands is overgrown with weeds, and the surrounding walls are falling to ruins. Were I the possessor of Carlisle’s, this should not be the case. If only in respect to the old and noble family of the Paynes, Lord Ralph’s last resting-place should not be thus dishonoured; a few flowers should shed their sweets around; a few trees should shade that old grey tomb. There is a very handsome monument erected to his memory in the church of St. John’s, which will be further mentioned in the description of that edifice. Lord Lavington’s family, on his father’s side, had long been resident in St. Christopher’s, where they were of great eminence and distinction, having filled some of the highest offices in that island. They originally came from Lavington, in the county of Wilts, from whence the title, and are said to have been of great antiquity, tracing their descent from Ralph de Payne, a follower of William the Conqueror, who took his name it is said from Payne in Normandy. His lordship’s intimate connexion with Antigua is derived from his mother, Alice Carlisle, of a family originally from the neighbourhood of Bridgewater, in Somersetshire, and whose lineage will be found in the Appendix, where it is given from the same source I have derived other genealogical information.
After the decease of Lord Lavington, William Woodley, Esq., again resumed the reins of government; but he did not repair to Antigua, being in a delicate state of health. Sir Alexander Cochrane, with a squadron under his command, visited the island during this year on his return from taking the Danish West India colonies of St. Thomas, St. John, and St. Croix.
In the month of March, 1809, Wm. Woodley, Esq., the then acting commander-in-chief, departed this life; and James Tyson, Esq., represented himself as the first counsellor, and accordingly took upon himself the administration of the government, without repairing first to Antigua, as he ought to have done.
In 1809, it was found necessary to award certain punishments to dealers in witchcraft. Obeah,[[55]] as it was termed, raged to a great extent among the negro population in these islands, and led many of them into the deepest crimes. To strike a blow at this infatuation, it was ordained, that if any negro pretended they had communication with any evil spirit by whose aid they could cause death, &c., such slave upon conviction was to suffer capital punishment; and if any slave prepared a mixture which was intended to cause death, although the poison did not take effect, such slave and their accessories were also liable to the same punishment.