THE SLAVES OF ROUND HILL ESTATE IN 1824

 

When the British Atlantic slave trade was made illegal in 1807 it was expected that West Indian planters would thereafter look after their slaves better since they could no longer rely on fresh slaves being brought from Africa.

However, it was soon realised that this measure alone was insufficient to bring about any great improvement in the general quality of slaves’ lives.  A further step was then taken to register publicly all the slaves in these islands.  Registration would show how many slaves were being imported illegally; it would also demonstrate mortality and fertility rates and thus be a measure of the health of the slave population on each estate.  The publicity about slave conditions that these statistics generated would, it was hoped, lead to further reforms.

In 1817, after pressure from the British government, the Registry of Slaves Act was passed in Nevis.  This required each estate to give a return of the number of slaves owned with details of their sex, age, whether born in Africa or locally (Creole) and colour.  The complete census of 1817 was followed in later years by returns showing the changes arising from births, deaths, sales or manumissions.  Subsequent returns were made in 1822, 1825, 1828, 1831 and 1834.  The original registers are held in the National Archives at Kew, England.  From the first three registers it is therefore possible to deduce who were the slaves belonging to Mr Cottle during the period (1822-24) when they built the church and provided its first congregation in May 1824. By that time over 1,200 slaves attended schools and Sunday schools on the island (link – Daniel Davis).  Modern archaeological surveys suggest that many of them were buried here.

A list of the slaves who were living on the estate at the time hangs inside the church as a memorial to their lives, their work and craftsmanship.

Men and Boys (ages in 1824)

Name	Age		Name	Age
Aaron	4		John*	39
Alexander	29		Johnny	47
Augustus	25		Joseph	25
			Jupiter	39
Bap	62
Ben	18		Limehouse	26
Billy Pitt	20		London	42
Bob	32		Luke	21
Bunda	45
			Mark	20
Cambridge	27		Matty	52
Casteel	41		Max	32
Charles	20		Mickey	11
Charles	47		Monday	55
			Monday*	72
Daniel	5		Moses	9
David	25
Dinny	43		Ned	43
			Nelson	14
Edward	20		Nelson	14
			Nevis*	45
Felix	24
Frank	29		Peter	11
			Portsmouth	34
George	10
George	16		Richard	31
			Rodney	17
Harry	14
Henry	19		Sacco	43
			Sam	52
Isaac*	39		Samuel	17
			Shagroon	61
Jack	16		Shagroon	23
Jerry	19
Jerry	52		Thomas	6
Jim	45		Tim	47
Jimmy	7
Jimmy*	45		Ulysses	39
Job	7
Joe	45		Wells	27
			William	27

* indicates birth in Africa

Women and girls (ages in 1824)

Name	Age		Name	Age
Abba*	32		Louise*	52
Anne	10
Anny	33		Margrett	23
			Mary	10
Betsey	29		Mary	19
Betsey Coram	77		Mary Ann	18
			Mary Ann*	77
Chloe	20		Matty	52
Clarissa*	45		Maudlane	18
Clary*	33		Minerva	38
Cordelia*	44		Molly	23
Crissy	28		Molly	64
			My	52
Dillon	3
Dinah*	47		Nan	13
Doll	13		Nancy	43
Domingo	10		Nancy*	45
Domingo	49
			Parthenia	13
Eliza	20		Patty	43
Elizabeth	6		Penny*	34
Ellena	9		Pereen	61
Emily	5		Popplate	67
Eve	47		Popplate	25
Fanchang	23		Quasheba	15
Fanny	67
Fanny Abbot	47		Rebecca	12
Florette*	79
Frankey	17		Sally	19
			Sarah	53
Grace	19		Sarah Collins	25
Grace*	34		Serena	11
Gretta	67		Silvia	7
			Sophy	52
Hannah	47		Sukey	34
Harriett	14		Susannah*	34
Indian	29		Thisbe	10
Kitsy	21		Venus	29
Kitty	26		Violet	22
			Violet	79

* indicates birth in Africa