Extract of letter dated 7 September 1824.

This extract was quoted in a newspaper article (Bath Chronicle and Weekly Gazette, Feb 10 1825). It was included as part of an argument agaist the emancipation of British held slaves in the Caribbean. Included are the written notes in Sir Christopher Bethell Codrington's own hand and the newspaper aricle. It seems that the original of this letter was, for many years, framed on the wall in the Codrington's country house at Dodington Park, Gloucestershire and likely has stayed with the family after the other items were auctioned off. There are some slight differences between Codrington's notes and the newspaper article. I have followed the article in the transcription but have added the extra lines from the notes in brackets.

"The negroes have more than doubled themselves since I have been on the island (twenty years.) There are a good many negroes on the property who would do anything I ordered, and would run into any danger with me, which I have often experienced in saving lives and property from wrecks. <<I have swam off to vessels surrounded by them when no Boat could live and had never an occasion to order one, but more to restrain those I could not depend on for firmness. The negroes, generally speaking, if left to themselve, I could rely on.>> About 100 good negroes, with their families, would be as many as Barbuda would require. Should you relinquish it, no other person could settle in it, when it would become a complete resort for every idle person from the neighboring islands, and would then be a complete place for pirates. I am now obliged to forbid any strange boats from landing, unless they come directly to me. The negroes, generally speaking, if left to themselves, I could depend on. Many a night have I, surrounded by from 100 to 150, slept by the side of my horse in the woods. There are but two white men with myself on the island, and I frequently leave my wife and daughters there without a fastening to the house. There are some good head men on whom I can depend: with these I have only to give an order, which is never disobeyed. Corporal punishment I never allow, if it can be avoided; but a little solitary confinement, which has a much better effect, as they more dislike it. For any crime, such as killing cattle and sheep, I send to your Antigua estates. Generally speaking, I think, should an immediate emancipation take place, one half of the negroes in the colonies would be dead in a very few few years; they have been so long in the habit of being provided for, they would have no idea of taking care of themselves when they came to feel it. Some of the best and able might work occasionally, but could not always be depended upon; the others would of course starve. There are a great number of the latter description in all the old settlements. All this estate there are many superannuated people, which must be the case in other estates, who must be fed, clothed, houses found them, and doctors charges paid. The best method of treating negroes is with firmness and kindness: they know as well as any people when that is done, and they are happy. The greater part of the negroes on Barbuda would lay down their lives to serve me, when I am with them. Here we give no salt fish, but in lieu, haul the seine as often as they like, that is, when convenient, sometimes three or four days together, when fish are plenty, at other times once in two or three weeks. They have occasionally wild hog and goat meat; many of them have also their own nets; and scarcely do any of your vessels come to this island <<go to Antigua>> without a quantity of fowls, and many salt fish to sell, and in a good season, an immense quantity of potatoes. They have regularly, throughout the year, Saturday afternoon to attend to the grounds, and Wednesday afternoon, when they assist themselves; and such is occasionally the quantity of potatoes, that they will rather relinquish their allowance of corn than their Wednesday; many of them have ten or eleven acres of land in cultivation, the produce of which, of course, is their own property. <<They are the most athletic people I ever saw>> The negroes on this estate, with few exceptions, are well behaved and contented; they get ten pints of corn or meal per week, with salt-fish; it is given Tuesdays and Fridays - may say the same of the island generally. To free them <<the negroes on your Clare Hall property>>would be ruin to the country <<property>>, and doing them a serious injury. We have examples enough in the African apprentices of insubordination; they are most disorderly, idle set of people, under little or no control; they have an idea that they are King's men, and must be provided for, work or not, and I know they are a great charge to Government, which will increase every day."