[CARIBBEAN] Christopher Codrington in History
Nevilla Ottley
I went into a small secondhand bookstore in Bethesda, Maryland last
weekend looking for West Indian and African history and travel books
since (even though I was born in Trinidad, I was not raised all my live
there) I wanted more yet quick information on the formation of the
various island countries--part of my own genealogy search. Among the
dozen or so that I chose, I picked up two books, A Short HIstory of the
West Indies by J.H. Parry and P.M. Sherlock (Macmillan, 1957), and
Barbados Our Island Home by F.A. Hoyos (1970 Macmillan). What
attracted me to those books was the entries on the great influence that
Christopher Codrington had on slavery and eventually the abolition of
that institution in Barbados.
This information may be old news to many of you, but to me it was new
news and for the benefit of those who you who did not know, indulge me.
In chapter 13 "Imancipation" of the Hoyos book there is a photo of the
statue of Codrington, and much to say. Let me quote a little bit.
"But there was one Barbadian who did not agree with the planters of the
British West Indies. His name was Christopher Codrington and we have to
give him a special place in Barbadian history because his views were
unique for a planter aristrocrat of the eighteenth century. He believed
that the slave was a human being and that he should be treated kindly
even when he rose up on revolt. At his death Codrington left two
plantations in Barbados, Society and Consett, the profits of which were
to be used to educate and Christianise the African slaves."
That was the introduction of the chapter whose sections include: "The
Codrington Experiment," "The Campaign for Freedom," and "The End of
Slavery."
Parry and Sherlock mention Codrington three time in their book. First
in Chapter VI "The Buccaneers" he is referred to as one of the
"intelligent and public- spirited governors." In Chapter X "The Sugar
Island on the Eve of Revolution", we find this: The bequest of the
Codrington estates in Barbados--complete with their labour force of
slaves--to the Society for the Propogation of the Gospel, was very
exceptional..." And in Chapter XVI "The British and French West Indies
1860-1918" they mention how "Christopher Codrington left two Barbados
plantations and some slaves for founding a college to teach medicine and
theology....."
As I said, this may be old hat to some, but it was new and great news to
me to find this in a little bookstore in the state of Maryland USA.
Chris, I don't have to ask if this was a relative of yours. I'm curious
as to how close he was to you.
I wish I could find something about the GROSVENOR family in Barbados
written in a history book or travel book.
Nevilla Ottley
Edward Crawford
are the same as, or related to, the family of the Duke of Westminster the
richest man in Britain. The family own(ed) all the property round Grosvenor
Square where the American Embassy stands. They certainly owned property in
Florida in 1783. You will find some details about the Grosvenors, Neville,
in "Burke's Peerage" which may give some hints.
The story goes, whether it is ben trovato I do not know, that the USA wanted
to buy the freehold of its embassy in London. No said the Grovenors we never
sell land, we only lease it, here is a 300 year lease. No, said the USA for
security reasons we want the freehold. "Well we would be prepared to do this
if the US governemnt would settle the claims of our family against the US
government" I am sure there would be no problem was the repy, what are those
claims. "The properties confiscated from the family in 1783 after the
American Revolution. This included the site of Cape Canaveral. Gulp! The
American Embassy is still leasehold I believe.
Of course property rights are sacred to the US government but ONLY AFTER
1783!!!
Edward Crawford
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C.M. Codrington
I must be missing alot of postings because I received the CC college posting
via Edward not via the list...never saw the original thread...are any other
folks having similar difficulties?
Thanks for the posting. C. Cod III was a very interesting fellow for a
planter and slave owner of his time.
By all accounts he was quite brilliant as scholar at Oxford, a fine
soldier/leader, and surprisingly talented as a writer of middle grade
poetry. His dispatches to colonial office are what remains of him for us to
study and they reveal a man who from an administrative and moral position
saw that most of the chronic problems of his and other administrations of
the time were curable if innovative(read honest) policies were put in place.
Where he saw critical need for reforms, most others saw their opportunity
for advancement, and inevitably he expressed petulant frustration in certain
situations and these outbursts, much like those of his father Gen C Cod II
brought him a lot of trouble towards the end of his administration and
political life (1700-1708) Probably some of it well deserved.
Unfortunately it is also true that Gov.Gen God has been used as a Totem of
historical and racial conciliation with all the editorial license common to
major figures in any country or region's history so much of the work on him
tends to ascribe far too much credit in the area of emancipation.....
He did not disagree with Slave Society. He did beleive in the education
(secular and spiritual) of slaves and creoles of color. He saw society on
the islands as tawdry, barbaric and basically perverse due to a lack of
schools, spriritual tutelage and well founded administration under
consistently applied rules of law. Like his father before him he did indeed
utilize a management approach to African or Creole slaves which involved a
more "enlightened" approach based on paternal care and "respect", and there
seems to have been genuine admiration of the coromantic peoples most
planters feared as rebels and murderers.(Cod's father described them as all
Heros)
Although all of this is unpalatable to us now the key to understanding the
mindset of these men essentially of the late 17th century is that they knew
that the dividing line between slavery and baronetcy could instantly come
down to having enough money to pay a ransom.....that the fortunes of life in
their time were so starkly capricious that whatever was read or sung in the
parish church had no more effect on reality than a bed time story. That the
capture of a sugar fleet could and would ruin many planters and the
consequent debt reduce all those in their sphere slaves as well as family to
the whims of a society without "safety nets".
Anyway, they were what they were and there's not a thing to be done about
it.
I wish people were as generous to Cod College now as he was then! The place
is in constant financial crisis.
Incidentally any connection between my family and these two Christophers is
still a matter of historical research and conjecture.
Hope you all don't mind this posting
Chris Cod
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Editor: Historic Antigua and Barbuda: http://idt.net/~coopcod/
Member: Barbados Museum Historical Society, Historical and Arch. Society of
Antigua.
Surnames on request.
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Richard Bond
States who claim the current Duke of Westminister as a former homeless
person. This was in the United States apparently at one time in his
youth he was so at odds with his father as to be thrown on his own
resources. He is said to have worked his way arround the country doing
dishwashing, janitorial work and portering.
GM-Zool
I too, am not receiving many postings. This one makes two during
this past week. Of course, there may not be too many if, lurkers
like me don't write to this list! I am still unable to find my
"CARDIN"s although they listed St. Kitts on birth certificates and
are listed as passengers on ships lists. So, I just read everything
hoping for a clue someday. Thanks for this list, though.
Virginia Ness in WA USA
gm-...@uswest.net