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Published online by Cambridge University Press: 25 March 2011
In July 1824 two new bishoprics were organised in the West Indies, the bishopric of Jamaica including Honduras and the bishopric of Barbados and the Leeward and Windward islands, to promote the activity of the Anglican Church among the slave population. A series of resolutions passed in the House of Commons in May 1823 committed the government to reforms intended to prepare the slaves for eventual freedom, and primary importance was given to their need for religious instruction. Knowledge of Christianity was regarded as an ‘indispensable necessity to…the foundation of every beneficial change in their character and future condition’. Most of the reform programme, which included the abolition of flogging for women, the admission of slave evidence in court and the improvement of manumission facilities, involved revision of existing slave codes and implementation, therefore, depended, outside the crown colonies, on the cooperation of the island assemblies. The imperial government, however, was free to promote religious instruction and chose to appoint the bishops. Under their supervision the Anglican Church in the West Indies was to become a missionary force. As the Secretary of State explained to the governor of Jamaica, ‘his Majesty's Government have been anxious to prove the deep interest which they feel in the encouragement of the religious and moral instruction of the Negroes, by at once taking upon themselves the whole charge of placing the Clergy of the West Indies under Episcopal control’. Funds were voted to pay the bishop of Jamaica £5,600 p.a. and salaries were also provided for six auxiliary curates and an archdeacon to help to supervise the clergy.
page 363 note 1 Trinidad, Demarara, and St. Lucia.
page 363 note 2 CO. 138/47, Bathurst to Manchester, 14 July 1824, 166.
page 363 note 3 Ellis, J. B., The Diocese of Jamaica, London 1913, 62.Google Scholar
page 365 note 1 CO. 137/267, Lipscomb to Bathurst, 28 November 1825, Enclosures.
page 365 note 2 Edward Long, History of Jamaica, London 1774, ii. 238.
page 365 note 3 Evangelical Review, XVI (1808), 254Google Scholar. Ibid., 83–4: Letter to Governors, Legislators and Proprietors of plantations in the West Indies.
page 365 note 4 It dealt with cases of absenteeism, discrimination against the free coloured parishioners and a dispute between a clergyman and a planter over non-payment of a puncheon of rum for a baptism ceremony: Jamaica Archives, Diocesan Records, Ecclesiastical Court Book.
page 366 note 1 Soloway, R. A., Prelates and People, London 1969, 58.Google Scholar
page 366 note 2 Ibid., 284.
page 366 note 3 Charles R. Sumner, in his official letter of refusal pointed out that, married with five children and no private fortune, the prospect of being sacrificed to a tropical climate and his family put in reduced circumstances deterred him. Unofficially, Sumner enjoyed the patronage of the king—a connexion established when he was attached as tutor to the family of Lady Conygham, the king's mistress—and this afforded him much better prospects. He was made bishop of Llandaff the following year. B. M. Loan 57, vol. 15: C. R. Sumner to Bathurst, 29 January 1825; Soloway op. cit., 307.
page 366 note 4 B.M. Loan 57, vol. 15, Bathurst to Liverpool, 23 February 1824.
page 367 note 1 Alumnae Oxoniensis; Clergy list 1841; B.M. Loan 57, Vol. 15, Bathurst to Liverpool, 23 February 1824, Memo Liverpool; Lipscomb to Bathurst, 27 February 1824.
page 367 note 2 S.P.G. Box 1; c/W.I, 1A, miscellaneous, List of Jamaican clergy October 1825: Bridges, G. W., Annals of Jamaica, London 1828, i. 561–66.Google Scholar
page 367 note 3 C.O. 137/268, Bishop to Murray, 12 December 1828, fol. 181–2. C.O. 137/269, Bishop to Murray, 9 October 1830, fol. 100. Fulham Papers, ii. 417: Bishop of Jamaica to Bishop of London, 12 April 1825. The bishop was expected to recommend persons as stipendary curates to the Ecclesiastical Board, established in 1825, which consisted of the archbishops of Canterbury and York, the bishop of London and the secretary of the Society for the Propagation of the Gospel. The board was to relieve the Colonial Office of work connected with colonial chaplaincies but played little part in West Indian affairs and was abolished in 1831 on the grounds of economy. Murray, D. J., The West Indies and the Development of Colonial Government, Oxford 1965, 120–1Google Scholar, 217.
page 368 note 1 The incorporated Society was financed with money from the Boyle Trust originally dedicated to the education of Indian children by William and Mary College and by West Indian Planters and Merchants.
page 368 note 2 The Committee included the bishops of Llandaff and Chichester and the dean of Canterbury together with 13 other clerics. Canningite Tories were represented by Peel, Goulburn, Huskisson, and the West India Committee by C. R. Ellis (chairman), G. N. Pallmer and George Hibbert (Agent for Jamaica). Annual Report of the Incorporated Society for the Conversion, Religious Instruction and Education of the Negro slaves, hereinafter referred to as the Incorporated Society, 1823.
page 368 note 3 Rev. Joseph Jefferson, Rev. G. Griffiths, and Rev. J. Stainsby (St. Thomas in the East), Rev. H. Beams (resident on Montpelier estate, St. James, property of C. R. Ellis, chairman of West India Committee), Rev. W. J. Utten (Clarendon), Rev. T. Stewart (St. Elizabeth): Annual Report, Incorporated Society 1823, 36; 1824, 31, 34; 1825, 13.
page 368 note 4 Annual Report, Incorporated Society, 1823, 35; Jamaica Journal, 16 April 1825, 435. The meeting was attended by the Speaker of the Assembly, the Attorney General, the Advocate General, the custos and church wardens of St. Catherines and Council member, Sir M. B. Clare, who was already a patron of the mission churches.
page 369 note 1 The foundation of colonial associations in union with the Incorporated Society in London was suggested in the Annual Report, Incorporated Society 1824, g. Branch associations were founded in St. Kitts, 1826, Nevis, 1824; Anguilla, Tortola and Tobago, 1827; Barbados, Antigua, Grenada, St. Vincent, 1826.
page 369 note 2 The committee included two outstanding patrons of the Wesleyan Mission, Thomas Thompson and Charles Scott, who served as vice-presidents. The Hon. George Cuthbert, president of the Council was president. CO. 137/267, Lipscomb to Bathurst, November 9 1826, fols. 127–8 enclosure, Annual Report, 1826, Branch association of the Incorporated Society of St. Thomas in the East.
page 369 note 3 Ibid., 14.
page 369 note 4 C.O. 137/263, Lipscomb to Bathurst, 16 September 1825, 17 October 1825.
page 369 note 5 CO. 137/268, Lipscomb to Huskisson, 16 March 1828.
page 369 note 6 Jamaica Journal, 4 June 1825; 8 October 1825.
page 369 note 7 Methodist Mission Archives, Letters, Drew to W.M.M.S., 13 September 1825.
page 370 note 1 C.O. 137/163, Manchester to Goderich, 14 October 1826. No. 57.
page 370 note 2 C.O. 137/163, Manchester to Bathurst, 13 November 1826, No. 60, enclosing statements from all public functionaires on the extent of slave property. In some cases the clergy's slaves were hired out as jobbing gangs.
page 370 note 3 C.O. 137/163, Manchester to Bathurst, 14 October 1826, no. 57; C.O. 137/165, Manchester to Bathurst, 12 February 1827, private.
page 371 note 1 P.P.H. of C. 1831–2, vol. 16, no. 231, Copy of information received in reference to the treatment of a female slave by Rev. Bridges, G. W.: C.O. 137/269, Lipscomb to Murray, 10 August 1829Google Scholar, enclosure.
page 371 note 2 Lipcomb's recruits proved disappointing; three of seven proved immoral and irresponsible. The Rev. Thomas Sweeny behaved so eccentrically in church that he drove the people away and the bishop revoked his licence. A few months later he skipped to America leaving a wife and two children destitute in lodgings at Port Royal. The bishop, convinced he was mad, arranged the family's passage back to England. C.O. 137/271, Lipscomb to Goderich, January 7 1833; 22 April 1833. The Rev. Mr. Rowland also provoked complaints, this time for drunkenness and immorality; investigation by the rural dean led to his licence being revoked. C.O. 137/271, Lipscomb to Stanley, 16 January 1834 enclosing rural dean Campbell's report, 14 January 1834. The Rev. James Cuff Gildea, appointed stipendiary in 1830 had first resided in Jamaica as superintendent of the properties of the marquis of Sligo. On returning to Jamaica, having taken holy orders in England he behaved so indecorously to a widow on shipboard that the captain and passengers insisted on marrying them. The story spread and on his arrival in the island three rectors requested the bishop not to send him to them. Gildea realizing the situation resigned on the grounds of his wife's ill health. C.O. 137/269, Lipscomb to Murray, 14 June 1830, private; enclosed Gildea to Lipscomb, 12 June fols. 61–64.
page 371 note 3 Of the original six, one died and two resigned. C.O. 137/267, Lipscomb to Bathurst, 14 June 1826. fol. 111–112.
page 371 note 4 C.O. 137/267, Lipscomb to Bathurst, 16 October 1826, fol. 125.
page 372 note 1 Walton, St. Ann: Rusea's, Hanover: Manning's, Savannah-la-Mar: Beckford's, St. Catherine: Wolmer's Free School, Kingston.
page 372 note 2 C.O. 137/267, Lipscomb to Bathurst, 22 December 1825. fol. 77. Fulham Papers ii. 496: Bishop of Jamaica to Bishop of London, 16 December 1826, 4 April 1827.
page 372 note 3 C.O. 137/271, Lipscomb to Goderich, 28 January 1833, fols. 9–11 enclosing Return of the number of Schools in Jamaica, 1832, fols. 18–21. P.P.H. of C. 1831–2 No. 481, Reports from the bishop of Jamaica concerning the means furnished by the colony for the religious instruction of the slave free population, 325, 326.
page 372 note 4 Annual Report of the Incorporated Society, 1830, 9.
page 373 note 1 Annual Report of the Incorporated Society, 1834.
page 373 note 2 C.O. 137/271, Lipscomb to Stanley, 8 February 1834, fol. 64–5, Enclosing Reports of the Deaneries of Surrey, Middlesex and Cornwall, fols. 66–69.
page 373 note 3 Fulham Papers, ii. 292: Bishop of Jamaica to Bishop of London, 2 December 1826.
page 373 note 4 Reckord, M., Missionary Activity in Jamaica before Emancipation, unpublished Ph.D thesis, University of London, 1963, 192.Google Scholar
page 373 note 5 Report of the Society for Conversion and Religion, 1827, 41. Report of St. Thomas in the East Branch Society, 1829, App. VII, 51.
page 374 note 1 Proceedings of the C.M.S. 10 and II November 1825, Sermon by Rev. Chas. Jerram, M.A., 34. Address by John Norman Pearson, M.A., principal of the Institution, 54. 56.
page 374 note 2 C.M.S. Letter Book, L.1. 43–4: Bickersteth to Lipscomb, 25 November 1825.
page 374 note 3 Fulham Papers, xi 489: Lipscomb to bishop of London, 7 July 1826.
page 374 note 4 C.M.S. Letter Book, M/I, 535: 9 July 1826, Lipscomb to Bickersteth.
page 375 note 1 Cnattingius, H., Bishops and Societies, a study of Anglican Colonial and Missionary Expansion 1697–1850, London 1952, 49.Google Scholar
page 375 note 2 C.O. 137/268, Lipscomb to Murray, 23 June 1828, minutes attached, fols. 145 f.
page 375 note 3 C.O. 137/270, Goderich to Lipscomb, 21 September 1831 (draft) fol. 106–113; Coates to Goderich, 10 September 1831, fols. 114–124.
page 375 note 4 Cnattingius, op. cit., 14, 64–5.
page 376 note 1 C.O. 137/270, Goderich to Lipscomb, 21 September 1831, draft, fols. 106–113.
page 376 note 2 C.M.S. Letter Book, L.1. 187: Coates to Stainsby, 18 December, 1830.
page 376 note 3 Church Missionary Record, January 1833.
page 377 note 1 C.M.S. Letter to the archbishop of Canterbury, London 1833, 11–15.
page 377 note 2 Cnattingius, op. cit., 150.
page 377 note 3 Stock, E., The History of the Church Missionary Society, London 1899, i. 347.Google Scholar
page 377 note 4 Jamaica Journal, 25 June 1825.
page 377 note 5 Chapels completed before emancipation: Kingston—St. George's; Port Royal—St. Michael's; Hope Bay—St. George's; St. Andrew (parish) Mount James; Hope chapel; Manchester—St. George; St. David, Providence; St. Elizabeth (parish)—Lacovia; St. John (parish) Luidas Vale; St. Thomas in the Vale (parish)—Williams field chapel Westmorland—Darleston; Hanover—Green Island; St. Thomas in the East (parish) Golden Grove, Abookir; Chapels were also planned in Trelawny, St. James and St. George: P.P. House of Commons, 1831–2, xlvii No. 481, 324–5; Lipscomb to Goderich, August 29 1831.
page 378 note 1 C.O. 323/209, Hamilton to Hay, 11 February 1828, Tabular extract of information returned in answer to queries of the Ecclesiastical Board.
