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From: "John Weiss" <>
Subject: Re: "Surnames" - When did this start???
Date: Tue, 18 Mar 2003 23:08:28 -0000
References: <20030305190357.09304.00000034@mb-mj.aol.com> <005901c2e3bd$7c1bb570$038720d9@StudyRoom> <000001c2ebba$27902e00$da7a4e51@tinykncwubxl> <002101c2ebd3$0d59a200$e8040150@johnweiss1> <006601c2ed8e$d46939c0$775d4e51@tinykncwubxl>


Guy - thanks for that - I realise now that I did once read that original
instruction and when I was quoting from A.Meredith John it seemed slightly
simplified. And you have pointed to the factor that distinguishes Trinidad,
St Lucia and Mauritius (and a few other "new" colonies) from the others as
regards slavery and other matters - they were the first Crown Colonies, and
as such subject to control by the Colonial Department in London much more
directly than the "old" colonies which had their own legislative assemblies.
Thomas James Barron wrote an interesting thesis in 1969 which really ought
to have found its way into publication: "James Stephen, the development of
the Colonial Office & the administration of three Crown Colonies, Trinidad,
Sierra Leone & Ceylon" - for Londoners it's in the University of London
library, and the British Library has what I suppose is a microfilm copy
listed in the online catalogue. It was James Stephen who initiated the slave
registers.

John Weiss


----- Original Message -----
From: "Guy Grannum" <>
To: <>
Sent: Tuesday, March 18, 2003 8:41 PM
Subject: Re: "Surnames" - When did this start???


: John - you supplied the correct reference for the copy of the Order in
: Council dated 26 March 1812 which established the registration of slaves
: (Public Record Office reference CO 295/28, fo 252; the full order in
council
: is on folios 250-264).
:
: There were only two orders in council setting up the slave registries -
the
: one for Trinidad and a later one for St Lucia and Mauritius (24 September
: 1814). The St Lucian registers are similar to the Trinidad ones - I
haven't
: read it in detail but it may have had the same instructions.
:
: All the other ones were set up by local legislation and therefore vary
quite
: considerably.
:
: The language used in the order in council is quite technical and typically
: long winded, but for what it is worth I quote the bit relating to
surnames -
: there is similar waffle for the other columns (eg occupation, colour,
place
: of birth, age, remarks etc)
:
: "In the second of the said columns shall be inserted the surname of the
: Slave, if he or she has ever been called or known by any surname or second
: name, and if not, in cases of Family Slaves included in the said lists of
: families, the name of the superior relation; and in the case of Slaves who
: are included in the said general lists of males and females, such name as
: the owner or party making the return shall think fit to insert therein as
: the surname by which the Slave and his lawful issue, or her natural issue,
: and their descendants respectively, shall thereafter always be called;
: provided, nevertheless, that in cases of Family Slaves, the owner or party
: making the return may also give, if he thinks fit, some other family name
: instead of that of the superior relation, so as no two families on the
same
: plantation, or belonging to the same owner, shall have the same surname in
: the said schedule or return; but for all the purposes of this order, the
: surname by which each slave shall first be returned and registered, shall
: continue for ever after to be the surname of such Slave, and his lawful
: issue, if a male, or her natural issue, if a female, and of their
respective
: descendants, and shall not afterwards be changed."
:
: I did warn you ...!
:
: The references to Family Slaves and general lists point to the
instructions
: that the registers were meant to list slaves which made up family groups
as
: such and if any were not part of a family group they were to be listed in
: general lists by sex and then by age.
:
: I wonder if the slaves kept to these rules once freed. Also, could slaves
: who may have been registered under their mother's 'surname' take on their
: father's name?
:
: Guy Grannum


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