Liberated into bondage: Africans in Tobago

Dr Rita Pemberton

The crisis in the Tobago sugar industry caused planters to seek to reduce their operating costs in a vain attempt to wring profits from what had clearly become an unprofitable enterprise. Their cost reduction exercise was centred on labour, the only factor of production over which they could exercise any control. Viewing immigration as the most effective solution to their problems, they suggested several schemes, none of which found favour with the imperial government. It was stated that the financially-strapped island could not afford immigration and the British government was not prepared to underwrite the costs. However, a concession was made and in the effort to provide some relief to the Tobago planters, liberated Africans were allocated to the island.

After the termination of the trade in captive and enslaved Africans in the British Empire in 1808, the British Government, in a determined effort to prevent its European competitors from profiteering from the trade, established itself as guardian of the seas and insisted that all other countries terminate their trade. British ships patrolled the coast of Africa and the trade route, stopped any ships they encountered, took possession of the human cargo. The rescued captives, who were called Liberated Africans, were relocated to settlements in Sierra Leone and to some of the British Caribbean possessions.

Tobago received three batches of Liberated Africans. In May 1851, 292 were brought from St Helena and in 1862, a further 225 mainly Congo-speaking were brought to Tobago.

In order to manage this operation, In March 1850, a Board of Commissioners was appointed by the governor to take charge of the entire procedure. The board was composed of the three stipendiary magistrates on the island who were to function as Protectors of Immigrants, one member each from the Assembly and Council and an Immigration Agent for the island. The special magistrates were to provide quarterly reports on the state of the immigrants in their districts and a correct statement of the average wages paid to immigrants.

The agent’s role was to receive each immigrant to arrive on the island. He was required to board arriving vessels bearing immigrants, record the numbers arrived and deaths, if any. Based on this information the governor would grant a licence to each immigrant to disembark and land on the island. The agent was paid three shillings for every admitted person over the age of 15 and two shillings for those under that age.

He was also required to provide approved clothing and lodging for the new arrivals until their services were utilised, for which he would be refunded. If required, the services of the Stipendiary Magistrates were available at the cost of 20 shillings for each immigrant above the age of 14 years, and ten shillings for those between the age of eight and 14 years. Where doubt existed about their ages, this was to be determined by the judgment of the Commissioners and in case of objections. the Lieutenant. Governor’s decision was final.

People who wanted immigrants were required to apply to the Governor and provide information on accommodation for the immigrants, the nature of the labour to be provided and the number of immigrants required. The Justice of the Peace of the area was required to keep a record of the immigrants on the prescribed form.

Immigrants who were allocated to the successful applicants by the board were required to enter into a contract with their employer and were bonded to work only for the person to whom they were contracted. In the case of children, contracts were to be approved by their parents or the special magistrates if the parents were not available.

In the instances where immigrants did not speak English (and most did not), an interpreter would explain the terms of the contract at a cost to the person to whom the immigrant was contracted. The interpreter’s fee was eight shillings and four pence per day.

Immigrants were not to be taken out of the island without the written permission of the special magistrate of the district and countersigned by the Governor. When breaches of the regulations occurred, the captain of the vessel on which the illicit trip was to occur, would be fined 50 pounds for each immigrant on board. Those who employed immigrants without a contract were liable to a fine between five and ten pounds. Persons harbouring or enticing immigrants away from their place of contract would be fined up to ten pounds and the immigrant returned to his employer.

For absence from work without good reason, immigrants were to be fined 6d per day which would be paid to his employer. Absences longer than one week were to be reported to the Stipendiary Magistrate and would not be included in the contracted service. Sums payable to absenting immigrants for services not honoured could result in a jail term of one day for every six pence that was owed or up to 35 days' imprisonment. Immigrants who failed to comply with the terms of the contract could serve up to three months' imprisonment.

Employers who lodged complaints against immigrant workers for neglect, must be supported by sound evidence. Charges of ill treatment and ill usage made by immigrants against their employers were to be determined by the Stipendiary Magistrates in order to find the best way forward for irreconcilable differences.

One year later, in June 1852, it was deemed necessary to provide additional protection for immigrants along with other classes of bonded workers on the island which focused on defaulting employers. Those who failed to provide the necessary food clothing and lodging; inflicted unlawful or malicious life/health threatening or permanently injurious assault, were considered guilty of a misdemeanour and if convicted were liable to a prison term of up to three years.

The regulatory provisions of this system are instructive. The first set law which was organised in anticipation of the first batch of immigrants, was clearly intended to demonstrate to the imperial authorities that the policy of the administration in Tobago was aligned to imperial interest. It was a departure from the usual defiance of the imperial government.

What is interesting is that the Liberated Africans were mainly young children with a different language contracted for an undetermined period to work for very low wages and face stiff fines for breaches of contract. The second regulations indicate the extent of abuse within the system, The Africans were “liberated” into bondage.