Jamaica in 1692 - Jewish Pirates, Slaves, and Guns

Manuscript Document Signed "John White," "John Bourden," "Pe Beckford," "Peter Heywood," "Sam: Bernard," "John Towers," "Nicholas Law[es]," "Andrew Orgill," and "Fra. Blackmore," 5 pages, 9" x 14.75". Penned on 4 pages, front and verso on two conjoined sheets, 1 page on sheet with verso blank and addressed on verso of integral sheet: "For their Majesties Service / To ye Rt Hono:ble the Lords of the Committee / of Trade and Forreign Plantations / At / Court / pr the John & Thomas / Thomas Eagles Comander Present." Receipt on address leaf is dated 10 May 1692. One edge on each page has been heavily damaged, removing some text, noted below in [brackets]. The letter has been expertly infilled and is in very good condition.

Signed by members of the Council and including former and future Governors of Jamaica John White (acting 1691-1692), John Bourden (1692-1693), Peter Beckford (acting 1702), Peter Heywood (1716-1718), and Sir Nicholas Lawes (1718-1722) who served as Chief Justice (1698-1703). Peter Beckford had arrived in Jamaica from London in 1662 with two or three African slaves; the island had been seized by the British from Spain in 1655. At his death in 1710, Beckford was the wealthiest planter in Jamaica. He also served as President of the Council and Chief Justice of Jamaica.

Jews arrived in Jamaica in the 17th century when it was settled by Spain. By 1670, Port Royal, Jamaica, once described as "the wickedest in the world," had become a pirate stronghold and center of economic activity. Under the British, Port Royal Jamaica was home not only to privateers bearing letters of marque for operating against the Spanish, some of whom were Jewish but also to a large Jewish community that economically backed the Pirate raids against the Spanish. There were complaints by merchants that Jewish merchants, many of whom were Sephardic Jews with roots in Spain, had an unfair advantage in trade because they could speak Spanish and were very successful trading with Spanish America. In 1686, the Council of Jamaica established a special tax on the Jewish community ("Jew's Tribute"). Six years later, the non-Jewish merchants complained that the Jewish merchants found ways to avoid the special tax. As a result, an additional tax was decreed against Jews in 1693.

In Jews, Slaves and the Slave Trade: Setting the Record Straight (New York: NYU Press, 1998), Eli Faber wrote, "With the advent of the Dutch, some of Suriname's Jews left for Jamaica in 1677, preferring to live under the British flag. Ten Jewish families with 322 slaves reportedly did so, with individual holdings that ranged from a low of 2 to a high of 74, or an average of 32.2 per family … According to one contemporary account, the private traders delivered 35,718 slaves to Jamaica alone between 1698 and June 14, 1708, far in excess of the 6,854 delivered by the Royal African Company … [Jews] held 12.2 percent of the Company's stock in 1699…"The FortsThe Council first reports the condition of the walls and the number of mounted guns, protecting the island of Jamaica, at Fort Charles, Fort James, Fort Morgan, Fort Carlisle, Fort Rupert, and Fort Walker. Port Royal was called "the richest and wickedest city in the world." It was founded in the 1650s by the first British settlers who came to Jamaica.

In part, "Fort Charles hath thirty eight [guns] Mounted, eight of them honeycombed with age … Fort James has twenty six great guns mounted …the walls something out of repair … many defects in these two forts may prove inconvenient … [Fort] Rupert in good repair … Fort Morgan hath twenty s[ix] guns mounted except five of the carriages not servicable … Fort Carlisle is in good condition but not so usefull as w[as] first built had fourteene great gunns Mounted but three of [them] lately taken from thence and sent to the Leward part of the Island. Walker has Eighteen great gunns Mounted and is in good repair…"On June 7, 1692, less than five months after the letter here offered was written, a devastating earthquake hit Port Royal causing most of its northern section to fall into the sea. A huge tidal wave destroyed ships in the harbor and carried one of the ships into the middle of the town. Fort Charles survived, but Fort James and Fort Carlisle sank into the sea. Fort Rupert became a large region of water and great damage was done to Fort Morgan. Fort Walker was destroyed in the earthquake.

In part, "We humbly think may very Naturally be Contained Right to Vindicate thereby great Injuries putt on any publick persons [sho]uld we have obtained such a law your Lordships ere now had been [pre]sented w:th (with) the true Reasons of the Dissolution of the last Assembly w:ch (which) are herewith sent unto your Lordships and for want of it wee fear wee lye under some miss Representations. For want of this the Jews Eat us and o:l (all) Children out of all o:r (our) trade. The reason of granting them by the law of this Island Letters of Naturalization not having bin observed. For there has bin no Regard had to their Settleing & planting to w:ch they are obleidged by the letter of that law and it's True Intent can at this day be attested by Severall of us that Assisted at it's Making . We Wanted them not (my Lords) at Port Royall a place Peopled and strong enough without them and though they are told the whole land is before them w:ch was never so thin as now and they were Intended to be by their [professi]on Sheepkers and Planters they are suffered to make Port [Ro]yall their Goshen and they will doe nothing but trade when an Assembly is inclined to Tax them something higher then their fellow Christians who alone Serve on Juries and doe other duties in the governmt whereof they are Incapable finde wayes not only to Evade that but to the Distinguisht by Speciall favours. This may it pleas your Lord:ps is a great and growing Evill and had wee nott warning Enough from other Colonies w:ch have suffered in the same kinde we see our Streets filled and the Shipps bound heither crouded w:th them and the Consequenceis no less then takeing o:r childrens bread and giving it to Jews to prevent these and any other Inconveniences we want a Soliciting law and Doe take leave w:th all humility to Assure your Lordships we doe veryly believe that the granting of that and a Little Confidence in the Councill would save your Lordships agreed of Trouble would prevent Complaints w:ch would be more Rare[ly] offered when they could be cleaply answered and their Majesties mo[st] Gracious & Excellent Instructions be more Exactly observed…"

This item comes with a Certificate from John Reznikoff, a premier authenticator for both major 3rd party authentication services, PSA and JSA (James Spence Authentications), as well as numerous auction houses.

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