In 1833, 195 enslaved African(s) were “liberated” in a state-run scheme usually resulting in involuntary indentures, conscription, or re-enslavement. Under the jurisdiction of 4, Case ID LA-E-3077 occurred via the British and Spanish Court of Mixed Commission, Havana
| RegID | LA-E-3077 |
|---|---|
| Case Name | Negrita |
| Year | 1833 |
| Government Department | Courts of Mixed Commission |
| Court | British and Spanish Court of Mixed Commission, Havana |
| Trial Outcome | Condemned |
| Enslaved Total | 201 |
| Liberated Africans Total | 195 |
| Registered Total | 0 |
| Notes | This Spanish galeta, under the command of Juan Ildefonso Coll, began its voyage at Santiago de Cuba and set sail for Bonny on 20 October 1832. On 7 February 1833, this ship sailed from Africa 217 people on board and 21 individuals died during the middle passage. On 29 March 1833, the HMS schooner Nimble, under the command of Charles Bolton, detained this ship in between Grenada and Tobago around 18°55'0" N., 75°25'0" W. At the time of capture, a cholera epidemic was decimating Havana's population and the 196 people on board this slave ship were not allowed to enter the city. On 11 April, a special committee involving the Captain General met to discuss the transfer of Liberated Africans from Cuba to a British colony. The initial proposal was to have the ship sent back across the Atlantic and have the case tried in Freetown, Sierra Leone. Since the British expected the Spanish government to pay all costs, this proposal was quickly abandoned. As the people waited on board the Negrita during the trial, the British commissioners explained that due to "the peculiar circumstances of their not being allowed to land and have been during the whole of their stay in Port in strict quarantine, it has been impossible either to deliver them their certificates of emancipation of even to make those descriptions of their respective persons which it is customary." On April 20, 195 people - 112 men, 14 women, 28 boys and 41 girls (9 were in poor physical health) - were transferred from the Negrita to the brigantine Carolina and "sailed in good health" to the Island of Trinidad. Bolton accompanied the ship as far as the Cay Sal Bank to the south of Florida. On 27 May, the Governor of Trinidad sent a letter confirming the arrival of 189 people in Trinidad and outlined future conditions related to the removal of Liberated Africans from Cuba. The Carolina returned to Havana on 17 June with the letter from Trinidad. This case should not be confused with the Negrito which was occurring around the same time. |
| Sources | The National Archives, UK, FO 84/136, "Declaration of the Captor," 13 Apr. 1833, f. 146-147; Henry B. Lovejoy, “The Registers of Liberated Africans of the Havana Slave Trade Commission: Implementation and Policy, 1824-1841,” Slavery & Abolition 37, no. 1 (2016): 23-44; Henry B. Lovejoy, “The Registers of Liberated Africans of the Havana Slave Trade Commission: Transcription Methodology and Statistical Analysis,” African Economic History 38 (2010): 107-135; SlaveVoyages, www.slavevoyages.org (accessed 2020), Voyage ID: 1280. |
| Cite as |
| X Capture | -8395344.930659384 |
|---|---|
| Y Capture | 2145127.217901414 |
| Ship Status | Liberated Africans |
| Date of departure from a place or port in Africa generally following the purchase of enslaved people. Include YYYY-MM-DD, if known. | |
| Region of departure from Africa. Required entry. For more information about the geographical hierarchy used in this digital resource, please refer to AfricanRegions.org. | Eastern Bight |
| Place or port of departure from Africa, if known. A controlled vocabulary for place names are associated with geographic coordinates using Google Maps Global Mercator EPSG:900913. See https://epsg.io/transform#s_srs=4326&t_srs=900913&x=NaN&y=NaN | Bonny |
| Capture date at sea or on land, if known. Date of the sentence. Include YYYY-MM-DD, if known. | 1833-03-29 |
| Location | 18°55'0" N., 75°25'0" W. |
| Navy | Britain |
| Ship | Nimble |
| Captain | Bolton |
| Supporting Ships | |
| Sentence Date | 1833-03-15 |
| Date of arrival to the place where the trial, purchase, or asylum occurred, resulting in "liberation" and indenture. Includes YYYY-MM-DD, if known. | 1832-10-20 |
| Region of arrival around the world. Required field. For more information about the geographical hierarchy used in this digital resource, please refer to AfricanRegions.org. Other regions outside of Africa include, Western Europe, East Coast of North America, etc. | Caribbean |
| Place or port of arrival around the world. Required field. A controlled vocabulary for place names are associated with geographic coordinates using Google Maps Global Mercator EPSG:900913. See https://epsg.io/transform#s_srs=4326&t_srs=900913&x=NaN&y=NaN | Havana |