In 1839, 198 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-3117 occurred via the British and Spanish Court of Mixed Commission, Havana
| RegID | LA-E-3117 |
|---|---|
| Case Name | Sierra del Pilar |
| Year | 1839 |
| Government Department | Courts of Mixed Commission |
| Court | British and Spanish Court of Mixed Commission, Havana |
| Trial Outcome | Condemned |
| Enslaved Total | 255 |
| Liberated Africans Total | 198 |
| Registered Total | 172 |
| Notes | This Spanish schooner, under the command of Miguel de Oliveira, was "bought in December last [1838] at the Cape de Verde Islands." From there, it went to Lagos loaded with a cargo of gunpowder and "other merchandise." On 18 March 1839, this ship sailed from Africa with 255 people on board and 40 individuals died during the middle passage. On 4 June, the HMS sloop Pickle, under the command of Frederick Holland, chased this ship for several hours off the south coast of Cuba, until it ran aground on the Isle of Pines. After, the captain and the crew escape on shore with 35 enslaved Africans. Holland set fire to the Sierra del Pilar, which was damaged beyond repair, and took 180 enslaved Africans to Havana, where they were placed on board the Romney. From the point of capture and through the trial, another 8 people died. On 21 June, the court declared the ship engaged in the illegal slave trade and issued emancipation certificates for 172 people. The removal of people from the Sierra del Pilar from Havana to Grenada occurred "the day after the receipt of emancipation certificates." All 172 people from this ship went to Grenada on board the Louis Frederick. On 12 August, the Louis Frederick returned to Havana "after fulfilling her engagement." It remains unclear how many people, if any, died during this voyage. |
| Sources | The National Archives, UK, FO 84/274, "Captor's Declaration," 8 Jun. 1829, f. 139-141; 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: 1631. |
| Cite as |
| X Capture | -9205710.772636 |
|---|---|
| Y Capture | 2496586.217850 |
| 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. | Western 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 | Lagos |
| Capture date at sea or on land, if known. Date of the sentence. Include YYYY-MM-DD, if known. | 1839-06-04 |
| Location | Ran aground on the Isle of Pines |
| Navy | Britain |
| Ship | Pickle |
| Captain | Holland |
| Supporting Ships | |
| Sentence Date | 1839-06-21 |
| Date of arrival to the place where the trial, purchase, or asylum occurred, resulting in "liberation" and indenture. Includes YYYY-MM-DD, if known. | 1839-06-04 |
| 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 |