In 1837, 259 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-3109 occurred via the British and Spanish Court of Mixed Commission, Havana
| RegID | LA-E-3109 |
|---|---|
| Case Name | Matilde |
| Year | 1837 |
| Government Department | Courts of Mixed Commission |
| Court | British and Spanish Court of Mixed Commission, Havana |
| Trial Outcome | Condemned |
| Enslaved Total | 272 |
| Liberated Africans Total | 259 |
| Registered Total | 255 |
| Notes | This Spanish schooner, under the command of Pedro Mas, began its voyage at Santiago de Cuba on an unknown date and set sail for Ambriz loaded with a cargo of linen bales, 250 iron bars, muskets and aguardiente. Pedro Mas was left behind in West Africa as a prisoner, after which Miguel Aldabo assumed command of this ship. In total, 272 people boarded this ship and 13 individuals died during the middle passage. On 4 December 1837, the HMS sloop Snake, under the command of Alexander Milne, detained this ship around 19°36'0" N. and 77°12'0" W. After the capture and during the trial, another 4 people died. On 18 December, the court condemned this slave vessel for sale and issued emancipation certificates for 255 people. Upon their arrival to Havana, these people were put on board the Romney, which was a ship the British Government owned and moored in the Bay of Havana to house and look after Liberated Africans during the trial. The decision to remove people from the Empresa from Havana to Nassau in the Bahamas occurred shortly after the trial, whereby 1 other person died. On 31 December, 220 people were sent to Belize, 16 men enlisted in the First and Second Companies of the British West India Company to serve on the Romney and 18 people were quarantined in Havana due to small pox. |
| Sources | The National Archives, UK, FO 84/217, "Captor's Declaration," no date, f. 382-383; 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 | -8593864.68924072 |
|---|---|
| Y Capture | 2225705.1534627834 |
| 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. | West Central Africa North |
| 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 | Ambriz |
| Capture date at sea or on land, if known. Date of the sentence. Include YYYY-MM-DD, if known. | 1837-12-04 |
| Location | 19°36'0" N., 77°12'0" W. |
| Navy | Britain |
| Ship | Snake |
| Captain | Milne |
| Supporting Ships | |
| Sentence Date | 1837-12-18 |
| Date of arrival to the place where the trial, purchase, or asylum occurred, resulting in "liberation" and indenture. Includes YYYY-MM-DD, if known. | 1837-12-11 |
| 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 |