In 1828, 403 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-3771 occurred via the British and Spanish Court of Mixed Commission, Havana
| RegID | LA-E-3771 |
|---|---|
| Case Name | Gerges (a) Xerxes |
| Year | 1828 |
| Government Department | Courts of Mixed Commission |
| Court | British and Spanish Court of Mixed Commission, Havana |
| Trial Outcome | Condemned |
| Enslaved Total | 429 |
| Liberated Africans Total | 403 |
| Registered Total | 385 |
| Notes | This Spanish schooner, under the command of Felipe Rebel, began its voyage at Havana and set sail for Bonny on 10 February 1828 loaded with merchandise, such as silver, muslins and handkerchiefs of various colors. On 4 May, this ship sailed from Africa with 429 people on board and 26 individuals died during the middle passage. On 27 June, the HMS sloop Grasshopper, under the command of Abraham Crawford, pursued this vessel for 26 hours until succeeding in her capture in the Gulf of Mexico around 23°22' N. and 87°21' W. At the time of her detention, 61 enslaved Africans were in very poor health. The Grasshopper escorted this ship into the Bay of Havana on 5 July. During the trial, another 18 people died. On 12 July, the court condemned this ship for sale. It also issued emancipation certificates for 385 people. |
| Sources | "Declaration of the Captor of the Spanish Schooner Xerxes," 24 May 1828, in “Class A. Correspondence with the British Commissioners at Sierra Leone, the Havannah, Rio de Janeiro, and Surinam, relating to the Slave Trade, 1828,” in T. P. O'Neill, T. F. Turley, et al., eds., Irish University Press Series of British Parliamentary Papers: Slave Trade, vol. 12 (Shannon: Irish University Press, 1968-1969), 82; 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: 664. |
| Cite as |
| X Capture | -9746785.253113 |
|---|---|
| Y Capture | 2680728.542759 |
| 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. | 1828-06-27 |
| Location | 23°22' N., 87°21' W. |
| Navy | Britain |
| Ship | Grasshopper |
| Captain | Crawford |
| Supporting Ships | |
| Sentence Date | 1828-07-12 |
| Date of arrival to the place where the trial, purchase, or asylum occurred, resulting in "liberation" and indenture. Includes YYYY-MM-DD, if known. | 1828-06-26 |
| 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 |