The forgotten Irish Part three
In 1742, a document entitled Thurloe's State Papers, published in London, opined that:
''..It was a measure beneficial to Ireland, which was
thus relieved of a population that might trouble the planters; it
was a benefit to the people removed, which might thus be made
English and Christians.... a great benefit to the West India
sugar planters, who desired men and boys for their bondsmen, and
the woman and Irish girls... To soloact them'' (4)
Note the chilling insouciance of the purpose stated for the women and Irish girls...to ''solace'' the sugar planters. Also, to our way of thinking, the Irish were Christians, but the Protestant English, Catholics were considered Papist, and Papist weren't Christians.
So for the entire 17th Century, from 1600 until 1699, there were many more Irish sold as slaves than Africans. There are records of Irish slaves well into the 18th Century.
Many never made it off the ships. According to written record, in at least one incident 132 slaves, men, women and children, were dumped overboard to drown because ships supplies were running low. They were drowned because the insurance would pay for an 'accident''. but not if the slaves were allowed to starve. Typical death rates on the ships were from 37% to 50%
In the West Indies, the African and Irish slaves were housed together, but because the African slaves were much more costly, they were treated better than the Irish slaves. Also, the Irish were Catholic, and Papists were hated among the Protestant planters. An Irish slave would endure such treatment as having his hands and feet set on fire or being strung up and beaten for even a small infraction. Richard Ligon, who witnessed these things first hand and recorded them in a history of Barbados he published in 1657, stated:
''Truly, I have seen cruelty there done to servants as I did not think one Christian could have done to another. ''(5)
64747 Category:(History) Created:(1/10/2010 6:25:00 PM)