Slavery, Family, and Gentry Capitalism in the British Atlantic: The World of the Lascelles, 1648 - 1834 (Cambridge Studies in Economic History - Second Series)

From the mid-seventeenth century to the 1830s, successful gentry capitalists created an extensive business empire centered on slavery in the West Indies, but inter-linked with North America, Africa, and Europe. S. D. Smith examines the formation of this British Atlantic World from the perspective of Yorkshire aristocratic families who invested in the West Indies. At the heart of the book lies a case study of the plantation-owning Lascelles and the commercial and cultural network they created with their associates. The Lascelles exhibited high levels of business innovation and were accomplished risk-takers, overcoming daunting obstacles to make fortunes out of the New World. Dr Smith shows how the family raised themselves first to super-merchant status and then to aristocratic pre-eminence. He also explores the tragic consequences for enslaved Africans with chapters devoted to the slave populations and interracial relations. This widely researched book sheds new light on the networks and the culture of imperialism. Cover 1 Half-title 3 Series-title 4 Title 5 Copyright 6 Dedication 7 Contents 9 List of Figures 10 List of Maps 11 List of Tables 12 Preface 15 List of Abbreviations 17 1 Introduction: Remembering and Forgetting 19 2 Halls and Vassalls 29 'Strangely ... Metamorphosed from a Student to a Merchant' 29 'Memorandums for times to be looked over by myself and by my family when I am no more' 36 'Ye shaking of a Tree in the Orchard' 44 'Men of bright Characters and good figure' 51 The Deeds of the Mansion 58 3 Rise of the Lascelles 61 A Solo Entry and a Brotherly Quartet 61 4 Lascelles and Maxwell 72 A Fraternal Trio 72 Corruption and Faction 77 The League of Gentlemen 90 George Maxwell of Haddington, Barbados, and London 97 The 'Tragical End' of Henry Lascelles 104 5 The Gedney Clarkes 109 Family Connections 114 Commercial Activities 118 Political and Military Patronage 127 Consolidating Power and Influence 136 Succession and Collapse 148 Personal Fortune and Empire Building 155 6 Merchants and Planters 157 7 A Labyrinth of Debt 195 Gedney Clarke 211 The Harvies 213 The Blenmans 225 The Freres 231 Conclusions 237 Appendix 240 8 Managing a West India Interest 244 A Change of System 246 Apprenticeship and Emancipation 269 Conclusions 275 9 The Enslaved Population 278 The Second Great Fire of London 278 Overview of the Estates' Populations 280 Emancipation and 'Amelioration' 289 Survivorship and Reproduction 299 Mortality and Survival 302 Fertility and Reproduction 313 Conclusions 321 Appendix I: The Accuracy of the Demographic Data: Some Tests 325 Appendix II 329 10 Between Black and White 335 Resistance and Cooperation 335 Intercultural Relations 346 Conclusions 362 11 Epilogue 369 Archival Sources 377 LONDON 377 BANK OF ENGLAND 377 BRITISH LIBRARY (BL) 377 CORPORATION OF LONDON RECORDS OFFICE (CLRO) 377 GUILDHALL LIBRARY 377 INSTITUTE OF COMMONWEALTH STUDIES 377 LIBRARY OF THE SOCIETY OF FRIENDS, FRIENDS HOUSE 377 MIDDLESEX UNIVERSITY 377 NATIONAL ARCHIVES: PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE (NA:PRO) 378 NATIONAL MARITIME MUSEUM (NMM), GREENWICH 378 PARLIAMENTARY ARCHIVES 378 THE ROYAL BANK OF SCOTLAND GROUP ARCHIVES 378 UNIVERSITY OF LONDON LIBRARY 378 ENGLISH PROVINCES 378 BODLEIAN LIBRARY, OXFORD 378 BORTHWICK INSTITUTE FOR ARCHIVES, UNIVERSITY OF YORK 378 BRISTOL RECORD OFFICE 379 CAMBRIDGE UNIVERSITY LIBRARY, CAMBRIDGE 379 CARLISLE RECORD OFFICE (CRO) 379 CENTRE FOR KENTISH STUDIES (CKS), MAIDSTONE 379 DERBYSHIRE RECORD OFFICE, BUXTON 379 EAST RIDING OF YORKSHIRE ARCHIVES, BEVERLEY 379 EAST SUSSEX RECORD OFFICE, LEWES 379 HAMPSHIRE RECORD OFFICE 379 HAREWOOD HOUSE(HH), WEST YORKSHIRE 379 JOHN RYLANDS UNIVERSITY LIBRARY, MANCHESTER 379 NORFOLK RECORD OFFICE, NORWICH 379 NORTH YORKSHIRE COUNTY RECORD OFFICE, NORTHALLERTON 379 SUFFOLK RECORD OFFICE, IPSWICH SUFFOLK 380 TEESSIDE ARCHIVES, MIDDLESBOROUGH 380 UNIVERSITY OF NOTTINGHAM 380 WEST RIDING OF YORKSHIRE ARCHIVES (WRA), SHEEPSCAR BRANCH, LEEDS 380 WEST SUSSEX RECORD OFFICE, CHICHESTER 380 WILKINSON AND GAVILLER, STAPLEHURST, KENT 380 YORKSHIRE ARCHAEOLOGICAL SOCIETY, LEEDS 380 SCOTLAND 380 EAST LOTHIAN LOCAL ARCHIVE OFFICE 380 NATIONAL ARCHIVES OF SCOTLAND (NAS), EDINBURGH 381 THE ORKNEY LIBRARY AND ARCHIVE, KIRKWALL 381 WALES 381 NATIONAL LIBRARY OF WALES, ABERYSTWYTH 381 NORTHERN IRELAND 381 PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE OF NORTHERN IRELAND (PRONI), BELFAST 381 BARBADOS 381 BARBADOS ARCHIVES (BA), BLACK ROCK 381 BARBADOS PUBLIC LIBRARY, BRIDGETOWN 381 LIBRARY OF THE BARBADOS MUSEUM & HISTORICAL SOCIETY (LBMH), BRIDGETOWN 381 JAMAICA 382 ISLAND RECORD OFFICE, SPANISH TOWN 382 JAMAICA ARCHIVES (JA), SPANISH TOWN 382 NATIONAL LIBRARY OF JAMAICA, KINGSTON 382 NORTH AMERICA 382 BAKER BUSINESS LIBRARY, HARVARD, MASSACHUSETTS 382 BOSTON PUBLIC LIBRARY (BPL) 382 HAMILTON COLLEGE, NEW YORK, BEINECKE COLLECTION 382 HANDLEY REGIONAL LIBRARY, WINCHESTER, VIRGINIA 382 HISPANIC SOCIETY OF AMERICA, NEW YORK 382 HISTORICAL SOCIETY OF PENNSYLVANIA (HSP), PHILADELPHIA 382 HOUGHTON LIBRARY, HARVARD, MASSACHUSETTS 383 HUNTINGTON LIBRARY, SAN MARINO, CALIFORNIA 383 JOHN CARTER BROWN LIBRARY, PROVIDENCE, RHODE ISLAND 383 LIBRARY OF CONGRESS, WASHINGTON DC 383 LIBRARY OF VIRGINIA, RICHMOND, VIRGINIA 383 MASSACHUSETTS HISTORICAL SOCIETY (MHS), BOSTON 383 NEWBERRY LIBRARY, CHICAGO 383 NEW ENGLAND HISTORIC GENEALOGICAL SOCIETY, BOSTON 383 NEW YORK PUBLIC LIBRARY 383 PEABODY ESSEX MUSEUM (PEM), SALEM, MASSACHUSETTS 383 VIRGINIA HISTORICAL SOCIETY, RICHMOND, VIRGINIA 384 VIRGINIA TECH, BLACKSBURG, VIRGINIA, DIGITAL LIBRARY AND ARCHIVES, SPECIAL COLLECTIONS 384 WILLIAM L. CLEMENTS LIBRARY, UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN 384 OTHER ARCHIVES 384 ALGEMEEN RIJKSARCHIEF, THE HAGUE 384 NATIONAL ARCHIVES OF GUYANA 384 NELSON PROVINCIAL MUSEUM, NEW ZEALAND 384 Index 385 Cover......Page 1 Half-title......Page 3 Series-title......Page 4 Title......Page 5 Copyright......Page 6 Dedication......Page 7 Contents......Page 9 List of Figures......Page 10 List of Maps......Page 11 List of Tables......Page 12 Preface......Page 15 List of Abbreviations......Page 17 1 Introduction: Remembering and Forgetting......Page 19 'Strangely ... Metamorphosed from a Student to a Merchant'......Page 29 'Memorandums for times to be looked over by myself and by my family when I am no more'......Page 36 'Ye shaking of a Tree in the Orchard'......Page 44 'Men of bright Characters and good figure'......Page 51 The Deeds of the Mansion......Page 58 A Solo Entry and a Brotherly Quartet......Page 61 A Fraternal Trio......Page 72 Corruption and Faction......Page 77 The League of Gentlemen......Page 90 George Maxwell of Haddington, Barbados, and London......Page 97 The 'Tragical End' of Henry Lascelles......Page 104 5 The Gedney Clarkes......Page 109 Family Connections......Page 114 Commercial Activities......Page 118 Political and Military Patronage......Page 127 Consolidating Power and Influence......Page 136 Succession and Collapse......Page 148 Personal Fortune and Empire Building......Page 155 6 Merchants and Planters......Page 157 7 A Labyrinth of Debt......Page 195 Gedney Clarke......Page 211 The Harvies......Page 213 The Blenmans......Page 225 The Freres......Page 231 Conclusions......Page 237 Appendix......Page 240 8 Managing a West India Interest......Page 244 A Change of System......Page 246 Apprenticeship and Emancipation......Page 269 Conclusions......Page 275 The Second Great Fire of London......Page 278 Overview of the Estates' Populations......Page 280 Emancipation and 'Amelioration'......Page 289 Survivorship and Reproduction......Page 299 Mortality and Survival......Page 302 Fertility and Reproduction......Page 313 Conclusions......Page 321 Appendix I: The Accuracy of the Demographic Data: Some Tests......Page 325 Appendix II......Page 329 Resistance and Cooperation......Page 335 Intercultural Relations......Page 346 Conclusions......Page 362 11 Epilogue......Page 369 MIDDLESEX UNIVERSITY......Page 377 BORTHWICK INSTITUTE FOR ARCHIVES, UNIVERSITY OF YORK......Page 378 NORTH YORKSHIRE COUNTY RECORD OFFICE, NORTHALLERTON......Page 379 EAST LOTHIAN LOCAL ARCHIVE OFFICE......Page 380 LIBRARY OF THE BARBADOS MUSEUM & HISTORICAL SOCIETY (LBMH), BRIDGETOWN......Page 381 HISTORICAL SOCIETY OF PENNSYLVANIA (HSP), PHILADELPHIA......Page 382 PEABODY ESSEX MUSEUM (PEM), SALEM, MASSACHUSETTS......Page 383 NELSON PROVINCIAL MUSEUM, NEW ZEALAND......Page 384 Index......Page 385 "From the mid seventeenth century to the 1830s, successful gentry capitalists created an extensive business empire centred on slavery in the West Indies, but inter-linked with North America, Africa and Europe. S.D. Smith examines the formation of this British Atlantic world from the perspective of Yorkshire aristocratic families who invested in the West Indies. At the heart of the book lies a case study of the plantation-owning Lescelles and the commercial and cultural network they created with their associates."--Résumé de l'éditeur "From the mid seventeenth century to the 1830s, successful gentry capitalists created an extensive business empire centred on slavery in the West Indies, but inter-linked with North America, Africa and Europe. S.D. Smith examines the formation of this British Atlantic world from the perspective of Yorkshire aristocratic families who invested in the West Indies. At the heart of the book lies a case study of the plantation-owning Lescelles and the commercial and cultural network they created with their associates."--Jacket From the mid 17th century to the 1830s, gentry capitalists created a business empire centered on slavery in the West Indies, but inter-linked with North America, Africa and Europe. This text examines the formation of this British Atlantic World from the perspective of Yorkshire aristocratic families who invested in the West Indies A study of the formation of the British Atlantic World from the perspective of Yorkshire aristocratic families who invested in the West Indies from the mid-seventeenth century to the 1830s. S.D. Smith offers a case study of the plantation-owning Lascelles and the networks they created with their associates