Scotland and the Abolition of Black Slavery, 1756-1838

289 Pages·2006·1 MB·English

by  Ian Whyte

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SCOTLAND AND THE ABOLITION C
O
T
OF BLACK SLAVERY, 1756–1838 L Scotland and the
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Iain Whyte

A
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Abolition of Black
‘The passion of the Scots for freedom and individuality is legendary.
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We enjoyed wonderful support from the Scottish people in our struggle
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against apartheid, for which we are deeply grateful. Thank you, Iain H
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Whyte, for telling a history of which the Scots can be rightly proud.’

A Slavery, 1756–1838
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Archbishop Desmond Tutu, from the foreword to this book
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Although much has been written about Scottish involvement in slavery, T
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the contribution of Scots to the abolition of black slavery has not yet been O
sufficiently recognised. This book starts with a Virginian slave seeking his N

freedom in Scotland in 1756 and ends with the abolition of the apprenticeship O
scheme in the West Indian colonies in 1838. F

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Contemporary documents and periodicals reveal a groundswell of revulsion to A
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what was described as ‘the horrible traffik in humans’. Petitions to Parliament
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came from remote islands in Shetland as well as from large public meetings S
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in cities. In a land steeped in religion, ministers and church leaders took the A
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lead in giving theological support to the cause of abolition. The contributions
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of five London Scots who were pivotal to the campaign throughout Britain R
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are set against opposition to abolition from many Scots with commercial ,
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interests in the slave trade and the sugar plantations. 7
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Missionaries and miners, trades guilds and lawyers all played their parts in –
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challenging slavery. Many of their struggles and frustrations are detailed for the 8
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first time in an assessment of the unique contribution made by Scotland and the 8
Scots to the destruction of an institution whose effects are still with us today.
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Dr Iain Whyte is a former University Chaplain at both the University of St n
Andrews and the University of Edinburgh. He has lived in the Southern States W
of the USA and in West Africa and is an internationally respected campaigner h
on social and political issues. y
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Cover image: The Friends of Humanity Laying the Axe to the Upas Tree of Slavery
from Wilson Armistead (pamphlet), Five Thousand Strokes for Freedom,
London, 1853. © Trustees of the National Library of Scotland E
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Cover design: Cathy Sprent
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Edinburgh University Press
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22 George Square Iain Whyte
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Edinburgh EH8 9LF
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www.eup.ed.ac.uk g
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ISBN 0 7486 2433 3
Scotland and the Abolition of Black Slavery,
1756–1838

Scotland and the Abolition
of Black Slavery,
1756–1838
Iain Whyte
Edinburgh University Press
For the unsung heroes of the struggle whose courageous resistance
to slavery advanced freedom for us all
© Iain Whyte, 2006
Edinburgh University Press Ltd
22 George Square, Edinburgh
Typeset in Adobe Sabon
by Servis Filmsetting Ltd, Manchester, and
printed and bound in Great Britain by
The Cromwell Press, Trowbridge, Wilts
A CIP record for this book is available from the British Library
ISBN-10 0 7486 2432 5 (hardback)
ISBN-13 978 0 7486 2432 4 (hardback)
ISBN-10 0 7486 2433 3 (paperback)
ISBN-13 978 0 7486 2433 1 (paperback)
The right of Iain Whyte to be identified as the author of this work
has been asserted in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and
Patents Act 1988.
Published with the support of the Edinburgh University
Scholarly Publishing Initiatives Fund.
CONTENTS
Acknowledgements vi
List of Abbreviations viii
List of Figures ix
Foreword by Archbishop Desmond M. Tutu x
Introduction 1
1. Black Slaves in Scotland and Baptism 9
2. The Lords and the Profits – West Indian Commerce
and the Scottish Enlightenment 41
3. Pulpits, Presbyteries and Petitions on the Trade 70
4. London Scots in the Movement for Abolition 107
5. Unfinished Business in Europe and Scots Countervoices
on Emancipation 145
6. Coming Out of Sin – the Road from Mitigation to the
Call for Immediate Abolition 179
7. Evangelism in Jamaica, Theology in Scotland, but
Freedom Deferred 213
8. Eyes on the Prize – Focus, Faith and Fervour 247
Bibliography 257
Index 270
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
There have been many people who have provided encouragement,
support and practical assistance during the research and writing of
this book.
The staff of the university libraries in Edinburgh and Aberdeen and
especially the Special Collections departments have been extremely
helpful, as have been those in New College Library, Edinburgh, the
National Library of Scotland, Edinburgh City Library, the Mitchell
Library in Glasgow, and the National Archives of Scotland. More
recently a pleasant few days were spent writing in a peaceful atmos-
phere at Gladstone’s Library in Hawarden, Wales.
My friendship with Professor Geoff Palmer of Heriot Watt
University goes back many years and he has continued to encourage
me in this project that links his native Jamaica with his adopted
Scotland. Dr Karina Williamson has allowed me to draw on her expe-
rience of literary sources. Professor John Cairns has generously given
of his time and expertise in legal matters and provided access to
certain papers. At an earlier stage Professor Duncan Rice and
Professor George Shepperson gave encouragement and provided
some helpful pointers from their extensive knowledge in this field.
I owe a particular debt to my two post-graduate supervisors,
Professor Stewart J. Brown and Dr Alex Murdoch of the University
of Edinburgh, who have given me invaluable assistance throughout
my studies and well beyond them. Others whose support has been
much appreciated are Mr Owen Dudley Edwards, Sir Lance and Lady
Errington, Dr Polly Rewt and Mr James Robertson.
I am honoured and grateful that Archbishop Desmond Tutu, in the
midst of a very crowded schedule, has agreed to write a brief fore-
word. The editorial staff at Edinburgh University Press have been full
of support, advice and encouragement for this first-time author.
FinallyIwanttothankmyfamily,Dave,Maggieandaboveallmy
wifeIsabel.Shehassharedsomuchofmyinterestinissuesofjustice,
has patiently listened to many a story on slavery and has made
Acknowledgements vii
numeroushelpfulsuggestions,especiallywhenIhavebeenobtuse.As
in everything else, her support has meant everything to me.
Iain Whyte
ABBREVIATIONS
ALE Advocates Library, Edinburgh
AUL Aberdeen University Library
BL British Library
EUL Edinburgh University Library
MLG Mitchell Library, Glasgow
NAS National Archives of Scotland
NC New College Library, Edinburgh
NLS National Library of Scotland
RHO Rhodes House Library, Oxford
ASR Anti-Slavery Reporter
CI Christian Instructor
CM Caledonian Mercury
EA Edinburgh Advertiser
EEC Edinburgh Evening Courant
ER Edinburgh Review
GA Glasgow Advertiser
GC Glasgow Courier
GCH Glasgow Chronicle
GH Glasgow Herald
JB John Bull
JHC Journals of the House of Commons
JHL Journals of the House of Lords
KC Kelso Chronicle
SC Scotsman
SG Scottish Guardian
SM Scots Magazine
SMPR Scottish Missionary and Philanthropic Register
FIGURES
1 Advertisement for a runaway slave 12
2 A house in old Saltpans, near Wemyss, Fife 23
3 Inveresk Lodge, Musselburgh 48
4 Motif of the kneeling slave designed by
Josiah Wedgwood 76
5 The journeys of William Dickson, 1792 92
6 William Dickson – a pencil sketch 114
7 Memorial bust of Zachary Macaulay 124
8 Diary notes made in Greek script by Zachary Macaulay 130
9 Sierra Leone token commemorating the abolition
of the slave trade 150
10 Dr Andrew Thomson 191
11 Dr John Ritchie of Potterrow 227
12 British medallion commemorating the Abolition
of Slavery in 1834 242