Category Archives: Spain
Simon Taylor to Chaloner Arcedeckne, 24 December 1789
24/12/1789
As well as commenting on the rising abolition movement, Taylor expressed his views on other subjects. His thoughts on the early months of the French Revolution, penned on Christmas Eve, 1789, reveal his antipathy for the French, but also his admiration for a āfree constitutionā and distaste for what he saw as the anarchical threat […]
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Simon Taylor to Chaloner Arcedeckne, 24 February 1783
24/02/1783
After taking full control of Arcedeckneās Jamaican properties from John Kelly, Taylor sought to reassure his friend that they would be well managed. This extract illustrates how far the sugar estates relied upon a large and healthy enslaved workforce and aspects of the economic relationship between livestock rearing farms, or pens, and the estates. Both […]
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Simon Taylor to Chaloner Arcedeckne, 8 May 1782
08/05/1782
The victory of Sir George Rodney over the combined French and Spanish fleet at the Saintes on 12 April 1782 ensured that Jamaica would not face an invasion. Taylor remained fearful of the number of enemy troops who remained in the region and worried about the diminution of the white population of Jamaica. Nevertheless, with […]
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Simon Taylor to Chaloner Arcedeckne, 19 March 1782
19/03/1782
An invasion scare in Jamaica was at its height during the early part of 1782. The new Lieutenant-Governor, Archibald Campbell, made detailed plans for a defence of the island against attack by French and Spanish troops. These were time consuming and expensive. White men were obliged to serve in the militia, and Taylor, as a […]
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Simon Taylor to Chaloner Arcedeckne, 28 August 1781
28/08/1781
Taylorās callous disregard for enslaved people as anything other than commodities and units of labour is evident in his reaction to the effects of the storm at Arcedeckneās Golden Grove estate, which he managed as Arcedeckneās attorney. The shocking human cost of the hurricane is nevertheless apparent, although Taylor conflates this with a diatribe about […]
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