An Act for making free and rewarding two negro men slaves, the one named York, belonging to the estate of Ballard Beckford, deceased; and the other named Cuffee, belonging to James Charles Sholto Douglas, Esquire, and for paying to their owners their respective values.

WHEREAS a horrid conspiracy was formed in the year one thousand seven hundred and sixty-five, in the parish of Saint Mary, by sundry Coromantee and other slaves, to destroy the settlements and plantations to which they belonged, and to massacre their master, owners, overs, overseers, and other white people, in consequence of which conspiracy, an insurrection did actually break out at Whitehall Plantation, and there is room to apprehend that a general revolt of the slaves and a massacre might have happened in the island, if the conspirators had succeeded in their first attempts. 

 

II. AND whereas a negro man, named York, belonging to the estate of Ballard Beckford, Esquire, deceased, was particularly active and instrumental in saving the life of his mistress, at the first breaking out of the said insurrection; and one other negro man, named Cuffee, belonging to James Charles Sholto Douglas, Esquire, did voluntarily make an ample discovery of the said conspiracy, whereby the life of his said master, and the lives of several of the white inhabitants of the said parish were saved from massacre, and the execution of the wicked purposes of the conspirators was most happily prevented: May it therefore please your Most Excellent Majesty that it may be enacted, be it therefore enacted  by the Lieutenant Governor, Council, and Assembly of this your Majesty's island, and it is hereby enacted by the authority of the same, That the said negro men slaves, named York and Cuffee, be, immediately from and after the passing of this act, manumitted and set free from all manner of slavery whatsoever; and that Alexander Brown, Esquire, or the receiver-general for the time being, do also pay to the order of the representative of the said Ballard Beckford, deceased, the sum of one hundred and forty pounds, in full satisfaction for the said negro named York; and likewise to the order of the said James Charles Sholto Douglas, the sum of eighty pounds, in full satisfaction for the said negro man named Cuffee, out of any moneys in the hands of the said receiver-general, or of the receiver-general for the time being, unappropriated.