An Act to oblige all person to give in a List of Their Negroes and other slaves upon Oath.

Whereas the Contingent Charges of this Island hath been always Defray’d by a Pole Tax on Negroes and other slaves, and several persons to Evade paying their proportion, have given in less than the true Number of the slaves they were Owners of. Therefore wee pray your most Excellent Majestye to Enact And be it and it is hereby Enacted by the Chief Governor of his Majestyes Charribbee Leeward Islands in America, the Lieutenant Governor and Councill and Assembly of the Island And by Authority of the same That from and after the Date of this Act all persons whatever being and residing in this Island (other than Quakers who are to Declare according to a late Act of Parliament last are Proprietors, possessors, Managers, or overseers of any Negros or other slaves, shall give in an Exact Account by List upon Oath, soo often as they shall be thereonto Lawfully required [illegible] respective officer or officers of the several Divisions of this Island for the time being of all and every such Negro and other slave, living and breathing, as alsoe what are Esteemed Dutyable and whatnot, to the persons that are Impowered to require and Administor the same as aforesaid who are themselves first to be sworne before the Governor, President, or some Justice of Peace for the time being   in the words following -----doo swear on the holy Evangelists of God that I will Demand of every Master, Mistress, Renter, Possessor, Manager, or Overseer of every family in my Division, and Amount and List upon Oath of all the Negroes and other slaves living and breathing that are in their respective Custodyes or belonging to them, on this Island and soo near as they can what they Esteem Dutyable and what are not Dutyable, which I will returne into the secretaryes Office of this Island, as often as thereto required I will alsoe returne the names of those persons who refuse to give such Amountt and List of their Negroes and other slaves upon Oath, soe help me God And be it further Enacted by the Authority aforesaid That all and every person or persons whatsoever that shall refuse to give in an Exact List upon Oath of their slaves as aforesaid, shall forfeit and pay Three Pounds Current Money for every slave that shall not be given in as aforesaid, due proofe being made of the same before any Justice of the peace in this Island, who are hereby Impowered and required by way of Distress by the Marshall or his Deputy for the time being, and sold at Out Cry in the Markett Place of Charles Towne, returning the Overplus (if any) to the Proprietor One halfe part of which Fines and for forfeitures are to be to the Informer, and the other halfe part to the Treasurer for the time being, to be Imployed for Defraying the Contingent Charges of this Island And be it further Enacted by the Authority aforesaid, that the person or person that shall refuse to give this or their oath to the Officer or Officers as aforesaid, shall forfeit and pay Two Hundred pounds Current Money to the Treasurer to be Levyed and applied as aforesaid, which Oath shall be in these words (viz) ------ doe swear on the holy Evangelists of God, that the Amount  and List I doe now give in is a true and Exact List of every Negro or other slave that I am Owner of, or have in my possession living on this Island And Alsoe I have particularly mentioned and Distinguished soe near as I Can, what I doe believe in my Conscious are Dutyable and what not (soe help me God) And be it further Enacted by the Authority aforesaid That every officer that shall refuse to take the Oath aforesaid shall forfeit and pay the sume of ten pounds Current Money, for each Offence, one Moiety of which forfeiture shall be to the Informer, and the other Moiety to the Treasurer for the time being to be Leavyed and applied as Aforesaid And be it further Enacted by the Authority aforesaid, That soe often as the respective parishes of this Island shall have unasion to raise parish Leavyes for payement of the Ministers, poor and other parish charges, this Act shall be and is hereby of as full force, for each Vestry to use for takeing a List of their parish Negroes as it is made for takeing a publick List from time to time. 

Dated at Nevis the Tenth day of March in the Thirteenth year of his Majestyes Reigne. Anno Dm 1700/1

Their Excellencyes the Lords Justices with the advice of his Majesty’s Privy Councill Doe Declare their Approbation of the said several Laws, and pursuant to their Excellancyes pleasure thereupon, the said Laws are hereby Confirmed, finally Enacted, and ratyfyed accordingly. 

John Dovey 

Att the Court at Hampton Court the Twentyeth day of November 1701

Present:

The king’s most Excellent Majestye

Lord Arch-Bishop of Canterbury         Earle of Downey 

Lord Keeper                                        Earle of Ranelagh

Lord President                                    Lord Bishop of London

Duke of Ormond                                 Lord Ferrers

Lord Chamberlaine                             Mr. Secretary Vernon

Earle of Stamford                                Mr. Chancellor of the Exchequer

                                    Sir Henry Goodrick

Editorial Note: Any abbreviations found in the original of this law have been spelled out in full for clarity.