An Act to restrain the Insolences of Slaves and for preventing them from committing any outrages as also the better ordering such Slaves, etc.

Whereas it is Notorious that the Negroes not only commit grievous outrages upon the Inhabitants by stealing and carrying away their Cattle and other Stock raised for their Subsistence but are likewise in many places of this Island got together in such Numbers as to threaten the disturbance of the Peace and quiet of the same: We therefore pray their Majesties that it may be Enacted, and it is hereby Enacted by the Authority aforesaid that hence forward where any Negro shall be taken Stealing or carrying away Stock Cattle or Provision amounting to the Value of Twelve pence Such Negro or Negros taken therein shall upon due proof thereof before the Governor and Council Suffer such Death as they shall think fit to award, And when any Negro shall have any theft proved against him, and the Value not amounting to twelve Pence Currant Money of this Island that then and in such Cases Such Negro shall only Suffer a Severe whipping and have both his Ears cut off for the first time but for the Second Offence in the like nature shall Suffer Death in the form aforesaid the Publick paying the Owner for every Negro put to Death the Sum of three thousand five hundred pounds of Muscovado Sugar.

And forasmuch through the Negros Stealing and destroying poor Peoples provisions they are quite discouraged from planting what they expect not to reap, Be it moreover Enacted and Provided that it shall and may be lawful for any person to shoot at and if possible to kill any Negro he shall find digging out drawing or Stealing his Provision Provided such Provision be not within forty foot of the Common Path and that the party so Killing the Negro hath not in the hearing of others expressed either hatred or Malice against the Owner of such Negro for in either cases the Owner of such Shall recover Damages to the full Value of any who shall So Kill their Negro.

And Since by the often and frequent meeting of the Negroes on the Lords day most of the mischiefs which [illegible] and then by them plotted and continued and Seeing Masters Mistresses and Overseers are very negligent in their [15] Several Plantations; Be it therefore further Enacted and Ordained that no person whatsoever being Owners or overseers give leave to any Negro Slave under their ownership or charge to depart or leave their Plantations on the Sunday without a Ticket expressing his or their business and whether going upon Penalty of three hundred pounds of Sugar and having their Negros Severely whipt by the Owner or Owners of such Plantations where they shall be found or taken without a Ticket and any owner of a Plantation or overseer who shall neglect to punish as aforesaid any Negro without a Ticket being found in his Plantation or under his case or charge shall forfeit the Sum of three hundred pounds of Sugar.

And it is further provided by the Authority aforesaid that once in every Month every Master or Mistress or Overseer of a Family shall throughout all his Negro houses make diligent Search for and Seize upon all Slaves Clubbs or Mischievous Weapons they shall there find as also all Stolen Goods and commodities shall be found if of any Value shall publish the same describing the quantity and quality thereof that thereby the owners may be the better able to claim it in order and upon full proof made it was theirs it may be restored them and for flesh of any Sort that shall be found the Negro in whose house it was taken unless he or She can make it plainly appear they came by it honestly shall undergo a whipping and have one of their Ears cut off Provided always and be it further Enacted that where there are more in Number than one slave concerned in any heinous or grievous Crimes as Burglary Robbery Burning off Houses or Canes Killing or Stealing any manner or Kind of Cattle or Stock only one of them shall Suffer Death who shall appear to be the greatest Criminal. 

And it is further Enacted and Provided by the Authority aforesaid that all Commission Officers within this Island are hereby Empowered and required upon Notice by any one to them given of any Number of Negroes got together and the place where immediately upon the same to raise a Sufficient Number of Men and with them to pursue apprehend and take such Negroes either alive or Dead and whatsoever Commission Officer shall neglect or other reason refuse to be aiding and assisting herein shall forfeit the Sum of two thousand pounds of Sugar. 

And whereas some Masters and Mistresses or overseers of Plantations are so careless as not to put in a competency of Provisions for their Slaves whereby they are often forced to run away or at least to commit thefts [line obscured by crease in page] and overseers of and Plantations within this Island at all times after the Expiration of ten Months ensuing the Publication shall have always keep for every Eight Negroes one Acre of ground well planted in provisions and so proportionably for a greater or lesser Number which whosoever shall neglect after the Tenn Months ended and then at the end of every Six Months for every Acre so wanting shall forfeit the Sum of one Thousand pounds of Sugar.  

And it is moreover provided and Enacted that where two Slaves shall fall out and fight and the one Maim or kill the other it shall lye at the persons discretion whose Negro shall be either Maimed of killer whether for the first Offence the Negro who committed the same shall suffer whipping or for the latter Death or to receive such Satisfaction of the owner of such Negro as the Governor and his Council shall adjudge Sufficient.

And be it further Enacted by the Authority aforesaid that where any person shall attempt to Steal or take off this Island in any Ship, Boat, Sloop, Canoe, Bark Logg or other Vessel any Negro or Negros shall for Offering the same forfeit five thousand pounds of sugar or lye close in Prison for the Space of Six Months and whatsoever person or persons shall Steal or carry off from this Island any Negro or Negroes in any such Vessel or Vessels as aforesaid shall and are hereby esteemed and Adjudged guilty of Felony and shall not have the benefit of Clergy.

And be it further Enacted by the Authority aforesaid that where any white shall take a Slave and bring him in Dead or alive shall have paid him by the owner of such Negro or Slave the Sum of five hundred Pounds of muscovado Sugar, where Dead the same Sum out of the Publick Stock of this Island and where any Slave shall take a Run away such Negro Slave shall have three hundred pounds of Sugar either by the owner or publick as aforesaid.

And be it moreover Enacted that any person upon loss of any Cattle Stock or other Provision may immediately without going to a Justice of Peace or requiring a Warrant repair to any Plantation or Plantations whereof he shall have Suspicion and there taking the Master Mistress or overseers of the same along with him shall have full Power to Search all and Singular the Negro House or other Houses belonging [16] to such Plantation or Plantations and if need to break open any thereof and any Master Mistress or overseer of Plantations who shall make any resistance or obstruct them therein shall pay to the party who hath Sustained any loss double the Value thereof.

And is as much as there are Several Fines Forfeitures and Penalties before mentioned in this Act and not declared where they shall be recovered and how disposed of, Be it further Enacted by the Authority aforesaid that one Moiety be to their Majesty’s their Heirs and Successors for and towards the Support of the Government of this Island and the contingent Charges thereof the other to the Informer to be recovered by Action of Debt in any Court of Record within this Island by Bill Plaint or otherwise wherein no Essign Protection or Wager of Law shall be allowed any Law Custom or Usage to the contrary in anywise notwithstanding. 

And be it further provided and Enacted that any Negro or Slave within this Island that shall absent themselves from their Master or Mistresses Service for the Space of three Months and afterwards taken and convicted thereof shall Suffer Death as a Felon any Law Usage or Custom to the contrary notwithstanding the Owner or the Negro to be allowed him out of the Publick Stock of this Island three thousand five hundred pounds of Sugar as is before Provided in this Act. Dated in Mountserratt the Sixteenth Day of June in the fifth year of their Majesty’s Reign Anno Domini 1693.

Signed Chr. Codrington 

Confirmed by His Majesty in Council at Kensington December 31st 1696

By Order of the Lords Commissioners for Trade and Plantations} A True Copy Examined 

Edward [?] Popple, Secretary 

Whitehall September 26: 1724

Montserratt September the 4th 1725. Published by Order of the Lieutenant Governor & Council 

John Hartt

D. P. Marshall

Recorded the foregoing Act by Order of the Honourable the Lieutenant Governor and Council Entituled an Act to restrain the Insolences of Slaves and for preventing them from committing any Outrages as also the better ordering such Slaves etc and is a true Copy taken and Examined from a Copy sent from the Lords Comissioners for Trade and Plantations and under the Seal of the Office

Mountserratt December 16: 1725.                  Geo. Ffrench Jun. D. Secretary