The Trial of Captain John Kimber, for the Murder of Two Female Negro Slaves, on Board the Recovery, African Slave Ship: Tried at the Admiralty Sessions, Held at the Old Baily, the 7th of June, 1792Student of the Temple
History
The Trial of Captain John Kimber, for the Murder of Two Female Negro Slaves, on Board the Recovery, African Slave Ship: Tried at the Admiralty Sessions, Held at the Old Baily, the 7th of June, 1792
Student of the Temple
Enslaved women -- Africa; Kimber, John -- Trials, litigation, etc.; Trials (Murder) -- England -- London
Mr. Thomas Dowling was first called, and examined by Mr. Attorney
General; he had been a surgeon on board the RECOVERY, the ship
which the prisoner commanded: in the beginning of June, he had arrived
in the river of Calabar, on the coast of Africa, where in the end of
August they had compleated their cargo of slaves. About the time of
sailing, he had under his care, a female slave, aged about fourteen
or fifteen years, who had been afflicted with a virulent gonorrhea,
and lethargy, or drowsy complaint, of which latter ailment he could
never learn the real cause. She was not then in a convalescent state:
but her diseases were stationary, and bore every probable appearance
of recovery. In this situation she could not eat, as the other slaves
did, nor join in any of their amusements, at which the Captain was so
irritated, that he used to flog her himself, with a whip, the handle
of which, was one foot long, and the lash two. About three weeks after
they had sailed, he beat her in this manner with uncommon severity;
and on the 22d of December, perceiving her not to dance with the other
negro women, he ordered a boy to bring a teakle, one end of which was
fastened to the _mizen stay_ and the other to one of her hands, and by
this she was lifted up from the deck, and remained suspended for about
five minutes: and during that time, she was bounsed up and down, or in
other words, lifted up, and let fall again, by the way, who had a hold
of the teakle.
She was then taken down and suspended in the same manner by the other
arm. She was next lifted up by one leg; and afterwards by the other:
until at last she was taken up for the fifth time by both hands, and
underwent the fifth excruciating suspension. The whole time from the
first to the last suspension, this witness said might have been half an
hour. While she continued hung up by both hands, the prisoner lashed
her inhumanly with his whip: and when she was let down, he forced her
to walk without any assistance down the hatchway: this she was unable
to do, having got but two or three steps, when she slipt all the rest
of the way.
When this witness next saw her she was welted in several parts of the
body, her hands were swelled in consequence of the hanging, and her
legs disfigured in a shocking manner: after this the witness saw her
in convulsions, had her brought on deck, and rubbed her with volatile
spirits; but every remedy was ineffectual: she languished away in this
miserable state for three days, and on the third expired.
All this happened in the middle passage about 200 leagues from Granada,
whither the RECOVERY with her cargo was bound. And the witness was
positive that the death of the slave was occasioned by the ill
treatment she had received.
The witness was cross-examined by Mr. Pigott leading council for the
prisoner.
Q. Has it been your undeviating opinion that the girl died in
consequence of the punishment said to have been inflicted on her?
A. It has.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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