Link: Connections to Slavery

[Christopher]

Slavery Connection - Isle of Man Many prominent Manx families made their fortunes from ownership of plantations overseas. In addition to that the island had a ready supply of sailors, sea captains, surgeons and tailors who all sailed on slave ships bound for the west coast of Africa. 

[cloggers child]

Many merchants and shipowners made their fortunes to do with Slavery, but despite the fact these people linked to slavery  the slaves did not come to this country from Africa.

What happened was trade goods were taken from Bristol, Liverpool and other ports to Africa, there they bargained with the chieftains who looked on their own people and those of other tribes they stole as trade goods.  The ships then sailed  the Slavery triangle to the West Indies and USA.  the ships then came back to UK loaded with cotton, sugar and rum.

[Christopher]

More items than goods for trading with African chieftans were on board some of the ships sailing from Bristol. At least one ship carried Manxmen who were indentured to work on the plantations in the West Indies for a period of up to six years. David Craine, in a series of historical essays entitled 'Manannan's Isle' published by the Manx Museum and National Trust, includes one in which he details the early Manx settlers in the Barbados and St. Christopher, a way station from which many were to emigrate to America.
Isle of Man Family History Society Journal Vol 10 No 2 May 1988 - Manx Pioneers (1646 to Barbados)

The eighteenth century Blewfields plantation in Central America (present day Nicaragua) was Manx owned and is mentioned in a DVD ‘Manx Slave Traders’ produced by Frances Wilkins, a social historian with extensive knowledge of eighteenth century Manx history.

[cloggers child]

Undoubtedly people from this country and the islands around it were sent off as indentured servants to these places.

A lot of the so-called orphans were sold by the people who were supposed to be caring for them under the indenture system to various parts of the world and that carried on for a very long time.

There is in fact present day slavery? with the people who are producing goods for sale in this country and other parts of the world for pennies and which are being sold for vast amounts in our stores.