Description

Extended Data

Location notes

Six of Ridley's children were born in Devon from 1820 to 1828, suggesting he may have been an 'absentee' owner of the plantations during this time while he lived in England with his family. However, his place of residence during these years has not been confirmed. [1] One child, Mary Anna (Walcott) Stafford, was recorded being baptised in East Budleigh, Devon. Wikitree states 'Parents named as James and Joanna Walcott living at Kersybrook [Kersbrook?], Devon.' [9]

Date notes

We do not know the exact dates that Walcott was in Devon, however we know that his children were born there from 1820 to 1828. We have therefore given an estimate date of 1 December 1820.

Biographical information

Six of Ridley's children were born in Devon from 1820 to 1828, suggesting he may have been an 'absentee' owner of the plantations during this time while he lived in England with his family. However, his place of residence during these years has not been confirmed. [1] Walcott was still recorded as owner of the Good Hope sugar plantation as late as 1817, and the St Christopher estate as late as 1826. [1]

Links to slavery

Walcott was owner of the 'Good Hope' sugar plantation, and owner of the St Christopher estate with John Walcott, probably his brother. Good Hope and St Christopher were both within Demerara - today part of what is known as Guyana. On 30 November 1835 John Walcott was awarded £7256 for 134 enslaved people. So James may have bought out his brother in 1826. [1] Slavery heritage of Demerara: Demerara is today part of what is known as Guyana. Some of the earliest settlers of Guyana were Arawak, Carib, and possibly Warao. Although Christopher Columbus sighted the Guyana coast in 1498 and Spain claimed the area, the first Europeans to colonise the land were the Dutch in the late 16th century. In the mid-17th century the Dutch began bringing over enslaved people from West Africa to cultivate sugarcane. From the 1740s, English settlers from Caribbean islands began to move in on the region, first on the island of Wakenaam, then on the coast of Essequibo, followed by Demerara. By 1760, the British were the largest contingent in Demerara. During the Napoleonic wars the British and French in particular fought over the land, but in 1796 the British captured the territories and except for short intervals held 'possession'. In 1831 the British combined Demerara, Essequibo and Berbice to form 'British Guiana'. In 1823 Demerera was the site of one of the greatest uprisings of enslaved people in history: the 1823 Demerara rebellion involved over 10,000 enslaved people and was crucial in the dismantling of Caribbean slave systems. [1]

Attitudes around race

Attitudes around labour

Images

References