St Kitts

[ref.D202a] Printed Appeal for the relief of Basseterre, St Kitts, when nearly the whole town was destroyed by fire. Not dated, c.1869

Letter from James Amos, Saint Kitts Big, Sir Gillies Estate, ex-slave to Master (probably Sir Coventry Payne). [ref.D203]

'August 10th 1874

Honor'd Master , I most humbly and respectfully ask your pardoning the liberty I again take in writing you, but, necessity compels me , not having had an answer to a letter I wrote you early in last year, which I fear never reach'd, or you would have condescended to answer your Old Slave. I wrote to ask you to give me the little hut I lives in on the Estate, which I always understood was my own given over to me by Mr Pearle the Manager in 1834 in lieu of a larger thatch'd one of my own builded on the Estate which he took and contributed to the Estates use, and turned over this to me as my own. I did not ask him for a paper for it, feeling that the exchange was all right, and every Manager who suceeded Mr Pearle understood it my own Hut, except the present one Mr Isaac Sayers who tells me it is the Estate's property. So I now beg of you the small Hut, as I am now Eighty odd years, very feeble and poor and must very soon change life for death, and have not a little home of my own to leave my poor wife & c in after I am gone, always reckoning this little one my own, and I have always faithfully served you as my Master fom my childhood to this time, even after the freedom  others left I stil hold on, and feel assured you will give me this small request knowing that who giveth to the poor lendeth to the Lord and shall be rewarded a hundred fold. I also requested in my letter your giving me one of your Old Cloaks to keep my old frame warm and for which kindness myself and family shall ever be grateful, hoping yourself and circle enjoys health.

I am, honored Master, your most obedient humble servant,  James Amos.

Why are these documents at Bedfordshire & Luton Archives?

These records are part of the Doyne-Ditmas Archive, deposited in 1950, which also includes records of the Monoux-Payne family. It was the payne family of Tempsford who held land in St Kitts.