The Rodney Rolls used with permission of Gösta Simmons at gosta.simmons@swipnet.se. Copyright © Gösta Simmons. May not be copied in any manner without permission of the author.







The Rodney Rolls



INTRODUCTION:

Occupied by the British

In 1781 the British under Admiral Rodney and Major-General Vaughan raided Statia. The British occupation of the island became short only lasting from February 3rd to November 25th, when the French captured Statia. Though allied with the Dutch, the French held the island until it was formally restored to the Dutch in February 1784, after the treaty of Paris.

The British occupation turned out to be disastrous. Gostlinga (1985) says, “The total value raked in by Rodney is estimated at between 3 and 4 million pounds sterling.” Heavy burdens were opposed on the inhabitants, and described by Goslinga as: “… and almost 40 proclamations were issued by Rodney and Vaughan concerning confiscation of property, the taking of oath, etc. All the inhabitants had to hand in their cash money.” Further quoting Goslinga (1985):

All the North Americans and their agents were sent to England as prisoners. English and Danish merchants were extradited: towards the French the attitude was somewhat more lenient, perhaps because of the presence of a powerful French fleet in the Caribbean. They were shipped to Martinque and Guadeloupe.

Worse was the fait of the Jews. All male Jews, one hundred of them, were robbed of all they carried – to a total value of f88.000; some were beaten, while 30 were deported to St. Kitts. The remaining ones were allowed to witness the public sale of their properties.

In a report of March 5, 1781, Vaughan advised Rodney against keeping the island. Whatever Rodney’s plans may have been, the arrival of Hood’s badly battered squadron on May 3 clinched his decision to leave. But he left a garrison of 670 men behind. Many inhabitants now also left and fled to neutral St. Thomas.

Tracks of the “Roll”

The capitation list, the so called Rodney Roll, was dated February 20th, 1781. This roll was said to be found at PRO in London, according to one Lt. Col. D.C. Hill, who sent one copy to Bermuda Historical Society (BHS). Based on this copy an article was later published in the quarterly magazine of BHS. Siegfried Lampe, his relative on Statia, got another copy. I got my list from Paul Scott, who in turn had got it from Lampe. During this distribution phase, the list had been typed. The search for the original list had start!

The typed list forwarded by Scott, rises many questions. Scott for example questions if the list is complete, by saying that apparently the Jewish population were not listed.

Summarizing the list, there were 324 people (probably equal to whites) and 656 slaves giving a total of 980 people. Most likely the group of “white people” was based on “head of household”, meaning either a white man or a widow. In addition wife as well as sons and daughters were numerically listed, if any.

A second step came in 1993, when I got a copy of Ayisi’s book St. Eustatius – the Treasure Island of the Caribbean (Trenton, N.J. 1992). An appendix section was devoted to a “List of Burghers, St. Eustatius February 20, 1781”. A reference stated, however, that the list originated from Dr. Barka’s research papers and had been collected from Holland. Futhermore, it was just a partial list without stating the composition of the household!

A message from Lampe, stating the proper reference put me on the trail to PRO. And in 1995 I had finally obtained a copy of the original Rodney Roll.

Manuscript observations

The Rodney Roll was found in PRO CO 318/8, is simply bound and “foliated” from 60 to 109. (“Foliated” means here that each opening has a number in the top right corner of every other page. The re-numbering system was carried out by PRO during the microfilm-process of the manuscripts.) Actually, the “Roll” contains three different lists, all describing the population, or a part of it.

Folio 61 to 82. This is a general population list described by the recorder in his statement ending the lists, as:

This is to certify to their Excellencess Admiral Sir George Brydges Rodney and the Honourable Major General John Vaughan Commanders in Chief of this Britanic Majestys forces in the Leward and Cariabe Islands, that this is an Exact Liest of all the Burghers and Burgheresses now resident upon the island of St. Eustatia. Given under my hand this 20th of February 1781. A. Le Jeune, Secretary. Witness Mattew Forster, Commissary General.

2nd item. Folio 83 to 86. On top of the list is written:

An exact liest of those that are received as Burghers sints the 5th of August 1780 tell the 29th of January 1781.

And at the end saying: 

This is to certify to their Excellencess Admiral Sir George Bridges (sic) Rodney, and the Honourable Major General John Vaughan Commanders in Chieff of this Britanic Majestys forces in the Leward and Cariege Islands, that this is an Exact Liest of those that received as Burghers sints the 5th of august 1780 tell the 29th of January of this Year. Gaven under my hand this 20th of February 1781. A. Le Jeune, Secretary. 

Notes regarding table extracts

#1; Name of person of “head of Household”. It is identical with the original list, except for a (,) separating surname from the given name. Likewise I have used a (;) to separate an attribute from the personal name like “Weduwe” meaning “widow (of)”.

#2; Year of population list, which is followed by corresponding folio reference to the source. Not in the original list.

#3 “Area” not in the original document. The following abbreviations have been used to “characterize” the person.

“E”, short for St. Eustatius (Stratia).

“b”, recorded as a burgher of the island in question (here Stratia).

“o”, short for oath. Here meaning they were received as burghers on date as follows.

“r”, means a resident for stated span-of-time

“J”, indicates a Jewish origin, based on information given. 

#4-6; Fem. => female, S:s => sons, D:s => daughers. Idential with the original document.

#7; “Sls” is short for slaves. This column summerizes for specific columns in the original document.

#8; “Note” not in the original document. Each individual note is separated by a (;). “pt xx“. Number of people paying poll tax. According to Lampe, the last column in the list shows the number of persons paying poll tax. All males from 16-60 paid such tax. Lampe says. “Source: yyy” indicates a divergence, where this is the original spelling as given in the document. For example, when I have used a normalized form or the full name instead of initials. “id: NN#”, means identified in the (genealogical) work by N.N., with corresponding identification/reference number. “Ayisi:”, means diverging spelling according to Emmanuel (1970), list of Jewish residents in 1790 on Statia. These residents were recorded by Commissioners Grovestines & Boney, officials sent out by the States General to compile a report on conditions in the islands. 

Statia – population list 1781, the Rodney Rolls. Extracts – item 1

Name
Year
Fol.
Area
Fem.
Sons
Daugs
Slvs
Note
AMORY, Benjamin
1781 62:1
Eb
          
ASHBURNER, Thomas
1781 62.2
Eb
1
1
1
4
pt 2
ALLEN, Hugh
1781 62.3
Eb
–
–
–
3
pt 1
ALIX, John
1781 62.4
Eb
          
ARRENDAL, Isaacs
1781 62.5
Eb
1
1
–
3
pt 1
AIRTH, Alexander
1781 62.6
Eb
          
ARINALLI, Franciso
1781 62.7
Eb
          
ADDICK, John
1781 62.8
Eb
1
3
2
–
pt 1
ALEXANDERSON, William
1781 62.9
Eb
          
ABBOTT, James
1781 62.10
Eb
1
1
–
1
pt 1; source: Abbot
AULL, William
1781 62.11
Eb
          
ALLARY, Issac
1781 62.12
Eb
          
ALLIED, Antoine
1781 62.13
Eb
          
AMORY, Joseph
1781 62.14
Eb
          
ARRENDALL, Thomas Warner
1781 62.15
Eb
          
ARRENDALL, Christopher
1781 62.16
Eb
          
ARRENDALL, Nathaniel
1781 62.17
Eb
          
AKKRINGA, Gossling
1781 62.18
Eb
–
–
–
–
Pt 1
ALBOUY, Thomas
1781 62.19
Eb
          
AMORY, William
1781 62.20
Eb
          
ABENDANONE, David
1781 62.21
Ebj
1
3
2
2
pt 2; id Emmanuel 1970
ABENDANONE, Joseph
1781 62.22
Ebj
1
–
–
3
pt –
ABRAHAMS, Levy
1781 62.23
Ebj
        
Emmanuel: Abrams
ABENDANONE, Haim
1781 62.24
Ebj
1
–
–
6
pt 1; id: Emmanuel 1970
ABENDANONE, Abram
1781 62.25
Ebj
–
3
3
5
pt 1; id: Emmanuel 1970
AZEVEDO, Abram
1781 62.26
Ebj
1
1
1
–
pt 1
ALMEIDA, David
1781 62.27
Ebj
1
1
–
2
pt 1
ALBERGEN, Abram
1781 62.28
Ebj
1
2
1
1
pt 1
BEAUJON, Anthony
1781 63.1
Ebj
1
3
3
5
pt 1; id ARA 1994, secretary 1777-1780
BIRCKBECK, Charles
1781 63.2
Eb
1
–
–
4
pt 1-
BEY, Jan; Weduw
1781 63.3
Eb
–
–
–
9
pt 2
BEY, Cornelius
1781 63.4
Eb
–
1
–
–
pt 1
BEY, Pieter
1781 63.5
Eb
1
2
3
2
pt 1
BLYDEN Sr., Abel
1781 63.6
Eb
          
BLYDEN Jr., Abel
1781 63.7
Eb
1
2
3
9
pt 2
BROMLEY, Alexander
1781 63.8
Eb
1
1
2
4
pt 1
BARTELIER, Anthony
1781 63.9
Eb
–
–
–
8
pt 2
BARBE, Iagnes
1781 63.10
Eb
–
–
–
–
pt 1
BIZE, Abrm Gabriel
1781 63.11
Eb
–
–
    
Ayisi: Bire
BETH, Cornelis
1781 63.12
Eb
1
–
1
–
pt 1
BIZE, Daniel Hercules
1781 63.13
Eb
        
Ayisi: Bire
BEALE, Abram
1781 63.14
Eb
          
BRANGAS, Domenicq
1781 63.15
Eb
–
–
–
2
pt 1
BARZYN, Francis
1781 63.16
Eb
          
BURKET, George
1781 63.17
Eb
–
–
–
–
pt 1
BLAKE, Henry
1781 63.18
Eb
1
2
1
–
pt –
BLYDEN, John
1781 63.19
Eb
1
–
–
11
pt 3
BOURILLON, Joseph
1781 63.20
Eb
–
–
–
6
pt 2
BLAKE, Judith
1781 63.21
Eb
–
–
–
9
pt 1
BOILEAU, Jaques
1781 63.22
Eb
          
BEAUJON, Jan Jacob
1781 63.23
Eb
–
–
–
–
pt 1
BRUJAN, John
1781 63.24
Eb
1
–
–
–
pt 1
   
Eb
          
   
Eb
          
   
Eb
          
   
Eb
          
   
Eb
          
   
Eb
          
   
Eb
          
   
Eb
          
               
               
               
               
               
               
               
               
               
               
               
               
               
               
               
               
               
               
               
               
               
               
               
               
               
               
               
               
               
               
               
               
               
               
               
               
               
               
               
               

Leave a Reply