Early nineteenth-century parliamentary debates for the abolition of slavery in the British Empire and the contribution of the colonial judge Sir John Jeremie in the period 1824–41

Abstract

SUMMARYIn the early nineteenth century, English common law did not recognize absolute slavery within Britain's borders. Nevertheless, slavery did exist in a number of British colonies. In 1807, thanks to the impassioned efforts of the Anti-Slavery Society, the British Parliament made the slave trade illegal. The Slavery Abolition Bill was passed by both Houses of Parliament and it received royal assent on 29 August 1833, but it did not come into force until 1 August 1834. On that date slavery was abolished throughout the British Empire. Yet, despite this ban, there were many exceptions to its automatic application throughout the imperial possessions. A loyal servant of the Crown, the colonial judge Sir John Jeremie (1795–1841), conducted a personal campaign against slavery and racism in the colonies of the British Empire. His reflections, based on the reality of daily colonial life, offered a technical rather than doctrinaire contribution to the success of the anti-slavery cause. Jeremie was to pay a high price for his ideas, however, owing to deep-rooted prejudices and the strong economic influence of the powerful caste of slave traders. His Four Essays on Colonial Slavery was published in 1831. This work had considerable influence on British parliamentary debates, and it was strongly attacked by supporters of slavery. As a jurist and legal practitioner, during his cursus honorum (as lawyer, colonial judge and ultimately his appointment as Governor of Sierra Leone), Jeremie brought a practical perspective in writings to the debates which animated the Westminster Parliament, even after the approval of the Abolition Act. Despite the slave trade being abolished in the British Empire, slavery per se continued to be legal in some form for many decades to come. Hence, the issue of slavery continued to be a subject with which Jeremie was associated for the remainder of his life. Another interesting historical source is Jeremie's correspondence with Members of Parliament and the British government. This constitutes a lively exchange with London and testifies to the enlightened and progressive foreign policy vision of this active member of the Anti-Slavery Society. Sir John Jeremie was also interested in migration and integration-related issues, as can be seen from primary sources such as letters and dispatches. The wide variety of his correspondence bears testament to the battle he fought until his death.