Chronological events, social interactions, weather records, and agricultural labor extracted from the 1750–1786 colonial Jamaica diaries.
Thomas Thistlewood meticulously recorded a week of his daily activities, including walks to the Citadel, fishing in the moat, and social engagements. He made keen observations of local customs, such as unique eating habits, building dating practices, and a peculiar public procession of men in women's clothing, possibly related to domestic disputes.
Thomas Thistlewood engaged in discussions about trade conditions in Tournay with an English officer. The officer informed him that goods brought to the country should be 'Spoke ffor' and advised him to put his 'Reports' (likely commodities or goods) up at auction, indicating Thomas Thistlewood's commercial interests and engagement with local markets.
Thomas Thistlewood documented several small financial transactions for personal services and purchases, including shaving, cherries, laundry, and pints of beer. The entry notes the use of various local currencies like Archin, Shiver, and Urchin, reflecting the mundane financial aspects of his daily life.
Thomas Thistlewood recorded a period of demanding daily activities on his plantation, including extensive corn planting and rail construction. He faced challenges with labor, noting Mr. Benton's people ceased work, and managed difficult livestock, with several animals, including goats and a bull calf, dying. The entry also provides insight into interactions with enslaved individuals and other gentlemen.
Thomas Thistlewood noted the arrival of an enslaved individual named Witty, brought by J. Cobb, directly from Guinea. This detail highlights the direct connection of his plantation operations to the transatlantic slave trade and the forced migration of individuals from Africa to the Caribbean.
Thomas Thistlewood documented providing monetary sums and provisions, such as land crabs, to several enslaved individuals including Juba, Jaghtube, Coffee Joe, and Supio. This entry offers a glimpse into the internal economy and management of labor on his plantation, where small payments were occasionally made.
Thomas Thistlewood recorded local customs among enslaved people in 'Joseph Country,' including the 'Meto' practice for resource gathering, which tragically involved a girl's death. He also detailed local folklore about a creature called 'Moother' or 'throughken' that preys on sleepers, and a tale of a child named Goonny seeking the true name of a feared 'Old Woman' to obtain food.
Thomas Thistlewood's diary entries detail daily agricultural tasks, household business, and interactions with various individuals. He noted preparing an ointment from poppies, managing laborers, and engaging in financial transactions involving livestock and ginger, offering a snapshot of his diverse responsibilities as an estate owner.
Thomas Thistlewood recorded financial transactions concerning the sale of a cow and calf, each for 4 pounds, 4 shillings, and noted the valuation of ginger at 3 pounds, 10 shillings, 18 pence. These details highlight his involvement in agricultural commerce and asset management.
Thomas Thistlewood created a meticulous inventory of 24 cows and their calves, providing names and specific physical descriptions for each animal. This detailed record-keeping, including unique traits like 'remarkably crooked horns,' underscores his thorough approach to livestock management and plantation assets.
Thomas Thistlewood oversaw extensive agricultural tasks, including cutting potato, spicdnut tree, and mortliff fields, involving up to 80 cutters. He also managed rum distillation with Old Tom and Combo. A significant event was the problematic exchange of his riding horse, Willy, with Mr. Customs, who failed to return Willy as promised and left an inferior mare.
Thomas Thistlewood continued overseeing plantation activities, including cutting fields and distilling low wines. He had an encounter with a portly, well-dressed man who sought lodging but became troublesome, leading Thomas Thistlewood to look 'coldly on him' until the guest departed. Further, he expressed disappointment as Mr. Customs did not return his riding horse, Willy, as promised, leaving an inferior mare in its place.
Thomas Thistlewood meticulously managed intense sugar production, overseeing 16 cutters and the vatting of 50 to 56 vats of sugar. He dispatched enslaved individuals, George and Querry, on errands to Salt River for repairs and to deliver a 'ground book' to Mr. Minter. The entry details the demanding nature of plantation life, including his 'spell all night long' in the curing house.
Thomas Thistlewood continued to oversee extensive plantation operations, including clearing cut ground and managing sugar production, reaching 56 vats. He dispatched Querry and Quey on important errands to Salt River to Mr. Minter, an old catechist, regarding a 'ground book.' Agricultural tasks such as planting corn and weeding were also recorded, alongside observations of many people heading to Savanna for work.
Thomas Thistlewood managed daily plantation operations, including the movement of 37 mules and the processing of sugar, with 5 tierces sent via canoe from Sott River. He received various provisions like beef, butter, salt, and mackerel. Notably, he distributed 15 quarts of rum and 'two large bottoms' to 'the Angose' to 'make them merry,' highlighting a method of social control.
Thomas Thistlewood spent the morning inspecting the fish in the great pond on his plantation. In the afternoon, Andrew Miller visited, and Thomas Thistlewood, along with Robert, rode with Miller Post Long, while Watt rode to the Coal Prices over Cabritto Bridge, indicating both social and business engagements.
Thomas Thistlewood oversaw the filling of four tierces of sugar, which required about 54 bottles, completing the task by 11 A.M. Afterward, enslaved laborers were sent to the fields at Pop-Hill to hoe young corn. Thomas Thistlewood also gave Betty and another enslaved person a new hoe.
Thomas Thistlewood sent Joe to Sett Kiwin with geese and a tongue. In the afternoon, French sloops arrived, potentially signaling future social or economic interactions. He prepared for visits, indicating upcoming social engagements on his plantation.
Thomas Thistlewood visited Mr. Anderson and Mr. Wesley at Sett Kiwin, finding them in 'a Sad Fright' due to suspected customs house officers arriving at Savanna la Mer, leading all hands to secure French goods. He then rode to Savanna la Mer to purchase goods like butter, biscuits, cocoa nuts, and eggs, highlighting the economic anxieties of the period.
Thomas Thistlewood made a purchase of 'Bitte' from a ship that came from England, indicating trade connections with his homeland. In the evening, he engaged in a recreational activity, shooting a pair of teal, which he described as being in 'good condition.' This entry offers a glimpse into both his economic transactions and personal leisure.
Jenny came to Thomas Thistlewood's residence late at night, bringing olives, but he refused to admit her or accept her offerings, indicating a strained relationship or social boundary. Later, Big Mimber, who was in Mr. Anderson's garden, was given some sugar, suggesting other social interactions on the estate.
Thomas Thistlewood rode to visit Mr. Ewing and Mr. Conway, engaging in social calls. He also called at Mr. Vister Drummond's, where he met ministers and brought home a doubloon (a Spanish gold coin) intended as a gift for Mr. Drummond's enslaved people, showcasing an act of generosity amidst his social engagements.
Thomas Thistlewood received a note from Mr. James Forresten and sent Abraham and Cross to retrieve goods. A significant event was Colonel Broody's enslaved individual, Charles, bringing home Bennibel, who was a runaway, which Thomas Thistlewood documented and then sent Charles to Mr. Dorrill at Little River. In the evening, Thomas Thistlewood engaged in hunting, shooting snipes or small plovers in the great pond.
Thomas Thistlewood went hunting in the great pond, successfully shooting three teal. He wrote to Mr. Henderson and sent the birds to her via Tabenach. During his outing, he was stung by a wasp in his right arm and again in his upper eye, documenting a minor but irritating personal incident.
Thomas Thistlewood oversaw the filling of still tubs, moved 44 pots of sugar to the curing house, and dried cotton. He gave a 'Small Drink' to the enslaved people for being 'Will' (well). A minor accident occurred when Heger fell on planks while moving sugar, causing a tierce of sugar to roll down, though Heger was not seriously hurt.