In the final of our blog series for this year's Black History Month, we're looking at how ongoing research has led to an update to our Charles Waterton and slavery blog from 2 years ago.
Following the discovery of the will of Thomas Waterton, Charles' father, in the John Goodchild Collection at West Yorkshire Archives, we now have more information about Waterton's involvement in the family's plantation and with the enslaved workforce in Guiana.
The update is as follows:
Aged 22, Waterton was sent to administer the plantations and
the enslaved workforce on behalf of his family. He did this job for seven years
(1805 – 1812). He might have received a salary for this work, but it is likely
he was sent out in order to avoid paying someone outside of the family.
Charles’ father died in 1805, shortly after his arrival in
Guiana. The will of Thomas Waterton, Charles’ father, which is in the John
Goodchild collection with West Yorkshire Archive Services, reveals that Charles
inherited the family home in Walton but did not inherit the family estates and
the ‘slaves thereon’ in Guiana. Waterton managed the plantations on behalf of
younger family members until they came of age to manage them themselves.
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| The Will of Thomas Waterton Image courtesy of West Yorkshire Archives |
For the other blog posts in our Black History Month 2022 series, see:
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