Daily entries in the diaries, which thistlewood kept from 1748 until a few weeks before his death in 1786, are a rich source of information on plantation life and work, including. In 2011, they were sold at sothebys from the collection of william john monson, baron monson, and purchased by yale university. Known as the diary of thomas thistlewood, thistlewood s 14,000page diary provides a detailed record of his life and deep insight into plantation life from agricultural techniques to slaveowner relations. Trafficking, gender and slaverypast and present pdf. Chapter pdf available january 2007 with 1,639 reads how we measure. Thistlewoods diary, kept over the course of forty years, describes in graphic detail how white rule over slaves was predicated on the. The diary of thomas thistlewood, 1750 to 1786, provides us with a case study in which to assess the nature of eighteenth century jamaica. Thomas thistlewood as agent and medium of eighteenthcentury jamaican society.
The diary of thomas thistlewood, 1750 to 1786, provides us with a case study in. Douglas hall documents the life of thomas thistlewood who came to jamaica from lincolnshire, england, in 1750 and lived as an estate overseer and small. Readings from the diary of a slave plantation owner. Thomas thistlewood from tupholme was a british estate overseer and small landowner in western jamaica. Emilyh thistlewood, rebekah thistlewood and 4 other siblings. Nov 12, 2015 many people would know of the diaries from douglas halls book in miserable slavery. The level of interaction that thistlewood has with the slave community means that we are able to build up a picture not only of white, but also slave society. The second son of a farmer, he was educated in ackworth, yorkshire, where he received training in mathematics and in practical science. Burnard points out that, although thistlewoods diary suffers from an extreme lack of selfconsciousness or. Thomas thistlewood 17211786 the second son of a farmer, he was educated in ackworth, yorkshire, where he received training in mathematics and in practical science. In this video professor trevor burnard, of the university of melbourne, talks about thomas thistlewood, a particularly brutal jamaica slave owner, and the tyranny of the caribbean slave owners in. Thistlewood kept a diary and recorded the punishments he meted out to errant slaves. The late professor douglas hall of the university of the west indies, throws light onto the life of this notorious slave owner from tupholme, lincolnshire, using the almost 10,000 pages.
Nov 06, 2017 in this video professor trevor burnard, of the university of melbourne, talks about thomas thistlewood, a particularly brutal jamaica slave owner, and the tyranny of the caribbean slave owners in. Thistlewood s diary, kept over the course of forty years, describes in graphic detail how white rule over slaves was predicated on the. However, thomas thistlewood was an exception to this. Thomas thistlewood and his slaves in the anglojamaican world. Apr 01, 2004 mastery, tyranny, and desire is a biography, a horror story, a true story, a microhistory, a social history, a travelogue, a psychological evaluation, a cultural assessment, and an expertly produced work. He chronicled the daily life around him until his death in 1786 and his papers amount to some 10,000 pages which professor hall uses in this book to give an insight into the social history of. Thomas thistlewood 17211786 was a british estate overseer and small landowner in western jamaica. Thistlewood died in jamaica in 1786, leaving a 10,000 page diary of his experiences. Even if one forces thistlewoods diaries into a more general genre.
One of the few extensive accounts discovered about the treatment of slaves in general is that of thomas thistlewood in jamaica. Jun, 2008 thomas thistlewood from tupholme was a british estate overseer and small landowner in western jamaica. Thistlewoods diary reveals a great deal not only about the man and his slaves but also about the structure and enforcement of power, changing understandings of human rights and freedom, and connections among social class, race. One reason for looking at this issue on this estate is that we can get relatively ample data about master slave relations from thistlewoods diaries. A jamaican cookbook of 26 fantastic recipes that are essential to jamaican cooking in miserable slavery. Thomas thistlewood project gutenberg selfpublishing. His diary, which contains daily accounts of his activities and the activities of his slaves, sheds some light on the subject of the slaveowners relationship with the black caribbean slave woman. There is one diary by thistlewood s nephew, john thistlewood d. Burnards study of the life and times of one perpetrator in this assault helps readers understand how such apparently exceptional cruelty could become so ordinary. The author looks at the 40 year diary of thomas thistlewood, a white slave owner in the 1700s who lived in jamaica.
His diaries are now important documents on the slave trade and history of jamaica. The punishment was invented by slave overseer thomas thistlewood, and was named after the slave, derby, who was made to undergo this punishment when he was caught eating young sugar cane stalks in the field on may 25, 1756. In episode 4 of bbc empire, jeremy paxman, a combative journalist and a cambridge man, talks about thomas thistlewood, a slave owner in jamaica. Pdf thomas thistlewoods libidinal linnaean project. Thistlewoods diary may be the most thorough surviving documentation of the relentless violence permeating slave society in the colonial angloamerican world. Fortunately, historian douglas hall edited this diary and brought it to publication. Throughout his life he kept a record of his activities, which reflect a rich and exiting chronicle of plantation life its people, social. Known as the diary of thomas thistlewood, thistlewoods 14,000page diary provides a detailed record of his life and deep insight into plantation life from agricultural techniques to slaveowner relations.
The papers are now in the beinecke library at yale, and have been digitised. At the age of 29, he arrived in jamaica to seek his fortune, and worked for a number of years as an overseer, before eventually acquiring his own estate. Based on the 37volume diary of thomas thistlewood 17211786, an english immigrant slave keeper and plantation owner in jamaica, burnard analyzes the structure and enforcement of power, the understandings of human rights, and the connections among class, race, gender, and sexuality in the atlantic world. Derbys dose was a form of torture used in jamaica to punish slaves who attempted to escape or committed other offenses like stealing food. Thistlewood s diary may be the most thorough surviving documentation of the relentless violence permeating slave society in the colonial angloamerican world. An introduction to thomas thistlewood and his diaries. The papers consist of diaries, weather journals, commonplace books, reading notes and other material documenting the life, work, and intellectual interests of the. Pdf in this chapter, green evokes the thinking of stuart hall on. Thistle wood himself is an interesting character to look at, he was a plantation owner known for hes brutal treatment to hes slaves and writing about hes very detailed sexual pleasures, mostly with slave women. May 24, 2010 the author looks at the 40 year diary of thomas thistlewood, a white slave owner in the 1700s who lived in jamaica. His diary is considered an important historical document chronicling the history of jamaica and slavery during the 18th century.
Douglas hall documents the life of thomas thistlewood who came to jamaica from lincolnshire, england, in 1750 and lived as an estate overseer and small landowner in western jamaica until his death in 1786. Thomas thistlewood historical records and family trees. Jan 06, 2014 after looking at thomas thistlewoods life, a female character which grabbed my attention was phibbah. Thistlewood was the son of a tenant farmer who arrived on the island of jamaica in april 1750, and assumed the position of overseer at a major plantation. After disgusting attack on sarah palin, msnbcs martin bashir. The papers of thomas thistlewood were deposited at the lincoln record office in 1951. His diary, which contains daily accounts of his activities and the activities of his slaves, sheds some light on the subject of the slaveowners relationship with the. The papers consist of diaries, weather journals, commonplace books, reading notes and other material documenting the life, work, and intellectual interests of the jamaican planter and slaveowner thomas thistlewood. Trevor burnard provides unparalleled insight into jamaicas vibrant but harsh african and european cultures with a comprehensive examination of the extraordinary diary of plantation owner thomas thistlewood. November 1771, thomas thistlewood esq, proprietor of. He began his life there as an overseer of sugar plantations, principally of john copes large egypt plantation in westmoreland, and in 1767 purchased his own plantation, breadnut island, where his slaves raised provisions and livestock. Nov 17, 2009 trevor burnard provides unparalleled insight into jamaicas vibrant but harsh african and european cultures with a comprehensive examination of the extraordinary diary of plantation owner thomas thistlewood.
Thomas thistlewood was born circa 1853, at birth place, to thomas thistlewood and jane thistlewood. He arrived in jamaica, the most important of the british sugar colonies in 1750, when he was 29. Thomas thistlewood in jamaica, 175086, is a true account of life on a jamaican sugar plantation. One of the most comprehensive firstperson accounts of slavery comes from the personal diary of a man called thomas thistlewood, who kept copious notes for 39 years. Thomas thistlewoods diary consists of 0 closely written pages and spans 40 years of his life as a slave owner in eighteenth century jamaica. Surprising excerpts from the diaries of a slave plantation owner, bills greatgreatgrandmother before, during, and after the civil war.
Thomas thistlewood thomas thistlewood 17211786 was a british estate overseer and small landowner in western jamaica. On 24 april 1750 at about noon, theflying flamboroughdocked. According to malcolm gladwell in his 2008 book outliers, the runaway would be beaten, and salt pickle, lime juice, and bird pepper would be rubbed into his or her open wounds. His diary is considered an important historical document chronicling the. He started off managing estates and was eventually able to buy his own. He arrived in jamaica, the most important of the british sugar colonies in 1750, when he was 29 years old. After looking at thomas thistlewoods life, a female character which grabbed my attention was phibbah.
Thomas thistlewood s diary consists of 10,000 closely written pages and spans 40 years of his life as a slave owner in eighteenth century jamaica. Bbc lincolnshire abolition thomas thistlewood 1721 1786. My project uses thistlewoods detailed diaries to locate these sites where they do survive, in text, and to retroactively locate them and to demonstrate how thistlewoods selfreported acts of brutality correlate with the division of space and relationships of proximity, marking physical, personal violence on the landscape. Thistlewood was the son of a lincolnshire farmer, very well educated in latin, mathematics and agriculture. Thomas thistlewood, englishman, came to jamaica in 1750 to seek his fortune. He arrived in jamaica, the most important of the british sugar.
My project uses thistlewoods detailed diaries to locate these sites where they do survive, in text, and to retroactively locate them and to demonstrate how thistlewoods selfreported acts of brutality correlate with the division of space and relationships of proximity, marking. Thomas thistlewood 17211786 thomas thistlewood 17211786, was born in lincolnshire, england. Burnard s approach combines a social history of jamaica from the 1750s when the young thomas thistlewood arrived to the late 1780s when, at the age of sixtyfive, thistlewood died, with a. Dec 05, 2017 derbys dose was a form of torture used in jamaica to punish slaves who attempted to escape or committed other offenses like stealing food. Sites of terror and affective geographies on thomas. Diary beinecke digital collections yale university. Thistlewood s diary reveals a great deal not only about the man and his slaves but also about the structure and enforcement of power, changing understandings of human rights and freedom, and connections among social class, race. Thomas thistlewood and his slaves in the anglojamaican world most popular jamaican recipes quick and easy. The author, trevor burnard, uses the diaries of the englishborn thomas thistlewood to examine colonial jamaican life. One reason for looking at this issue on this estate is that we can get relatively ample data about master slave relations from thistlewoods diaries the most extensive commentaries made by a. In burnards hands, thistlewood s diary reveals a great deal not only about the man and his slaves but also about the structure and enforcement of power, changing understandings of human rights and freedom, and connections among social class, race, and gender, as well as sex and sexuality, in the plantation system. After a two year voyage on one of the east india companys ships as its supercargo, thistlewood returned.
He is remembered for his diary, an important historical document chronicling the history of jamaica and slavery during the 18th century. At the age of 29, he arrived in jamaica to seek his fortune, and worked for a number of years as. Thomas thistlewood 17211786 was born in lincolnshire and emigrated to jamaica in 1750. There is one diary by thistlewoods nephew, john thistlewood d. Beinecke library digitizes papers of thomas thistlewood. Thomas thistlewoods diary consists of 10,000 closely written pages and spans 40 years of his life as a slave owner in eighteenth century jamaica. Thomas thistlewood was a small landowner in western jamaica during the 18th century. Many people would know of the diaries from douglas halls book in miserable slavery.
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