The Monumental Inscriptions Of The British West Indies

Author : J. H. Lawrence-Archer
Publisher :
ISBN 13 : 9781332226085
Total Pages : 462 pages
Book Rating : 4.2/5 (26 download)

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Download or read book Monumental Inscriptions of the British West Indies From the Earliest Date written by J. H. Lawrence-Archer and published by . This book was released on 2015-08-05 with total page 462 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Excerpt from Monumental Inscriptions of the British West Indies From the Earliest Date: With Geneological and Historical Annotations, From Origina Local, and Other Sources, Illustrative of the Histories and Genealogies of the Seventeenth Century, the Calendars of State Papers, Peerages and Baronetages; With Engravings of the Arms of the Prin The Author formed the design of visiting the older English colonies of the West Indies, and of examining, so far as he might be permitted, their local records, with a view to the production of a work which should contribute, through the genealogical medium, to a better knowledge of the social origin of those colonies, in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. It may not be unworthy of note, that those early settlers were, as a rule, men of great energy, with moderate political opinions. They belonged to the same class from which the titled aristocracy is for the most part derived, and many of their numerous descendants are to be found in the present peerage and baronetage, holding posts of honour under the Crown. The higher class of planters or proprietors almost invariably educated their children in England; and, although in those days, the voyage was so much longer and more difficult than at present, it is surprising how frequently those colonial gentry made it; and many of their adventures might, even now, afford subject of interest for the novelist. There was, towards the close of the seventeenth century, another element in the social condition of these colonies - namely, white slaves, - an institution perhaps suggested by Cromwell's Government, but only carried out to its full extent, by James the Second, while disposing of the unfortunate adherents of Monmouth. Another principal object of the present collection is, to preserve records which, in the course of a few generations, would otherwise be destroyed through neglect, spoliation, the effects of climate, and other causes. In Jamaica, most of the handsome old mausoleums - at Port Royal, for instance - being secluded from the town, and partially concealed by gigantic cacti, cashaw, and, mangrove trees, have been, from time to time, broken into and plundered - the leaden coffins stolen, the marble tablets carried off, and sold again for the like purposes, and the empty vault left for the lugubrious pic-nics of the "dangerous," or at any rate, idle classes, whose broken bottles, mingled with the relics of humanity, bear witness to the revelries by which they have been desecrated. About the Publisher Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.