Discovered by Columbus in 1493, and settled by Englishmen from St. Kitts in 1632, Antigua was a British colony for over 330 years. For most of this history, Antigua was administered as part of the British Leeward Islands, and like many of the Leeward Islands, was dominated by a slave-based sugar plantation economy.

Scope and contents:

The Antigua Collection consists of miscellaneous official papers relating to the island of Antigua which appear to have come from the office of Joshua Sharpe, solicitor to the Privy Council. The collection contains the following:

1. "A List of Fees belonging to the Secretary's Office at Antigua accustomed for a great number of years, delivered by Mr. [Wavell] Smith to the Governor and Council, 1732, and by them given to [Ashton] Warner and the Committee of the Assembly, who returned it to the Council with the remarkes in the margin," 14 pp.

2. "The case of Wavell Smith and Savile Cust, Secretary and Clerk of the Crown of the Leeward Isles," 1735, 4 pp.

3. "Minute of Council and Schedule of Papers," May 30, 1735, 3 pp.

4. "Report of the Committee of Assembly appointed to examine the accounts of W. Smith," August 23, 1735, 3 pp.

5. Deposition of Edward Jessup, Dep. Provost Marshall, 1737, 2 pp.

6. Certified copy of Charles Hedges' Public accounts, 1719, 4 pp.

7. Depositions of Thomas Kerby, about the secretary's office, 1735, 9 pp.; De la Court Walsh for pay while in secretary's office, 1739, 3 pp.; George Lucas regarding fees accruing to the secretary, 6 pp.; William Glen, 1749, 2 pp.; Josiah Martin, 1749, 6 pp.; Benjamin King on a charge of piracy, 2 pp.; Stephen Blizard, 3 pp.; John Tomlinson, 1749, 2 pp.; Alexander Crawford, 1749, 1 p.; William Smith, 1749, 1 p.; Wiseman Clagett, 1749, 2 pp.

8. Copy of letters from Josiah Martin to Governor Mathew of Antigua, Oct. 2, 7, 1747.

9. Certified copies of minutes of Council held at St. John from January 17, 1745, to July 5, 1749, 22 pp.

Provenance:

Acquired.

Recat./ 7/98 rsc

Subject index to the Antigua Collection

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