A Remonstrance of the inhabitants of the island of Antigua why they soe very earnestly craved authority and commission from his Excellency, William Stapleton Captain General and Governor in chief, in and over all his Majesties Leward Cariba Islands in America. To kill and destroy the Indians inhabiting in ye Island of Dominica and likewise for ye craveing ayde from the neighbouring Islands under his Excellency’s command which was promised us.
It is to well knowne as well to ye inhabitants of this Island as to ye other merchants and traders amongst us since its first being inhabited by Christians, or very near that time that ye said Indians have not ceased by their continual incursions and very many horrid murders, ripping up women with child, burning of houses, and carrying away into miserable captivity, their children and others, allmost to ye utter ruine of this collony, whilst Indian Warner of late going under the name of Thomas Warner was a chief leader and actor amongst ye said Indians untill the year of our Lord 1657 when some of ye inhabitants of this Island with the assistance of Mountserrat and others went against them although by their subtility it proved almost ineffectual, yett in ye year 1660, ye said Indian Warner with other Indians came to Collo Xpher Keynell[81] then governor of this Island, to make peace which was then agreed unto and wee had for some small tyme rest from their allmost continual Alaroms, but they soon fell to their accustomed cruelltys by robing, murdering and carrieing away others of the inhabitants, so that we were again constrained to make war against them to our exceeding charge and ye losse of our crops at which tyme we requested Collo Phillip Warner to goe in pson against them in hopes he might by faire means have brought ye said Indian Warner to have been helpful to our party in finding out and persueing those othere breakers of ye sd peace, but all our endeavours proved fruit-lesse and procured us nothing more but fair promises, but he would not go or appear against those that himselfe would say were our enemies, but on the contrary would give them notice of our arrival, although we spared not, at any tyme, to furnish him and those he called his friends with what necessaries they wanted.
Notwithstanding in the year 1666 they began again their old villainies and outragious practices, not regarding that peace, but rather lookeing on us as their tributaries, a barbarous conclusion drawn from our kindnesses, Indian Warner being all this while amongst them, and would never give us any notice of ye designs against us, which drew us to conclude he was still against us, by consent, if not in pson, for those by him protected as his friends and nearest relations, were chief in comitting many outtrages murders, rapes and burneings, by which means we were wholly putt from labour, which if at any time wee attempted to follow their poisoned arrows were soon in some of our sides, which spake nothing but death, soon after ye said Indian Warner was carried prisoner by the French to St. Xphers[82] being however his friends and nearest relations still persued their bloody practises against the poore Inhabitants of this Island for as often as ye men engaged the Ffrench enemy, the said Indians were comitting their murders, rapes and other villanyss amongst ye women and children, and when the Ffrench had subdued ye Island and disarmed our inhabitants and carried away our negroes and what else they thought fitt, then did these Indians prosecute all villanies imaginable against our naked inhabitants haveing nothing but the mercy of God to protect ourselves from their cruelties, at which time, we having submitted to the Ffrench on their promise of safety from ye barbarisme of the said Indians, ye said Indians came to the house of Collo Cardine late Governr of this Island who cyvilly treated them, but at their departure desired him in friendship to walk with them to the sea-side, where they cruelly murdered him, and those that were with him, cutting off Collo Cardine’s head, broyled it and carried it to Dominica in triumph. But before their departure returned to Collo Cardine’s house, and carried away his wife children and others, with them into captivity where some of them perished.
Neare to this same tyme they went to the house of Mr. Thomas Taylor pretending friendshipp and by him they were kindly entertained, but before they departed they murdered ye said Taylor, Mr. Thomas Beadle minister, Mr. Robert Boyers, wounding others with poisoned arrows to death and carried away Mrs Taylor and children, Mrs. Chrew and children, Mrs Lynt[83] and children, with many to tedious to relate, and in these and ye like bloody practises they continued untill a peace was proclaimed betwixt our more gracious king, ye Ffrench, and Dutch. All which bloody cruelties were acted and done by ye Chiefs of Indian Warner’s friends, without the least cause or provocation on our part.
And since ye peace made with them by the Lord William Willoughby, although they have been kindly received and entertained by our inhabitants out of respect to the said peace, yett they soon begain their accustomed cruelties fore comeing to Parham Hill plantation in agreeable manner were civilly and librally entertained at their departure murdered several seamen that were taking in tobacco, and planters that were carrying the same to ye boats with out any manner of provocation.
Some of ye said Indians being soone after apprehended at Mountserrat by our generall, who intended to have given them a due reward for ye said murders, but such was our clemency towards them, that if by any means wee could have brought them to live peaceably by us, wee made our humble addresses unto our generall to lett them goe, which we hardly obtained from his Excellency, but no sooner were they loose but they comitted roberies upon ye said Island.
Such hath always been their requitalls of any kindnesses or civilities shewn them, and amongst these Indians were the freinds and associates of the said Indian Warner and by him then interceeded for alledging they were not the persons that had done the said murders, although afterwards appeared that these whom he a called his friends were the men that comitted ye said murder.
And to manifest the truth thereof, one of his nearest allies, in the yeare 1674 came with other Indians to the plantation of Collo Phillip Warner and killed severall Christians and carried away sixteen negroes, and one Christian child, whom they afterwards cruelly murdered, and at the return of the said Indians from this Island, Indian Warner mett them at Guardeloup and craved share of the booty they had brought from Antigua, and afterwards some of ye goods [obliterated] Collo Warner’s boyling house at their being last there comitting of murders aforesaid were found in the village belonging to Indian Warner in Dominica and were brought back by some of Collo Warner’s servants.
Thus hath the said Indian Warner often dealt treacherously, pretending freindshipp, but proving and absolute enemy, not only to this Island, but to our whole nation, for himself declared that he had a Ffrench comission, and said that he would rather serve ye Spaniards then ye English and finding ourselves to be neare our utter ruine by his fraud and treachery, we were constrained humbly to crave ayde of our captain generall to give us his comission to make war against the said Indians, without exception that we might labour by his just power to redeem ourselves from those cruel practices which wee had long laine under, which he was pleased to grant.
We then besought Collo Phillip Warner, our governor to goe in person against them, which at our earnest request he was pleased to undertake and with very great difficulty and hazard did doe such service upon them which hath procured our ease and rest in some measure to this tyme, although not without continnall watching and warding to our great charge and trouble, they still threatening a bloody revenge upon this place.
And it is evident, had not Collo Warner’s party beene quick in giving the first blow, upon those our bloody enemies, he and those with him had received the same measure from our pretended freinds but utter enemies. Who had agreed with those hee called our enemies to destroy Collo Warner and his party and to that end had them at rediness at hand, but God Almighty prevented them, not sufferinge him any longer to raigne in his barbarous practices of which this Island might give a large acompt for neare forty yeares past and whether ye said Indian Warner with his associates received not a due recompense for their villanys and barbarous practices wee appeal to God and all ye world.
| (Signed) | Richard Boraston. | Rowld. Williams. |
| (Autographs) | Jonas Watts. | Paul Hicks. |
| Jacob Hill. | Jere. Watkins. | |
| Saml. Irish. | Richd. Ayres. | |
| Daniel Pellar. | John Cade. | |
| Thomas Beck. | Will Thomas. | |
| Franc. Carlisle. | John Mayer. | |
| 1676 | Tho. Turner. | Samuel Jones. |
May it please your honours,
The sense wee have of the sufferings of Collo Phillipe Warner, our late governor by and for an action by which wee have received soe many advantages, and which the prayers of our inhabitants constrained him by ——— comission to undertake, hath highly obliged us to suplicate your honours, on his behalfe. Not that we doubt his being justly dealt with, and according to law, but to give your honors to understand that it was not by any designe or private concern of Collo Phillip Warner that carried on that warr and that action wherein it is said Indian Warner fell. But it was founded on the supplication of the inhabitants here, that for many yeares enjoyed little rest from the incursions of those Indians of Dominica and amongst them those of Warner’s family. Some crying for their husbands slaine with poisoned arrows, others for their children snatcht from them. Those and the such like were the common complaints here. Until by their humble addresse to our generall they obtained comission to goe under the command of Collo Warner who was not easily wrought upon to undertake it; but being highly importuned by all, he at length complied and by that action we have since enjoyed much peace and they have not dared to putt foot uppon our shoare, which we wholly attribute to God’s mercy towards us, but that action as the second cause. This wee humbly offer unto your honors fearing you may not otherwise be given to understand, what was the first cause that moved to that action, as will appear if all papers relating thereunto may be perused. We have not more to request from your honrs than to give your favourable constructions of the matter humbly take leave and subscribe ourselves your most humble servants,
Richard Boraston, &c. &c.
Falmo July ye 25th, 1676.
To ye Honble. his Maties. justices of Oyer and terminer appointed for the triall of Collo Phillip Warner in ye Island of Barbadoes
These humbly are sent.
It was not Col. Warner alone who was implicated in this affair, although he plays the most prominent part. Many of the offenders had their lands taken from them, until the issue of their trial was known; but Col. Warner and Lieut. Ffrye, of their own free will, delivered up their possessions, immediately upon their being charged with the crime already narrated, as may be learnt from the following passage extracted from an old record (speaking of those persons who had been dispossessed of their lands):—
“Excepted the lands of Collo Phillip Warner at the ffig tree, and at the Road being resigned up freely by himself. Also excepted the lands of Lieut. John Ffrye, lying and beinge in the body of this Island beinge resigned up freely by him.”
[81] Christopher Reynall.
[82] St. Christopher’s.
[83] Lynch.