Edward Burdett Warren

Slave-owner in Port Royal, Jamaica, from at least 1817 to 1829. Registered as "owner and guardian."

1. Edward Burdett, son of Algernon and Dorothy Warren, born 07/04/1778 and baptised 10/05/1778 in Kingston. Algernon Warren and Dorothy Prisleau, spinster, both of Kingston, who had married in St Andrew, 31/01/1767. Algernon Warren was a Master in Ordinary, Chancery Court, a magistrate in St Andrew, and a commissioner for taking affidavits in Kingston, Port Royal and St Andrew; in 1794 he advertised for sale Prospect Hill, a coffee plantation of 800 acres in St Andrew, together with 70 slaves on the property; he was dead by 07/09/1811 when Mrs Dorothy Warren, his widow, was reported to have died “last week”.

2. Edward Burdett Warren wrote letters from the Victualling Office, Jamaica, to his brother Thomas Warren at Plymouth Dock, England, on 17/12/1812 and 29/09/1815, the earlier of these referring to “negroes belonging to our mother’s estate” and saying “It may be all well for the Methodist Conference to insist on your manumissing slaves who are exclusively your property (which I have already done by Georgina, her child and Michael) but I cannot think that it would insist on you giving up you right to those on the Pen - they are attached to it and an undivided property...” The implication of the passage which follows is that Thomas had proposed manumitting a number of enslaved people corresponding to his (undivided) share in the property but Edward feared the residue left enslaved would rise up in protest: "The Legislature of the Island would not permit such a proceeding, as it would, no doubt, induce the remainder of the Negroes on the Penn to meeting, and perhaps lead eventually to a general insurrection..."

3. Edward Burdett Warren, senior resident magistrate of the town and parish of Port Royal, Jamaica, and only brother of Thomas Warren, wholesale druggist, of Redcliff Street, Bristol, died at Port Royal, 27/06/1836.

See estate information.

1. St Andrew Parish Register, Baptisms, Marriages and Burials 1664-1807, p. 42; Jamaica Almanac (1779, 1782, 1784). Royal Gazette of Jamaica 07/09/1811.

2. Letters substantially reproduced/transcribed a http://www.victorianweb.org/previctorian/letters/warren.html [accessed 27/11/2020].

3. Bristol Mercury, 01/10/1836.

We are grateful to Paul Hitchings for his assistance with compiling this entry.