Antigua and the Antiguans (Vol. 1&2). Mrs. Lanaghan

and letters were written to Richard Cary, Esq., the colonial agent, calling upon that gentleman to assist them in their designs.

      While these measures were pursued by the disaffected party, the governor, who was not ignorant of these cabals against him, lost nothing of his arrogance of manner, which so incensed his adversaries, that at length an attempt was made upon his life. As he was riding along the high road, leading from St. John’s to English Harbour, a negro, named “Sandy,” fired at him from a piece of canes belonging to the plantation of the Honourable Otto Baijer,³⁹ and dangerously wounded him, of which deed Colonel Parke accused Mr. Jacob Morgan and some of the other members of the assembly, with being the instigators.

      About this time, Colonel Parke thought proper to accuse Barry Tankard, Esq., (a proprietor of sugar estates in Antigua, and an intimate friend of Colonel Codrington,) of caballing against his government; and accordingly he despatched his emissaries to the estate of that gentleman, with orders to seize his person, and bring him into town. Upon their arrival at Mr. Tankard’s house, they were informed of his absence from home; but doubting the truth of this information, they broke open the door of Mrs. Tankard’s chamber, (who was confined to her bed from severe indisposition,) and so alarmed that lady, that for some time her life was in danger. This arbitrary behaviour on the part of the governor led Barry Tankard to resent it, by calling his excellency out in a duel; but Colonel Parke, considering it beneath the dignity of the queen’s representative to accept the challenge of a private gentleman, the matter ended.

      While these dissensions were going on in Antigua between the governor on the one side, and the members of the assembly and the principal inhabitants on the other, Mr. Nevin and Mr. Cary were using their best endeavours to get a favourable answer to their complaints from the home government. At length, after many delays, Mr. Nevin returned to Antigua, bringing with him the queen’s letter, directing that witnesses should be examined to prove the several articles of impeachment sent home against the governor, as well as his excellency’s answers to the same. “The depositions and answers were sworn before Edward Byam, Esq., one of the council, and Nathaniel Crump, Esq., speaker of the house of assembly, and were ordered to be sealed with the broad seal of the island, and forwarded immediately to England.” The governor, however, refusing to seal the affidavits of the complainants, upon the plea that his own answers were not ready, from the delays of the justices before whom they were sworn, his opponents were obliged to use another seal, and then despatch them, under the care of Mr. Nevin, to England.

      During the year 1709, Queen Anne recalled Colonel Parke from his government, to the great joy of the Antiguans. To this command the infatuated man, however, would pay no attention; and, exasperated by the triumphant looks of his accusers, which they could not, or would not, conceal, he proceeded to measures which could be only deemed those of a maddened despot.

      The year 1710 was ushered in with no better feeling between the governor and the members of the legislature. One of their first causes of complaint alleged against his excellency arose from the following circumstance:—

      It had ever been the privilege of the house of assembly to choose their own “clerk;” but during this despotic administration, the governor overlooked this, and wished to appoint to that office a friend of his own​—​a Mr. Hinton.⁴⁰

      This encroachment upon the assembly’s privileges gave rise to a great deal of ill feeling, and many acrimonious messages passed between his excellency and the members of that body. The following paragraph, copied from one of the governor’s speeches, alludes to this subject:—

      “If you still persist that it is your undoubted privilege to choose your ‘clerk,’ and will do no business until that be yielded to you, you certainly will have the ‘Lords’ Committee’ opinion. It is an undutiful attempt upon her majesty’s prerogative; and I do assure you, gentlemen, if the queen does not appoint any other before I go, I will leave you time enough to raise money during this crop to pay off all the public debt!”⁴¹

      This unhandsome taunt of the governor’s was deeply felt, and resented by the “house,” who, in reply to it, remarks—

      “We cannot but observe how severe and bitter your excellency reflects upon, and reproaches our country with, the not paying its debt, but compounding the same. We well remember, when the country paid your excellency 1000l. in sugar, at 12s. 6d., your excellency sold that very sugar for 18s.; so that we hope your excellency has but little reason to complain of the public compounding their debt.”

      And then, in reference to a recommendation of the governor’s to enlarge the provision for the clergymen, they go on to mention—

      “Your excellency next recommends to provide a better maintenance for the clergy. They are already allowed 100l.; but as we are a people so much in debt, as your excellency observes, it cannot be expected, during these troublesome times, for us to advance their salaries, especially such scandalous persons as too many of the present clergy are.”

      This was only the third meeting of the legislature since the election, after a recess of three years; although, from the unsettled condition of the West Indies, (arising from the state of affairs in Europe, where Marlborough, at the head of the British forces, was engaged in frequent skirmishes with the French,) the Antiguans were in momentary expectation of an invasion. After being prorogued from the 18th of November to the 27th, (1710,) the legislature again met, but without any better feeling between the governor and the members of the assembly. A fresh cause of dispute arose, from his excellency having caused a Mr. Hill to be sworn in as clerk of the assembly, (in place of his former favourite, Mr. Hinton,) but whom the members would not recognise; and after a great deal of altercation upon the subject, that body addressed the following to the governor:—

      “If your excellency’s resentment so far prevails as to despise these our propositions, and that the public affairs must with us still suffer, as unworthy your regard and consideration, we do then, as the only and last expedient, humbly propose your excellency’s visiting some other island of the government; thereby to afford us the opportunity and means, in conjunction with the lieutenant-governor and council, to provide for the public security, to heal our divisions, restore discipline, and our broken constitution, after the best manner we can. And we are unanimously of opinion, that in case your excellency rejects this our humble motion, and will not surcease such administration, as afore-mentioned, (which is so very opposite to the nature of our constitution, to the opinion of the lieutenant-governor, the council, as well as this house, and to the sense of the inhabitants in general,) we shall be under the unhappy necessity of withdrawing our obedience from you as chief governor, which, by your dispensing with her majesty’s positive command for leaving the government, we shall, in duty to her and justice to ourselves, (which we ought long since to have done;) and that this her colony, our persons and estates, may no longer be exposed to such unhappy conduct and administration, which seems entirely​—​we must say, foully​—​devoted to the ruin and destruction of all.”⁴²

      After receiving this message, the unhappy, infatuated governor sent the following to the house:—

      “Gentlemen—​You are adjourned until Thursday, the 7th of December, then to give myself and council a meeting at the town of St. John’s, by eight of the clock in the morning.

      “By command,” &c.

      Alas, that very morning, the sun arose for the last time to him! and by a fearful and unhallowed death, he was sent with all his sins upon his head, to render in an account of his stewardship.

      The cause which led to this melancholy event was this:—​Worn out with the proceedings of Colonel Parke, and looking upon him as an usurper of the government, the Antiguans threw off all restraint; and as the last remedy, determined to arm against, and force him to quit the island.

      Accordingly, upon the morning of the 7th December, 1710, a large body of men, in number about 500, proceeded to Government House, in two parties​—​the one headed by Mr. Piggot, then speaker of the house of assembly; the other, by Captain Painter, another member of that body. Colonel Parke, who was not ignorant of these proceedings against him, had quartered in Government House, some time before, the soldiers stationed