HOME SWEET (as in sugar) HOME

One of the best sources of information on our own local stately home, Paxton House is at http://www.undiscoveredscotland.co.uk/berwick/paxtonhouse/index.html and what an intriguing story it is and how well it is told by the guides who take parties around this historic mansion. A bloggee has added a very topical dimension in showing the connection between the earlier owners of the house and slavery in the West Indies. According to research into public records the saga is as follows;

"I noticed in your Musings a recent reference to Paxton House and the Laird's ancestral connections with slavery and sugar plantation wealth in the West Indies. Perhaps your readers may be interested in a summary of some of the published references to this chapter of the Home family history in the 18th century.

In 1700 Sir George Home, the 3rd Bart. of Wedderburn owned the Paxton estate. Sir George had his estates confiscated by the government for his part in the ill-fated, French-backed Jacobite uprising of 1715.

A relative of Sir George, the Revd. Ninian Home of Billie, recovered the estates by complex legal moves and then gave them back to Sir George in return for Sir George's agreement to his marrying Margaret, Sir George's eldest daughter and 30 years the Revd. Ninian's junior.

The Revd. Ninian and Margaret Home had 4 children, the eldest was Patrick. After the death of his father, Patrick inherited the Paxton estate when his mother was murdered by her butler.

While the Revd. Ninian was busy with Margaret, Sir George's other daughter Isabel married the Revd. Ninian's other son Alexander (from his first marriage). Alexander and Isabel had a son also called Ninian (Jnr).

At the age of 19, Ninian (Jnr) left to join his uncle George in Culpeper Virginia who had emigrated in 1715 and owned land and plantations in Virginia. At this time black slave labour was imported by colonists from Africa to work on their plantations. It seems that the young Ninian learned his trade there, then, after a few years in St Kitts, became a sugar plantation owner in Grenada. The British colonists in the West Indies also imported their slave labour from Africa.

He made his fortune in Grenada and bought the unfinished Paxton House in 1775 from Patrick for £15000 (equivalent now about £750,000?), for his occasional visits to Scotland, and employed the Chippendale Co to furnish it.

Ninian (Jnr) was a major landowner in Grenada and was clearly very successful and was made Lieutenant Governor in 1792. However, he is described in one paper as "a tyrannical, jingoistic zealot who was responsible for the catastrophic events of 1795/96"( see http://www2.warwick.ac.uk/fac/arts/ctccs/research/theses/polson/-Blogg-ed)

In 1795, the black slave workers of Grenada revolted against the oppression of their British masters. The revolt lasted 18 months, caused the deaths of about 100 British settlers, almost lost one of the richest British colonies and resulted in the economic ruin of Grenada. Amongst those killed was Ninian (Jnr).

On Ninian (Jnr's) death, Paxton House passed to his younger brother George"

End of story: Other references available on request)

The Prime Minister has recently expressed regret at Britain's involvement in the slave trade-not an apology but an acknowledgement of our ancestors role in what was a crime against humanity although, as he pointed out not regarded as a crime in those days-merely enterprising and highly profitable commerce. So many fine buildings and I dare say some still flourishing businesses have their origins in this era and as a direct result of money made in the trade in human beings. It may be that the Paxton Trust, now the owners of Paxton House, will follow Mr Blair's example and express their own regret how this fine building was at least finished as a result of money made overseas in sugar plantations employing, it must be assumed, quantities of slaves.

It was good to hear that one of the guides at the recent open day referred to the slave trade connection. Indeed there a clues in the house if you know where to look. One painting (in the corridor leading from the mainannex to an annexe) is by a descendant of a slave and it is of one of the former Home plantations- They had two in Granada. The painter visited Paxton House by invitation frpm the Homes in the early 1950s and was invited to spend the night there by the then chatelaine. Two other paintings, in one of the bedrooms are contemporary studies of the plantations. Perhaps the Paxton Trust might mark the celebrations (next year) of British legislation to ban the slave trade by inviting descendants of former slaves who had worked for the Homes to come to Paxton House as guests of the Trust. A nice little 'expression of regret' would then also not go amiss.

Of course the Home family no longer own Paxton House. But they used to. Will they be saying anything about their connection with slaving and sugar? Now is the time to do it. Where the Blairs lead can the Homes dare to follow?  ¶ 9:32 AM