Charlotte Howe

From Dittopedia

Background

Captain and Mrs Howe, who lived in Thames Ditton from November 1781 to June 1783, and have a stone in St Nicholas Church inscribed 'Tyringham Howe Capt. R.N. 7.6.1783 38 years. Elizabeth 21 Dec 1785 43 years', bought a slave, Charlotte Howe, in America. She came to England with them, presumably living in Thames Ditton until June 1783 when Captain Howe died and his widow moved to Chelsea, taking Charlotte with her.

After six months, Charlotte left Mrs Howe. She then claimed parish relief from Thames Ditton as she had served there for over a year. But this was refused as relief could only be given to servants who had originally been hired for work in the parish.

There followed a court case² on 27th April 1784 when Charlotte was considered a possession and had not been hired, thus showing the laws offered scant protection to slaves.

There was perhaps a further court case as the vestry minutes of a meeting held in January 1785 recorded:

pursuant to notice given in the Church, relative to legal Settlement of Charlotte Howe—a black woman, we the said Vestry do agree that the Opinion of the Court of the King's Bench shall be taken respecting the settlement of the said Charlotte Howe at the expense of the Inhabitants of the Parish and that Mr. Jammett shall proceed thereon immediately.

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Legal discussion of the Case

From CASES RESPECTING NEGROE SLAVES, WITH OPINIONS THEREON³:

'Parish of Thames Ditton, against St. Luke's, Chelsea.

'A special case reserved at the sessions came on for the determination of the court of King's Bench, in Easter term last.

'The case was, Charlotte Howe, a negroe girl, was bought in America by Captain Howe as a slave, and by him brought to England in 1781: that in November 1781, Capt. Howe went to live in the said parish of Thames Ditton, and took this girl with him, and she continued with him there in his service till the 7th June 1783, when he died, soon after which she was baptized at Thames Ditton, by the name of Charlotte Howe. That she continued after his death to live with Mrs. Howe, his widow and executrix, who afterwards removed to Chelsea, and she continued to live with her there as before, for five or six months, when she left Mrs. Howe; that she was all this time childless, and unmarried, and removed by Ditton to Chelsea, as having served the last 40 days in that parish.

'In this case Lord Mansfield very particularly took occasion to declare, that the public were generally mistaken in the determination of the court of King's Bench, in case of Somerset the negroe, which had been often quoted, for nothing more was then determined, than that there was no right in the master forcibly to take the slave and carry him abroad. That the general question, whether the master might not sue any one who entertained him in his service, or for wages, was not before the court, nor was it held that the baptizing such slave made any alteration.'

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