The archaeological investigations of David L Watters (1978-9) unearthed evidence of Archaic Age peoples being present in the River area of Barbuda. The sites suggested human habitation around 3685 BC. It was around this time that the sand dunes began to form in the Palmetto area.
Ceramic age sites found throughout the eastern parts of the island. The most significant settlements occurred in the latter part of the first millennium. Amerindian sites have been found in Suffra in the Spanish Point area and Indian Town near Two Foot Bay.
Caribs, originating from Dominica and St Vincent, made regular incursions to Barbuda. During this period Barbuda was given the name Wa‘omoni by the Caribs. In 1493 Columbus passed through the eastern Caribbean south of Antigua. It is not clear whether he had any contact with Barbuda. In 1628 Captain Smith and John Littleton attempted to colonise Barbuda from St Kitts under Letters Patent issued to the Earl of Carlisle in 1625. In these Letters Patent Barbuda was named Barbado. This attempt at colonisation failed as a result of Carib Indian resistance. These early settlers called Barbuda Dulcina. In 1666 the village of Codrington was established as the main residential centre.
Advent of European and African settlement of the island. Christopher and John Codrington were granted the first 50 year lease for Barbuda by King Charles II on 9 January 1685. Queen Anne renewed and extended the lease for 99 years to Christopher Codrington on 5 June 1705. The rent ascribed to the lease was "one fat sheep yearly if demanded". During this period Barbuda was established as a provisioning station for the Codrington estates in Antigua and other eastern Caribbean islands. The Africans who came to Barbuda are known to have come from the Ibo, Yoruba, and Ejo tribes of Nigeria, from Ghana, Gambia, and Sierra Leone.
In his will Christopher Codrington bequeathed certain areas of Barbuda to the Society for the Propagation of the Gospel. The produce and the profit from these areas were to be used for the maintenance and upkeep of Codrington College in Barbados.
The first comprehensive written record of the early inhabitants of Barbuda comes from information contained in the Letter and Memorandum Book of Sir William Codrington (1715-1790). An entry begins with the statement "a list of what white servants, negroes, cattle, and horses that I have now at Barbuda July 27th 1719". The book provides an extensive record of the first African slaves, who were the ancestors of present-day Barbudans, including names, gender, and age group. The white servants originated mainly from the United Kingdom via other Caribbean islands. The stock included cattle, horses, hogs, goats, and sheep. Details of the population were as follows.
| People | Animal Stock | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Africans |
White servants |
Large |
Small |
||||||
| Men | 35 | Men | 18 | Sheep | 270 | Turkey hens | 2 | ||
| Boys | 15 | Men from Antigua | 5 | Cattle | 228 | Young turkeys | 10 | ||
| Women | 34 | Women | 0 | Tame Hogs | 20 | Small fowls | 20 | ||
| Girls | 3 | Girls | 0 | Goats | 11 | Game fowls | 41 | ||
| Total | 87 | Total | 23 | ||||||
Later accounts from 1756 to 1792 reveal that Barbudans were shipwrights, hunters, house carpenters, wheelwrights, collar makers and saddlers, shoemakers, sail and pipemakers, and tanners. The list of 1756 identifies Cubba, a woman, as "doctress". Here we have the first appearance of surnames still currently in use. These included Jack Punter, Joe Mapps, Jeff Frank, Will Beazer, Bess Beazer, Tom Teague, Sam Roses, and Will Bayley. A 1761 list valued 13 Barbudan slaves at prices ranging from £5 to £165.
The first record of a slave rebellion in Barbuda. Beach's Rebellion arose as a consequence of manager Thomas Beach's "cruel and tyrannical" behaviour. Several head of cattle were slaughtered, damage was done to the Codrington's property and equipment, and "negroes runaway and absent themselves" from work.
Governor Macknight was assassinated during a slave uprising. Two slaves were hanged and one committed suicide. Bethell Codrington was reported to have been involved in agitating against Governor Macknight. Codrington was said to have had "liaisons" with a "mulatto woman". Barbudans assert that these "liaisons" have led to remnants of the Codrington family being present in the population to this day.
A map from this period indicates
Many ruins of the castles and houses still exist. All the catching pens and enclosures are still in use today at Low Pond, Bezor, Sam Spring, Hog Hole and Owen Well.
In the 1780s Barbuda contained 8,000 sheep, 2,000 goats, 600 horses, 500 deer, 20 mules, 7 jackasses, and 300 to 400 cattle. Three hundred acres were in pasture; 80 acres were planted in corn, and 10 acres each of cotton and yams. A stock assessment on 14th July 1792 valued the total stock of negroes and other stock at £50,000.
The origin of the slave breeding controversy stems from this period. Codrington, in correspondence with his manager, suggested that the island should become a nursery for negroes to make Barbuda more profitable. The intention being that Barbuda could become the supplier of slaves for resale to other Caribbean islands. Lowenthal and Clark (1977) calculated that 172 slaves were exported from 1779 to 1834. Most were destined for estates in Antigua, but 37 went to the Leeward and Windward Islands, and others to the southern colonies in the United States. Exported batches of 12, 18, 24, 15, 19, and 41 slaves would suggest to this writer that Codrington made sure his policy was implemented.
Records reveal several Barbudan slave rebellions during the employment of managers Dennis Reynolds, John James, John Osbourne, Dickson, Jarritt, and Winter. The most serious was the insurrection in 1834-5 when an attempt was made to ship all Barbudans to Codrington's plantations in Antigua. There was a general revolt and troops were sent from Antigua to quell the uprising. An additional factor that induced the insurrection may been the failure by the British Parliament to name Barbudans in the Slavery Emancipation Act of 1834. Thus, Barbudans had to free themselves from slavery. At abolition Barbudans numbered 500.
George III granted permission to the Codringtons to lease the island for a further 50 years.
Very little information exists concerning Christian missionary activity in Barbuda during the slave period. The Codringtons appear to have kept religion and religious activity to a minimum. However, around 1835 John Winter, the manager of the Codringtons' affairs, reported that "we have a chapel that will contain 180 persons which is converted into a school room during the week". The Bishop of Antigua requested permission to extend the Anglican chapel on 26 April 1844. This chapel, now the Holy Trinity Church, is still used by the population and remains one of the most substantial structures in Codrington Village.
The information above has been written by Mackenzie Frank, who is an historian and development consultant. Mackenzie was born in Barbuda and educated at the Holy Trinity School until the age of eight. He then lived in England where he obtained a bachelor's degree in history and politics at the University of de Montfort (formerly Leicester Polytechnic). He researched The Codrington Papers as part of an MPhil programme at the University of Warwick. Mackenzie lectured at the University of Leicester on the Urban Studies Certificate. Since returning to the island 14 years ago, Mackenzie served as the Secretary to the Barbuda Council and is now active in politics with the Barbuda Peoples Movement. In 2005 Mackenzie was appointed as a senator in the parliament of Antigua and Barbuda. Contact Mackenzie Frank for interesting references to Barbudan history and for information concerning Barbuda and its development.