When slaves were freed by the 1833 Emancipation Act the owners of those slaves were paid
compensation by the British government. This applied to the British colonies in the Caribbean,
Bermuda, Belize, Guyana, Mauritius and Cape Colony (South Africa).
This website currently lists all those compensated for slaves in Antigua and Barbados. It is
searchable by surname and the following information is given: claim number, number of slaves
compensated for and the amount of money received in compensation.
Some claimants made more than one claim and some claimed jointly with other people. Those
compensated were not always the slave owners (e.g. creditors, trustees) and where this is the
case details are given. Where extra information is provided about claimants (e.g. widow, minor)
these details have also been given.
For more information about these claims click on Compensation History to read a description
by Guy Grannum.