No there isn't, but no there weren't. This is not about someone trying to get into the country, which as far as I know he could have done perfectly lawfully. The Jamaican man was the complainant. His story is corroborated by the fact he tried to rejoin the army. Why on earth would he do that if he was not genuine? The hearing was farcical, since the captain and crew were hardly going to give evidence against themselves. He was then kept in custody, while his story was checked. Surely the time to do that would be before the hearing. Put another way, why check if his story was deemed false, and why keep him in custody, since if he was lying about being in the army it would be impossible for him to be a deserter. No, there are only two ways of interpreting the story. Either the word of a white man was worth more than that of a black man, or the magistrates were perfectly aware that REED was telling the truth, or simply disinclined to punish the perpetrators, despite the severity of the offence. Judy On 30 Jul 2010, at 14:23, Mary Hester wrote: > It was interesting to see that there were illegal immigrants in > 1851. The > saying that there is nothing new under the Sun is true! > > Mary > ----- Original Message ----- > From: <jwmos99@msn.com> > To: <cornish-gen@rootsweb.com>; <cornish@rootsweb.com> > Sent: 30 July 2010 00:09 > Subject: [CORNISH] West Briton weekly news, 10 Oct 1851 Local > Intelligence > > >> >> WEST BRITON AND CORNWALL ADVERTISER >> >> 10 October 1851 >> >> GUILDHALL, FALMOUTH >> On Saturday last, JOHN REED, a black man, was brought before the >> magistrates for re-examination. >> The man stated he was a native of Spanish Town, Jamaica, that he was >> induced to go on board the brig >> "MERCIA," Captain McKensey, and after he was on board, the ship >> got under >> weigh, and they refused >> to put him ashore at Demerara. He further stated that he was a >> soldier of >> the 2nd West India >> Regiment, and on his coming to this port he got on shore, and >> delivered >> himself to the 77th regiment, >> but being out of that regiment's jurisdiction he was handed over >> to the >> Civil Department as a deserter, >> but as he states, an involuntary one. The captain, in his defence, >> stated >> that Reed's story was false, >> and called his mate and crew, who said the man came on board of >> his own >> accord, and they did not >> know he was a soldier. The magistrates were satisfied that the >> tale was >> not corroborated, and >> dismissed the complaint of kidnapping, keeping Reed in custody >> until an >> answer could be received >> from the war office. >> > > > -- > I am using the free version of SPAMfighter. > We are a community of 7 million users fighting spam. > SPAMfighter has removed 322 of my spam emails to date. > Get the free SPAMfighter here: http://www.spamfighter.com/len > > The Professional version does not have this message > > > ------------------------------- > Listmom: ybowers@gmail.com or CORNISH-GEN-admin@rootsweb.com > > Visit the OPC (Online Parish Clerk) web page for transcription > information http://www.cornwall-opc.org/ > ------------------------------- > To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to CORNISH-GEN- > request@rootsweb.com with the word 'unsubscribe' without the quotes > in the subject and the body of the message

Thanks for that Judy, it now makes far more sense even if I am disappointed that he was not an illegal immigrant. Mary ----- Original Message ----- From: "judy olsen" <copywriter@tesco.net> To: "Mary Hester" <mhester@tiscali.co.uk>; <cornish-gen@rootsweb.com> Sent: 30 July 2010 15:55 Subject: Re: [CORNISH-GEN] [CORNISH] West Briton weekly news, 10 Oct 1851 Local Intelligence - GUILDHALL, FALMOUTH > No there isn't, but no there weren't. This is not about someone trying to > get into the country, which as far as I know he could have done perfectly > lawfully. > > The Jamaican man was the complainant. His story is corroborated by the > fact he tried to rejoin the army. Why on earth would he do that if he was > not genuine? The hearing was farcical, since the captain and crew were > hardly going to give evidence against themselves. > > He was then kept in custody, while his story was checked. Surely the time > to do that would be before the hearing. Put another way, why check if his > story was deemed false, and why keep him in custody, since if he was > lying about being in the army it would be impossible for him to be a > deserter. > > No, there are only two ways of interpreting the story. Either the word of > a white man was worth more than that of a black man, or the magistrates > were perfectly aware that REED was telling the truth, or simply > disinclined to punish the perpetrators, despite the severity of the > offence. > > Judy > > > > > On 30 Jul 2010, at 14:23, Mary Hester wrote: > >> It was interesting to see that there were illegal immigrants in 1851. >> The >> saying that there is nothing new under the Sun is true! >> >> Mary >> ----- Original Message ----- >> From: <jwmos99@msn.com> >> To: <cornish-gen@rootsweb.com>; <cornish@rootsweb.com> >> Sent: 30 July 2010 00:09 >> Subject: [CORNISH] West Briton weekly news, 10 Oct 1851 Local >> Intelligence >> >> >>> >>> WEST BRITON AND CORNWALL ADVERTISER >>> >>> 10 October 1851 >>> >>> GUILDHALL, FALMOUTH >>> On Saturday last, JOHN REED, a black man, was brought before the >>> magistrates for re-examination. >>> The man stated he was a native of Spanish Town, Jamaica, that he was >>> induced to go on board the brig >>> "MERCIA," Captain McKensey, and after he was on board, the ship got >>> under >>> weigh, and they refused >>> to put him ashore at Demerara. He further stated that he was a soldier >>> of >>> the 2nd West India >>> Regiment, and on his coming to this port he got on shore, and delivered >>> himself to the 77th regiment, >>> but being out of that regiment's jurisdiction he was handed over to the >>> Civil Department as a deserter, >>> but as he states, an involuntary one. The captain, in his defence, >>> stated >>> that Reed's story was false, >>> and called his mate and crew, who said the man came on board of his >>> own >>> accord, and they did not >>> know he was a soldier. The magistrates were satisfied that the tale was >>> not corroborated, and >>> dismissed the complaint of kidnapping, keeping Reed in custody until an >>> answer could be received >>> from the war office. >>> >> >> >> -- >> I am using the free version of SPAMfighter. >> We are a community of 7 million users fighting spam. >> SPAMfighter has removed 322 of my spam emails to date. >> Get the free SPAMfighter here: http://www.spamfighter.com/len >> >> The Professional version does not have this message >> >> >> ------------------------------- >> Listmom: ybowers@gmail.com or CORNISH-GEN-admin@rootsweb.com >> >> Visit the OPC (Online Parish Clerk) web page for transcription >> information http://www.cornwall-opc.org/ >> ------------------------------- >> To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to CORNISH-GEN- >> request@rootsweb.com with the word 'unsubscribe' without the quotes in >> the subject and the body of the message > > -- I am using the free version of SPAMfighter. We are a community of 7 million users fighting spam. SPAMfighter has removed 322 of my spam emails to date. Get the free SPAMfighter here: http://www.spamfighter.com/len The Professional version does not have this message

From lists published that summer the two regimental bases for the 2nd West India Regiment at the time were Chatham and Demerara. Found evidence of a Mercia with Capt McKenzie, plying between Liverpool and Demerara earlier in the year but also one going to and from Calcutta. Don't have the patience to work out the dates and whether this means there were two ships of the same name. But if Reed was meant to be in Demerara, where did they pick him up?. It doesn't actually say he was in Jamaica just that he was from there. Was he simply further along the Guyana coast? Sounds to me that carousing of some sort might have been involved and the next morning they weighed anchor and took off with him still on board, either as a joke or out of malice. Or perhaps they just didn't notice. If he went on board at Demerara, why didnt he say so? All quite intriguing. J On 30 Jul 2010, at 17:38, Mary Hester wrote: > Thanks for that Judy, it now makes far more sense even if I am > disappointed > that he was not an illegal immigrant. > > Mary > ----- Original Message ----- > From: "judy olsen" <copywriter@tesco.net> > To: "Mary Hester" <mhester@tiscali.co.uk>; <cornish-gen@rootsweb.com> > Sent: 30 July 2010 15:55 > Subject: Re: [CORNISH-GEN] [CORNISH] West Briton weekly news, 10 > Oct 1851 > Local Intelligence - GUILDHALL, FALMOUTH > > >> No there isn't, but no there weren't. This is not about someone >> trying to >> get into the country, which as far as I know he could have done >> perfectly >> lawfully. >> >> The Jamaican man was the complainant. His story is corroborated >> by the >> fact he tried to rejoin the army. Why on earth would he do that >> if he was >> not genuine? The hearing was farcical, since the captain and crew >> were >> hardly going to give evidence against themselves. >> >> He was then kept in custody, while his story was checked. Surely >> the time >> to do that would be before the hearing. Put another way, why >> check if his >> story was deemed false, and why keep him in custody, since if he was >> lying about being in the army it would be impossible for him to be a >> deserter. >> >> No, there are only two ways of interpreting the story. Either the >> word of >> a white man was worth more than that of a black man, or the >> magistrates >> were perfectly aware that REED was telling the truth, or simply >> disinclined to punish the perpetrators, despite the severity of the >> offence. >> >> Judy >> >> >> >> >> On 30 Jul 2010, at 14:23, Mary Hester wrote: >> >>> It was interesting to see that there were illegal immigrants in >>> 1851. >>> The >>> saying that there is nothing new under the Sun is true! >>> >>> Mary >>> ----- Original Message ----- >>> From: <jwmos99@msn.com> >>> To: <cornish-gen@rootsweb.com>; <cornish@rootsweb.com> >>> Sent: 30 July 2010 00:09 >>> Subject: [CORNISH] West Briton weekly news, 10 Oct 1851 Local >>> Intelligence >>> >>> >>>> >>>> WEST BRITON AND CORNWALL ADVERTISER >>>> >>>> 10 October 1851 >>>> >>>> GUILDHALL, FALMOUTH >>>> On Saturday last, JOHN REED, a black man, was brought before the >>>> magistrates for re-examination. >>>> The man stated he was a native of Spanish Town, Jamaica, that he >>>> was >>>> induced to go on board the brig >>>> "MERCIA," Captain McKensey, and after he was on board, the ship >>>> got >>>> under >>>> weigh, and they refused >>>> to put him ashore at Demerara. He further stated that he was a >>>> soldier >>>> of >>>> the 2nd West India >>>> Regiment, and on his coming to this port he got on shore, and >>>> delivered >>>> himself to the 77th regiment, >>>> but being out of that regiment's jurisdiction he was handed >>>> over to the >>>> Civil Department as a deserter, >>>> but as he states, an involuntary one. The captain, in his defence, >>>> stated >>>> that Reed's story was false, >>>> and called his mate and crew, who said the man came on board >>>> of his >>>> own >>>> accord, and they did not >>>> know he was a soldier. The magistrates were satisfied that the >>>> tale was >>>> not corroborated, and >>>> dismissed the complaint of kidnapping, keeping Reed in custody >>>> until an >>>> answer could be received >>>> from the war office. >>>> >>> >>> >>> -- >>> I am using the free version of SPAMfighter. >>> We are a community of 7 million users fighting spam. >>> SPAMfighter has removed 322 of my spam emails to date. >>> Get the free SPAMfighter here: http://www.spamfighter.com/len >>> >>> The Professional version does not have this message >>> >>> >>> ------------------------------- >>> Listmom: ybowers@gmail.com or CORNISH-GEN-admin@rootsweb.com >>> >>> Visit the OPC (Online Parish Clerk) web page for transcription >>> information http://www.cornwall-opc.org/ >>> ------------------------------- >>> To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to CORNISH-GEN- >>> request@rootsweb.com with the word 'unsubscribe' without the >>> quotes in >>> the subject and the body of the message >> >> > > > -- > I am using the free version of SPAMfighter. > We are a community of 7 million users fighting spam. > SPAMfighter has removed 322 of my spam emails to date. > Get the free SPAMfighter here: http://www.spamfighter.com/len > > The Professional version does not have this message > > > ------------------------------- > Listmom: ybowers@gmail.com or CORNISH-GEN-admin@rootsweb.com > > Visit the OPC (Online Parish Clerk) web page for transcription > information http://www.cornwall-opc.org/ > ------------------------------- > To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to CORNISH-GEN- > request@rootsweb.com with the word 'unsubscribe' without the quotes > in the subject and the body of the message