by Curlan Campbell
- Trevelyan family officially apologised on Monday, 27 February 2023
- British Slave-ownership database alerted family to ancestor’s role in transatlantic slave trade
- Other family members to donate money towards UWI Grenada Open Campus and GrenED
“To the people of Grenada, we, the undersigned, write to apologise for the actions of our ancestors in holding your ancestors in slavery on estates which included Tempe, Simon, Requin, La Sagesse, Beausejour, Soubise, Crochu, Grand Bra, Saint Cloud (Saint Cloux) and Chantilly part owned by Louisa Simon and Sir John Trevelyan, 4th Baronet of Nettlecombe and Wallington, and later their children in the 18th and 19th centuries.”
The Trevelyan family, represented by 7 members and led by British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) journalist Laura Trevelyan, officially apologised on Monday, 27 February 2023, to the Grenadian people for their family’s role in the enslavement of 1,004 Africans trafficked to work on sugar plantations in Grenada.
Laura Trevelyan, the 4-times great-granddaughter of Sir Charles Trevelyan, made history as she and her family acknowledged their ancestor’s role in the transatlantic slave trade and the dehumanisation of people for profit.
Laura, Humphrey, Peter, Tom and George Trevelyan, and John and Alex Dower signed the letter of apology, witnessed by Prime Minister Hon. Dickon Mitchell, Sir Hilary Beckles, Vice-Chancellor of the University of the West Indies, Dr Nicole Philip-Dowe, Head of the University of the West Indies Open Campus (Grenada) and Arley S Gill, Chair of Grenada National Reparations Committee (GNRC). Rastafarian group, the Twelve Tribes of Israel, which numerous speakers singled out for their continuing to champion the cause for reparations, also witnessed the signing.
The Centre for the Study of the Legacies of British Slavery at University College London, published a database tracing the impact of slave ownership on the formation of modern Britain under the ESRC-funded Legacies of British Slave-ownership project (2009–2012) and the ESRC and AHRC-funded Structure and significance of British Caribbean slave-ownership 1763–1833 (2013–2015). This database alerted the family to the atrocities committed by their ancestors. The journey of reconciliation by the Trevelyan family started after Laura reached out to the Deputy Chair of Grenada National Reparations Committee (GNRC) Dr Nicole Philip-Dowe in January 2021, ultimately leading to her visit to Grenada and filming the BBC documentary “Grenada Confronting the Past.”
Addressing scores of onlookers who attended the reparation forum at the Grenada Trade Centre Annex, Laura said she was extremely moved to confront this dark past following the death of George Floyd on 25 May 2020, despite having difficulties internalising the news at first.
“We are incredibly moved and horrified. All of us have been by the exhibit in the back, which shows the names of the enslaved at the time compensation was paid to our families. It is the names of the enslaved on those estates in which our family had shares, and to see the names and the ages and to think of the horror that those people endured in the not-so-distant past and to think of our role in it, is shameful, and that is why we are here today.”
She continued, “This is the beginning of something, we can’t begin to say an apology is the end of the process, and we have no idea where this will lead, but I just want to say that I have been encouraged by the number of other British families in the British Caribbean, in Jamaica for example, who have privately written to me and said ‘Laura what your family has done is something that we have talked about doing for years, but we have no idea how to do it’, ‘We want to know what your roadmap was.’ Well, the roadmap began here in Grenada with Dr Nicole Philip-Dowe, Arley Gill, with Sir Hilary Beckles.”
John Dower clamoured for the British Government to engage in meaningful negotiations with regional governments to make amends for these historic wrongs. “We urge the British Government to enter into meaningful negotiations with the governments of the Caribbean in order to make appropriate reparations through Caricom and bodies such as the Grenada National Reparations Commission.”
Prime Minister Hon. Dickon Mitchell received the letter of apology and wasted little time in presenting it to Sir Hilary Beckles and members of the Grenada National Reparations Committee. He also singled out the Rastafarian community for their consistent and persistent role in keeping the collective consciousness for liberation alive. For him, having been inspired by Ikael Tafari’s book “Rastafari in transition” which he read at the start of his university education at UWI, was unaware of the Rastafarian community’s contribution towards the discussion of reparation. Prior to reading the book, he viewed the Rastafarian community with “a certain level of disdain, disinterest or apathy.”
To the members of the Trevelyan family, the Prime Minister remarked that, ”If I had any doubt, that it no doubt took some singular courage for Laura and her family to find it within themselves to conceive of the need to apologise, not privately, not remotely, but in person. I think I am left with no doubt that if my ancestors were part of such a system that I will be horrified, I would be ashamed, and perhaps the easy decision would have been to pretend that since I didn’t do it, I ought not to take any responsibility for it. So it is testimony to your courage, it is testimony to your bravery, to your willingness to confront what no doubt is a dark and difficult past that you are here today to apologise in person.”
Questioned about the extent of the wealth amassed by the family during slavery, Laura Trevelyan said, “We don’t know the amount of money that was amassed during slavery. We just know the amount of compensation that was paid in 1834, which is the equivalent of about £3 million.” The wealth amassed was substantive since their family inherited generational wealth, which started from 1757 up to the 1800s, and was parlayed into an empire investing in mining interests in England.
On Laura Trevelyan’s 55th birthday in August, she will donate £100,000 from her BBC pension to establish an education fund at the UWI Open Campus Grenada. The GNRC in collaboration with The UWI and the Government of Grenada, will determine details of how that fund will be used. The Trevelyan family present at the signing indicated that other family members are planning to donate money towards bursaries for the UWI Grenada Open Campus Initiative and support the Grenada Education and Development Programme (GrenED). John Dewar also indicated that family members wish to offer their time to ongoing projects in Grenada.
Trust Dr Tom Trevelyan to do. The right thing once this news came to the family’s attention. He was our much loved family GP for many years, and didn’t hesitate to come to mum’s bedside as she lay on her deathbed to note her passing. She adored him as well all did. A very, very special gentleman. Bravo Doctor.