Correspondence from the bishop of Barbados, William Hart Coleridge, to the secretary...

Correspondence from the bishop of Barbados, William Hart Coleridge, to the secretary of state mainly concerning ecclesiastical matters such as his visits to the various parts of his diocese, and the appointment, conduct and resignations of members of the clergy. Correspondence also includes:

• Detailed and lengthy reports of proceedings in the case of the church warden and vestry of the parish of St Lucy against the Reverend William Marshall Harte, rector, including extract from The Barbadian of 24 July 1827 being the defence of the Reverend W M Harte, rector of St Lucy's, against 'the general accusations of my conduct as a Minister of the Gospel, which were contained in the Resolutions of a public meeting in this parish on the 21st of April last', together with copies of relevant correspondence; extract from The Barbadian of 7 August 1827 noting the charges made against the Reverend W M Harte, and further extracts from the same newspaper of 14 August and [4?] September on the subject. Harte is accused, inter alia, of not discharging his duties properly; of making comments about his parishioners from the pulpit; of absenting himself from the parish resulting, for example, in people being buried without a funeral service; of neglecting repairs to the rectory; of being 'regardless of the preservation of the records'; of having given certificates for confirmation to 'many coloured and black persons ... who were wholly unworthy and unqualified for confirmation'; of having 'improperly interfered with the management and discipline of the slaves ... to the subversion of that proper feeling of respect which should ever be observed by slaves towards their masters'; of having, from the pulpit, held up the white inhabitants to the 'contempt and derision' of the slaves; and of suggesting to the slaves that they should have Saturdays for recreation.
• Letters from the Church Building Committee concerning the construction of St Mary's Chapel in Bridgetown
• Bishop's recommendation that the Naval Hospital at English Harbour, Antigua, should be a place for divine worship
• Report of the Reverend John Pindar, ecclesiastical commissary of Demerara and Essequibo, on the state of the eight parishes there
• Extracts from parliamentary papers of 1827 providing printed copies of some of the bishop's correspondence
• In addition, references are made in the 'index' to the volume to reports of the Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge, but these are noted as missing.

Topics

International

Litigation

Religions

Caribbean

Slavery

Race relations

Navy

Official publications

Hospitals