Wealthy British family to pay reparations to Grenada
The aristocratic Trevelyan family, who owned six sugar plantations in Grenada, will also pay reparations.
‘It was really horrific’
BBC reporter Laura Trevelyan, a family member, visited Grenada in 2022 and said she was shocked that her ancestors had been compensated by the UK government when slavery was abolished in 1833 - but freed African slaves got nothing.
According to the BBC on February 5, 2023, Ms Trevelyan recalled her visit to the island for a documentary.
"It was really horrific... I saw for myself the plantations where slaves were punished, when I saw the instruments of torture that were used to restrain them."
"I felt ashamed, and I also felt that it was my duty. You can't repair the past - but you can acknowledge the pain."
Public apology & reparations
Ms Trevelyan said seven members of her family would travel to Grenada later in February to issue a public apology.
The family will give £100,000 ($120,000) to establish a community fund for economic development on the impoverished island and in the eastern Caribbean.
Ms Trevelyan said that in 1834, the Trevelyans received about £34,000 for the loss of their "property" on Grenada - the equivalent of about £3m in today's money.
"For me to be giving £100,000 almost 200 years later... maybe that seems like really inadequate," she said.
"But I hope that we're setting an example by apologising for what our ancestors did."
The Grenada National Reparations Commission described the gesture as commendable.
‘Reparation is the word’- Hon Fraser
Leader of His Majesty’s Loyal Opposition, Honourable Julian Fraser RA (R3), back in July 2022, called for reparations from the United Kingdom (UK) for the descendants of slaves, while noting that this must be captured in the pending reformed Constitution of the Virgin Islands.
Honourable Fraser was at the time giving official remarks at the official opening of the Bernard ‘Yampi’ Nibbs Festiville at Festival Grounds, Tortola on July 27, 2022, when he sought to leave the word ‘Reparation’ as a takeaway for those present.
“But the one word I want to leave with you this evening is reparation. Reparation is a word I want you to remember. Reparation means whatever we were emancipated from we are going to be compensated for.”
‘Uk should get a loan for reparations’
According to the Opposition Leader, the British Government recently finished off paying off a loan that they used to compensate slave masters and plantation owners at the time of emancipation and can now seek a loan for reparations.
“It is time they get a new loan for reparations,” Hon Fraser said.
The British government in 1835 borrowed 20 million pounds – the equivalent of around 17 billion pounds today – to compensate slave owners for the lost capital associated with freeing slaves. This payout was a massive 40% of the government's budget and required many bonds to slave owners to effectuate the law.
The loan was one of the largest in history and was paid off by the UK government only in 2015.
The United Nations and the Caribbean Reparations Commission have also called for reparations for slavery.
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24 Responses to “Wealthy British family to pay reparations to Grenada”
Take a lot a seats!
There were three types of enslavement in Ancient Egypt: chattel slavery, bonded labor, and forced labor. But even these seemingly well-differentiated types of slavery are susceptible to individual interpretation. Egypt's labor culture encompassed many people of various social ranks.
By the way, all the money that other countries donated to bvi after Irma. Where did it go? Who house did it help repair? Which school gor patch work with it? Okay then
What price can you put on generations of abuse, racism and marginalization? And what is the responsibility once it has been paid? What is their attitude once the ransom you ask for has been deposited? And when the money is spent then what?
Better than reparations give us free health care & education for 500 years etc
We need to think along those lines and refuse reparations. This is a trap that only those who haven't properly thought this through will fall for.
I wonder what the families net worth actually is....do they still own the properties in Greneda ?
I step forward in the right direction for sure. Greneda have been very dignified in their approach and acceptance of what has been offered. it just goes to show, its not alll about the money, but about being acknowledged and publically apologized to.
All some countries see are huge $$$$ signs in their eyes and it blinds them to the really issue of acknowledgement and publically admitting that what UK did was very wrong and very wicked.
I think yours are close
Collins doing very good cleaning all the shit head from here