In our July newsletter we described the important archaeological work underway at the site of the Liberated Africans Depot in Rupert’s Valley.  The original three archaeologists who arrived to complete the work expanded to a team of 13 after the results of surveys indicated the extent of the work required.  The time allocated to do the work was revised and became almost three times longer than originally planned.
The reason for the extra people and extra time is the number of slave graves in Rupert’s Valley is now estimated to be at least 8,000 as opposed to the original estimate of 3,000.

Part of the Rupert’s Valley excavation site, soon after work started.

October is Black History Month.  It seems therefore opportune to focus on the important role St Helena played in the liberation of Africans. 

"In 1840 a Vice-Admiralty Court was established in St Helena for the trial of seamen and ship owners engaged in the slave trade.  Slave ships crossed the South Atlantic from the west coast of Africa intending to sell their human cargo in the Caribbean, Brazil and the southern United States.   When trading in Slaves was made illegal in Britain the West Africa squadron of the Royal Navy was used to enforce the law on the high seas.  Large numbers of slave trading vessels were captured in the South Atlantic and brought to St Helena where the slaves were disembarked at the Liberated Africans Depot in Rupert’s Valley.  The United States Navy is also known to have used St Helena to re-supply ships’ stores and rest crews.

One of the most detailed histories of St Helena to date, St Helena 1502 – 1938 – Philip Gosse, estimates the Royal Navy West Africa squadron set down ‘over 10,000 freed slaves’ on St Helena’s shore.  This number of slaves is now known to be a significant under-estimate.  An archaeological survey of one area of slave graves was undertaken in 2007 and 2008.  Although detailed, the survey concentrated on one small area of Rupert’s Valley – the two main slave burial sites that are known to exist in the valley have not been surveyed and their boundaries are not precisely known.  It is now estimated that at least 8,000 freed slaves perished at the Rupert’s Valley Liberation Depot, unable to survive the depravations endured while in the hands of the slave traders.  How many freed slaves did recover at the Liberation Depot and survive to be transported to the other destinations to continue their lives is not known.  It is thought most survivors went to the British West Indies and Sierra Leone but so much slave history remains conjecture, lacking detailed and scholastic research.  Overall, between 1808 and 1869, the Royal Navy’s West Africa Squadron seized over 1,600 slave ships and freed about 150,000 Africans but despite this, it is estimated that a further 1 million people were enslaved and transported through-out the 19th Century.  In Brazil, trading in slaves was not outlawed until 1850 and the emancipation of slaves did not appear on the Brazilian statute book until 1884.

The archaeological work in Rupert’s Valley has made it clear that the Liberation Depot at Rupert’s Valley is of global historical significance, certainly rare and possibly unique.  Also very clear is that much more research is required if we are to know and appreciate the scale of St Helena’s role in Slave Liberation.  At present, the part St Helena played in slave liberation is not recognised in history books on slavery."

The above text is an extract from a book soon to be published by the St Helena National Trust.  More details next month

Related Information

Archaeology in Rupert's Valley