564 A. E. Verrill — The Bermuda Islands. 



(2) It is likewise ordered that the negroes that are free men and 

 women shal be banished from these Islands, never to returne eyther 

 by purchase of any man, or otherwise, upon payne of forfeiting 

 their said purchase in that case." 



In 1673, a " daingerous plot" was discovered among the negroes, 

 some of whom confessed their guilt. Six were condemned to be 

 branded or " stigmatized in ye face [forehead] with an hott iron, and 

 their noses slitt, and whipped; and ye rest of ye negroes stigmatized 

 and whipt." The hot iron bore the letter "R." 



A conspiracy which was discovered among the slaves in 1761, to 

 rise and massacre the whites, caused great alarm, for a time, and 

 martial law was declared by the Governor. One negro slave, sup- 

 posed to be the leader, having been convicted was burned and 

 hanged in Warwick Parish, but the evidence against him was not 

 very positive. Several persons were believed to have been poisoned 

 by the slaves at that time. 



During a large part of the slavery period in Bermuda, the slaves 

 were allowed very few religious privileges and very little education, 

 but in these respects the custom varied at different times. Many 

 religious differences among the clergymen and sects were partly due 

 to disagreements as to the propriety of allowing the slaves certain 

 religious privileges, like christening, baptism,* or burial services. 

 In the 17th century clergymen of the Established Church seem to 

 have been generally opposed to such innovations, though there were 

 exceptions. This reluctance to grant religious privileges continued 

 down to the time of the abolition of slavery. 



One great reason for the strenuous persecution of the Quakers, in 

 the 17th century, was because they desired to teach the negroes. 



In the official statement of the Company, in 1679, they mentioned 

 that onlv about one-half the nesa-o children were christened. 



The slaves were allowed legal marriage from the first, and when 

 man and wife belonged to different owners, thev were allowed by 

 law or custom to be together Sundays or other specified times, and 

 their children alternatel}" were to become the property of each owner 

 of the parents. 



In 1656, the owners of slaves were required to take them to church 

 with themselves, wherever they went. 



* It is mentioned that when the slaves had been baptized, they believed that 

 they had thereby acquired a right to their freedom. When any funeral ceremony 

 was held, it usually consisted in the reading of the burial service by some aged 

 colored man. 



