36 Records of the Rising in the West, A.D. 1655. 
five years, as overseers of labour ; others however were probably made 
to labour in the plantations or enter domestic service.‘ So far as 
1In Dr. Calamy’s Continuation (Vol. ii., p. 793), a letter from Jamaica, some 
years later, mentions that they had few other servants there than slaves mid 
napped from Guinea, ‘‘ except some from Newgate.” 
The following furnishes further information (See 4 Thur., p. 49) :— 
The Governor of Barbadoes to the Protector. 
‘* May it Please your Highnes, 
By my last bearing date the 3rd of this month, I gave your highness some account of the 
receipt of your missive unto me, bearing date the 13th of June [June 31st, says letter September 3rd ; 
this letter does not add to our information about the prisoners]. In it your highnesse was pleased 
to take notice, that notorious delinquents and offendors sent to this island by your highness’s express 
commands, here to remaine during your highness pleasure, have gone off this place, and returned 
back into their country, without warrant from your highness and council. Should I stand guilty of 
so high a contempt to your highness’s authority, I should justly merit your highness’s displeasure, 
and a censure suitable to so great a miscarriage; but having never received any commands from 
your highness, and from the lords of your highness’s council, or any other order, that ever came to 
my hands, or have been signified unto me, declaring such persons to have been so sent, and pro- 
hibiting such being here not to depart from their place, until your highness’s and councill’s pleasure 
were made known, I humbly desire, Imay stand clear in your highness’s opinion as toany such mis- 
carriage, Upon receipt of your bighness’s general order and commands therein, I caused the en- 
closed writing to be published throughout this island. Such persons as hitherto we have had brought 
to this place from England, Scotland and Ireland, prisoners ef war, and others as servants have been 
brought and landed on merchants particular accounts, who for their passage, transporting them 
hither, and their disbursements on them, claim a propriety in such as they bring, with a liberty to 
dispose of them by assignments to the inhabitants of this place for a term of 4, 5, 6, and 7 years, 
to serve for the consideration of a sum of money and goods to them paid ; which term of years they 
are assigned for, being expired, and the party assigned purchasing with money, goods, or credit, the 
term of years he is to serve by the law and custom of that place, is free to stay or depart hence. 
Having now received your highness’s commands, such as your highness shall please to require to 
stay here, I shall, to the utmost possibility of means to be used, labour to keep them with us. 
Here lately arrived colonel Gardiner, major Thomas and some others, whom from private hands 
I have received intelligence were prisoners in your highness’s tower of London, and by order of 
your highness and couucil transported hither, to remain on this island until your highness’s pleasure 
be farther made known. I judge it my duty to let your highness know, that no such order or com- 
mand hath as yet come to my hands, the same persons having applied unto me to know upon what 
account they are here, and by what authority here detained ; myself and council having judged it 
ne cessary to confine them to a particular plantation within this island, from thence not to depart, 
until your highness’s pleasure, as to the said prisoners, be made known to us, 
Upon occasion of an enquiry I caused lately to be made of our present condition since the last fleet’s 
departure, and the going off ‘with them so considerable a number of our freemen, and finding the 
number of English, Scots, and Irish servants remaining with us to be considerable, and the major 
part of them such, as have engaged in actual service against your highness and the commonwealth ; 
myself, and council, and commission of our militia, hold it our duty humbly to present it to your 
highness’s consideration the danger this colony might fall into, by receiving in amongst us such 
persons of eminency (as we are informed are to be sent to this place from England), that are not 
only of dangerous principles, and ready disposition to act bold attempts, to the disquict and trouble 
of the nation, but qualified with parts and abilities to seduce, corrupt and head our servants, and 
such others as have no freeholds amongst us, to raise and joine to our destruction ; and do humbly 
conceive, if some of those already here were removed, being too many of malignant principles, that 
are too ready to kindle into a fiame of disturbance by such fiery spirits, and such others prohibited’ 
to come here, it may much tend to the preservation and eontinuancy of this island’s peace, as yet 
we do judge ourselves in a condition good enough to prevent any mischief from within, if those here, 
that are most likely to stir, have not such as is before expressed to come amongst them to head 
them ; and so long as providence shall preserve the peace of our nation at home, we shall not much 
doubt anything of this nature here. And as for any danger to us from without, we ate assured of 
your highness’s vigilance and watchfulness to protect us, 
Barbadoes, Your Highness’s most humble 
September 18th, and most faithful servant 
1655. Daniet SEARLE.” 
I have found no list of the prisoners who were sent to the West Indies, but 
