THE BAHAMA ISLANDS 



447 



of slaves were considered as personal estate, and were governed by the laws 

 regulating the descent of landed property. The property of a slave was attach- 

 able for debt."" 



Marriage and Family. — The Bahama slave code professed to encourage 

 legitimate marriages among the slaves of the Colony, and between slaves and 

 free blacks. The old custom of the Bahamas doubtless permitted many abuses 

 of the marriage tie among slaves, although, later, Admiral Fleming stated that 

 promiscuous concubinage was not allowed." With a view to the religious and 

 moral improvement of the slaves, it was attempted to promote the attachment 

 of husbands and wives among them, and to prevent, as far as possible, polygamy 

 and promiscuity of conjugal relations. The consent of the owner in writing 

 or the publication of the banns in the regular manner was necessary before 

 marriages were allowed to take place. A marriage between slaves was not 

 permitted without the consent of the owners. Such marriages were conducted 

 according to the laws and canonical resti'ictions of the established church of 

 the Bahamas. The ministers of that church alone were competent to solemnize 

 marriages. If there was no Anglican minister in the parish in which the mar- 

 riage took place, the duty devolved upon the justice of the peace. In 1837, 

 however, the privilege of celebrating marriages was extended to ministers out- 

 side the established churches of England and Scotland, but in each instance 

 the Governor issued a special license." Eegistersof marriages were kept. Very 

 primitive ideas prevailed among these poor people as to the duties conceived 

 by Englishmen, to be assumed when entering into the marriage contract. 

 Eegulations were made for the purpose of inculcating proper ideas as to the 

 mutual obligations of husband and wife, and urging upon them the importance 

 of remaining together when once united. The separation of families was for- 

 bidden under any circumstances. Neither husband or wife was salable unless 

 the other was sold at the same time, and to the same purchaser. Children 

 were not allowed to be separated from their parents until they had reached 

 the fourteenth year. Alienation of slave property could be carried out only 



" 10 Geo. IV, 13. Neither of the above questions appears to have been touched 

 upon in the laws before 1824. Custom in this as in many other respects was 

 doubtless very lax. 7 Geo. IV, 1, sees. 36-40. 



" Sess. P., 1831-32, 20, p. 217. Testimony given in the West Indian Investiga- 

 tion of Slavery by Parliament. 



^ 10 Geo. 13. Several years after the abolition of slavery a difficulty arose at 

 Harbor Island over the transfer by a Wesleyan minister to another minister of his 

 denomination, of a license issued to him to marry two blacks. 



