James Ramsay (abolitionist)
Encyclopedia
James Ramsay was a ship’s surgeon, Anglican priest, and leading abolitionist.
, Scotland
, the son of William Ramsay, ship’s carpenter, and Margaret Ogilvie. He was apprenticed to a local surgeon and later educated at King's College, Aberdeen
from 1750 to 1755. He obtained his MA in 1753 and went on to continue his surgical training in London under Dr George Macaulay.
He entered the Navy in 1757, and served as surgeon aboard the Arundel in the West Indies, under the command of Sir Charles Middleton
. In November 1759, the Arundel intercepted a British slave ship
, the Swift and, on boarding the vessel, Ramsay found over 100 slaves living in the most inhumane conditions. Such was the scene of filth and degradation he witnessed, that this incident was to have a lasting effect on Ramsay. While serving at sea he fell and fractured his thigh bone, and was disqualified from future service, remaining lame for the remainder of his life.
In September 1762 Ramsay left the navy to take holy orders. He was ordained into the Anglican church by the Bishop of London
, choosing to work amongst slaves on the Caribbean
island of St Christopher (now St Kitts), where he was appointed to St. John’s
, Capisterre
in 1762, and to Christ Church Nichola Town, the following year. In 1763 he married Rebecca Akers, by whom he had a son and three daughters.
Ramsay set out by welcoming both black and white parishioners into his church, with the aim of converting the slaves to Christianity. As well as pastoring the members of his church he practised medicine and surgery, providing a free service to the poor of the community. Having been appointed surgeon to several plantations on the island, he was able to see firsthand the conditions under which the slaves laboured and the brutality of many of the planters.
He strongly criticised the cruel treatment and punishment meted out to the slaves, and became more convinced of the need to improve their conditions. This led him into involvement in local government, but he was the target of much antagonism and personal attack from the planters, who resented his interference, because of his measures to ameliorate the conditions of the slaves. His letters to the bishop of London illustrate the attitudes of the American colonists in the late 18th century.
Ramsay left St Kitts in 1777, exhausted by the continuing conflict with influential planters and businessmen. He returned to Britain and briefly lived with Sir Charles Middleton at Teston
, Kent
where Lady Middleton joined the cause of the campaign against the slave trade.
He briefly rejoined the navy in April 1778, accepting a chaplaincy in the West Indies with Admiral Barrington, where he was engaged in intelligence gathering against the French
. He returned to Britain in 1781 at the suggestion of Middleton, by then comptroller of the navy, with the intention of helping his radical reform of the Navy Board
and as his personal secretary. He was installed as vicar of Teston and rector of Nettleshead, Kent, these valuable positions being the gift of Middleton.
, Bishop of Chester
and later Bishop of London
, in his campaign to improve the conditions of slaves held by the Society for the Propagation of the Gospel in Foreign Parts, as well as bringing to public notice the debate about the slave trade. He contributed several further publications to the campaign, including An Inquiry into the Effects of Putting a Stop to the African Slave Trade, published 1784.
Ramsay became part of the group of influential politicians, philanthropists and churchmen
based at Teston
, and was persuaded by Lady Middleton, the wife of Charles Middleton
and others to publish his account of the horrors of the slave trade. They met at Barham Court
. BBC film about the abolition of slavery This was the first time that the British public had read an anti-slavery work by a mainstream Anglican writer who had personally witnessed the suffering of the slaves on the West-Indian plantations.
Again he was severely challenged by the plantation owners in England who were threatened by his anti-slavery works and who attempted to refute his allegations, in many cases with vitriolic attacks on Ramsay’s reputation and character, leading to a pamphlet war between the parties.
He met with William Pitt the Younger
, the Prime Minister
, on several occasions and with William Wilberforce
in 1783 and played a significant part in the establishment of the campaign against the slave trade. It was his meeting with Thomas Clarkson
in 1786 which encouraged the latter in his tireless efforts to obtain firsthand evidence of the trade, and indirectly led to the formation of the Committee for Abolition of the African Slave Trade the following year.
of the British slave trade in 1807 probably owed more to James Ramsay's arguments, proposals and personal integrity than to any other influence.
Early life and Naval service
Ramsay was born at FraserburghFraserburgh
Fraserburgh is a town in Aberdeenshire, Scotland with a population recorded in the 2001 Census at 12,454 and estimated at 12,630 in 2006. It lies at the extreme northeast corner of Aberdeenshire, around north of Aberdeen, and north of Peterhead...
, Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
, the son of William Ramsay, ship’s carpenter, and Margaret Ogilvie. He was apprenticed to a local surgeon and later educated at King's College, Aberdeen
King's College, Aberdeen
King's College in Old Aberdeen, Scotland is a formerly independent university founded in 1495 and an integral part of the University of Aberdeen...
from 1750 to 1755. He obtained his MA in 1753 and went on to continue his surgical training in London under Dr George Macaulay.
He entered the Navy in 1757, and served as surgeon aboard the Arundel in the West Indies, under the command of Sir Charles Middleton
Charles Middleton, 1st Baron Barham
Admiral Charles Middleton, 1st Baron Barham PC was a British naval officer and politician.He was born at Leith, Midlothian to Robert Middleton, a customs collector of Bo'ness, Linlithgowshire, and Helen, daughter of Charles Dundas.-Naval career:Middleton entered the Royal Navy in 1741 as captain's...
. In November 1759, the Arundel intercepted a British slave ship
Slave ship
Slave ships were large cargo ships specially converted for the purpose of transporting slaves, especially newly purchased African slaves to Americas....
, the Swift and, on boarding the vessel, Ramsay found over 100 slaves living in the most inhumane conditions. Such was the scene of filth and degradation he witnessed, that this incident was to have a lasting effect on Ramsay. While serving at sea he fell and fractured his thigh bone, and was disqualified from future service, remaining lame for the remainder of his life.
In September 1762 Ramsay left the navy to take holy orders. He was ordained into the Anglican church by the Bishop of London
Bishop of London
The Bishop of London is the ordinary of the Church of England Diocese of London in the Province of Canterbury.The diocese covers 458 km² of 17 boroughs of Greater London north of the River Thames and a small part of the County of Surrey...
, choosing to work amongst slaves on the Caribbean
Caribbean
The Caribbean is a crescent-shaped group of islands more than 2,000 miles long separating the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea, to the west and south, from the Atlantic Ocean, to the east and north...
island of St Christopher (now St Kitts), where he was appointed to St. John’s
Saint John Capisterre Parish
Saint John Capisterre is one of 14 administrative parishes that make up Saint Kitts and Nevis. It is the second largest parish on Saint Kitts , and the third largest parish in the federation...
, Capisterre
Capisterre
Capisterre is a region covering the Northern Coastal plain on the Island of Saint Kitts. It was originally colonized by the French in the early 17th century, with its capital on the only harbour, in the fishing town of Dieppe. The area was lost to the British in 1713...
in 1762, and to Christ Church Nichola Town, the following year. In 1763 he married Rebecca Akers, by whom he had a son and three daughters.
Ramsay set out by welcoming both black and white parishioners into his church, with the aim of converting the slaves to Christianity. As well as pastoring the members of his church he practised medicine and surgery, providing a free service to the poor of the community. Having been appointed surgeon to several plantations on the island, he was able to see firsthand the conditions under which the slaves laboured and the brutality of many of the planters.
He strongly criticised the cruel treatment and punishment meted out to the slaves, and became more convinced of the need to improve their conditions. This led him into involvement in local government, but he was the target of much antagonism and personal attack from the planters, who resented his interference, because of his measures to ameliorate the conditions of the slaves. His letters to the bishop of London illustrate the attitudes of the American colonists in the late 18th century.
Ramsay left St Kitts in 1777, exhausted by the continuing conflict with influential planters and businessmen. He returned to Britain and briefly lived with Sir Charles Middleton at Teston
Teston
Teston is a village in the Maidstone District of Kent, England. It is located on the A26 road out of Maidstone, four miles from the town centre. There is a narrow stone bridge over the River Medway here....
, Kent
Kent
Kent is a county in southeast England, and is one of the home counties. It borders East Sussex, Surrey and Greater London and has a defined boundary with Essex in the middle of the Thames Estuary. The ceremonial county boundaries of Kent include the shire county of Kent and the unitary borough of...
where Lady Middleton joined the cause of the campaign against the slave trade.
He briefly rejoined the navy in April 1778, accepting a chaplaincy in the West Indies with Admiral Barrington, where he was engaged in intelligence gathering against the French
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
. He returned to Britain in 1781 at the suggestion of Middleton, by then comptroller of the navy, with the intention of helping his radical reform of the Navy Board
Navy Board
The Navy Board is today the body responsible for the day-to-day running of the British Royal Navy. Its composition is identical to that of the Admiralty Board of the Defence Council of the United Kingdom, except that it does not include any of Her Majesty's Ministers.From 1546 to 1831, the Navy...
and as his personal secretary. He was installed as vicar of Teston and rector of Nettleshead, Kent, these valuable positions being the gift of Middleton.
Abolitionist activity
During the following three years Ramsay worked on his most significant An Essay on the Treatment and Conversion of African Slaves in the British Sugar Colonies, published in 1784. It was this essay which influenced Beilby PorteusBeilby Porteus
Beilby Porteus , successively Bishop of Chester and of London was an Anglican reformer and leading abolitionist in England...
, Bishop of Chester
Bishop of Chester
The Bishop of Chester is the Ordinary of the Church of England Diocese of Chester in the Province of York.The diocese expands across most of the historic county boundaries of Cheshire, including the Wirral Peninsula and has its see in the City of Chester where the seat is located at the Cathedral...
and later Bishop of London
Bishop of London
The Bishop of London is the ordinary of the Church of England Diocese of London in the Province of Canterbury.The diocese covers 458 km² of 17 boroughs of Greater London north of the River Thames and a small part of the County of Surrey...
, in his campaign to improve the conditions of slaves held by the Society for the Propagation of the Gospel in Foreign Parts, as well as bringing to public notice the debate about the slave trade. He contributed several further publications to the campaign, including An Inquiry into the Effects of Putting a Stop to the African Slave Trade, published 1784.
Ramsay became part of the group of influential politicians, philanthropists and churchmen
Clergy
Clergy is the generic term used to describe the formal religious leadership within a given religion. A clergyman, churchman or cleric is a member of the clergy, especially one who is a priest, preacher, pastor, or other religious professional....
based at Teston
Teston
Teston is a village in the Maidstone District of Kent, England. It is located on the A26 road out of Maidstone, four miles from the town centre. There is a narrow stone bridge over the River Medway here....
, and was persuaded by Lady Middleton, the wife of Charles Middleton
Charles Middleton, 1st Baron Barham
Admiral Charles Middleton, 1st Baron Barham PC was a British naval officer and politician.He was born at Leith, Midlothian to Robert Middleton, a customs collector of Bo'ness, Linlithgowshire, and Helen, daughter of Charles Dundas.-Naval career:Middleton entered the Royal Navy in 1741 as captain's...
and others to publish his account of the horrors of the slave trade. They met at Barham Court
Barham Court
Barham Court is a fine old house in the village of Teston, Kent.It was once the home of Reginald Fitz Urse, one of the knights who murdered Thomas Beckett in Canterbury Cathedral in 1170....
. BBC film about the abolition of slavery This was the first time that the British public had read an anti-slavery work by a mainstream Anglican writer who had personally witnessed the suffering of the slaves on the West-Indian plantations.
Again he was severely challenged by the plantation owners in England who were threatened by his anti-slavery works and who attempted to refute his allegations, in many cases with vitriolic attacks on Ramsay’s reputation and character, leading to a pamphlet war between the parties.
He met with William Pitt the Younger
William Pitt the Younger
William Pitt the Younger was a British politician of the late 18th and early 19th centuries. He became the youngest Prime Minister in 1783 at the age of 24 . He left office in 1801, but was Prime Minister again from 1804 until his death in 1806...
, the Prime Minister
Prime minister
A prime minister is the most senior minister of cabinet in the executive branch of government in a parliamentary system. In many systems, the prime minister selects and may dismiss other members of the cabinet, and allocates posts to members within the government. In most systems, the prime...
, on several occasions and with William Wilberforce
William Wilberforce
William Wilberforce was a British politician, a philanthropist and a leader of the movement to abolish the slave trade. A native of Kingston upon Hull, Yorkshire, he began his political career in 1780, eventually becoming the independent Member of Parliament for Yorkshire...
in 1783 and played a significant part in the establishment of the campaign against the slave trade. It was his meeting with Thomas Clarkson
Thomas Clarkson
Thomas Clarkson , was an English abolitionist, and a leading campaigner against the slave trade in the British Empire. He helped found The Society for Effecting the Abolition of the Slave Trade and helped achieve passage of the Slave Trade Act of 1807, which ended British trade in slaves...
in 1786 which encouraged the latter in his tireless efforts to obtain firsthand evidence of the trade, and indirectly led to the formation of the Committee for Abolition of the African Slave Trade the following year.
Legacy
Hugely influential in the growing anti-slavery movement, Ramsay did not live to see the fruition of the campaign, and died in 1789 and was buried at Teston. It has been said that the abolitionAbolitionism
Abolitionism is a movement to end slavery.In western Europe and the Americas abolitionism was a movement to end the slave trade and set slaves free. At the behest of Dominican priest Bartolomé de las Casas who was shocked at the treatment of natives in the New World, Spain enacted the first...
of the British slave trade in 1807 probably owed more to James Ramsay's arguments, proposals and personal integrity than to any other influence.
External links
- http://www.brycchancarey.com/abolition/ramsay.htm James Ramsay from Brycchan Carey's listing of British abolitionists