This website page was updated on 11 November 2004
News Item
James White found out that Hyde, Hodge & Co. was preparing its second shipment of Chinese labourers on the Samuel Boddington and that Tait & Co. at Amoy was being sub-contracted to recruit the labourers. White felt that because of its past scandals concerning the procurement of coolies for Cuba and other Spanish colonies Tait & Co. was not a suitable agency to be involved in gathering emigrants for the British West Indies, but he had no authority to intervene in the private venture. Travelling to Amoy, he reproached the company for the inferior quality of the emigrants being collected, particularly the number of boys who were being passed off as adults. Embarkation began on 10 November, the day after White returned to Hong Kong, and continued until 23 November. The surgeon-in-charge then examined the emigrants and pronounced that only 202 of the 352 were fit for travel. It was precisely at this moment that the Amoy citizens were rioting on shore against the widespread practice of "pig stealing." Tait & Co. then informed the captain that he could either sail with everyone on board, since all were acceptable as far as the company was concerned, or else he could go with a short load and bear the loss from the resulting reduced bounties. Money proved to be the deciding factor � the captain took off with all 352 emigrants, and in fact there was an added profit margin since, according to the regulations, the ship was permitted to legally carry 335 passengers. The ship sailed on 25 November 1852 and arrived in Demerara on 4 March 1853 after a crossing lasting only 98 days. During the journey the Chinese staged a mutiny and came close to taking over the ship. Of the 352 that set out, 41 emigrants died and 11 were lost overboard � a mortality rate of 14.7% � and 29 had to be hospitalized immediately upon arrival. When the governor of British Guiana realized that the bounties had become merely an incentive for stacking the ships with bodies he introduced an ordinance rescinding the bounty payment and this amendment was passed by the Court of Policy on 1 August 1853. [ From Cane Reapers: Chinese Indentured Immigrants in Guyana by Trev Sue-A-Quan.]
The Chinese originally allotted to Plantation "Vreed-en-Hoop" were transferred in April, 1853, to "Anna Regina" and had not, at that date, recovered from the effects of their long voyage, and were much debilitated and in bad health. The manager reported them to be cheerful, peaceable and well-disposed, but by June, 1853, their earnings had been small in consequence of their weakly condition. They were, however, more muscular and athletic than the East Indians, and it was anticipated that in two or three months they would prove a valuable addition to the labouring force of "Anna Regina." Mr. F.A. Matherson, a manager of Plantation "Haarlem," reported on the 24th June, 1853 that he had every reason to be satisfied as yet with the Chinese labourers located on his estate, and gave his opinion that the Chinese were likely to turn out as good labourers as any in the Colony. Mr. Alex. M. Bethune, manager of Plantation "Stewartville" wrote on teh 29th June, 1853:- "My opinion of the Chinese is, that in the course of time they will be very good and useful labourers: but the heavy wet season coming on so shortly after their arrival has been greatly against them, giving them fevers and ague, which they are very much troubled with at present. . . . There is another and very serious drawback to their doing well, which is that there is no one among them that can talk a word of English, consequently we can only communicate with another by signs." . . . Mr, M. Vaughan, manager of Plantation "Hague," wrote on the 22nd June, 1853:- "I find the Chinese labourers allotted to this estate a tractable and useful people. I may mention that, since the rainy season set in, they are not earning much money, yet they are not idle for a day, unless in case of sickness, of which I cannot complain." [From The Chinese in British Guiana by Cecil Clementi, 1915.]
Allocation to plantations
|
Allotted to |
|
|
Allotted to |
|
|
Allotted to |
|
|
Schoon Ord |
51 |
|
Hague |
39 |
|
Union |
8 |
|
Stewartville |
44 |
|
Anna Catherina |
47 |
|
Died |
21 |
|
Anna Regina |
45 |
|
Haarlem |
45 |
|
. |
. |
Immigrants
Note: Because of poor penmanship and deterioration of the historic documents, it was sometimes difficult to read the handwriting in the records and this has resulted in some duplication in the transcription of some passenger numbers as well as variations in spelling from what was originally inscribed.
|
|
Name |
Age |
Allotted to |
Surnames of descendants (to the 4th generation) |
|
7 |
Ling Lai |
25 |
Vreed en Hoop |
-- |
|
9 |
Lee Poh |
27 |
Stewartville |
-- |
| 9 |
Li Kow |
35 |
Vreed en Hoop |
-- |
|
10 |
Lim Seong |
22 |
Schoon Ord |
-- |
|
11 |
Lee Sye |
18 |
Stewartville |
-- |
| 11 |
Dhwa Hun |
34 | Anna Regina |
-- |
|
13 |
Leah Kang |
32 |
Haarlem |
-- |
|
15 |
Low Ong |
44 |
Haarlem |
-- |
| 16 |
Tung Swan |
24 |
Schoon Ord |
-- |
| 17 | Wee Ong |
22 | Stewartville | -- |
|
19 |
Low Coon |
29 |
Vreed en Hoop |
-- |
| 19 |
Lim Kwee |
37 |
Schoon Ord |
-- |
| 23 |
Tin Swan |
30 |
Haarlem |
-- |
| 25 | Tea Hong |
60 | Vreed en Hoop | -- |
|
26 |
Goh Puan |
24 |
Union |
-- |
|
31 |
Lee Tuck |
26 |
Stewartville |
-- |
| 33 |
Tan Kip |
26 |
Haarlem |
-- |
|
34 |
Ong Seng |
39 |
Stewartville |
-- |
|
35 |
Oh Yen |
33 |
Schoon Ord |
-- |
|
40 |
Goh Hai |
21 |
Hague |
-- |
|
41 |
Lim Chow |
47 |
Vreed en Hoop |
-- |
|
44 |
Ong Chwan |
32 |
Union |
-- |
|
46 |
Ng Gong |
30 |
Hague |
-- |
| 47 |
Tieng Pwan |
34 |
Haarlem |
-- |
|
51 |
Koh Bin |
25 |
Hague |
-- |
|
55 | Beh Loh | 35 | Schoon Ord | -- |
|
55 |
Kay How |
24 |
Schoon Ord |
-- |
| 60 |
Ung Kow |
34 |
Anna Catherina |
-- |
|
62 |
Ong Seon |
22 |
Anna Catherina |
-- |
|
67 |
Cheu Chai |
38 |
Schoon Ord |
Cheu |
|
71 |
Lim Whan |
24 |
Stewartville |
-- |
|
73 |
Cho Keek |
30 |
Union |
-- |
| 75 |
Tang Sing |
48 | Stewartville |
-- |
|
76 |
Ong Ping |
24 |
Vreed en Hoop |
-- |
| 77 |
Tan Tang |
30 |
Vreed en Hoop |
-- |
|
81 |
Sang Chian |
31 | Hague |
-- |
|
82 |
Lah Soon |
25 |
Anna Catherina |
-- |
|
86 |
Lim Mam |
28 | Enterprise |
-- |
|
90 |
Lim Chiong |
32 |
Haarlem |
-- |
|
92 |
Chwa Cheat |
34 |
Haarlem |
-- |
|
93 |
Ang Choon |
31 |
Schoon Ord |
-- |
|
94 |
Ing Kai |
35 |
Schoon Ord |
-- |
| 96 |
Tan Keo |
40 |
Vreed en Hoop |
-- |
|
103 |
Cheong Ghun |
34 |
Haarlem |
-- |
|
105 |
Bee Gang |
30 |
Haarlem |
-- |
| 106 |
Tewa Sing |
39 | Term Trinidad |
-- |
|
109 |
Li King |
32 |
Haarlem |
-- |
| 112 |
Tsung Yam |
38 |
Vreed en Hoop |
-- |
|
115 |
Ang Team |
21 |
Stewartville |
-- |
| 120 |
Tin Choo |
64 |
Haarlem |
-- |
|
122 |
Sa Ki |
26 |
Hague |
-- |
|
124 |
Lo Sing |
23 | Anna Catherina |
-- |
|
135 |
Sau Tau |
40 |
Haarlem |
-- |
|
136 |
Lim Chow |
25 |
Vreed en Hoop |
-- |
|
144 |
Ang Hong |
50 |
Haarlem |
-- |
|
145 |
Low Yeung |
28 |
Schoon Ord |
-- |
| 153 |
Tan Chew |
32 |
Anna Catherina |
-- |
|
154 |
New Kye |
26 |
Schoon Ord |
-- |
|
155 |
Sob Too |
26 |
Haarlem |
-- |
|
156 |
Goh Ih |
34 |
Haarlem |
-- |
|
157 |
Koh Hoh |
24 |
Stewartville |
-- |
|
164 |
Lim Ine |
24 |
Haarlem |
-- |
| 166 |
Ug Tsay |
16 |
Hague |
-- |
|
167 |
See Chee |
50 |
La Jalousie |
-- |
|
172 |
Kwa Keng |
28 |
Hague |
-- |
|
181 |
Lim Gid |
32 |
Schoon Ord |
-- |
|
185 |
Lim In |
32 |
Anna Catherina |
-- |
|
192 | Lee Leong |
29 | Union | -- |
|
200 |
Ang Bang |
50 |
Hague |
-- |
|
203 |
Low Hee |
45 |
Stewartville |
-- |
|
209 | Chan Ong |
25 | Haarlem | -- |
|
213 |
Kwa Mee |
47 |
Union |
-- |
| 215 |
Ung Chan |
28 |
Hague |
-- |
|
216 |
Sim Choon |
51 |
Schoon Ord |
-- |
|
222 |
So ah Sing |
26 |
Schoon Ord |
-- |
|
234 |
See Kye |
21 |
Anna Regina |
-- |
| 234 |
Wha Chock |
44 |
Stewartville |
-- |
| 235 | Wee Kah |
40 | Hague | -- |
| 237 |
Ung Pong |
30 |
Vreed en Hoop |
-- |
|
238 |
Goh See |
29 |
Schoon Ord |
-- |
|
241 |
Han Teah |
28 |
Schoon Ord |
-- |
|
244 |
Lim Kah |
42 |
Vreed en Hoop |
-- |
|
255 |
Koh Cheah |
25 |
Hague |
-- |
|
256 |
Hin Bong |
29 |
Hague |
-- |
| 261 |
Tan Hoe |
28 |
Anna Catherina |
-- |
|
400 |
Lim Kah |
41 |
Vreed en Hoop |
-- |
|
401 |
See-Sye |
-- |
-- |
-- |
| 563 |
Ong Boy |
27 |
Haarlem |
-- |
|
-- |
Bee Deck |
41 |
From Jamaica |
-- |
|
-- |
Lee Keng |
47 |
Haarlem |
-- |
|
-- |
Low Leong |
29 |
-- |
-- |
|
-- |
Sim Chun |
26 |
Schoon Ord |
-- |
|
-- |
Tan Chong |
28 |
Haarlem |
-- |
|
-- |
Tan Koh |
24 |
Vreed en Hoop |
-- |
|
-- |
Tan Koo |
24 |
Anna Catherina |
-- |
|
-- | Tan Lew |
28 | Haarlem | -- |
|
-- |
Tan Ooh |
38 |
Haarlem |
-- |
|
-- |
Tan Pian |
41 |
Vreed en Hoop |
-- |
|
-- |
Tan Sap |
51 |
Hague |
-- |
|
-- | Tan Soh |
38 | Haarlem | -- |
|
-- |
Tan Teong |
40 |
Anna Catherina |
-- |
|
-- |
Tang Chean |
24 |
Vreed en Hoop |
-- |
|
-- |
Ung Yan |
24 |
Schoon Ord |
-- |
|
-- |
Yew Wha |
20 |
Stewartville |
-- |
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