"I have again to contend with Rector Cooke's annoyance; he is trying to get me out of the churchwarden's office, but I have no doubt he will fail also this time. I am busy in Kingston, and have to return for the Port Royal business. I have not yet seen Chisholm.

"Yours very truly,

"GEO. W. GORDON."

Mr. Gordon had been appointed churchwarden for St. Thomas-in-the-East, and the fact of his having become a "Native Baptist," and ceased to communicate as member of the Church of England in Jamaica, had, as before mentioned, been advanced as disqualifying him for the office. The same fact subsequently led to the action brought by him against the Custos, Baron Ketelhodt, by whom he had been forcibly removed from the Vestry. This subject was one which caused great irritation in the parish.

Paul Bogle was, on the 5th of March, 1865, made deacon of the "Native Baptists." On that day Mr. Gordon signed the following certificate as acting secretary

:

Kingston, 5th March, 1865. "To all whom it may concern. This is to certify that Paul Bogle has been this day ordained by me in the presence of the whole congregation to be made Kingston Jamaica (sic) to the office of deacon in Christ's church, and that he has been fully charged and has also undertaken faithfully to discharge the duties of the said office of deacon, and in all things to be obedient to the rules of the Church, devoting himself through the grace of God faithfully to the work, and that he is hereby authorized to execute and discharge all the duties appertaining to the office of deacon.

"Given under my hand, at Kingston, Jamaica, this 5th day of March, 1865. "RICHARD WARREN. "GEO. W. GORDON, "Acting Secretary.”

Paul Bogle wrote to Mr. Gordon a letter addressed to him at Morant Bay on the 12th of July, 1865, in which, after referring to the writer's health, he says,"You will be pleased to remember the

When Paul Bogle's house was searched, in October, a list of ten names was found there in the handwriting of Mr. Gordon. Mr. Gordon's own name was at the head of this list, and the nine other names were those of persons connected with Bogle's party. A much larger list of names, most of which were original signatures or marks, was afterwards taken from the private writing-table of Mr. Gordon at Cherry Garden. This last list was headed by the name of Paul Bogle, and contained 148 other names, many of which belonged to persons who were implicated in the outbreak at Morant Bay.

We attach no great importance to these lists, as they may merely show the political connexion of Mr. Gordon with Bogle and his friends.

Mr. Henry James Lawrence was Mr. Gordon's manager and resident agent on his estate called "Rhine," near Bath, in St. Thomas-in-the-East, and in letters addressed to him the interest in parish matters felt by Mr. Gordon in common with many of his adherents there, is expressed strongly in respect of the conduct of members of the vestry towards himself.

Writing to Lawrence on the 30th of January, 1865, he remarks, "BARON and Herschell are busy publishing lies against me in Spanish Town, so as to get the grant of money, 2627. I shall be obliged to speak in very plain terms on the subject. Can you send me Nibs on the subject? which may help me. They are a very wicked band, and the Lord will yet reward them all. . . . . I note what you say of He is a sort of fiend who altho' chastized has remained hardened. We can afford to spare him, and perhaps England will better agree with him. Mark, the reign of others will also soon be cut short."

Again, on the 6th of March, 1865, he writes to Mr. Lawrence :-"I note what you say re Oxford and Walker and Ketelhodt, the parish will be well rid of Walker, but the evil will be doubled (?) in Baron, and I quite agree with your sentiments. We must wait and see what the end will be of all these evil doers!... Thanks also for arranging with Kirkland. I shall treat him as he merits. What an unreliable SETT (sic) they all are. I am DISGUSTED with them and must try to keep aloof and above them. The

Ex. Com. Gov. and Bishop! what a set, can any reliance be placed on these? and can matters go on with such men at the helm. Herschell, Baron, Cookes, and a lot of others are against me, and some of low mark, ignorant coloured men, who wo'nt value their own position, countenance such proceedings,-do you not see that I have good reason to complain and be on the alert?"

Again he writes to his manager :

'April 27, 1865. "The case of Gordon v. Ketelhodt was a great triumph to Baron and all the Cookes, for in spite of every thing which was clearly in my favour they got a jury of five to give a verdict for defendant. What a fresh victory is this for them all? How well it looks, and how diminished is my head! but wait, it is not yet all over!

The Attorney-General disgraced himself by low conduct. Sneddes proved a traitor and M'Kenzie a MOST worthless lying fellow. Have nothing to do with the man, he is a great villain (sic)."

And again on the 29th April, 1865.

"I have no doubt there are dual actions and strong undercurrents against me, but wait and see the end of it, be not cast down, the Lord is at hand .. There is a sort of present exultation in the Baron, Herschell, Cooke, &c., all their points being carried. . . . I note the great and glorious gathering at Rhine House, this is very beautiful.

In

Mr. Gordon was staying at Hordley in the Plantain Garden district of the parish in June, 1865, and in conversation there with Mr. Harrison, he was spoken to about the state of the feeling among the people, and told that he could not control it. reply "Oh!" said Mr. Gordon, "if I wanted a rebellion I could have had one long ago. I have been asked several times to head a rebellion, but there is no fear of that. I will try first a demonstration of it, but I must upset that fellow Herschell, and kick him out of the Vestry, and the Baron also, or bad will come of it."

On 13th of July he wrote to Lawrence

at the Rhine, "Herschell has got another 401. for pews at Bath Church, through the aid of his friend Price. What will these (?) men, surely some calamity will come on them."

About the same time, conversing with Mr. Arthur Beckwith at Kingston, about a meeting held on the subject of labourers and wages, Mr. Gordon was told it was calculated to excite a spirit of disaffection amongst the people; to which Mr. Gordon answered, "Ah! well, we must have it some way or the other; this is the great movement; and if we do not secure it in this way, in six months there will be a revolution in the country, and as I have always stood by the people I will stand by them then."

He wrote from Kingston on the 10th of August, to Lawrence, "I must go to the east, and start this evening for Morant Bay, hoping to be there early to-morrow, and be at the Rhine by Saturday some time. The Baron has taken upon himself to postpone the public meeting until further notice. This is improper; it is not his meeting, but theirs, and he has not the power of postponing. I am getting quite tired of it, and must now bring the business to a close; and if the Baron won't do what is right we must do so for him."

On the 11th of August a printed address to the people of St. Thomas-in-the-East, headed"State of the Island," was posted up on a cotton tree in the main road at Morant Bay, opposite William Chisholm's house. The original draft of this address, in the writing of Mr. Gordon, was given by him to a compositor at Kingston shortly before, to be set up in type, with directions to forward copies to one Rodney at St. Ann's Bay, others to James Sullivan at Bath, and further copies to Paul Bogle and to William Chisholm at Morant Bay.

These copies were sent. In this address is found the following passage:—

People of St. Thomas-in-the-East! You have been ground down too long already; shake off your sloth, and speak like honourable and free men at your meeting. Let not a crafty, jesuitical priesthood deceive you. Prepare for your duty. Remember the destitution in the midst of your families, and your forlorn condition. The Government have taxed you to defend your own rights against the enormities of an unscrupulous and oppressive foreigner, Mr. Custos Ketelhodt. You feel this. It is no wonder you do. You have been dared in this provoking act, and it is sufficient to extinguish your long patience. This is not time when such deeds should be perpetrated, but as they have been it is your duty to speak out and to act too. We

advise you to be up and doing, and to maintain your cause. You must be united in your efforts."

An open air meeting, on Saturday, August 12th, held in the market-place in front of the Court House, at Morant Bay, under a gynnep tree, was presided over by Mr. Gordon, at which Paul Bogle and Moses Bogle were present. Resolutions on the conduct of the Government, and on the depressed state of the labouring classes, and the price of labour, and low rate of wages, were passed; and in reference to the circular called the "Queen's advice to the people." Mr. Gordon said that "The Queen's message to the working classes of Jamaica is not true; I say it is not true; it is a lie; it does not come from the Queen; the Queen does not know any thing about it."

One of the resolutions passed at this meeting is as follows:

"That this meeting views with alarm, and denounces the unconstitutional and unprecedented act of the Government in having provided the sum of 250l. to defend the Baron Ketelhodt in his illegal and oppressive conduct towards the rights of the constituency of this parish and the Island generally, in interfering with the office of churchwarden, and that a committee be now appointed to take all necessary steps in this matter in defence of the rights and privileges of the electors."

A committee, and a deputation, including Paul Bogle, James M'Laren, and others, were appointed to wait upon the Governor.

The meeting then further resolved "that they were of opinion that the generally arbitrary, illegal, and inconsistent conduct of the Custos was destructive to the peace and prosperity of the affairs of the parish."

At the time of this meeting Mr. Gordon was staying at his cottage on the Rhine estate, sixteen miles from Morant Bay.

In familiar conversation with Mrs. Major, the wife of Dr. Major, his tenant of part of that estate, he was told by her that in his speeches which she had recently been reading, he was certainly guilty of high treason, and she would accuse him of it. He replied, "Oh no, they have printed it wrong; I never made use of such expressions, and you can't do it. I have just gone as far as I can go, but no further."

In this conversation he spoke of the Governor as "a wicked man," and said "that it would be a blessing to the country if some one would shoot him;" and that Mr. Herschell and the Baron were "bad and wicked men, and it would be a blessing if these three men were removed."

On the night of the 15th of August a meeting was held at a house belonging to Mr. Gordon at Morant Bay, opposite the Wesleyan Chapel, at which James McLaren acted as Secretary, with about thirty persons present; from this meeting five persons were turned away as spies, who had not previously attended the meeting on the 12th of August.

Mr. G. W. Gordon attended, and spoke at a meeting held at the "Alley" in Vere on the 4th of September. He is thus reported to have spoken, amongst other matters. "They report to the Queen that you are thieves. The notice that is said to be the Queen's advice is all trash; it is no advice of the Queen at all. ... I was told by some of you that your overseers said that if any of you attended this meeting they would tear down your houses. Tell them that I, George William Gordon, say they dare not do it. It is tyranny. You must do what Hayti does. You have a bad name now, but you will have a worse one then."

Dr. Bruce, a friend and political supporter of Mr. Gordon, who introduced him to the meeting, and took a part in it, and some others, deny that Mr. Gordon ever made use of the words "You must do what Hayti does."

These

The speech, however, containing these words, was taken down at the time in some careful notes by a witness (Peart), who produced the same before us. notes were well and distinctly written. It would further appear that this speech must have contained some matter at least calculated to excite some alarm of disturbance, from the following passage in a letter addressed to Dr. Bruce by Mr. Sydney Levien, the editor of a local newspaper, in reference to this Vere meeting. "I could scarcely command vital thought enough yesterday to do justice to your meeting, and against the wish of William, I wrote the feeble editorial that appeared to second the noble exertions of the Vere people. All I desire is to shield you and them from the charge of anarchy and tumult, which in a short time must follow these fearful demonstrations. How I succeeded you must judge for yourself."

Dr. Bruce employed a reporter to attend and take notes of the speeches, and before the speech of Mr. Gordon was published the draft was submitted to Dr. Bruce for approval. This version of the speech was published in the " County Union" newspaper, and contains no expression that could provoke the remarks of Mr. Levien's letter, and Dr. Bruce himself in his evidence stated that he had said "that he would not attend any more meetings," because he did not like the

way in which Mr. Gordon spoke against the Government and Governor Eyre.

This version of the speech as reported by Mr. Peart was read to Dr. Bruce, and was accepted by him as correct, saving the words referring to Hayti, and one other expression quite immaterial. This version wholly differs from that which appeared in the "County Union."

About three weeks before the events at Morant Bay, and shortly after his speech at Vere, Mr. Gordon was at the Bank of Jamaica at Kingston, conversing with Mr. James Ford, the Secretary, on the subject of that speech; and Mr. Ford then said to him, "Supposing, Mr. Gordon, the people were to be such fools as to rise in rebellion, do you think that even in the event of their being successful in their cutting all our throats, which is perfectly possible in the first rising, if they took us by surprise, that England either could not, or would not, avenge us amply, so that every one of them would be killed and done away with?" Mr. Gordon said, "Ah, Mr. Ford, you are quite mistaken there, all the powers of the great Napoleon could not put down the rising in Hayti, and that was successful, for the troops died of disease before they could meet the people in the mountains." Mr. Ford then said, "But in India, a very short time ago, an organized, armed, and formidable rebellion of millions arose against the Government, and we know how they were successful at first, but it was very quietly, steadily, and determinedly put down, and England's power has been kept, and so it would be here." Mr. Gordon then replied, "Mr. Ford, India is not at all a case in point, for India is a flat country, and the English troops would overrun it and conquer it; but this country is a mountainous country, and before the British troops could reach the people in the mountains they would die of disease here."

He then went away observing, "Of course, this is mere abstract talking."

Mr. Lawrence, writing from the Rhine on the 8th of September to Mr. Gordon on private business, makes the following remark on local affairs, "I see by the papers that Mount Pleasant and Hall Head have been offered for sale by the Hon. W. P. Georges.. I suppose this green bay tree (Hon. W. P. Georges) will continue to spread, while the day of retribution draws nigh for his numerous transgressions, and the ex-member of the Assembly (Mr. D.) humbled."

On the 11th of September Mr. Gordon forwarded a letter to Mr. Lawrence, written on the 23rd of August, but mislaid, in which he says, "The case of Gordon and

I

Ketelhodt terminated yesterday again for defendant; it seemed foredetermined. was greatly prepared for it, from what I had perceived early in the day,-more anon on this subject. The prejudices are very strong against me, but it shall not rest there. These multiplications of wrong are only the gatherings up of future troubles."

On the same 11th of September he writes, "The fact is, St. Thomas-y'-East is about the very worst parish in the Island, and now the Governor has given another cheer to magisterial oppression, as if it were forcing matters to a point. Verily, this Governor is an evil-doer. The Lord will plenteously reward him. Again and again the Baron and the Cookes are gratified."

On the 14th of September he wrote to Mr. Lawrence, at the Rhine Estate, "I fear we cannot mend public matters in St. Thomas-ye-East, so we better look to our individual circumstances more clearly. I believe the Governor and his nest of Custodes are capable of any thing, but the Lord will soon scatter them as the chaff before the wind." ... "There is just now great exultation, and a second verdict against me, and Jackson removed to satisfy the Baron! Anguis in herba.' I fancy you know that this means the character you refer to, and I have apprehensions that your opinions may be correct. Let it all go on! Just wait and see the result. . . . I do not think we were ever in more dismal times than at present in Jamaica. The Governor succours wrong and oppression to the fullest extent in every quarter."

Again, on the 18th of September, he wrote to Lawrence,-"The enemies now exult, and justice is silenced for the time, but it will raise its head. . . . The Lord will soon pluck his hand out of his bosom, and so confound the whole band of oppressors. I believe this to be about one of their last flickers. Let us wait and see."

And again, on the 21st of September, "The oppression still continues in St. Thomas-ye-East, and there appears every effort put forth to exasperate the poor people! Their plan is to pray to God for deliverance. You may laugh at this, and call it cant, but I assure you it is the most effectual plan, if you know the number of ways in which God can and often does destroy the evil-doer!"

On the 28th of September he wrote to Mr. Lawrence:-" Poor Jackson was in the midst of conspiracy. Rector Cooke will get up a charge of conspiracy against any one over whom the Governor has power, and get him dismissed. The man,

...

Mr. Eyre, is an arch liar, and he supports all his emissaries. The wicked shall be destroyed. This is decreed. God is our refuge and strength, a very pleasant (sic) help in trouble."

The news of the events of Wednesday evening the 11th of October did not reach Kingston till Thursday, the 12th of October, at noon.

On the 11th of October, Mr. G. W. Gordon was residing at his property, "Cherry Garden," in St. Andrew's, a short distance from Kingston. He was engaged in trade, and had business offices in that town, where he went on that day, returning home in the evening. On his return he is said by his wife to have informed her of the outbreak at Morant Bay.

As the outbreak took place at a distance of more than thirty miles, late on the afternoon of the 11th, and was not known in Kingston till the middle of the following day, it was suggested to Mrs. Gordon that probably it was on Thursday the 12th that Mr. Gordon first spoke to her on the subject. Upon this she replied that

Wednesday evening he brought the news," and that "Mr. Gordon came up on the 12th, and said the outbreak at Morant Bay was true that we had heard of on the Wednesday." He added, “that the feeling seemed to be so strong to put (sic) a pistol to him, and get rid of him, as they did the President of America."

When the news of the events of October 11th reached Kingston on the following day, they were not fully believed by many persons there in the first instance.

On this day, about two o'clock, Mr. Lee, a friend of Mr. Gordon, mentioned to him the news of what had happened at Morant Bay, and Mr. Gordon seemed much distressed.

Mr. Lee said, "George, I fear your agitation at Morant Bay has been the cause of all this." Mr. Gordon said, "I never gave them bad advice. I only told them the Lord would send them a day of deliverance." And when speaking of Baron Ketelhodt being killed, Mr. Gordon added, "I told him not to go, but he was such an obstinate man.'

Dr. Major, Mr. Gordon's tenant at the Rhine, about sixteen miles from Morant Bay, was at seven o'clock on the morning of October 11th leaving the Rhine, in order to attend the meeting of the Vestry at Morant Bay. He met Mr. Lawrence as he came out of the gate, who tried to dissuade him from going, by saying, "I should strongly advise you not to go." Dr. Major went, however, and about two o'clock Mrs. Major sent to Lawrence for intelligence, at which hour he called on her at the Rhine, saying that "he heard

nothing further than that there was a great disturbance, but that she need be under no apprehension about the doctor, he would be quite safe, but the Baron and Mr. Herschell he feared were doomed." This conversation was in point of time before the fight had begun at Morant Bay, where, according to all the evidence, the Baron and Mr. Herschell were not killed till after five o'clock.

About three o'clock the same afternoon Mrs. Major again made inquiry by note, sent by her servant to Lawrence, and he then sent word by the servant to her "that the doctor would be quite safe, but Mr. Herschell, and the Baron he had no hope of." About the same time he also wrote to her the following note:

"Dear Madam,

"Things seem in a fearful way; the doctor did not seem to know of the rebellion at Morant Bay till I told him, but I beg you will not be troubled. I have no doubt the feeling will be quieted. The Volunteer force moved on the scene of action this morning at one o'clock. I will let you know if any thing more transpires."

This note was received before four o'clock on the 11th of October, and at that time the events had not yet ended in the deaths of the Custos and Mr. Herschell, nor could the news of what had happened at Morant Bay have reached the Rhine at a distance of sixteen miles.

On the 12th of October, the next day, Lawrence wrote to Mrs. Major as follows:

"Dear Madam,

"I am sorry I have no reliable news for you. I have heard a good deal, but think much of what I hear is false. There is a report about the Doctor, but the same is not true. The negroes know full well who fit for retribution."

The financial difficulties in which Mr. Gordon found himself at the time are seen from some passages in the above letters.

On the 30th of January, 1865, he writes to Lawrence: "Your promise to me in the way of remittances from all quarters are getting in arrears, but I trust soon to find them being redeemed. It won't do to put off too long, for my own necessities seem to increase, and the hope I had of relief is not realized."

On the 29th of April, he wrote, "The Spring rents do not come in as they ought. I thank you for one pound remitted."

On the 10th of August he wrote, "I am just returned from the north side, and find none of your letters. I had expected