APPENDIX: TRANSCRIPTION AND IMAGES OF SHARP’S MISSIVE TO THE ADMIRALTY ON THE ZONG at THE BRITISH LIBRARY © The Editor(s) (if applicable) and The Author(s) 2018 123 M. Faubert, Granville Sharp’s Uncovered Letter and the Zong Massacre, https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-92786-2 124 APPENDIX: TRANSCRIPTION AND IMAGES OF SHARP’S MISSIVE … Fig. A.1 Description in another hand, BL document, © British Library Board General Reference Collection T.35.(2), folios 1–15 APPENDIX: TRANSCRIPTION AND IMAGES OF SHARP’S MISSIVE … 125 Paper by Glanville [sic] Sharp on the Case of 132 murdered Negroes1 126 APPENDIX: TRANSCRIPTION AND IMAGES OF SHARP’S MISSIVE … Fig. A.2 Page 1, BL document, © British Library Board General Reference Collection T.35.(2), folios 1–15 APPENDIX: TRANSCRIPTION AND IMAGES OF SHARP’S MISSIVE … 127 Copy.2 Old Jewry London – 2.d July 1783 My Lords As the cognizance and right of enquiry concerning all Murders commit- ted on board British Ships belongs properly to the Admiralty Department, I think it my Duty to lay before your Lordships two Manuscript Accounts wherein are stated from unquestionable authority the circumstances of a most inhuman and barbarous murder committed by Luke Collingwood the Master, Colonel James Kelsall, the Mate, and other persons, the Mariners or Crew of the Ship Zong or Zurg a Liverpool Trader freighted with Slaves &c. from the Coast of Africa; which Master, Mate, and Crew, on pretence of necessity lest there should be a want of water, wilfully and deliberately destroyed 122 poor Negro Slaves, by casting them alive (as it is deposed) into the Sea with their hands bound or fetter’d, to deprive them of all possibil- ity of escaping! Having been earnestly solicited and called upon by a poor Negro, for my assistance to avenge the blood of his mur- dered Countrymen, I thought it my duty to spare neither labour nor expence in collecting all the information concerning this horrible trans- action that I could possibly procure; for the sake of national Justice, that the Blood of the murdered may not rest on the whole Kingdom, which already labours under too awful a load of Guilt, in tolerating the iniquitous Slave Trade, whereby amongst other Evils, this most inhuman and diabolical Deed was occasioned. One of the Manuscripts, marked Voucher No. 1., is an authentic Copy from the Offce of the Court of Exchequer of a Bill or peti- tion presented to that Court last Hilary Term in behalf of Thomas Gilbert and others Underwriters and Insurers of the said Ship Zong or Zurg, Plaintiffs, against Mess.rs William, John, and James Gregson, and others, Merchants of Liverpool and Owners of the said Ship and Cargo, who obtained a verdict in the Court of King’s Bench on the 6.th March last against the said Underwriters for the value of the Murdered Slaves rated at ₤30. per head, Though alledged to be wilfully drowned by the agents and Servants of the said Owners; so that this most abom- inable Iniquity has been notoriously favoured and encouraged in that solemn Court; but on what principle is not easy to be conceived! The other M.S. Book, marked Voucher N.o 2, contains, a Copy of Minutes taken in shorthand, the last Term (on the 22.d and 23.d May 1783) of the proceedings in the Court of King’s Bench on a Motion for a new Trial of the Cause of Gregson & others against Gilbert and others (the same Parties that are mentioned above) concerning the value of these murdered Negroes! – Thus the Contest between the Owners and Insurers of the Ship, though a mere mercenary Business amongst them- selves, about the pecuniary value (and not for the blood of so many human Persons wickedly and unjustly put to death) has nevertheless occasioned the disclosure of that horrible 128 APPENDIX: TRANSCRIPTION AND IMAGES OF SHARP’S MISSIVE … Fig. A.3 Page 2, BL document, © British Library Board General Reference Collection T.35.(2), folios 1–15 APPENDIX: TRANSCRIPTION AND IMAGES OF SHARP’S MISSIVE … 129 [/ 2] transaction, which otherwise; perhaps, might have been known only amongst the impious Slave Dealers of Liverpool, and have never been brought to light. It will however be necessary for me to add to these Vouchers a brief State[ment] (which is inclosed) of the principal Circumstances of the Case, because the two Manuscripts are much too long for the perusal of your Lordships, except in the way of Reference to particular parts, as to Vouchers of the facts; and it is necessary also to add to the inclosed State[ment], some remarks, in answer to the arguments and Doctrines of a very eminent and learned Lawyer, who, to the dishonour of his Profession, attempted to vindicate the inhuman transaction! Thus it was unhappily demonstrated that there is noth- ing, howsoever gross and absurd, which some professors of the Law accustomed to Sophistry, and hackneyed in the prostitution of their oratorical abilities for hire, will not undertake to justify, relying on their studied powers of perversion, like those “double hearted Men of old,” who said 3with our tongue we will pre- vail – our Lips are with us, who is Lord over us?” But if we must one day “render an Account of every idle word,” how much more awful will be the condemna- tion of that perverse Oratory, which patronizes and defends the most violent of all oppression, even wilful Murder, the superlative degree of unrighteousness! As there is some variation in the two Accounts, respecting the num- ber of persons murdered, it is necessary to remark that it appears upon the whole Evidence that no less than 133 of the unhappy Slaves on board the Zong were inhumanly doomed to be cast into the Sea (Voucher N.o 1. P. 2 & 3) and that all the other numbers mentioned in the several Accounts, are to be included in that number, Viz. the 122 mentioned in the beginning of this Letter, who were cast alive (as the Owners and their Witnesses assert) into the Sea with their hands fettered; also 10 poor Negroes, who, being terrifed with what they had seen of the unhappy fate of their Countrymen, jumped overboard in order to avoid the fettering or binding of their hands, and were drowned; and one Man more that had been cast overboard alive, but escaped, it seems, by laying hold of a Rope which hung from the Ship into the Water, and thereby, without being perceived, regained the Ship, secreted him- self, and was saved: so that the whole number drowned (or at least asserted to be drowned according to the Evidence produced) amount to 132, the number charged to the Insurers by the Owners (Voucher N.o 2 P. 49). The reality of the Fact, according to the Evidence produced, was testifed upon Oath in one of our highest Courts of Justice; and was notoriously admit- ted by both the contending Parties. – M.r Robert Stubbs, late Governor of Anamaboe, &c. is a living 130 APPENDIX: TRANSCRIPTION AND IMAGES OF SHARP’S MISSIVE … Fig. A.4 Page 3, BL document, © British Library Board General Reference Collection T.35.(2), folios 1–15 APPENDIX: TRANSCRIPTION AND IMAGES OF SHARP’S MISSIVE … 131 [/ 3] Witness to a part of the Transaction, and is now in Town viz. at N.o 75. in King Street Westminster – He told me himself that he saw several of the poor Creatures plunging in the Sea that had been cast overboard; tho’ he alledges that he did not see who cast them over; for, he says, he was only a passenger in the Ship & had nothing to do in the transaction; but remained below at the times the poor Creatures were cast over – Also the offcers and Crew of the Ship William (Richard Hanley late Master) and the Owners of the said Ship viz. Mess.rs Gregson, Cave, Wilson, and Aspinal, of Liverpool, Merchants (men- tioned in Voucher N.o 1 p. 1) can probably give suffcient Information where the guilty Crew of the Zong, whom they employed, are to be found, as also their Names &ca. and M.r X X XX XXXX XXX4 , who defended the cause of the said Owners, has attended their Consultation, and was in possession of the Evidence or Deposition of Colonel James Kelsall, the Chief Mate of the Zong, (Voucher N.o 2. p. 29. & 36) will be able to confrm the notoriety of the fact; and so also will the Attornies employed in the Cause on both sides the question viz.t Mess.rs Brograve & Lyon for the Owners of the Zong, and M.r Townley Ward for the Insurers. Informed of all these particulars, your Lordships will now be enabled to judge, whether there is suffcient Evidence for a Criminal prosecution of the Murderers Viz.t Colonel James Kelsall (the Chief Mate) and the rest of the Crew of the said Ship Zong or Zurg before the Grand Jury at the next Admiralty Sessions. Luke Collingwood the Master of the Zong is reported to be dead as also Richard Hanley the Master of the Ship William above mentioned. I am with the greatest respect P. S My Lords To avoid delay I have Your Lordships sent my original Vouchers most obedient & without preserving Copies of most humble Servant them; & as they are valuable, (Signed) Granville Sharp (the 2d. alone having cost me ₤12.4.0) I must request – your Lordships to give orders that they may be returned to me as soon as the Business is concluded.