Slave Owner from Mauritius Compensated for Emancipated Slave following the Slavery Abolition Act of 1833

A 1p partly printed and partly handwritten document authorizing the compensation of a slave owner named William Harrison Hollier Griffiths in the amount of "Thirty seven Pounds-farthing-74 sterling." The document was signed by five Assistant Commissioners of the Office of Auxiliary Commissioners of Compensation in Port-Louis, Mauritius on August 22, 1837. Lightly pencil inscribed verso. Expected paper folds and wrinkles, else near fine. 7.875" x 12.375."

Document No. 3546 compensated slave owner William Harrison Hollier Griffiths (1793-1857) for the loss of one slave per the "7th Rule framed by the Metropolitan Commissioners upon the 55th clause of the Slavery Abolition Act... The amount of Compensation which appears to us to be due to the said Mr William Harrison Hollier Griffiths according to the average value of every Negro in each class, is Thirty seven Pounds-farthing-74 sterling." Griffiths was a British émigré who had co-founded the Mauritius Commercial Bank in 1838, and later served as a U.S. consular agent. Griffiths died twenty years later on the archipelago of Seychelles.

The British had controlled Mauritius, an island located 700 miles east of Madagascar, since 1810. At that point, 80% of the island's population was comprised of slaves predominantly stolen from Madagascar and East Africa. Though Mauritian society was dominated by the planter class, the Slavery Abolition Act of 1833 phased out the practice of slavery by 1840. The British government promised to compensate slave holders £20 million sterling, of which Griffith's share was a part. Mauritius was the last British colony to implement emancipation on February 1, 1835; the day is still celebrated as "Abolition of Slavery Day" in Mauritius.

This item comes with a Certificate from John Reznikoff, a premier authenticator for both major 3rd party authentication services, PSA and JSA (James Spence Authentications), as well as numerous auction houses.

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