Virgin Islands during Enslavement: Role of Religious Institutions

The Independent Free Village of Nottingham Estate

• In 1776, a group of 25 freed African men and women purchased their freedom from their masters, Samuel and Mary Nottingham, for £5.
• The Nottingham's, absentee Quaker owners, granted the freed people a 50-acre cotton plantation, Long Look, which Mary Nottingham had inherited from her father.
• The village of Long Look was established on the plantation, allowing the freed people to sustain themselves.

Unique Status of Long Look

• Long Look was a free village of Creole people surrounded by plantations until the abolition of slavery in 1834.
• The village emerged as a centre for farming, fishing, boatbuilding, and cattle-rearing.
• It also became a centre for families, artisans, and shipping entrepreneurs.

Economic System of Long Look

• The village had a diverse economic system with a variety of agricultural activities.
• Ground provisions were grown for consumption and surplus crops were sold.
• The village also provided pasture for large herds of livestock, particularly cattle.
• Cattle represented a liquid form of capital, easily converted to cash.

Fishing and Trading Activities

• Fishing pots, lines, and seines were used to produce a large amount of surplus fish.
• The surplus fish was corned and sold to nearby markets in St. Thomas.
• The village also engaged in trading activities with the Danish island of St. Croix.