Enslaved people on St. John began escaping…

Enslaved people on St. John began escaping to nearby Tortola and other British islands when the slaves in the British West Indies were freed in 1838.

On May 24, 1840, eleven slaves from St. John stole a boat and escaped to Tortola during the night.

The eight men (Charles Bryan, James Jacob, Adam [alias Cato], Big David, Henry Law, Paulus, John Curay), and three women (Kitty, Polly, and Katurah) are from the Annaberg plantation (one) and Leinster Bay (ten) estates.

Brother Schmitz, the local Moravian missionary, is sent to Tortola by the St. John police to persuade the slaves to return.

After meeting with the Tortola officials and the runaway slaves, Schmitz returns to St. John to relay the slaves' resolve to stay away because of abusive treatment by the overseers on the plantations.

After the overseers are replaced, Charles Bryan, his wife Katurah, and James Jacobs return to work at Leinster Bay.

Kitty, Paulus, David, and Adam moved to St. Thomas.

Henry Law, Petrus, and Polly remain on Tortola.

John Curry relocates to Trinidad.

None of the runaway slaves are punished.