July 8, 1761: John-William of Guinea
From the Town Church Registers. Victims of the slave trade. The Rivoire family, and a letter from John Rivoire of Guernsey to his cousin, Paul Revere. He was a Captain of a militia company in Guernsey: his brother Captain William Rivoire was lost at sea.
John-William, a certain young Negro, about 10 years old, born in Guiny, and brought from Guadeloupe, in this island of Guernsey, has been christened July 8th 1761, having for Godfathers Capt. John Rivoire, and Capt. William Rivoire; and for Godmother, Mrs Esther Roland, relict of Mr Simon-Peter Rivoire.
George, a Negro aged about 12 years, baptized 3 September 1770. Godfathers Sr Pierre Maingy, Sr William Rivoire. Godmother Mrs Marie Rivoire.
St Peter Port registers, 1828: 'John, a negro with no surname, was buried on 6 October 1828.' [p. 190]
See also John Hampton, 1721, whose godfather was the Lieutenant-Governor.
John Rivoire to Paul Revere.
DEAR COUSIN.
GUERNSEY Jan. 28th 1782.
I wrote you the 18th ultimo acknowledging your agreeable favor of 21st of January last my said letter was forwarded by my friends at Bordeaux who will forward this same to you by the first opportunity. You will find therein what confidence there is in the French Nation in general. You will also observe the opinion the Emperor of Moroco had of them by his letter to Queen Anne of Great Britain of which you have a true copy annexed with my last letter.
You will find said letter also printed in the Town & Country Magazine of September last, page 472. I heartily wish the Americans could open their eyes in time before it is too late to repent the dangerous alliance they have made with the French. They seem at first like turtle doves, polite and humble till they can get their ends; but after they are masters there is none in the world such for tyranny and oppression. You may well compare them to Fire (viz.) 'Good Servants but very bad Masters.' You may depend their views are fixed on the best provinces in America, in order to be reimbursed for the exorbitant charges they will find against America for aiding and assisting the Americans against their lawful Sovereign and Mother Country, against all Divine and human laws.
By what I have learned from a Captain of our neighboring Island of Jersey, who was a prisoner at Boston about nine weeks ago, the French have already begun to show the inhabitants of Boston a specimen of their arbitrary disposition, by preventing a seventy-four Gunship to be built there and cutting or sawing her keel in two pieces. The said Captain tells us he was an eye-witness to this fact, and also other disorders committed at Boston by the French which I do not enumerate. I wish the Congress knew them as well and in perfection as I do. Certainly they would not rely on any of their promises or even their signature in anything whatsoever. The French Court is very glad to see us destroy one another and with with joy give their assistance to our mutual destruction, instead of us being hand in hand, united together to destroy this vermin and scum of the earth. I will suppose for one moment there is faults on both sides, I mean between England and America, which is a similar case as between Mother and Daughter, how easy in my opinion the whole could be compromised and adjusted, England having repealed their Acts of Parliament concerning America, and leaving it as it was in the year 1763.
Why don't America accept this generous offer from its Mother Country? Some Americans will say for excuse it is too late, we have made a Treaty with France, we cannot be let off. There is no nation in the world but would do it, after opening their eyes to any dangerous Treaty they had made, which is the case with the Americans. Which Treaty tends only to their ruin and destruction.
I will acquaint you with what I am in this Island. You remember I wrote you in 1771 or '72 that my brother William had entirely ruined me by obliging me to pay his debts, being in partnership long before his death £2000 Sterling. I was after obliged to begin the world, but by my candor and honesty I was first appointed Harbor Master with full authority to act, and now the States of this Island have added to my happiness by appointing me their Receiver General for all duties on goods & ships in this Harbor as also all places and harbors in this Island. I also receive the monies for the Royal Hospital at Greenwich, and have been for these ten years past Captain of a Company of Militia in this Island. My Company consist of sixty-five men. All the men on this Island are disciplined as Regulars. I beg you will remember me to your brothers and families also to Mrs. Rivoire and all your family. I shall always be glad to hear from you or any one that bears the name of Rivoire, having never seen any but my brother deceased. With compliments
I remain dear Cousin
Your affectionate and loving Cousin
JOHN RIVOIRE.
P. S. Instead of America's quarrelling with its Mother Country it ought hand in hand to join with her and attack the Gold & Silver mines in the Spanish Dominions.
[From The Life of Colonel Paul Revere, by Elbridge Henry Goss, Boston: Cupples, 1891.]