“The Barbadian” newspaper was printed in Bridgetown, Barbados, between 1822-1861. These are the extant copies preserved at the Barbados Archives. The volumes were previously kept at the National Library and at the Barbados Museum and Historical Society, and were transferred to the Archives towards the late 1960s. The Editor-Proprietor of “The Barbadian” was Abel Clinckett (1775-1854), and as of 1855 it is “printed for the Widow and Administratix of the late Abel Clinckett” and the printer is John C. Calliard. The paper was published bi-weekly on Wednesdays and Saturdays (except for 1824 Mar-Dec, 1825, 1826, 1827, 1828, 1829, 1830, 1831, when it was published on Tuesdays and Fridays) at the Barbadian Office, High Street, with a price of six dollars per annum, payable in advance. After Abel’s death, the office was moved to Prince William Henry Street. The Barbadian consists of 1 folio (four pages in total). Some issues have supplements.
The size and quality of the paper varies, and due to the acidic nature of the papers, some issues have deteriorated considerably. As a primary source, “The Barbadian” is crucial for understanding this British colony’s 19th century history. The newspaper contains a wealth of information about life in this slave-based society, such as information about various personalities, commerce, governance, socioeconomic conditions, race, religion, politics, entertainment, education, etc. The papers include many advertisements for the sale of enslaved people, and adverts for the recapture of runaway/escaped enslaved people.
The masthead of the newspaper changes throughout the years. Between 1822-1825, the masthead bears a woodcut of the British Royal Coat of Arms. A ribbon running at the bottom of the masthead reads “Dieu et mon droit,” which is the motto of the British Monarch. Under the crown, a shield bears the inscription “Honi soit qui mal y pense,” a French maxim used as the motto of the British chivalric Order of the Garter. The motto of the paper was a sentence by Cicero: "Qui autem parti civium consulunt partem negligunt, rem perniciosissimam in civitatem inducunt, seditionem et discordiam” ("Those who serve the interests of part of the citizens, but neglect a part, invite a condition of things highly detrimental to the state, namely sedition and discord"). In 1826, the logo is the title of the newspaper. After 1827, the masthead bears the Bible at the centre, with the British Crown on the left and the acronym G R above the crown, and the Bishop Crown on the right and the acronym W H B over it. Under the crown, it writes "Spes" (hope) on the left, “Ad occidentem" (from the West) in the centre, and "Caritas" (charity) on the right with "Fides" (faith) on the top of the Holy Bible. The motto of the newspaper remains the same.
Extent: The newspaper issues are bound in volumes, one year per volume. Some volumes contained the month of December of the previous year (Dec 1822-1823; Dec 1832-1833; Dec 1833-1834; Dec 1834-1835; Dec 1835-1836; Dec 1836-1837). In each volume, issues are arranged chronologically in ascending order (January-December).
Custodial history: The Archives acquired from The Public Library: 1822 to 1861 and from BMHS: 1824 to 1833, 1835, 1839.
