HOPEFUL CREWshort story

▪ The St Helena Island Community ▪ www.sthelenacommunity.com.auJuly 2019

Edward Rogers and the crew of the ‘Hopeful’Administration No. 3065

Recruiting or kidnapping?Between 1863 and 1904, approximately 50,000 South Sea Islanders were brought to Queensland to work on Sugar Plantations. Plantation owners and ship’s crew called it ‘recruiting’ but others called it ‘blackbirding’ or slave trading, the result of stealing and kidnapping men from their island homes.

The crew of the ship ‘Hopeful’ were imprisoned in 1884 for kidnapping islander men from New Guinea and 2 crew were charged with murder. This was divisive. Evidence from the Commission of Inquiry justified the growing demand for abolition of the slave trade. Sir Samuel Griffiths’ government ordered the return of 400 men to New Guinea in 1885. ³

The ‘Hopeful’ recruiter and bosun were sentenced to death, but commuted to life imprisonment. Edward Rogers, seaman, win as the youngest at age 24 and was to spend 4 years on St Helena Island, engaged in the bootmakers', carpenters' and field workers gangs, the bakehouse, and more appropriately sailmaking. Captain Townley and Superintendent Pennefather both requested him to cook for him in their private homes, despite not knowing much about cooking.1

In 1890, a petition of 20,070 Queensland names help secure the release of the crew. News of their imminent release caught the crewman by surprise. Fellow crewman Bernard Williams immediately stopped his work - shaving Edward Rogers' beard - and was so excited that he didn't finish the job!²Sources: 1.Colonial Secretary Correspondence2. Queenslander (Brisbane, Qld. : 1866 - 1939), Saturday 1 March 1890, page 4123. Stevens, E.E., ‘A brief History of the South Sea Islands Labour Traffic and the vessels engaged in it.’ Historical Society of Qld, 23 March 1950.

Legislative Council Proceedings, Saturday October 19, 1889.

Mr. Perkins initiated a debate on the case of the Hopeful prisoners by moving a series of resolutions, asking that there be laid on the table of the House copies of the depositions in the case, the report of the Chief Justice, petitions and other communications from the prisoners and the public in regard to the release of the convicts, and copies of minutes of Executive Council as to the exercise of the prerogative of mercy.

… This leads to the third point raised, ‘Were the prisoners guilty of the crime for which they are suffering imprisonment? Some hon. members boldly asserted that they were not, in reaching which

Hopeful Crew Page 2

conclusion they ignored all the facts and circumstances surrounding the cruise of the Hopeful brought out at the trial. "We say nothing of the facts and circumstances discovered at a later period by the Polynesian Commission, by Mr, H. Romilly and Mr. Chester, who visited the islands in the neighbourhood of which the murders were committed, and saw the grave of at least one victim, and by the late Sir Peter Scratchley, first Governor of New Guinea. Other hon. members argued that the men were guilty, but that they only carried out a system which had been "in vogue for years," Hence they should now be pardoned and released. This is a dangerous argument. Thuggism was in vogue for years in India, but did that make murder by professional garroters less heinous and deserving of punishment? Theft is in vogue even now in Queensland, but on that account are all thieves to be tried, condemned, and set at liberty if Public opinion, it is alleged, is in favour of the release of the Hopeful prisoners. That mayor may not be the case; but the question arises by whom should the prerogative of mercy be exercised, supposing it desirable that mercy should be extended.

Sir S. "W. Griffith is clear on this point, and he only follows the best constitutional authorities. The case was an Imperial one-the crime took place on the high seas, out of the territory of ' Queensland, The accused might have been tried in London, and were only tried in Brisbane as Imperial prisoners in virtue of a special enactment which permits', to save expense and to expedite justice, the trial of certain prisoners in local courts sitting for a time as Imperial courts. The Hopeful prisoners are Imperial prisoners, and could be removed by the Secretary of State to any prison in the Queen's dominions to which he might direct. The Governor may exercise on behalf of her Majesty the prerogative of mercy, but it would be on his responsibility to the Imperial Government and not on the advice of his Ministers here, whose advice appertains to internal affairs and the proceedings of the lieges within but not beyond the colony.

Source: Legislative Council Proceedings reported in Brisbane Courier (Qld. : 1864 - 1933), Saturday 19 October 1889, page 4

Consider: Ethics of forced labour(see also ‘Attamrip’ story for the opposite perspective)

1. What were the various techniques used to get people on board ships for Queensland?

2. What were conditions like on board? (Read also James Aird’s blog post “Diary of a slave trade” on the St Helena Community site for a very personal account).

3. Why were the crew of the ‘Hopeful’ jailed when others weren’t?

4. Why did over 20,000 people in society petition for their release?

5. Debate: Was it ‘recruiting’ or was it ‘kidnapping?’

Consider: Ongoing impact of imperialism in Queensland.

1. How were Imperial laws enforced in open oceans and in Queensland. Who was involved in the decision making and enforcement of these laws?