About
Type: Ruin
Parish: St. John22
Founding date: 1750
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Current Status
The sugar mill on this plantation no longer exists, but in the mid-1800s it was most certainly converted to steam as evidenced in photographs of the old brick chimney which, regrettably, was demolished by the earthquake of 1974. Across the main road to the south of the estate, in the bush, are the remains of old walls and evidence of cut and rubble stone where the brick chimney of the estate house had stood. The chimney was hexagonal in shape, similar to those found on the island of Nevis. On Antigua, chimneys tended to be square. Most of the bricks that formed this chimney have been removed, most likely scavenged for rebuilding.
To the west of this estate stands a very large Baobob tree (adansonia digitala) on the property of Mr. Walter, which features the largest trunk of any tree in Antigua (30 feet). “Historically, the tree marks the resting place of Robert Ashe, a former owner of Stoney Hill Estate, who vowed no stone would mark his grave. Pappy Smith’s mother called it a ‘Devil Tree’ and it was known as a ‘place of wickedness’.” Desmond Nicholson.
The main road nearby is considered the exact center of the island. At one time, an engraved stone marked the location, but it was covered up by a construction crew when the main road was widened.
“About five miles east of St. John’s is the center of the island at a spot on the hill now known as Clarke’s Hill. Back then it was called Centre Hill, for about half a mile east of the tee road at the hill is the exact centre of Antigua. The center was marked by a big stone — put in the middle of the road — about three feet long by three feet wide and about eight inches thick. The surveyors carved out the crown and date on that spot.
“The Bear Bob Tree also use to mark the place where the slave market was. On Tuesday the slaves for sale or swap was taken there. Later on the market was move to another tree about 400 yards east of the Bear Bob Tree. A slave by the name of Grandy Two happen to die at that tree while she was up for sale and the pond take its name after her. That tree and that pond is still there. On the north side, a little way east of the the road is a gulley about three-quarters of a mile long running from south to north called Stoney Hill Gulley. RSD (Goodwin) said that that was the place where the slaves meet and plan the revolt in 1736.
“The Goodwins know plenty of what happen at the Stoney Hill Gulley. He used to say that slave go there to worship them King and them African God. They would dance around fire, drink wine and inhale the smoke from the roasted cashew nuts.
“A little away from the gulley — was the spot where almost all negas that was killed at North Sound, Blackman’s and Jonas was buried. After I get to know the spot, I never like to pass that was because of the sad memories it a bring back. That place was very hard and stony, a spot the planters and them couldn’t use to grow sugar cane. That place so hard that man could hardly dig a grave there, so the graves have to be shallow and the massa use to make sure they give us white lime to rotten the body way quickly. People use to have to pile stones on top of the graves, they were so shallow.” Pappy Smith in “To Shoot Hard Labour.
Estate Related History/Timeline
A 1173 map hand drawn by Alexander Willock, Esq., shows the entire layout of this estate, with numbered fields, acreage, roads, and the location of the mill and buildings. John Killam was the surveyor.
1840: Francis Shand’s slave ownership in Antigua was accomplished through the family’s merchant firm, C. W. & F. Shand, of Liverpool, England. Francis, John, and Alexander Shand were sons of Charles Francis Shand, who was associated with the West Indian merchant firm, Rodie & Son, located at Rupert House near Liverpool. Francis Shand also operated in British Guiana in partnership with Alexander Simpson.
T71/877 Antigua claim nos. 3 (Willick’s Spyes), 9 (Christian’s Valley & Biffins), 22 (Harts & Royals), 36 (Cedar Valley), 52 (Collen’s Estate), 303 & 321 (Crabb’s Estate), 351 (Belle Vue), 354 (Fitch’s Creek) and 835 Profile 7 Legacies Summary.
When the British Parliament abolished slavery in 1833, the Belle Vue estate was granted a Legacy award (Antigua 352) of £36,741. 13s. 1p. for granting freedom to 246 enslaved. William Shand was the sole awardee; Dorothy Warner and Samuel Warner were unsuccessful applicants.
Francis, John, and Alexander Shand were sons of Charles Francis Shand.
Antonio Joseph Camacho (died 1894) arrived in Antigua from Madeira in the late 1860s and by the end of the 1860s he owned A. J. Camacho Co., an export and merchant business and was the sole owner of Briggins (#22), Herbert’s (#20), and Dunning’s (#7) estates between 1871 and 1878, and Jonas (#85), Otto’s (#16) and Langford’s (#6) between 1878 and 1891. By 1887, he also owned Woods (#12), Lower Freeman’s (#81b) and Oliver’s (#46). His son Emanuel O. Camacho inherited the business. By the time Emmanual died, he held over 1,600 acres of sugar land under cultivation, the single largest landowner besides the Maginley family. He was a staunch supporter of the Roman Catholic Church.
In 1941, the Antigua Sugar Factory, Ltd., estimated sugar returns of 1,739 tons from the 160-acre estate (120 acres of peasant land) based on 4,260 tons of cane delivered, averaging 18.58 tons/acre.
In the 1970s, the brutal murder of Mrs. Thomson occurred in the Estate’s buff house. The crime was never solved and was attributed to the obeah practice because her eyes had been slit to prevent identification of the murderer. A concrete block house has been built on the original buff house site and the pond has been filled in.
Mrs. Helen Abbott noted that when she accompanied Desmond Nicholson on one of his historical exploration hikes in the area of Belle Vue Plantation they came across an old headstone dedicated to a Captain “Somebody” with a skull and crossbones symbol. In an attempt to read the middle initial, they used their drinking water and some grass to scrub the headstone, but the engraving was too faded. She noted that none of the old gravestones found in the bush are preserved, and usually get plowed under or used to tether cows. Helen Abbott, Memories of….
Enslaved People’s History
Based on contemporary research, we have little information to share about the enslaved peoples from this plantation at this time.
When the British Parliament abolished slavery in 1833, the Belle Vue estate was granted a Legacy award (Antigua 352) of £36,741. 13s. 1p. for granting freedom to 246 enslaved.
There is a passage that states “The Bear Bob Tree also used to mark the place where the slave market was. On Tuesday the slaves for sale or swap was taken there. Later on the market was move to another tree about 400 yards east of the Bear Bob Tree. A slave by the name of Grandy Two happen to die at that tree while she was up for sale and the pond take its name after her. That tree and that pond is still there. On the north side, a little way east of the tee road is a gulley about three-quarters of a mile long running from south to north called Stoney Hill Gulley. RSD (Goodwin) said that that was the place where the slaves meet and plan the revolt in 1736. He used to say that slave go there to worship them King and them African God. They would dance around fire, drink wine and inhale the smoke from the roasted cashew nuts.
“A little away from the gulley — was the spot where almost all negas that was killed at North Sound, Blackman’s and Jonas was buried. After I get to know the spot, I never like to pass that was because of the sad memories it a bring back. That place was very hard and stony, a spot the planters and them couldn’t use to grow sugar cane. That place so hard that man could hardly dig a grave there, so the graves have to be shallow and the massa use to make sure they give us white lime to rotten the body way quickly. People use to have to pile stones on top of the graves, they were so shallow.” Pappy Smith in “To Shoot Hard Labour.
Also in 1840, Francis Shand’s slave ownership in Antigua was accomplished through the family’s merchant firm, C. W. & F. Shand, of Liverpool, England.
We will continue our quest for more information about these vital individuals.
Ownership Chronology
- 1750: Rowland Ash
- 1790: William & Joseph Warner
- 1814: Indenture between Thomas Warner and his wife, Dorothy, and the Honorable Samuel Warner conveying to Samuel “all that plantation in the Division of New North Sound and parish of St. George’s called ‘Stoney Hill’ or ‘Belle Vue’, containing 149 acres of cane and 89 acres of pasture . . . and all slaves reputed to be amounting in number to 120.”
- 1829: Honorable Samuel Warner
- 1843: Francis Shand & Company, Liverpool. 527 acres; 261 slaves.
- 1872: Fryers Concrete Co., one of 24 Steamworks in St. Mary’s Parish
- 1878: Aubrey J. Camacho
- 1891: James Maginley. On Sept. 7 of this year, Queen Victoria “has been pleased to give directions for the appointment of James Maginley, Esq., to be a Member of the Executive Council of the Island of Antigua.” -London Gazette.
- 1900c: Heirs of W. Maginley
- 1921: Aubrey J. Camacho
- 1933: M. V. Camacho (1933 Camacho map.)
- 1930’s: John I. Martin