A Dark Chapter in History
The Bellevue Plantation on Tortola, part of the British Virgin Islands (BVI), stands as a grim reminder of the brutal realities of slavery in the Caribbean during the early 19th century. Operated by Arthur William Hodge, a notorious plantation owner, Bellevue became infamous for Hodge’s extreme cruelty toward enslaved people, including horrific acts such as scalding slaves with boiling liquids. This article explores the history of the Bellevue Plantation, Hodge’s atrocities, and the unprecedented trial that marked a turning point in the British West Indies.
The Bellevue Plantation and Its Owner
Located on the island of Tortola, the Bellevue Plantation was a significant agricultural estate focused on sugar production, a common enterprise in the Caribbean during the colonial era. Arthur William Hodge, born around 1763 in the British Virgin Islands, inherited the plantation in 1803 following his father’s death. Educated at Oriel College, Oxford, and briefly serving as a second lieutenant in the British Army, Hodge was described as a man of “great accomplishments and elegant manners.” However, his polished exterior masked a deeply sadistic nature that would define his legacy.
Upon returning to Tortola, Hodge assumed control of Bellevue, which, at its peak, was worked by over 100 enslaved individuals. By 1808, however, the plantation’s enslaved population had dwindled dramatically, with witnesses reporting that there were barely enough healthy slaves to dig a grave for Hodge’s wife, Ann Hoggins, when she died. This drastic reduction was attributed to Hodge’s relentless cruelty, which decimated the workforce through death and debilitation.
Methods of Cruelty: Scalding and Other Atrocities
Arthur William Hodge’s treatment of enslaved people was marked by extreme brutality, earning him a reputation as one of the most sadistic plantation owners in the region. Among his most horrific methods was the use of boiling liquids to torture and kill slaves. Trial records and witness testimonies, including those from a free woman of color named Perreen Georges, detail how Hodge ordered boiling water or liquor to be poured down the throats of enslaved individuals, such as the cook Margaret and washerwoman Else, leading to their deaths. Both victims suffered severe scalding of their mouths and throats, enduring agonizing pain before succumbing to their injuries.
Hodge’s cruelty extended beyond scalding. He was known to whip slaves to death, with victims including Jupiter, Tom Boiler, and Simon Boiler, who were subjected to prolonged and brutal floggings. In one particularly chilling case, a 10-year-old boy named Sampson was reportedly dipped into a copper pot of boiling liquor, causing his skin to peel off. Hodge also targeted children, including Bella, an eight-year-old girl believed to be his daughter through the rape of an enslaved woman named Peggy. Bella endured severe beatings, kicks to the stomach, and other forms of torture.
Witnesses, including former overseer Stephen M’Keough, testified that Hodge’s plantation was a place of unrelenting horror. Slaves like Welcome, Gift, and Violet were flogged to death, while others were left in sick-houses to die without care, their bodies riddled with wounds and infestations. One account noted that in just three years, at least 60 enslaved people were buried at Bellevue, with only one dying of natural causes.
The Trial and Execution of Arthur William Hodge
The turning point for Bellevue came in 1811 when Hodge was indicted for the murder of an enslaved man named Prosper. The incident that led to Prosper’s death occurred in October 1807, when he was tasked with guarding a mango tree. When the mango fell, Hodge demanded six shillings as compensation, an impossible sum for Prosper to pay. Unable to produce the full amount, Prosper was tied to a tree and whipped for nearly an hour. The following day, the flogging continued until Prosper collapsed, dying 13 days later from his wounds.
Hodge’s indictment, which came nearly three years after Prosper’s death, was spurred by the arrival of Governor Hugh Elliot, an abolitionist determined to address the lawlessness in the BVI. The trial, held at the Court of Common Pleas in Tortola from April 25 to April 29, 1811, was a landmark event. It was the first time a British slave owner was prosecuted for murdering an enslaved person, challenging the notion that slaves were mere property. Despite Hodge’s defense claiming that killing a slave was no different from killing a dog, the court rejected this argument.
Witnesses, including Perreen Georges, Stephen M’Keough, and Justice of the Peace Daniel Ross, provided damning evidence of Hodge’s widespread cruelty. The prosecution’s case focused not only on Prosper’s death but also on Hodge’s pattern of sadistic behavior, as colonial courts allowed broader evidence of similar acts. On April 30, 1811, the jury found Hodge guilty, and despite pleas for mercy from some jurors, he was sentenced to death. On May 8, 1811, Hodge was hanged in front of thousands, with Governor Elliot enforcing martial law to prevent unrest.
Legacy and Impact
The execution of Arthur William Hodge was a revolutionary moment in the British West Indies, marking the first time a white slave owner was held accountable for the murder of an enslaved person. Historians note that the trial “stirred up feverish feelings in the islands” and reverberated beyond the BVI, signaling a shift in attitudes toward slavery. However, the immediate impact was limited. While Hodge’s execution shocked slave-owning communities, there were no widespread prosecutions of other cruel plantation owners, and slavery itself persisted in the BVI until emancipation in 1834.
The Bellevue Plantation, once a thriving estate, became a symbol of the horrors of slavery. Its story serves as a sobering reminder of the inhumanity endured by enslaved people and the rare instances of justice in a system designed to protect oppressors. Today, the site of Bellevue is a historical footnote, overshadowed by Tortola’s modern identity as a vibrant Caribbean destination. Yet, the legacy of Hodge’s atrocities underscores the importance of remembering and learning from this dark chapter in history.
The Bellevue Plantation, under Arthur William Hodge’s reign, was a place of unimaginable suffering, where enslaved people endured torture, scalding, and death at the hands of a man whose cruelty knew no bounds. Hodge’s execution in 1811 was a rare moment of accountability in the era of slavery, but it did little to dismantle the broader system of oppression. The story of Bellevue remains a stark testament to the resilience of those who survived such brutality and the slow, painful journey toward justice and emancipation in the Caribbean.