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Biographical Sketch
of Hon. Henry Shuley [Shirley]
By Oscar Plummer
(Taken from the Daily Gleaner, 14th October, 1911, 4 : 1-4)
Henry Shuley was a native of Savoy, his education was rather
a superior one,
by his own account he had a considerable property, which he lost
at the time
in Savoy being conquered by and annexed to republican France.
Mr. Shuley
proceeded to St. Petersburg where he asserted he was attached
to the suite
of Lord Cathcart, the British Ambassador there. He asserted the
cause of his
separation from his Excellency was that one of his Lordship's
daughters
entertained him for an ardent affection, which he being unable
to resist, but
overcome by his regard for the lady and considering the difficulties
and
inconvenience to which she might be reduced, then existing no
prospect of
obtaining her father's consent, he most prudently retired by
taking "French
leave". He repaired to England and then proceeded to Jamaica
to make a tour
of that island. On his arrival he dressed very gay, and started
a smart
equipage, he spoke and wrote English with fluency and easily
got access to
the best society and before long paid his addresses to a rich
widow,
proprietress of Petersfield, a fine sugar estate in the parish
of St. Thomas in
the East. They were married. The widow's being somewhat encumbered,
dealt
inadequate support for an establishment of those moving in the
first circles
being at the time very expensive in Jamaica, Mr. Shuley took
the first
convenient opportunity to represent this to his lady and to press
the benefit
her health would receive by a residence in England. He prevailed
on her to
retire there, as his own personal expenses in the island would
be
comparatively small by his living en garcon. And he would manage
the
plantation, pay off the debts in a few years and remit his ample
means for all
her engagements. Thus if he did not become actually proprietor
of Petersfield
plantation, that property at least served to give him credit
and as the
foundation of raising a fortune in his own right, nor did he
allow these
advantages to escape him. He purchased other sugar estates in
the parish
St. George, and others. Certainly he had at first to mortgage
them to their
value. The times, however, were favourable and Petersfield always
gave a
helping hand in liquidating the debts on his own estate. Mr.
Shuley became a
rising character and was elected a member of the House of Assembly.
One of
his first acts there was highly unpopular. He proposed to introduce
a bill to
subject the Militia of the island, TO CORPOREAL PUNISHMENT.
The Militia of the island were in all respects very different
from what they now
are. They consisted of planters, merchants, clerks, and tradesman,
mechanics, etc. all in good circumstances, many of them being
wealthy
merchants, they find their own clothing, the Cavalry, their own
horses, they
serve gratuitously, receiving no pay except during the existence
of Martial
Law, and then a mere trifle hardly adequate to pay for small
refreshments
when on duty. The Kingston Militia took ire at the proposed measure
of Mr.
Shuley and no wonder either they confined their officers to prevent
them being
implicated in the proceedings which they contemplated. They elected
other
officers and marched suddenly to Mr. Shuley's house in Spanish
Town which
they surrounded, the owner having barely time to escape from
a window. It
was resolved to burn the house, the library was cast into the
yard to
commence the bonfire and was consumed.
The house and furniture was about sharing a similar fate and
only saved by
the interference of several members of the House of Assembly,
who pledged
themselves that Mr. Shuley's proposal should be instantly quashed.
They
kept their word. Popularity and court favour however rise from
very different
sources. Mr. Shuley on the vacancy of the Custos-ship of the
parish of St.
George was nominated to fill the situation. During the rebellion
of the
Trelawney Town Maroons in 1795-96, an invasion of the Brigands
from St.
Domingo was expected, it was almost apprehended that the Maroon
town of
Charleston would join that of Trelawney in the rebellion therefore,
the Colonial
Government considered it prudent to adopt decided, prompt and
secure
measures to prevent if possible the last named proceeding. For
this purpose
early one evening with out previous notice, a sqadron of the
20th Light
Dragoons, two companies of the 63rd Foot with frafts from the
Kingston Horse
and Grenadier Militia, the Infantry being mounted for the occasion
were
assembled and marched about 40 miles to Charleston Maroon Town,
near
Buff Bay which it was expected they take by surprise and so prevent
their
JOINING THE TRELAWNY MAROONS.
This expedition made a forced march during the night, only occasionally
halting for a little refreshment. By day light they were in a
position close to
Charleston which they expected to occupy without resistance,
their own
appearance being quite unexpected as they imagined, but on reconnoitering
they found the enemy wide awake the road leading to the villages
broke and
lined - palisados constructed, and the inhabitants jumping about
armed to the
teeth. What was to be done ? A parley was sounded, and the negotiation
was
about commencing, when lo His Honour the Custos appeared, represented
to
the Commander of the Forces the danger of an appeal to arms,
surrounded as
he was by a force having every advantage of ground and defences.
On the
other hand His Honor held a palaver with the Maroons told them
that they
must obey "Massa Govenor", and he being aware of their
fidelity he advised
them to send some of their chiefs to make their submission and
remain as
hostages at headquarters for the good behaviour of their villages
. All this was
accomplished and His Honour had the credit of saving detachment
from being
cut to pieces and of being the good friend of the Maroons. His
service to both
were great indeed, but how was all this brought about, an express
having
been sent to him as Custos to prepare supplies for the troops,
on their arrival
he immediately sent to the Maroons to be on the alert, to receive
the military
with all due respect and he would soon make his appearance and
effect all in
his power for their advantage. All is well that ends well, but
had a single party
or even a chance musket had fired, sad, sad , indeed might have
been the
consequence.
In the year 1798 a voluntary subscription having been entered
into by every
parish in the island for the aid of the mother country then struggling
against
the desperate efforts of a ferocious enemy which threatened to
invade and
even annihilate her as an independent nation. The parish of St.
George
subscribed considerable sums for the purpose named which was
paid into His
Honour the Custos to remit. The next year it was found that there
had been no
remittance for the parish of St. George. About that period, Mr.
Pitt, Prime
Minister, had resigned and was succeeded by Mr. Addington, the
Speaker of
the House of Commons, and afterwards created Lord Sidmouth.
On the Custos being applied to for an explanation respecting
the
non-remittance of the subscription for the parish of St. George,
he replied in
THE BLANDEST MANNER
And taking credit for himself for his prudence - "My
dear friends, I did not like
to send the money to that man, Pitt, who is a great enemy to
the colonies, to
assist him in his projects, but here are the bills for the whole
of the moneys
which you can remit yourselves. I will endorse them to your order
or save you
the trouble and remit them yourself." Such candor was irresistable.
The
money was remitted.
"In early youth (writes the biographer) I had some acquaintance
with Wm.
Richardson, Profesor of Humanity in the College of Glasgow. Previously
he
was with Lord Cathcart during his embassy to St. Petersburg and
wrote and
published a volume respecting Russia. One day I took an opportunity
of
asking Mr. Shuley if he remembered him. He replied that there
was no
individual of that name in the household of His Excellency, but
on my wishing
to recall him to his mind by mentioning the volume which he had
published.
After musing an instant he said, ' O yes sir.' I do now remember
something of
de young man. He was one tutor, one pedagogin who did teach de
young
children of my Lord dem ABC." About a year after returning
to England, and
meeting with the Professor, chatting of former times and events,
I told him
that in Jamaica I met a foreigner who had been very successful
there and had
been formerly in the suite of Lord Cathcart in Russia, and asked
the Professor
if he knew him.
'Shu'ey - Shuley,' replied the professor, I assure you it
must a mistake, but on
my begging him to try and recollect, he promptly replied, 'I
am quite right,
there was no such person among His Lordship's suite, but there
was a
foreigner and I think he was a Swiss of the name you mention,
but he was
only a Valet de Chambre and was kicked out of the house for attempting
to be
rude to one of the Miss Cathcarts."
Whether the Professor or the Planter was the most correct
I leave for the
readers to determine.
The Hon. Mr. Shirley was an agreeable companion, lived well,
enjoyed himself
and left a considerable fortune. |
Shirleys
of Hyde Hall, 
