Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #112471 in Books
• Published on: 2005-06-01
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 224 pages

Synopsis
The searing story of a young girl kidnapped from her home in Galway and shipped out to Barbados. This is the story of Cot Daley, a young girl kidnapped from her home in Galway, and shipped out to Barbados, where more than fifty thousand Irish sold as indentured servants to the plantation owners of the Caribbean worked the land alongside African slaves. Most of them would never see their families again.

Customer Reviews

Shocking and powerful novel
Most people know that hige numbers of Africans were sold into slavery, mostly after being kidnapped or taken prisoner by enemy African tribes, and taken to the other side of the Atlantic in appalling conditions to work as slaves in the Caribbean and the southern United States.

Not so many people know that between 50,000 and 80,000 Irish people and a number of Scots were also shipped over the Atlantic to work as "indentured servants" - in theory for seven years, in practice often for life. They were often treated even worse than African slaves - the plantation owner knew that his African slaves were an asset which could bring him some return for a lifetime, while his only interest in white indentured servants was to get as much work as possible out of them as possible in the seven years before he was supposed to free them. (Though in practice they were often re-sold and the seven years started all over again.)

This is a novel in which a fictional irish girl, Cot Daley, kidnapped at the age of 11 from Galway and taken to Barbados, tells her story.

After a series of risings of African slaves and Irish "indentured servants" has been crushed, and most of the ringleaders have been hanged, a doctor is given the special commission by the island's governor to interrogate any prisoners in the island's jails who may know something about the rebellions. An elderly irish woman, who has been flogged for carrying guns for the rebels, agrees to tell what she knows on condition that he records the whole story of her life, from the day she was stolen from Ireland many years before ...

Powerful, moving and very sad, this novel includes a number of references to non-fiction works and records which demonstrate that the ghastly crimes it records against slaves of African and Irish origin alike are based on real events. It sheds a light on a little known chapter in the huge volume of cruelty which is the story of slavery.

Relevant to Today - Profound & Thought Provoking
After having conquered Ireland and carried out many massacres, atrocities (also carried out by Catholics on the local Protestant communities) and burning or torturing bishops and priests to death, Oliver Cromwell nominated his fourth son (Henry) as Lieutenant and Govenor General of Ireland.
Between 1652 and 1659 records show between 50 to 80,000 Irish men, women and children were transported to Virginia and Louisina(USA), Barbados, Monserat, Trinidad-Tobagos, Jamaica etc, in the Ethnic Cleansing of the Irish. The real figures were much higher.

These 'God Fearing Christians' could only enslave other 'pagan' humans and hence used the term 'indentured servants' (for mainly Irish, Scots and poor English) all that was available before an adequate supply of African slaves could be found at a later stage. After too many revolts, the Irish sent were mostly women and were coupled with Africans to increase their master's stock of slaves. In the beginning of the 1700's there hundreds of thousands of Afro-Celts ('Black' and 'Redshank/Redleg') who's main language was Gaelic (reared from the breast of their mothers) in many of the West Indies.
This book relates the Story of 'Cait' or Kate Daley kidnapped from Co. Galway at the age of 10 in 1651. Cait (who is no saint in the book) was married to an African rebel leader, Quashey ('Quaco'- a Moslem Coromantee).
Written, as if an eye has been kept for a Movie/TV series (which should be done), in the beginning includes too much detail and doesn't get started until page 60.
The detail was very relevant in the second part of the book (page 60+) and shows the benefit of good research. Through her storey we begin to understand the nature and glimpse the actual conditions for the slaves. You also gain some limited insight into the noble mind of Quashey and other Africans.
Although not a 'page turner' until the second part of the book, I found it very provocative and insightful of the human condition in these circumstances and the general working relationships between humans and between the different races/tribes.
The grinding system, that treated humans as animals or utilitarian livestock - is one that exists in the world to this day. A shame no mention was made to the 'Levellers', although there is a passing reference to that noble community, the 'Quakers'.

Back in Ireland the oppression continued and although people were not allowed wealth they did have a rich inheritance to pass on, one that was not then known to their 'masters' and never conquered.
Every clann had it's traditions and every Irish child had a 'right' to request from a parent or an aunt/uncle to teach them the skills in storey telling, writing, poetry, music, dance, politics and religion. Thus the Irish kitchen became the theatre, auditorium, ballroom, school room and library. Despite over 800 years of harsh rule, and thanks to the strong role of Celtic women in Ireland, even managed, in some places, to keep the language (Gaelic) intact to this day. As the saying in Gaelic goes, 'a Country without a language is a country without a soul'.
It was the theft of her inheritance, fear(as represented by the fear to play tin whistle her mother gave her) and being 'orphaned' that impoverished Cait and made her vulnerable.
In the narrative, Cait's testament (now old and brown but giving her story) is passed onto her 'orphaned' slave daughter (Betty) by somebody else's mixed race offspring. Whatever happened to her other daughter (Moya)?
This book itself acts as a 'testament' to the Afro-Celt/Afro-Irish diaspora who should 'RECLAIM' THEIR INHERITANCE (African & Celt) of their valiant ancestors, to pass onto their children. So that they can make their 'Tin Whistle' play music again. Not to be afraid, else like Cait will only be a beast of burden swallowed up in this life, deprived a direct connection to their children, with only a few material possessions to show. Like Cait, Confused-Isolated-Angry, and end up doing too little too late.
For those looking for some initial historical research see 'To Hell or Barbados-the Ethnic Cleansing of Ireland' by Sean O'Callaghan [Brandon]ISBN:0863222870 'To Hell or Connaught' by P. Ellis ISBN:0856404047, 'Whence the Black Irish of Jamaica' by Joseph Williams [LMac Veagh, Dial Press-1932]ASIN:B0006ALQP2, 'The World Upside Down' by Christopher Hill ISBN:0140137327, 'Quakers in the Cromwellian Army in Ireland' by Kenneth Carmel 1'78, 'The English Levellers' by Andrew Sharp[Cambridge University Press]0521625114, 'White Servitude and Black Slavery in Barbados' by Beakles[Knoxville 1989].
Also the famous musician Antoni O'Breskey has produced a CD 'The New Orleans Jig' on this Afro-Celt mix[Ethnic Piano series].
In memory of Kelso Cochrane - Notting Hill, London

The appaling fate of indentured Irish and English slaves in Barbados.
This is the story of Cot Daley who was snatched at 10 years of age in Galway, and sold as an indentured slave in Barbados. Between 1558 and 1660, over 50,000 Irish men women and children were sold into slavery in Barbados.They were cheaper than African slaves, and were treated appallingly. They were rarely freed after the 7 year term. This is an enlightening, but horrific account of Cot's tragic life.