George Sutherland

In 1819 George Sutherland is recorded as manager of the Rosehall cotton plantation on the Corentyne Coast of Berbice, belonging to John & D C Cameron (NAS CS96/972). Seven slaves on the plantation made a complaint to the Fiscal about there treatment, alleging that Sutherland had engaged them to gin cotton for himself on Sundays, which was their free day, promising to pay them 3 florins a day but had not paid. They also claimed that Sutherland used the clothing material ('checks and osnaburgs') supplied by the proprietor for his own 'private use and benefit'; and that he required the slaves 'every eveing to bring an uncommon large sized bundle of grass . . . and that when the measure is not full they are obliged in the dark to look for more grass'. When they had complained to Sutherland, he had broken the tooth of one of the slaves and confined them in the stocks. [Fiscals Reports]

By 1817 Sutherland already owned and was running his own 'task gang' of twelve field slaves attached to the plantation, with one 8-year old girl, at Rosehall. The slaves were all African-born and their new names included Tain, Geanies and Cameron. Four, including Tain, were branded with the letters 'G S' on their right breasts.

By 1822, three of the twelve were dead - Tain from 'supposed pleurisy'. A slave named Prince had committed suicide in November 1821 (Slave returns).

George Sutherland died before 1825, when his unadministered estate was in the hands of the colony's Board for Orphans and Unadministered Estates (London Gazette).