Thomas Thistlewood was an English slave owner, planter, and diarist who spent most of his life in colonial Jamaica. Known for his extreme brutality, Thistlewood thoroughly documented his life in a 14,000-page diary, detailing the horrific abuse he inflicted on the enslaved people under his control. Over his lifetime, he recorded over 3,000 acts of rape against 138 enslaved women and invented cruel punishments like “Derby’s dose,” which involved flogging, rubbing lime juice into wounds, and forcing another enslaved person to defecate into the victim’s mouth. His diary, now a critical historical document, provides a harrowing insight into the violence and dehumanization of slavery in 18th-century Jamaica. Thistlewood’s life exemplifies the systemic cruelty of the transatlantic slave system and the absolute power wielded by slaveholders.
Early Life and Migration to Jamaica
Born on March 16, 1721, in Tupholme, Lincolnshire, England, Thistlewood was the second son of a farmer. He received a basic education in mathematics and practical science, but his opportunities in England were limited. After inheriting a modest sum from his father, he sought opportunities abroad, eventually deciding to migrate to Jamaica in 1750. At the time, Jamaica was one of the wealthiest colonies in the British Empire, its economy built on the backs of enslaved Africans who labored on sugar plantations.
Thistlewood arrived in Jamaica on May 4, 1750, with little more than letters of recommendation and a desire to make his fortune. He began his career as an overseer on a sugar plantation called “Egypt,” where he quickly established himself as a harsh and authoritarian figure. Within days of his arrival, he began raping enslaved women, a practice he would continue throughout his life. His diary, which he started in 1751, meticilously records these acts of violence, along with the daily operations of the plantation and his interactions with other white colonists.
Thistlewood’s Diary
Thistlewood’s diary is a raw and honest record of his life in Jamaica. Over the course of 37 years, he documented nearly every aspect of his existence, from his daily chores to brutal acts. Among the most disturbing entries are those detailing his sexual violence against the enslaved women in his plantation. Thistlewood recorded 3,852 acts of rape involving 138 women, many of whom were subjected to repeated assaults.
The diary also reveals Thistlewood’s invention of a particularly cruel form of punishment known as “Derby’s dose.” This punishment involved flogging a slave, rubbing lime juice or salt into their wounds, and then forcing another enslaved person to defecate into the victim’s mouth. Thistlewood administered this punishment frequently, often for minor infractions such as stealing food.
Thistlewood’s time in Jamaica coincided with periods of intense unrest among the enslaved population. One of the most significant uprisings was Tacky’s Revolt in 1760, a major slave rebellion that shook the island and struck fear into the hearts of white colonists. Thistlewood’s diary reflects his anxiety during this period, as he documented the rebellion’s progress and the brutal reprisals that followed. He praised the Jamaican Maroons for their role in suppressing the revolt, but his writings also reveal his deep-seated fear of further uprisings.
Life as a Plantation Owner
In 1767, Thistlewood purchased a 160-acre plantation called Breadnut Island Pen, where he continued to exploit and abuse enslaved people. By this time, he owned 32 enslave Africans, all of whom were branded with his initials on their right shoulders. Despite his efforts to pair male and female slaves for reproduction, he still raped the women, completely disregarding any sense of family or personal bonds among them.
Thistlewood wrote about raping one enslaved woman, Sally, multiple times. After one such assault, she ran away again but was captured, put in stocks, and raped once more. Sally’s story is just one example of the relentless abuse enslaved women faced under Thistlewood’s control. In 1775, another enslaved woman, Franke, was raped by Thistlewood while heavily pregnant. She miscarried a week later.
Thistlewood’s slaves were also subjected to extreme cruelty and deprivation. They were often underfed, and those caught stealing food were brutally flogged. Meanwhile, Thistlewood entertained guests with lavish meals, showing the clear gap between his wealthy life and the suffering of those who worked to make it possible. His slaves endured malnutrition, disease, and constant fear, with little hope of relief or escape.
Thistlewood’s sexual exploitation of enslaved women was a central feature of his life. He maintained a long-term relationship with an enslaved woman named Phibbah, with whom he had a son, Mulatto John. Despite this relationship, Thistlewood continued to rape other women using force and threats.
Thistlewood’s actions were not unique in the context of colonial Jamaica. The sexual exploitation of enslaved women was a common practice among white slaveholders, who viewed their slaves as property to be used at their discretion.
Thomas Thistlewood died in 1786 at Breadnut Island Pen, leaving behind his diary that would later become a crucial historical document.
In the late 20th century, historians brought Thistlewood’s diary to public attention, using it to explore the complexities of slavery and the mindset of those who perpetuated it.
Today, Thistlewood’s diary is housed at the Beinecke Rare Book & Manuscript Library at Yale University, where it is available for researchers and the public to study. Its pages bear witness to the suffering of countless enslaved Africans and provides a chilling insight into the cruelty of slavery.
Sources:
https://www.bbc.co.uk/lincolnshire/content/articles/2007/03/29/thomas_thistlewood_feature.shtml
Sugar and Slavery in Eighteenth Century Jamaica
In Miserable Slavery: Thomas Thistlewood in Jamaica 1750-1786 by Douglas Hall
