Publications
Investigations at the Royal Naval Hospital Cemetery (C. 1763–1834) in English Harbour, Antigua
A two-decade study of the Royal Naval Hospital Cemetery in Antigua reveals that dietary habits, societal pressures, and individual agency influenced food consumption among different groups within a stratified society. Stable isotope analysis demonstrated distinct dietary patterns, while trace element analyses showed variable exposure to lead and mercury, with one notable case of high mercury levels. This research provides deeper insights into health conditions at this 18th-century tropical naval outpost, clarifying historical issues that were previously speculative.
Fugitive Harbour: Labour, Community, and Marronage at Antigua Naval Yard
Historical research reveals that the Antigua Naval Dockyard served as a hub for fugitive activity, where enslaved individuals successfully collaborated to escape slavery aboard Royal Navy warships. This multi-year effort involved 'King’s Negroes' and other Black Antiguans, demonstrating collective resistance against British crown slavery. The study, based on original dockyard records, shipbuilding labor analysis, and built environment examination, sheds new light on petit marronage and naval labor dynamics while highlighting tensions between slavery as a labor system and property. It challenges conventional views by framing fugitive activity as inherently communal.
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