The founding and demise of Stewartstoun: the Carolina Company, the Wester Sugar House, and the expedition of 1686

Joseph Wagner*

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

Abstract

Through an analysis of the membership of the Scottish Carolina Company, this article demonstrates that there were two main motives for those involved in establishing the colonial settlement of Stewartstoun. Those motives were intertwined as two strands of opposition to the Restoration government of Charles II: opposition to forced episcopacy and opposition to the English Navigation Acts. With this understanding, the article examines the little-known 1686 voyage of the Richard and John. One of the direct causes of the demise of Stewartstoun was that this vessel prioritised Caribbean commerce and failed to resupply the settlement with people and provisions. Taking contemporary political and religious contexts into consideration, it is possible that the precedence given to the sugar trade in this case is indicative of a broader shift in Scottish colonial thinking in which commercial goals began to supersede religious motivations.
Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)43-56
Number of pages14
JournalScottish Archives
Volume27
Publication statusAccepted/In press - 2021

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