An author is hoping her latest novel will shed new light on a period of history she feels is often ignored.
Dr Jennifer Kewley Draskau wants her latest novel, ’Transportee’, to highlight and acknowledge the plight of the hundreds of Manx men and women who were transported off the island during the 17th century to work in the British colonies.
Her book is a fictional novel, set in 1698 and based on genuine events of the time.
It focuses on the plight of a 13-year-old girl who is forced into a marriage and then accused of theft.
She is sentenced to be transported to Jamaica to work on a sugar plantation, which sets her on a journey fraught with hardships and danger with life-changing consequences.
Jennifer said she based her book on a similar voyage that took place at the same time and believes that the plight of such people have been overlooked by history.
’This type of punishment actually happened to people in the Isle of Man, said Jennifer.
’As part of my research, I found that 10 men and two women were transported as felons in 1698, to Jamaica, and they never made it.
’They presumably died during the horrible voyage out there, either due to mistreatment or starvation or by any combination of things.
’They would have been kept in chains and sailed across the Atlantic in dreadful conditions on board a slave ship. It wouldn’t have been cheery, I can imagine.
’I based Breeshey, my character, on those who were sent on the voyage, although obviously, she makes it alive.
’But when she gets out there, she has a pretty hard life, as did many of the people who were transported.’
Jennifer believes that the transportation of felons to the West Indies is often overlooked in relation to other similar historical events.
’Transportations of Manx felons has never really been discussed, compared to, say the transportation of convicts to Australia.
’Partly this is because it is difficult to talk about white transportations to the Americas in the light of the black slave trade.
’People often say that you can’t compare the two experiences and it is, of course, entirely correct that on many levels you can’t compare them.
’Transported felons were expected to serve sentences and then, providing they were still alive at the end of their time, which in many cases they were not, they were free to go.
’However, black slaves from Africa faced a life time of servitude and any children born during slavery also automatically became slaves.
’But just the same, 200 people were transported out of the Isle of Man, were treated abysmally, put to work in horrific conditions, forced to endure all manner of dreadful hardships and, quite often, they died.
’They were human beings and their stories are worth telling.’
’Transportee’ is available from all book shops.
by Mike Wade
Twitter:@iomnewspapers