Absentee Control of Sugar Plantations in the British West Indies

Based on slave labour, sugar plantations in the British West Indies were a source of considerable wealth for many of their owners. Many chose to return to Britain to enjoy their prosperity while still retaining their interests in the Caribbean. Using a wide range of published historical documents and literature, in addition to archival material held in Britain and the West Indies, this paper reviews the means by which the absentee proprietors attempted to maintain control of their distant possessions. Particular attention is paid to the Payne family of St. Kitts.