Dr Rita Pemberton

The post-mortem of the French capture of Tobago in 1781, particularly in its search for a cause, provides valuable information about the British defence strategy on the island and its weaknesses and how the Main Ridge was positioned to perform a role that differed from the purpose for which it was established.

Both the colonial and imperial authorities were embarrassed and embittered by the successful French outmanoeuvring of the British forces and their capture of Tobago in 1781. The fact that France had provided assistance to the revolting American colonies, which successfully loosened themselves from the yoke of the British Empire, made it a particularly humiliating experience for the British.

On the island, the new plantation owners were concerned about their losses, which resulted from the destruction inflicted on their properties by the marauding French armies and the implications for their mortgage arrangements in the UK.

Their absentee counterparts were anxious to cut their losses. Some sought to sell off their properties at the earliest opportunity, while others continued to nudge the imperial government into action to regain the island and save their investments.

While nursing their bruised egos, the British authorities persevered with their intention to recapture the island, but in the meantime it was necessary to examine the organisation of the British response and the conduct of senior officers in order to determine who was responsible for its fall. Reports from the leaders of the supplementary troops suggested the capitulation occurred before they had any opportunity to intervene meaningfully.

Notwithstanding the pleas of the colonial authorities for increased attention to security fell on deaf imperial ears, to their detriment, investigative focus was placed on the main colonial officials: the Lieut Governor and the head of the island's military. Then the blame game started.

The Lieut Governor said the head of the military disobeyed his orders, and as a consequence Major Stanhope, head of the military in Tobago and his two major generals, Wynward and Phillippo, were court-martialled and asked to report to the Horse Guards at Whitehall to explain their conduct on March 2, 1783.

The court martial was held from Tuesday, June 3-Thursday, June 9, 1783. The court was presided over by Lieut Gen James Grant and was composed of two lieutenant generals, two major generals, six colonels, two lieut colonels, two majors and one judge assistant general.

Stanhope appeared before the court as a prisoner charged with refusal to obey the orders of his superior, Lieut Governor Ferguson, who was also the commander in chief of the island's forces.

The Lieut Governor explained that the members of his administration were forced to abandon their quarters in Concordia and move to Caledonia on May 31, 1781, as a security and tactical measure. They were aware that a detachment of the French forces had reached as close to the official headquarters as Belmont, where they set