The Shaws

The Family Shaw.

This wicked tale is set mostly in the North-West of England and starts in January 1820. This was not a good time to be poor in England, and a great, great many people were poor. Mad King George 111 died on the 29th of the month and his son became George 1V. The extent of civil unrest in the, newly, United Kingdom at that time was very much greater than is commonly realised and in the 12 months either side of January 1820 a total well in excess of 100 citizens would die and many more than 1,000 would be injured in riots and in the use of militia and cavalry to subdue, in Edmund Burke's phrase the 'swinish multitude'.  The end of the Napoleonic Wars, at the Battle of Waterloo, was only 5 years before and there were very many unemployed former sailors and soldiers who had been dismissed from King George's service. The progress of the industrial revolution was also having a great effect on the daily life of a large number of people. In the North-West of England the moist atmospheric conditions were almost perfect for weaving and there was a history of large halls where skilled weavers worked at their individual looms and earned a reasonable wage. There was such a history but, with the harnessing of steam power and the invention of power looms this way of life was coming to an end. One man could now supervise several looms and the unwanted weavers were unceremoniously sacked. Their wages had been halved over the previous few years in any event. The Corn Laws were still in effect and harvests had been poor. There was a shortage of corn and a great many people were unable to feed themselves and their families. It might have been thought that a new King's accession would, for a short period at least, have given the masses a hope that things might improve but the new King had been Regent for ten years and there was no hope for any relief from oppression, drudgery and hunger for the masses.  There were many consequences of this but we shall explore some of these later.

For the poor people, more than 90% of the population, there was a deep recession (over the next 4 years prices would drop by a third!). Wages were dropping even more rapidly since there were large numbers of people looking for every job. Government presided over this state but did not feel it had any obligation to try to change it and very few politicians had any concern for the poor. A warped version of utilitarianism, commitment to a free market economy and the ideas of  Rev. T. R. Malthus were in vogue. Anyway none of these wretches could vote, since there was a minimum property ownership qualification, and government was of the rich, for the rich and by the rich. The common people had had enough of high sounding speeches from would be politicians who had no intention of ever seeking change if they secured office. To paraphrase Edmund Burke these men were hypocrites and so could make the highest promises of which they could conceive since they had no intention of ever carrying them out. In the parliamentary constituency of Burgh the elected member was Sir Geoffrey Shaw who at 35 was seen as a rising star of the ruling Tory party.  As befitted a successful politician he was married and his wife, Rose, was the only child of a local aristocratic family. Her father was Walter Bruys, The 14th Earl of Kirkbride and her family had a magnificent history certainly going back to the Wars of the Roses. The family was now virtually impoverished and every item they owned was mortgaged. The Shaw family was in a very different financial league. Three generations ago they had raised themselves from the common herd by dint of hard work and astute trading. They secured the co-operation of three other, would be wealthy, families and banded together to outfit a ship which they sailed from Liverpool on the triangular trade. Baubles and trade goods out to Africa, slaves across to the Indies and Americas then sugar, tobacco and cotton back to Liverpool. After the first, extremely successful and profitable trip, they used all their part of the proceeds to outfit a second trip on their own account. This time they bought their first plantation in Jamaica with part of the proceeds. A third trip saw the purchase of large tracts of land and the funding of mines in England. The  fourth and fifth trips ensured that their family would have all the advantages money could secure. These trips took place between 1760 and 1765. Sir Geoffrey's father was born in 1760 and, in 1790, when the creator of the original wealth died, at the age of 65, Geoffrey's father purchased a Baronetcy. This is an old, hereditary, title set between the nobility and the knighthood. Since the time of James 1 (V1 of Scotland) it had been a source of income to the crown. While the common masses acknowledged the title the aristocracy looked down their noses at the upstarts. Sir Geoffrey's father died in 1815.

Continuous astute handling of the family affairs at a time when opportunities for substantial economic gains abounded  had seen the star of the Shaw family soar and the true magnitude of their accumulated wealth was not commonly appreciated. In addition to a wife Sir Geoffrey had two younger brothers and their names were James and George. While the nobility would scrimp to buy their eldest son a commission in the army or secure a post in the navy a family which had secured it's advancement through shrewd commercial dealings appreciated the value of education. To that end Sir Geoffrey had an excellent classical education, James was a doctor of medicine and George a minister of the Church of England. There was another branch of the family and they were the children of Sir Geoffrey's aunt whose married name was Fletcher. The elder of these, Michael, who was the same age as Geoffrey, managed the family interests in Jamaica while the younger, Steven, was a highly respected and astute local solicitor. So successful had the Shaw family been in their acquisitions that they owned they whole area of the town of  Burgh and all but a very few of the farms for about 10 miles in all directions. Only the family knew, however, that Geoffrey had been working since the day he married to buy up all the debts and mortgages of his in-laws. He was sure that his wife had only consented to their marriage because she would properly be styled Lady Shaw and would live in comfort. The security of having her parent's fate in his hands he considered to be a sound precaution.

It was the receipt of the quarterly Jamaica accounts, and a letter from Michael, which triggered the events that saw the family descend into behaviour which eventually would challenge the libertines of the Marquis de Sade in their perversity and evil. All of the family were personally extremely wealthy and the incomes from their multitudes of properties were shared amongst them. Michael had control of all their West Indies interests which extended to 3 plantations, sugar presses, docks etc. and he lived in sumptuous elegance. The total number of slaves approached a thousand and his household retinue alone was 40. All these expenses were borne as a cost of the enterprise and Michael's 20% of the net profits of the Indies enterprises was available to him for investment in private pursuits. This was a very substantial sum. The Burgh Shaws always had a meeting when the quarterly returns from the Indies were received and the 1820 February meeting was held in Sir Geoffrey's home. As usual  Lady Shaw was not at home and was visiting her parents. Sir Geoffrey's home, Burgh Manor, was a 15 year old 16 room mansion in its own grounds of 4 acres on the outskirts of Burgh. He had 12 servants all of whom, except for a couple of low level maids, had served the family for several years. Lady Shaw had, of course, taken her personal maid, carriage driver and footman with her so 9 were left in Burgh Manor. After a meal, which was relatively modest for personages of that status at that time, but would still have fed some 50 or so, the gentlemen retired to the smoking room to conduct their business. Michael had, as was usual, written to his brother who, in close conjunction with Sir Geoffrey, in practice oversaw all the family businesses.

As was normal port and cigars were taken and Sir Geoffrey began the business by excusing the servants and, when they were alone, said

       “Right lads we have Michaels report so, Steven, over to you.”

In their private dealings the Shaws neither beat about the bush nor adopted grand manners. Steven immediately went into the Jamaica accounts.

       “We all know the form these take so the gross trading profit for the quarter was £78,000, the net trading profit was £65,000. The capital value of the investment is £850,000 and that is an increase in £112,000 in comparison with the winter quarter for 1818. Any questions?”, he said.

At this he passed round copies of a one page extract of the accounts for the others to see. The brothers looked over the figures with experienced eyes.

       “I see Michael is living well,” said James and, as he saw Steven about to intercede on his brother's behalf, raised his hand slightly and continued “however I must say that with the work he has done on all our behalves he is worth every penny. I would like to move acceptance of the accounts and that we send a letter to cousin Michael with our heartiest greetings and grateful thanks for his efforts.”

This was met with the full agreement of all the family. After a couple of minutes George casually asked,

       “Do we have any other business tonight?”

The split up of the British enterprises profits was different. Steven charged for his services at full price and received free use of premises for his legal practice as well as certain other small perquisites within the family's gift. Sir Geoffrey had 50% of the net income in recognition of his need to maintain an imposing presence and the younger brothers each 25% of the net. This meant that Sir Geoffrey had an income well in excess of £200,000 per annum. (To get an idea of the current equivalent value multiply all sums by a little over 40!)

Sir Geoffrey replied to George's question with,

       “Yes. Steven and I have discussed this fully and we shall be closing the weaving halls. A new set of Mr William Horrock's most modern powered looms will be installed in a new factory. These will be supplied by power from a steam engine to be supplied by Mr William Sims and will be the most up to date, and profitable, in Europe. This all will be built on the land at the rear of the existing hall. The profits which this will generate should pay for the change over inside three years. We have not, as yet, made any decision regarding the disposition of the exiting halls but it will take at least nine months to achieve the hand over of production. Any thoughts either of you have would be welcome. Perhaps at our next meeting.”

The brothers nodded their agreement.  Steven then said,

       “Sorry to have to introduce a negative note but the costs of poor relief are rising rapidly and if we are not careful they will soon impact on our incomes.”

James and George were well aware of the problems which the masses of the population were facing and also knew that the weaving machines proposal would make them worse. They chose to say nothing but again merely nodded in acknowledgement of Steven's comment as they savoured the fresh cigars which had come with Michael's letter.

A short period of silent contemplation followed then Steven said,

“As usual Michael sent a letter with the quarterly accounts. It's a bit different from his usual but you may find it interesting.”

Michael's Letter -

Steven,

Hello brother. Thanks for your letter about the last meeting I'm glad that the family are pleased with progress. Hope everyone is well. Tell the cousins that I am asking after them and hope that Sir Geoffrey has brought that high born bitch of his to heel. The latest accounts seem to me to be healthy and the profits are well up from this time last year. The new plantation will be in full production by the last quarter of 1820 so the medium term prospects look most promising. Property values here  are holding up well and now that we export to all of the continent the long term looks good too. The one problem which I can see is to know when these Whig do gooders will abolish slavery in the colonies like it was back in '72 at home. There seems to be no move towards this in the Southern United States so it may be a sound idea to move our investments to there over the next few years. I am already investing modestly there myself and, as you will find out from what follows. I have made a most fortunate contact and will give you full report of a visit I shall be making to the United States over the next few weeks as soon as I can.

Had a most interesting diversion last week. One of the field slaves, a moderately valuable female of 22 years, ran off. It seems she wanted to try to follow her 'husband' who we had sold to a cotton plantation in Mississippi a month before. She got all of 15 miles before the dogs caught her. She had no idea how far away Mississippi is and thought she could get there by walking. When Struthers, our Scottish overseer of the plantations brought her back in chains, we had a quick conversation and decided we had to impose a severe punishment. We also considered that, at that time, we would rather not loose a valuable asset and that we would not permanently damage her and would then sell her off the island. So just after noon we took the wretch to the stables, stuck a gag in her mouth and had her hung from her wrists by chains suspended from the stable door lintel in the full glare of the sun. Her feet were about a foot off the ground. Struthers then stripped off all her rags and began to apply a sound whipping from the shade inside the stables. As for myself I positioned myself on a bench about 6 feet away, in a nice patch of shade, having equipped myself with a carriage whip. As the mood took me I administered the odd flick of the tip of the whip to the choicer parts of the strumpet's body. One of the female house slaves attended on me with a pitcher of iced lemonade and every so often I took a sip.

Struthers is quite an expert with the whip, he gets adequate practice I suppose. As is his normal practice he started with the slave's back. You know the pattern of tartan. Well we call it Struthers Tartan when you view a slave's back after a dozen or so lashes delivered by this practitioner. He can either draw blood with every stroke or, as in this case, leave the most impressive and vivid weals on the skin of his subject. Every individual blow is measured and the effect of the lash as it lands precisely on its target every single time is exquisite. To watch as each impact is accompanied by the most delicious jerking and twitching of the females body is delightful. I have to tell you it was also mightily arousing. After five minutes of this with only about 4 dozen lashes delivered, all to her back and buttocks, the runaway passed out.

I invited Struthers to come over out of the sun to share a glass of lemonade with me. While we were discussing how to proceed the most irregular thing happened. We had just agreed to get a stable slave to throw a bucket of water over her to revive the runaway, so that we could resume the punishment, when the house slave spoke up. Can you believe it, being interrupted by a slave! Struthers drew his hand back but, before he could land it, I drew him a look which stopped him. I wanted to see how far this female would go. She said,

       “Master please don't whip her any more. She's learned her lesson. She'll be a good girl and won't run away again. No more please master.” 

Naturally I made no reply, wholly ignored her and, turning to Struthers, said,

       “I had always suspected it was so Struthers. They do not understand. We will make sure she can never run away again but it is necessary for the other slaves to see what happens to everyone who does. The purpose of her punishment is not to ensure she will never try to run away again but that no one else will try to run away for a first time. Now, however, we have another matter of discipline to address. This creature”,

I pointed towards the errant house slave,

       “'How dare it interrupt our conversation. By what right does it presume to talk unbidden to it's betters? I am most displeased. What do you propose Mr Struthers?”

       “Well Sir the lintel will as easily carry the weight of two as one and we can get another whip and a strong right arm. I suggest we hang her beside this other bitch and strip the skin off the two of them,” said Struthers.

       “Yes, yes,” I mused, then, turning to the house slave.

        “You have one chance to reduce your punishment. What do you have to say for yourself?” She thought for a few seconds then she dropped to her knees and said,

       “Master I apologise most sincerely. The runaway is my sister and to see the agony which she was suffering deranged my mind. You own me and all I can do is to promise you that I shall suck you and fuck you with a skill and fervour that you will not find anywhere else. I beg you to not to be severe with me and to show mercy.” I should add that I have availed myself of her services previously and she knew that I do enjoy a good fuck.

       “Wait there.” I ordered and turned to Struthers.

       “Walk a bit with me Mr Struthers while we discuss this.” I said to him. As we walked we discussed the situation.

Now you should know that I have no regard for these blacks (not Michael's word) and view them as wholly duplicitous. Their word is never to be relied on and at every turn they shirk their duties. What can be achieved by 6 Englishmen requires at least 11 blacks. Apparently 10 to do the work and the eleventh to sound the beat. We do not use that system here and the eleventh sounding the beat does so with a whip. However, I digress.

You should know that Struthers and I get along very well and in a great many things we share a common viewpoint. We quickly hatched a plan which we felt would give us both significant pleasure and provide a salutary lesson for the other slaves. We agreed that the lesson which could be taught was worth two female slaves and that their fate was now determined.  We returned to the house slave. She was shaking with fear while still kneeling on the ground. Her sister had partially revived and was moaning through her gag while still hanging limply by her arms.

Addressing the kneeling slave I said,

       “We have discussed this case and consider that as well as myself you have slighted Mr Struthers. What you propose does nothing to mitigate the insult he suffered when you interrupted our conversation. You know he has our full authority to impose whatever punishments he considers appropriate. What reason would he have to show you any mercy?  Are you also begging for mercy for your sister? Her punishment is hardly begun. Speak slave.”

Her reply absolutely sealed her ultimate fate.

       “Master I will gladly minister to Mr Struthers also if that will ease my sister's pain”, she said eagerly.

       “Let us see how skilled you are then”, I replied.

       “While you pleasure me Mr Struthers will interview your sister and explore what contributions she can make towards a commutation of her punishment.”

What an afternoon we had brother. The girl was stripped naked and began by reverently removing my cock from my breeches. She then kissed the tip and licked my balls while she gently stroked me. My organ responded quickly to this treatment and soon I was aroused and ordered her to take me into her mouth. Her previous practice had been to hold my erect cock near the root and while she took the first four inches into her mouth she would lick and nuzzle my member. This time she knew that would not suffice and she slowly took my whole length into her throat. She then began nodding and the feeling was as if I was fucking her throat. I suppose I was. It is an exquisite feeling. She tried to pull out further than I desired so I grabbed her head and pulled her onto my erect cock. She started to choke and, as I ejaculated down her throat, she lost consciousness. So I withdrew from her gullet, checked she was still breathing and turned my attention to Struthers.

He had tied ropes round the ankles of the runaway and had pulled her legs impossibly wide apart. He had then lowered her, still suspended by her wrists, till her cunt was only a convenient three feet or so above ground level. She had recovered consciousness and was now fully aware of what was going on. The way Struthers had arranged her both her orifices were available for use. It is our usual practice when we fuck slaves in the colonies not to come in their cunts. We do not want too many half cast bastards. We either come in the whore's mouth, severe punishments are issued for spilling a single drop of master's seed, or bugger her and come in their arsehole at the end. Struthers knew in this case that pregnancy would not be a consideration and he was vigorously fucking the black. With every thrust he drove his penis in to its hilt and sent his pelvis hammering into her vulva. He was demanding to know who had helped her escape and stressed his question by alternately biting her tits chewing them as if they were being worried by a wild animal. He was getting no answers but I suppose that might have been because he had neglected to remove the gag he had forced into her mouth before the whipping began. He saw me watching and grinned as he again and again drove his weapon home. With every blow the bitch shuddered and issued a low moan.

My own strumpet was now showing signs of recovery so I returned to where she was retching and belching and said,

        “What about this memorable fuck then. My weapon is ready and you had better be. If you know what's good for you.”

       “Yes master.” she croaked and fairly jumped forward to service my cock.

       “I am fatigued so you will have to do all the work,” I said reclining languidly in a spot from which she would be unable to see what was happening to her sister. The sight of Struthers pounding the runaway had revived my cock and the house slave immediately straddled me and began to squat down while guiding my cock into her cunt. She lowered herself onto my cock till it was entirely buried into her cunt. I can only describe what happened then by saying that she milked my cock with her cunt. The muscles in her cunt contracted and she gripped me in a most delicious way. Still holding onto my cock with her cunt she raised herself and my cock gradually escaped from her 'grasp'. Before the tip slid out she released the grip with her muscles and quickly plunged down again to rub her labia against my balls. She then repeated this sequence again and again. Her tits bounced up and down in rhythm with her thrusts onto my cock and, after five or six thrusts, I could no longer resist grabbing hold of her nipples and 'assisting' her movement by pulling her down onto my cock all the while rolling her swelling nipples between fingers and thumbs.

After about 5 minutes of this she started to squeal and her whole body twitched as she orgasmed. Her pace dropped off and I ordered her,

       “Bitch, keep at it till I come and tell you that you can stop.”  Well, since I had shot a load of seed less than 10 minutes before, she had to keep up her ministrations for another 20 minutes or so. Before I came, however, she had another orgasm herself and after that she was continuously moaning till I came in her vagina. My penis became flaccid and as I withdrew from her snatch I ordered her to clean me with her mouth. When this had been been achieved to my satisfaction, and every drop of spunk sucked out of my spent weapon, I instructed the doxy to stay where she was and went to see how Mr Struthers was getting on.

Struthers was sitting drinking some of the iced lemonade. The runaway was still suspended in her unnatural pose and fluid was dropping from her cunt to the ground below. For the first time I called Struthers by his first name.

       “William, I see you are taking a well earned rest. What do you think of the impertinence of that bitch in trying to negotiate with us. Have your interrogations borne any fruit?”, I said quietly chuckling and smiling.

       “She wasn't very clear but I am sure she tried to tell me something about her sister.” he replied.

       “That is good enough for me.” I said. “It confirms my determination that we must make an example of these two. I assume you agree?”

       “Certainly Mr Fletcher” he replied. “Perhaps at tonight's soiree?”

       “A good idea but I have to oversee the household arrangements. I assume I can rely on you to fix up something special, and memorable, for these two? Also from now when there are no slaves around I would be happy if you would call me Michael. I feel we are almost as brothers set amongst these beasts. You know that my lineage is certainly not superior to your own and I would be honoured to be as your brother.”, I replied.

This resulted in the only occasion when I have ever seen Struthers taken aback. It took him about ten seconds to compose himself.

       “The honour is mine, Michael” was his short and heartfelt reply as we shook hands.

This may be a suitable point to ask the family to agree to a change of status for William Struthers. At this time he is a salaried employee. He has, assisted only by slaves, seen the new plantation designed, stocked and in all ways brought to the stage outlined in the main business report. He has never once asked for any more than his salary but has rendered exceptional service. I would like the family to consider making him a junior partner in the new plantation. I would propose that we pay his salary, as agreed, up till the plantation is in full production and thereafter offer him 10% of the net profits. The charges for Shaw facilities which the plantation will employ to be at cost, as they are charged to all our other plantations in our accounts. Should he thereafter be instrumental in our adding other enterprises to the Shaw holdings then he would be a junior partner in these also on the same terms. I do not expect an immediate response to this since it is a radical departure from our normal business practices but I must admit that I could not, personally, have seen to such a rapid bringing of our current expansion plans to fruition. Be assured that this matter has not been mentioned to Mr Struthers and a negative reply will only require that I say nothing to him. Should that be your answer I shall, on my own authority, appoint him as controlling manager of the new plantation and award him an increase in salary. This would probably delight him but I am convinced that, as a junior partner in the family's Indies operations, we would see an expansion in our interests which would eventually benefit us all very substantially. If our new plantation were to be equally as profitable as the four we already have our annual net profits from it would be of the order of £60-£70,000 per annum. For a salaried controlling manager I would expect to pay around £2,000 a year (Struthers currently gets £1,750 a year.) so on salary there would be about £63,000 a year to share giving us each £12,600 per annum. As a junior partner Struthers would get £6-£7,000 a year and I would then expect always to achieve the higher of the potential profits still giving £63,000 a year to share amongst us. We would also have a highly motivated associate to promote our further interests in the region. Obviously I am all for this but would agree that a unanimous decision of all the family would by far be the most satisfactory way forward. Once you have reached a decision please let me know either way. But back to my tale.

I said loudly, so that the both slaves could hear,

       “That bitch over there owes you a prime suck and fuck so while you get your dues I'll see to our runaway here. She may be more forthcoming with me now that you have loosened her up a bit.” With that Struthers strolled over to where I had left the house slave recovering from our session. I helped myself to a glass of lemonade and, in a very short time, heard choking and spluttering coming from behind the stalls. Honestly I was not immediately in any condition to fuck the runaway and I did not want the house slave to hear her sister being whipped again before Struthers had availed himself of her expert attention. I had a thought, however, and walked over to the bitch. I was in front of her and she could see that neither was my cock aroused nor was there a whip in my hands. I think it was a pleading look in her eyes and she tried to mumble something through her gag. I went right up to her, as if to put my right ear to her mouth, and bent forward so that the impression was complete. The expression on her face was exquisite as I violently and all in one movement  forced my right hand all the way into her gaping, sloppy cunt till it had swallowed my wrist. She squirmed so deliciously as I formed my hand into a fist inside her and started punching her cervix. I assure you that my cock virtually sprang to attention and was fully engorged before I had delivered many more than a dozen uppercuts (should it be uppercunts?) to her. So sloppy and stretched was her cunt with the treatment it had received that it felt like I was fucking a tunnel so I abandoned that orifice and resolved to bugger the bitch.

I have found that the most satisfactory buggering of a bitch is ensured when accompanied by random applications of pain. That is guaranteed to produce a contraction of the rear passage. I find that sensation quite exhilarating and devised a most satisfactory way to achieve that. The Struthers Tartan was still prominent all over the  whores back and I called for a bucket of turpentine and a stiff paint brush. While these were being fetched I buried my cock up to its balls into her rear passage. She was very dry and my invasion must have been quite painful. She moaned appropriately and her muscles clenched. So tight had Struthers stretched her, however, when he tied her up that she was unable to move even in the slightest. For my part I knew that her present pain was but a shadow of what she was about to experience and would be like the minor shock which is often the precursor of a major earthquake. After a few seconds the brush and turpentine had arrived and I dipped the brush in the turpentine. I drove my prick into her then painted the top of her back with turpentine. Wow!! She seemed to explode. Her movement was so violent that she partially dislocated her left hip. Her clenching was so intense that I felt as if my cock was being squeezed by giant hands. Unfortunately she also passed out.

My cock was still fully engorged so I walked round to the stalls to where Struthers was having his cock milked. I pushed the bitch forward and bent her over his body. That brought her tits to within reach of Struthers mouth and he immediately bit into her right pap and held on chewing the soft flesh. For my part I drove my cock all the way into her rear passage and began to bugger her. It took 20 minutes for Struthers and I to achieve our objectives  during which time she had come at least three times. Later on Struthers said to me that when she was milking his cock he had thought it was impossible to experience a more pleasurable sensation. He found out that he was in error when it was accompanied by chewing on the bitch's nipple (he admitted he has always had a fetish about chewing off a nipple) and then again when, in addition, the whore was being buggered at the same time it literally blew his mind.

It was time for me to go to make arrangements for the soiree so I left to Struthers the arrangements for the disposition of the two slaves which would take place at the rear of the big house during the soiree. This in not so insensible as it may seem and serves a purpose for the whole of the plantation owners  in the island. They all bring slaves with them and news of a salutary example of the penalty imposed for  attempted escape, and for assisting escape, will quickly pass round the island. Also almost all of those who attend the soiree will be males and the very few females who do come will know to stay in the big house if the spectacle is likely to offend them.

Invitations had been sent a month previously to all the big houses and plantations on the island and selected other individuals. All in all we expected between 50 and 60 guests for certain though it was made clear in Jamaica society that any white person who was on the island at the day of our soiree would be most welcome to receive our hospitality. I should say that the generosity of the hospitality which we offer to our guests is legendary in the island and goes a long way to ensuring that whenever we express any commercial interest in a matter no one attempts to hold us to ransom or make an unreasonable profit from us. There are currently two competing factions in the island and we are perceived as neutral and have managed to remain on good terms with both. It would be a serious loss to them if they were to lose the only location where they can meet and make civilised arrangements in a convivial atmosphere to their mutual advantage. I studiously preserve this neutrality and am thankful that our holdings are sufficiently substantial that it is not necessary for us to ally our interests with the one or the other.

Soon our guests began to arrive and it became immediately apparent that the news of our runaway had spread throughout the community. The guests were all relieved when I assured them that we had apprehended both the runaway and her conspirator in her escape. I advised them that the two were presently in the custody of Mr Struthers awaiting my final judgement on the punishment for their crimes. That I proposed delivering that to the collected gentlemen immediately after dinner, once the ladies had withdrawn and the gentlemen were enjoying some port and cigars. That my guests would be able to participate, if they wished, in the punishment and that their own slaves would know of the fate of the pair. Their approval was universal. Indeed one of their company, of whose identity I was at that time unaware, approached me. I introduced myself to him and gave him a hearty welcome saying that I was delighted to see him and to make his acquaintance. That I hoped that he would enjoy his evening and that it would not be the only time I would be able to offer him my hospitality. He replied presenting his card and said that he was most gratified to receive so fulsome and patently genuine a welcome especially as he was a citizen of the United States and had presented himself and his daughter without a formal invitation. I assured him that he should think nothing of it and that all persons of such obvious quality as himself and his daughter, were always welcome at Burgh plantation whether to a soiree or not and that if he would honour me with a private visit, at some time convenient to him, I would  be most pleased to entertain him. He was most profuse with his expressions of gratitude and assured me that his true intention in approaching me was to complement his host on his sensibilities to the ladies in the arrangements he proposed and no other.

I thanked him for his sentiments and said that unfortunately I had other guests waiting and it would be improper of me to be remiss in my duties to them so I was forced to excused myself but suggested that we might find an opportunity to talk later.  It was only later that I was able to examine his card to find out that I was host to Mr. David Holmes. I do not know how aware you may be of personalities in this part of the world but Mr Holmes is the Governor of the State of Mississippi. Without doubt amicable relations and an understanding with him would be very beneficial to us particularly if you should you decide that family interests would be well served by expansion into the United States.

When Mr Struthers came in I inquired if all was prepared and he told me he had readied something special and that he hoped I would not be disappointed. I assured him that my part in the punishment of the runaway and her sister was concluded and that, as host, I could now only be concerned about my guests. I also suggested that he might never get a better chance to explore his dream regarding the nipple. The restrictions and limitations on what I could do did not extend to him. I inquired if he had brought out a farriers mobile forge to the punishment area since that would enable any serious wounds to be cauterised and prevent premature loss of consciousness or death by rapid blood loss. He left and came back five minutes later saying all had been arranged. He also advised me that all the carriage drivers, grooms and servants of my guests had been paraded past the pair and were visibly shocked at their state and the obvious import of the arrangements which surrounded them.

The turnout to this soiree was exceptional with almost eighty visitors. 72 males, 4 wives and 2 daughters. We had catered for up to 100 so our arrangements were perfectly adequate. I avoided any lengthy speeches or toasts and busied myself by making sure that all went well. I need not have worried since the household staff carried everything off admirably. The food was plain but superbly prepared, cooked and impeccably served in courses as in the modern French style. Dinner was over in just under two hours and the ladies retired to the music room where I had arranged for a string quartet to entertain them. The gentlemen then relaxed with port and cigars in the library. Some of my neighbours had brought their very young sons with them and I quietly approached each of them and explained that they might not wish their young offspring's immature sensibilities shocked with what was about to be discussed. This gave them an opportunity to send their sons to the music room with the ladies or, as I suggested to them, to the billiards room where they could amuse themselves and I would ensure they were well catered for with soft drinks etc. I have to admit I was pleased when all the adults agreed to my suggestion  so when I moved to the business of the evening only adults were in attendance.

I won't try to say all that I said to the assembled group as the style here is excessively verbose but the gist was that we had had an instance of a slave running away. I advised them that she had been caught that morning, brought back to the plantation and that in our interrogation we had discovered that her escape had been assisted by another of our slaves. I explained that while I might be able to see a single runaway, who ran on the spur of the moment, return to the slave population if suitably chastised I cannot see how I could possibly  allow the  perpetrators of a conspiracy, and a planned runaway, to return and contaminate the minds of the other slaves. So, with a heavy heart, I had to tell my guests that both slaves were not to live till the next morning. I invited anyone who would wish to advocate a lesser penalty to do so immediately and assured that I would give full consideration to their representations, should they wish to speak up against this extreme punishment.  No one voiced any opposition. Indeed there was a murmur of general agreement round the room.

I pointedly allowed a short pause in case anyone wished to comment before I continued. I then advised that the next half hour I would be allowing the slaves an opportunity to make their peace with their makers and, during that time, I would understand if any of my guests would wish to leave and take their families home. You will all remain my honoured guests and no one will be lowered one jot in my esteem should they choose to avail themselves of this opportunity to leave. In the meantime let us all have our normal after dinner discussions. With that I started to wander round the room talking to my guests.

This is when I had an opportunity to talk to Governor Holmes. I said to him that I hoped that he did not feel insulted at my treating him like any other guest and that I had only become aware of his illustrious position when I had the leisure to read his card. I asked that he convey my apologies also to his daughter. For his part he said that so generous was my hospitality that he could not conceive of any deficiency whatever in my treatment of his daughter and himself. He confided to me that the purpose of his visit was to see how the Jamaica plantations were run and that had been quite disappointed in the plantations which he had so far visited. He believed their management was little short of pathetic. I inquired as to where he was staying and, when he told me that he was resident in a Kingston hotel, I immediately offered to entertain himself and his daughter  for the remainder of his visit. I promised to show him personally round all the 'Shaw' holdings and that these included a plantation which we were bringing into production from virgin ground and would be fully productive in less than 1 year. He replied that this was more than anyone could reasonably ask of any host, even so convivial a one. I assured him that while one always sought to take advantage of an opportunity to enjoy the company of a person of quality I would not deny that I could see possibilities of benefit to 'Shaw' holdings if, during his visit, he were to come to a view that our commercial practices were of superior merit. So, in truth, my motives were commercial as well as  those of a host. This caused him to laugh heartily and he said,

       “Young man it is refreshing to talk with you. You are sensible to others, obviously well respected in you community and forthright even with someone you do not know. It will be my great pleasure to accept you kind offer of hospitality. When can it be arranged?” I undertook that I would send a carriage to Kingston on the following afternoon, once the heat of the sun had worn off, and that he and his daughter would be my guests for so long as he desired. We shook hands on it and then I passed on to our other guests who wished words about business matters such as delivering their sugar to our crushing mills, dock arrangements etc.

The allotted half hour having passed the assembled body then adjourned to the rear of the house where the two errant slaves awaited their fates. Struthers had had a triangular, Tyburn style, gallows built with uprights of almost ten feet but, in addition, there was a lower  second triangle which was open at the side not occupied by one of the condemned. This second was similar to a hitching rail and was set with its sides parallel to two of the main sides of the gallows. He had had the whores tidied up with their bodies cleaned, inside and out I am told, and the runaway's displaced hip reset. Both had a sort of metal rod or calliper attached to the outside of each leg from hip to ankle so that they were unable to bend their knees. Ropes were attached to the bottom of these rods and then passed through large staples hammered into the main uprights at about three feet above the ground. The slaves themselves were hanging suspended by ropes tied to their wrists from the cross beams of the gallows. Tables were set up about 20 feet away behind both occupied sides of the gallows with at one side cold meats, rum, whiskey etc. and on the other such a collection of whips, needles, and sticks as I had never before seen collected in one place. Beside this was set the farriers mobile furnace with irons already in it and a pleasant glow from the burning charcoal. There were also some buckets of water readily available. I caught Struthers eye and nodded my approval.

       “Gentlemen”, I said.

       “Before us are the two slaves of whose fate I advised you less than an hour ago. It is now 8 p.m.. At 10 p.m. They shall be hung by their necks until all life has left their bodies. Until that time they are at your disposal. I only require that you consider the desires of your fellow guests and do nothing which will prevent their being able to keep their 10 p.m. appointment. Mr. Struthers perhaps you would like to begin the proceedings.”

  I must say the faces of the two slaves were totally different when I pronounced their fates. As I expected the runaway appeared shocked, terrified and her eyes were pleading for mercy and she emitted a wail which was animal in origin.(Her gag of the earlier proceedings having been removed) The house slave, however, did not change her demeanour, which was in itself strange. She seemed to be wholly distracted and was muttering to herself and her lower body was gyrating in a most distracting fashion.

Mr Struthers then stepped forward and quickly explained the purpose of the various structures and pointed out the implements readily available adding that should anyone require anything else we would surely be able to secure it for them in a few minutes. His description of the possibilities readily available was met with spontaneous applause but I shall describe them as each was realised.

As an example Struthers then picked out a single tailed whip and without any warning laid a cut across the breasts of the house slave. Now, to say that that got her attention, would only go part way to describing what happened. Struthers drew blood from both breasts which, when the lash arrived, seemed to recoil from the impact. As they recovered to their original shape and the whip fell away a line of blood seeped out from both. She screamed, her whole body convulsed and writhed and her nipples shot out from her breasts. Then Struthers drew back his arm to deliver a second strike. This time he landed his lash across her belly just above the bitch's cunt. Her mouth opened wide but no sound came out and her back arched like a bow. Her legs, although bound to the callipers, were twitching in this contorted position and, I swear, the bitch had an orgasm. Struthers then ordered  slaves to

       “Open her up” and they pulled on the ropes which passed through the staples at the same time lowering those tied to her wrists. His erection was spectacular and he fucked the bitch with purpose and determination. She moaned all during this and Struthers ordered one of the grooms, who was patently harbouring an enormous erection in his breeches, to

       “Fuck her arse or join her on the gallows.”

When the groom entered her back passage, and I have to say he was hung like a horse, the whore again climaxed. At that Struthers started to chew on her left pap and when he came he bit down so hard that he ripped the flesh off her breast. The accompanied body were, for an instant only, hushed then once again broke into spontaneous applause. This was renewed when Struthers strolled over to the farriers forge removed an iron and sealed the wound on the slave's breast.

       “She wasn't going to need it to suckle any whelps anyway.” he said which brought laughter from most of the younger men.

All this time the groom had been pounding her rear passage but when Struthers burned her tit she had contracted her muscles so that  he was forced to exclaim,

       “Massa I'm going to come I can't keep it back any more.”

I immediately ordered that he should withdraw at once and not spoil the rear passage for gentlemen of substance. The wretch withdrew immediately but was obviously in some distress. Struthers raised his eyebrows to me which I knew meant he had had an idea so I nodded my approval and  he ordered the ropes which suspended the house slaves arms to be thrown over the hitching rails and had one pulled forwards tightly and anchored to a tent peg. This stretched her body forward so that her breasts were just over the crossbeams.

       “Finish him off with a handful of this as lubricant.” he said to the whore. Her attention once again, most disconcertingly, seemed to have wandered. However when the grooms enormous erection was presented before her she began to work his member with the substance in her unsecured hand. In only seconds the groom was in agony and no amount of ordering or threatening could persuade him to stay and allow the condemned woman to continue her ministrations. I suppose is may have been a bit unreasonable to expect him to be able to withstand having horse liniment rubbed into his erect penis. The sight of him running around hither and thither like a headless chicken and with an enormous throbbing erect cock, obviously uncertain as to whether he was more terrified at what punishment he might receive by disobeying an order or the agony of having horse liniment rubbed into his engorged penis, did lighten the proceedings. At this I heard a female

       “Oh my” and a quiet titter from the direction of the house. It seemed I was the only one who heard it, perhaps because I was slightly detached from the throng, which was naturally pressing towards the entertainment. I immediately made it my business to discover the source. Fortunately the proceedings were starting truly to get going and the attention of my guests was fully focussed on the torment of the slaves. This was proceeding apace but in a wholly predictable and unremarkable fashion. My guests were enjoying themselves and were fully engaged in an orgy of fucking, buggering, whipping and branding the unfortunate pair but were singularly devoid of any originality in their abuses.

I had only walked about 20 yards when I encountered  Governor Holmes and his daughter. Obviously my surprised at seeing them must have been disclosed on my face. Governor Holmes immediately said that he hoped that by bringing along his daughter he had not offended me. Having recovered my composure I was able to immediately assure him that he had not done so in the least. That my surprise was only because it was not the current common practice in Jamaica for ladies of good breeding to view such spectacles but that I could assured him that it was also not unheard of. To the contrary I must apologise to him as a host for neglecting to extend my invitation to the ladies. I immediately had two rocking chairs brought up and had them set beside the cold meats table and invited the Governor and his daughter to occupy them.

       “How delicious papa” said Miss Holmes most demurely “Do let us accept Mr Fletcher's invitation.” Governor Holmes indicated his approval and the pair made their way round to their seats. For an hour and a bit the two wretches were, whipped, branded, fucked and buggered non stop by all the assembled group. This with the exceptions of myself, Governor Holmes and a very few of the more senior guests (their grown up sons more than made up for their fathers abstinence by seeking to prove their virility before Miss Holmes). For my own part I watched Miss Holmes more closely than perhaps I should. I can confidently assure you that, although she would make appropriate ladylike noises and feign to divert her gaze, from some of the more severe abuses that were perpetrated on the pair by our more fiendish guests, she never took her eyes from the spectacle and to the contrary delighted in the tortures which were applied. At 20 minutes to 10 the pace of the assault by my guests receded and I observed Miss Holmes say something to her father following which he caught my eye.

I immediately walked over to him and inquired into how I might attend him. He asked very quietly if it might be acceptable for his daughter to participate in the chastisement of the pair before their execution. While I must admit this request surprised me I managed to give an immediate affirmative reply.

       “Which doxy do you wish to have made available?” I inquired of Miss Holmes and she indicated the runaway.

       “Do you require any implements?” I asked.

Most demurely she replied,

       “Well, some strong silk, a hammer and half a dozen or so 6 inch nails together with some skewers, a cheese wire –  oh and if you could have the forge moved closer to her it would be most helpful. Yes that will be all.  Should I begin while we are waiting?”

       “Mr Struthers” I called turning to him with an expression that clearly showed how deep my surprise was,

       “can you arrange for these items.” In a matter of seconds all the requested paraphernalia had been provided.

Miss Holmes had not been idle, however. She had ensured that her chosen victim was fully stretched with her legs horizontal. This had caused severe pain to the slave who, as you will recall, had suffered a dislocated hip earlier that day. The runaway had been stretched forward, over Struthers hitching rails, but her arms were pulled out to the sides and had been tied to the uprights of the hitching rails. Little did I realise it but we were about to be given a lesson in the application of pain by a master – sorry mistress. As a prelude, while her implements were being collected, she amused herself by landing a few wicked slashes with a riding crop on her victims labia. The slave writhed and bucked too much for Kitty's pleasure (I have since  found out that Miss Holmes's given name is Catherine) and, as soon as the hammer and nails were presented to her she took them and moved to the slave's head. She looked towards me and asked if she could have the slave pushed forward by about 9 inches. I told her to issue whatever instructions she liked and it would be done as if ordered by me. She acknowledged this most demurely and then, in the most commanding voice I have ever heard emitted from a female body, she ordered two of the slaves in attendance to

       “Push this bitch forward till her tits are hanging over on my side of this rail.” The slaves positively jumped to do her bidding. She pulled the beaten and mauled sacks of flesh that had been the runaways breasts down towards the ground. Then, so much as was possible while avoiding landing a blow on her own thumb (she insisted on conducting every part personally), looking the slave straight in her eyes she drove the first nail through the breast meat and into the beam. This hushed the spectators and when Kitty repeated the treatment through the other breast a complete silence, broken only by the moans of the slaves descended. Next she drove nails through both of the slave's outstretched hands so securing them to the hitching rail's crossbeam. She then returned to continue her beating between the slave's legs. The movement, while being equally spontaneous, was much reduced in magnitude.

After only a dozen lashes Miss Kitty laid down her whip and picked up the strong silk thread. She moved to between the slave's legs and began to tickle just above where she had been whipping. After a few seconds a nub of flesh  began to form and gradually grew in size till it was almost the same size as the slaves nipples. Kitty then deftly wound five loops of the silk round the base of the nub making very sure each was very tight and tied the silk off. She then moved back to the slave's head and repeated this treatment to each of the unfortunate's nipples. A droplet of blood trickled onto her hand while she was doing this but she ignored that and proceeded with her plan. As it turned out this droplet was just the first of many. She then instructed that ten skewers be brought to her and began to distribute them round the runaway's body. She had obviously been making too much noise for Kitty and the first skewer went vertically through her tongue and the second horizontally from one cheek through and out the other. The third was pushed through her nose and with that Kitty moved on. Each breast saw two skewers driven through, I was amazed at the elasticity of female tit skin which is truly quite remarkable, in a cross pattern. She then returned to between the slave's legs and pushed a skewer through each of her labia lips, which were very swollen as a  result of the whipping to which Kitty had already subjected them and the tenth through her tied off clitoris. Kitty was far from finished, however, and she next had the top rail to which the runaway was nailed detached from its uprights and the ropes tied to the slave's wrists passed back over the top of the gallows and pulled till they were taught. Surprisingly, to most of us, she then ordered the ropes stretching the slave's legs to be relaxed. We only realised how wicked this was when we saw that a great part of the slave's weight was now borne by the nails  driven through her tits. Very gradually they began to tear through the slave's flesh. Surely only the skewers through her tongue and cheeks reduced the volume of her screams. With only a few minutes left till the appointed time for the execution Kitty picked up her cheese-wire and first severed each of her victims nipples. The wretch's tied off and skewered clitoris was swollen and a very intense colour. Miss Kitty smacked it with the tip of a horse whip, ran her finger nails across the tender flesh and scratched it viciously before she amputated it with her cheese wire. Similar treatment followed for  the labia lips which were severed above the skewers. She then pulled a red hot iron from the farrier's furnace and seared each of the exposed wounds. We all thought she had gone so far as was possible but we were wrong. For she then ordered the slaves to fully release the ropes which secured the slave's legs to the uprights and for a slave to hang on each of the tormented bitch's legs. Soon the poor woman's tits gave up their unequal struggle to support this additional weight and they were each torn in two by the nails Kitty had driven through them. A steady stream of dark blood welled from the torn flesh till Kitty put her red hot iron to the wounds. The poor wench now seemed to have four projections from her chest where previously she had had two. Only the skewers which Kitty had driven through the tortured tit flesh held them together at their bases. I do not think it surprising that the assembled throng, which at first had enthusiastically encouraged this virago, progressively had become more and more silent with each of her tortures and a complete hush had descended.

The time was approaching 10 p.m.. A single rope with a noose worked onto the end was now thrown over each of the two occupied arms of the gallows. The condemned slaves were lowered to the ground and the nooses tightened round their necks. As 10 p.m. struck they were hoisted so their feet were clear of the ground. They struggled, choked released the contents of both their bladders and bowels but progressively their movements diminished. No doubt severely weakened by Kitty's attentions the runaway expired first but her partner in crime survived some twenty seconds or so more. The evening's diversion was now completed. I had moved over to Mr Struthers and said, quietly, to him that Governor Holmes and Miss Kitty were to be our guests from the morrow and that I wished him to apprehend the groom who had run off and detain him but not, as yet, to administer any punishment. He expressed a comment about Miss Kitty which was so obscene that I cannot repeat it!

We all now retired to the main house and left the execution scene. Miss Kitty was quite flushed and speckled with blood. Governor Holmes, on seeing this as we neared the lights of the house took his leave and I assured him that my carriage would attend him, as we had arranged, on the morrow. So ended the most exceptional day which I have ever spent.

This letter has become much larger than I had ever intended but I will write again, soon, to tell you of any developments in forging a relationship with Governor Holmes. Also of the visit which I will shortly be taking to the United States. The outcome of these could be exceptionally beneficial to our family interests but I want to consider exactly what I would recommend and make a well considered argument on its behalf. The investment required would be very substantial but the potential staggering. I look forward to your reply as soon as possible and send you, and our cousins, all my very best wishes.

Your Brother, Michael.

Sir Geoffrey spoke first.

       “Well Steven that is quite a letter. Lets deal with the business first. The matter of Struthers mentioned by Michael. My immediate thoughts are that we have already too many, diverse interests in Jamaica to expect one family member to be able to able to effectively and properly control them, far less expand them. I presume no one here wants to go to the Indies? Michael has done exceptionally well for us but might well have reached the limit of what one man, on his own can do. I am therefore in favour of his suggestion with the proviso that should Michael, or our group, as gathered here today, decide that the arrangement should be terminated then we can do so with one year's notice to Struthers. Steven, what do you think.”

Steven, as was his normal fashion took a short time to consider exactly what to say. He adopted the Harold Wilson manoeuvre and slowly lit his pipe.(His preference over a cigar.)

       “You all know I often put an alternative argument forward to that of Geoffrey. I do this when I feel there is a potentially sound alternative so that both can be properly explored. In this case, however, I believe that he has exactly grasped the essence of the matter. I had not considered the termination of any agreement with Struthers but believe Geoffrey's suggestion to be admirable. We have all noted that Michael would hope that we could reach a unanimous decision so cousins what do you say?'

As the second in age James spoke next,

       “I am in full agreement with Geoffrey's proposal what about you George?”

       “Wholly in agreement.” said George.

Steven then said,

       “I shall accordingly draw up a business letter to Michael telling him that we send our heartiest greetings and grateful thanks for the exemplary manner in which he has controlled the family affairs and that we are more than satisfied with the progress of the family interests in Jamaica. That his suggestion regarding William Struthers was given full consideration at our meeting and, with the one proviso below, which we trust will meet with his own agreement, we all, individually and collectively, agree to the following:-

Michael has the full approval of all the family to offer to Mr Struthers a junior partnership in the plantation about to come into full production, as well as in any other Shaw family interests in the region which he is instrumental in bringing into use. He will receive 10% of the net profits of all such interests (the computation of the net profit of these interests to be made in the same fashion as all our other endeavours) and, till the current plantation in development is brought into full production, will be paid at a rate not less than his present remuneration. The exact sum to be determined by Michael. This arrangement will continue till either the meeting of the family determines it should come to an end or Michael does. In either case Mr Struthers will be given at least 12 months notice. Does this wording meet with approval?” Three nods of agreement and the brothers began to discuss the other part of Michael's letter.

To be continued.