Choisi Moussa of Borno in Trinidad (1813)

 

Whilst reading in The Guardian about the digitized and index records of slaves in the British colonies, we decided to search for anyone from Borno. From perusing demographic studies of plantation societies in the British Caribbean during this period, we knew there were likely to be a few Africans from Borno toiling in the West Indies. We were able to find one in Trinidad named Choisi Moussa. Based on the name Choisi, we assume he came to Trinidad from a French island? Anyway, he was owned by Peter Joseph Girod and Peter Vandom, the proprietors of La Remise, a plantation. In 1813, the plantation had slaves from "nations" like Congo, Mandingo, Arada, Chamba, Kissi, and Ibo. Choisi Moussa was the only one from Borno and perhaps the only Muslim (although the Mandinga captive may have been Muslim). The register also tells us that Moussa had country marks on his face and back and was about 40 years old. If the relative age is accurate, he was born in c. 1773. Without learning more about his background before 1813, however, we cannot say when he was trafficked to the coast and experienced the trans-Atlantic voyage.