Sherbro Caulkers
Encyclopedia
The Caulkers of Sherbro are an Afro-European
Sherbro
clan of the region of Southern Sierra Leone
and they ruled as chiefs in Shenge
and Bonthe
. In the 18th century the Caulkers began to get involved in the slave trade and became more powerful than the white slave traders. They began to employ the Mende people
to work for them to find slaves to meet the growing demand for slaves.
. The number of agents increased and the Royal African Company
eventually began to send agents to the country in the mid-17th century. It was in 1684 that an English trader, Thomas Corker of Falmouth, left London and went to Africa in the service of the Royal African Company. Thomas initially worked on the rivers but eventually became a chief agent at York Island. It was during this time (like many other white agents in the area) Thomas Corker married an African princess of a Sherbro ruling house. Englishmen did this was to increase their influence in the area and to produce Afro-European 'middlemen' who could be a bridge between the European and African cultures for trade. The African princess who was known to the English as 'Seniora Doll' was a daughter of the Ya Kumba Kingdom's ruling between the Sherbro estuary and the Sierra Leone peninsula. Thomas Corker and Seniora Doll produced two multiracial sons, Robin and Stephen, who would be the first sons of the clan. The two sons inherited their mother's chiefdom and utilisied their European connections and name to expand their kingdom and to further their trading exploits. The clan was one the first clans to maintain strong ties with its European connections and yet still remain thoroughly Africanised, even joining the Poro Society. The clan was also one of the most powerful and well known Afro-European families in that region and even produced other separate clans. Many of the first generation Corkers continued to marry prominent Caucasians and produce other Afro-European clans and one such example is with the Clevelands. A generation later, one of the Corker chief's daughters married a prominent English slave trader stationed in Galinhas, William Cleveland, who was of the prominent Devonshire family and was also the brother to the then Secretary of the Admiralty. William Cleveland and the Corker chief's daughter produced a separate Afro-European clan (with obvious ties to the Corkers) the Clevelands and they began to become a prominent family like the Corkers. One of William Cleveland's daughters married the Englishman Henry Smeathman
, but died before he left Sierra Leone. Despite many Corkers marrying prominent whites, they also intermarried into other Afro-European clans such as the Tuckers and Rogerses. Through trade, marriage, and strong ties with African and European cultures, the Corkers expanded their influence in the region immensely. However despite their expansion the Corkers had rivalries within the family, leading to two separate branches among the family. The Clevelands also began to break ties with the Corkers, the son of William Cleveland and his Corker bride, James Corker
, joined the Poro society after being educated in Liverpool, England. He turned against the Corkers and in 1785 he sent a force to the Plaintains and surprised and killed Chief Charles Corker. It is interesting however that James Corker retained his mother's surname (or last name) and did not take his father's name Cleveland. This shows how powerful Afro-European families were becoming and that the Corkers were one of the most powerful of these families. It is also shows how Afro-European families were increasing their power and influence over the area than even the English traders and agents.
Afro-European
Black people in Europe are black people who are residents or citizens of European countries...
Sherbro
Sherbro people
The Sherbro people are a native people of Sierra Leone, who speak the Sherbro language; they make up 3% of Sierra Leone's population or about 201,000. They are also known as the Bullom people...
clan of the region of Southern Sierra Leone
Sierra Leone
Sierra Leone , officially the Republic of Sierra Leone, is a country in West Africa. It is bordered by Guinea to the north and east, Liberia to the southeast, and the Atlantic Ocean to the west and southwest. Sierra Leone covers a total area of and has an estimated population between 5.4 and 6.4...
and they ruled as chiefs in Shenge
Shenge
Shenge is coastal town in the Atlantic ocean located in Moyamba District in the Southern Province of Sierra Leone. The inhabitant of Shenge are predominantly fisherman and the town is one of the biggest fish producers in Sierra Leone. The town of Shenge can only be reached by helicopter or boat due...
and Bonthe
Bonthe
Bonthe is a town located on Sherbro Island in Bonthe District of the southern Province of Sierra Leone. The town had a population of 9,535 in the 2004 census, with a current estimate of 10,206. In colonial times it used to be a major trading centre for piassava and other agricultural products...
. In the 18th century the Caulkers began to get involved in the slave trade and became more powerful than the white slave traders. They began to employ the Mende people
Mende people
The Mende people are one of the two largest and most dominant ethnic group in Sierra Leone, along with the Temne. The Mende make up 30% of Sierra Leone's total population or 1,932,015 members...
to work for them to find slaves to meet the growing demand for slaves.
Slave Trade
During the 1620s, English merchants had a number of agents in the Sherbro region who had been trading and purchasing items of interest such as camwoodCamwood
Camwood , also known as African sandalwood, is a shrubby, hard-wooded African tree. Its wood is commonly used to make a red dye. The earliest dye wood was from West Africa...
. The number of agents increased and the Royal African Company
Royal African Company
The Royal African Company was a slaving company set up by the Stuart family and London merchants once the former retook the English throne in the English Restoration of 1660...
eventually began to send agents to the country in the mid-17th century. It was in 1684 that an English trader, Thomas Corker of Falmouth, left London and went to Africa in the service of the Royal African Company. Thomas initially worked on the rivers but eventually became a chief agent at York Island. It was during this time (like many other white agents in the area) Thomas Corker married an African princess of a Sherbro ruling house. Englishmen did this was to increase their influence in the area and to produce Afro-European 'middlemen' who could be a bridge between the European and African cultures for trade. The African princess who was known to the English as 'Seniora Doll' was a daughter of the Ya Kumba Kingdom's ruling between the Sherbro estuary and the Sierra Leone peninsula. Thomas Corker and Seniora Doll produced two multiracial sons, Robin and Stephen, who would be the first sons of the clan. The two sons inherited their mother's chiefdom and utilisied their European connections and name to expand their kingdom and to further their trading exploits. The clan was one the first clans to maintain strong ties with its European connections and yet still remain thoroughly Africanised, even joining the Poro Society. The clan was also one of the most powerful and well known Afro-European families in that region and even produced other separate clans. Many of the first generation Corkers continued to marry prominent Caucasians and produce other Afro-European clans and one such example is with the Clevelands. A generation later, one of the Corker chief's daughters married a prominent English slave trader stationed in Galinhas, William Cleveland, who was of the prominent Devonshire family and was also the brother to the then Secretary of the Admiralty. William Cleveland and the Corker chief's daughter produced a separate Afro-European clan (with obvious ties to the Corkers) the Clevelands and they began to become a prominent family like the Corkers. One of William Cleveland's daughters married the Englishman Henry Smeathman
Henry Smeathman
Henry Smeathman was an English naturalist.In 1771 John Fothergill along with two other members of the Royal Society, Sir Joseph Banks and Marmaduke Tunstall, sponsored Smeathman to spend four years in and around the Sierra Leone penininsula studying its natural history. According to John C...
, but died before he left Sierra Leone. Despite many Corkers marrying prominent whites, they also intermarried into other Afro-European clans such as the Tuckers and Rogerses. Through trade, marriage, and strong ties with African and European cultures, the Corkers expanded their influence in the region immensely. However despite their expansion the Corkers had rivalries within the family, leading to two separate branches among the family. The Clevelands also began to break ties with the Corkers, the son of William Cleveland and his Corker bride, James Corker
James Corker
James Corker or James Cleveland was a man of English descent who took part in clan fighting in precolonial Sierra Leone.-Background:...
, joined the Poro society after being educated in Liverpool, England. He turned against the Corkers and in 1785 he sent a force to the Plaintains and surprised and killed Chief Charles Corker. It is interesting however that James Corker retained his mother's surname (or last name) and did not take his father's name Cleveland. This shows how powerful Afro-European families were becoming and that the Corkers were one of the most powerful of these families. It is also shows how Afro-European families were increasing their power and influence over the area than even the English traders and agents.
19th Century Caulker Dynasty
- 1820-1832: Thomas Caulker
- 1832-1842: Charles Caulker
- 1842-1857: Canray Ba (Canreba)
- 1857-1864; Thomas Theophilus Caulker
- 1864-1888: Richard Canreba Caulker
- 1888-1895: vacant
- 1895-1898: R.C.Caulker (2nd period)
- 1898-1901: vacant
- 1901-19??: James Canreba Caulker
Caulkers today
The Caulkers are still a prominent family in Sierra Leone and have many historical intermarital ties with the Tuckers, Rogerses, and Clevelands. Most the evident ties with their European heritage have been severed and the Caulkers of today are thoroughly Africanised despite maintaining some European customs and ways of living. Today there is an oral or semi quasi testimony about the Caulkers family history and there is also a written testimony.Prominent Caulkers
- Thomas CaulkerThomas CaulkerThomas Canry Caulker was the Sherbro-born son of the King of Bompey...
-13 year old King of Bumpey, was sent to England for his education and died there in 1859. He was buried at Abney Park CemeteryAbney Park CemeteryAbney Park in Stoke Newington, in the London Borough of Hackney, is a historic parkland originally laid out in the early 18th century by Lady Mary Abney and Dr. Isaac Watts, and the neighbouring Hartopp family. In 1840 it became a non-denominational garden cemetery, semi-public park arboretum, and...
.