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courtesy national museum of bermuda thomas m. dubois godet photograph collection

Pilot James ‘Jemmy’ Darrell A pilot gig under sail, c. 1920

James ‘Jemmy’ Darrell was a slave who belonged to Captain Francis Darrell of St. George’s.
When the captain died in 1793, Joseph Laborn became his new owner.

The same year, the British government bought land in Somerset that would become
HM Dockyard, and in preparation for the construction of the docks a British surveyor,
Lt. Thomas Hurd was sent to carry out a marine survey of the island.
,
James Darrell was among the slaves who assisted Hurd, probably because of his skill as
a pilot and his great knowledge of the island’s bays, inlets and coastline. Piloting was
an occupation that blacks dominated in the 1700s.
While carrying out the survey, Hurd noticed several channels at the east end of the
island that might allow naval ships to navigate the perilous reefs and enter the protect-
ed waters, and on May 17, 1795, Darrell manoeuvred the 74-gun ship HMS Resolution
into what is now known as Murray’s Anchorage. It was a task that required great skill,
and he impressed everyone including Vice-Admiral Sir George Murray who requested
that Darrell be made a free man.

The request was approved on December 1, 1795 and he was officially granted freedom on
March 1, 1796. He became part of a thriving community of free blacks in St. George’s,
and earned a good living as King’s Pilot. Darrell married twice, once fathering a son
to an unnamed wife. The second time, he married Eusebia, and they had two children,
Thomas and Joanah, and five grandchildren. He died at the age of 66 in 1815, and left
his property to his family, whose descendants still own his home.

right:
A plaque in memory of Pilot
James Darrell is located at St.
Peter’s Church in the graveyard
for Free Blacks and Slaves in
courtesy national museum of bermuda left:
St. George’s.

James Darrell’s house on Aunt
Peggy’s Lane in St. George’s.

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