ABSTRACT
The two documents by John Ashley illustrate Barbadians and West Indians in general and were not always contented with their status in the empire, frequently and bitterly complaining about trade laws and various forms of misgovernment. The various testimonies by Barbadians on the governance and character of their late governor, Emanuel Scrope Howe, were all remarkable for the good will they exuded. A Pattern for Governours comprises a 29 March news item and obituary from the Barbados Gazette, two testimonies to Howe’s character from the same newspaper, a speech by the Speaker of the House of Representatives advocating the payment of expenses to Howe’s widow to cover debts incurred in Barbados and the costs of transporting her family and her husband’s remains back to England. The tributes testify powerfully to the political difficulties Barbadians suffered. The documents were collected together by an anonymous editor as a tribute to Howe.
