A short history of Barbados, from its first discovery and settlement, to the present time
Contributors: Frere, Henry; Dodsley, James, 1724-1797, bookseller; Samuel Johnson and William Samuel Johnson Libraries (Columbia University. Rare Book and Manuscript Library)
Edition: A new edition, corrected and enlarged.
Publisher: Printed for J. Dodsley, in Pall-Mall.
Published: 1768
Place of publication: London
Language: eng
Number of pages: 132
Subjects: History; Politics and government
Other titles: Short history of Barbados
Notes: Published anonymously but attributed to either Henry Frere or George Frere.

Suggested attribution to an H. Frere by Sabin but indexed under Barbados.

Ragatz attributes the work to H. Frere.

Cundall attributed the work to George Frere.

Jerome Handler, in his Guide to source material for the study of Barbados history, points out that authorities going back to 1808 [i.e. John Poyer] attribute this work to H. Frere or Henry Frere, who was a member of the council and its president from 1790-1793. The name of George Frere apparently first appeared in 1909 in Frank Cundall's Bibliography of the West Indies. Cf. Adams.

Schomburgk, Hist. of Barbados, p. vii, refers to the author simply by his surname, remarking that he seems merely to have copied from Oldmixon and the "Memoirs of the first settlement of the island of Barbados," 1743.

"There is little that the author can call his own. The greater part of it is a palpable plagiarism, and the adoption is rendered less valuable by the mutilated and imperfect state in which it was sent into the world." Cf. Hist. of the Barbados / by John Poyer, 1808, p. x.

On the Frere family in the Barbados see the memoir of John Hookham Frere prefixed to the latter's works, London, 1872, v. 1, p. xi.

First edition printed London, 1768 under title: A short history of Barbados, from its first discovery and settlement, to the end of the year 1767.

Pages xii-xiii are a short reply to Remarks upon a book, intitled A short history of Barbados, in which the partial and unfair representations of the author upon the subjects of his history in general, and upon that of the demand of privileges in particular, are detected and exposed / by John Gay Alleyne, first printed [Bridgetown?] Barbados, 1768.

"A list of the commanders in chief of Barbados from its first settlement": pages 131-132.

Signatures: pi1 (pi1 verso blank) A-I⁸ (A1, A7 versos blank) K² ( -K2).

Sabin, J. Dictionary of books relating to America from its discovery to the present time, 3289

Cundall, F. West Indies, 35

Adams, T.R. American controversy, 68-9b

English short title catalogue, T92935

Gift; Johnson family; 1914.