] Thanks, Dee. I don't know whether this particular article would have inspired JA -it might be just in time for MP. It reminds me of the trial of Earl Ferrars, who was hanged for the murder of his servant in 1711. This Hodge seems to be a really nasty character. Do we know any more about him? If he's a "Hon." then he's an aristocrat. Was he a member of Parliament, too? Where was he from?

You are very welcome. Sorry for the delay in answering - no time until this morning. I just did a search for Hodge, and it seems that his was a milestone case. He was the only slave owner ever executed for killing one of his slaves. I discovered prize-winning biography online which focuses on his life in general and the incidents leading up to his death. (Link below) Excerpt follows:

Arthur Hodge was a dominant figure in the Virgin Islands in the early 1800s. Born in the islands, he studied at Oxford and later served in the British army. His wife was a sister-in-law of the Marquess of Exeter. He was described as a man of great accomplishments and elegant manners. But evidence presented during his trial revealed another side of his character. Between 1803 and 1808 Hodge had murdered as many as sixty - or one-half - of the slaves who labored on his Tortola plantation. They died by whipping, scalding and having boiling water poured down their throats.