“Banes of Society” and “Gentlemen of Strong Natural Parts”
“Banes of Society” and “Gentlemen of Strong Natural Parts”
Attacking and Defending West Indian Creole Masculinity
This chapter examines the reality and perception of white masculinity in the English West Indies, drawing on the autobiography “Account of Travels” by Henry Hulton (1731–1790). Hulton was a British customs official whose travels took him throughout Europe and the American colonies, and who spent several years living in Antigua as deputy collector of the customs in the island's capital, St. John's. His text is filled with paradoxes, and heavily informed by the specific experiences and prejudices of its writer. Yet it offers a valuable perspective on the reality and perception of white masculinity in the English West Indies. Although Hulton includes in his narrative a large number of negative depictions of West Indian settlers, he also praises more than a few creole men as possessing all the most praiseworthy virtues, thus implying that residence in the colonies did not inherently prevent a man from developing and maintaining a solid character.
Keywords: white masculinity, manliness, West Indies, Account of Travels, Henry Hulton
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