By Debbie Ransome

Any would-be tourist seeking to learn more about the delights of Grenada as a potential holiday destination might be taken aback by the just-launched Depths of Paradise website.

True, it celebrates the island for its beauty, its history and its people. However, unlike any tourism offer, the website invites you to visit the dark history of slavery. It explores the subject from the perspectives of both the former enslaved and the former slave owners.

It’s a timely intervention in the slavery reparations debate. Right now, the issue can involve in-depth and rational discussions at some of the world’s academic and multinational forums, but also full-blown anti-colonial shouting matches on social media. Amid the resulting disarray, Depths of Paradise provides a near-oasis of calm and rational exploration of what it meant to be owned as a slave – or to own slaves – on the island of Grenada.

It is supported by the now well-known Trevelyan family, which owned several plantations in Grenada until 1833, when they were compensated following the abolition of slavery. In an initiative spearheaded by former journalist Laura Trevelyan, the family has directly apologised to the people of Grenada and co-founded a group, Heirs of Slavery, descendants of people who had profited from British transatlantic slavery and who wanted to make amends. 

The website brings together for the first time, as its curator Stephen Lewis says, “a searchable archive of over 1,000 British claimants who received compensation when slavery was abolished in 1834, AND the stories of those they enslaved”. The caps are Stephen’s.

He told Caribbean Intelligence©: “The inspiration for launching this project arose as I was researching my own family history. I wanted to find out where the names of my eight great-grandparents had come from, but came across blocks when exploring records from the emancipation era: most available documents focused primarily on planters and estate owners, offering scant insight into the lives of the enslaved.”

Stephen explained how the turning point came when he contacted another researcher in Georgia in the United States, Phillip Thorne. Sharing their frustrations in researching Grenada’s darker history and their family roots, the two continued their research through message boards and online forums. When Phillip established the Grenada Genealogy Historical Society as a Facebook group, Stephen joined. Stephen says the group now has 12,000 members and is one of the largest Facebook community of its kind in the Caribbean. “This rapid expansion underscores the widespread demand for such a resource,” he adds. 

Stephen’s continued research led him to fill the gaps in the narrative and learn more about the lives of the enslaved. “Today, Depths of Paradise is propelled by a pressing need to recover, preserve, and share Grenada’s overlooked histories. The project is committed to closing these historical gaps by documenting both the British claimants who benefited from abolition and the formerly enslaved Grenadians whose resilience and humanity have so often been overlooked,” he told Caribbean Intelligence©. 

The website is broken down into areas inviting community collaboration and to follow blogs, newsletters and videos. However, beyond the standard community hub website, is the “Search the database” page. This provides portals to learn more about the “Claimants” – those “who claimed compensation following abolition and those they enslaved” and “Featured Enslaved” – “stories of strength, courage and survival”. 

These are painful narratives in our times of, sometimes, heated disagreements over the issue of slavery reparations. “The project will provide educational resources for schools, universities, and cultural institutions,” Stephen Lewis told Caribbean Intelligence©. “It will stimulate and strengthen global dialogue between Grenada, the wider Caribbean, Britain, and the African diaspora as it informs on discussions on reparation and reparative justice.“ 

The 1833 Slavery Abolition Act included a clause for the payment of £20m (US$27m) to compensate slaveowners for the loss of their “property”. In case you’re wondering, the claimants’ list is drawn from the Slave Compensation Commission’s registers and files at Britain’s National Archives and from a Legacies of British Slavery project conducted at University College London (UCL).

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Righting the historical wrongs

The website’s backing from the Trevelyan family and their crusade has been important. During her BBC career, Laura Trevelyan discovered that her ancestors had owned more than 1,000 slaves spread across six sugar plantations on Grenada. And in one of the most high-profile reactions to such a discovery, Laura, a former BBC correspondent and anchor, made global headlines by packing up her job as BBC World News America anchor and embarking on an advocacy role on slavery reparations. The Trevelyan family support has helped get this website project across the finishing line.

“Depths of Paradise is an enormously important project, which aims to right the wrongs of history by telling the story of the enslaved,” Laura told Caribbean Intelligence©. 

“As a descendant of enslavers in Grenada, I know who my ancestors were, and can see from official records the precise amounts of money they claimed in compensation for the loss of what was termed their ‘property’ when slavery was abolished.”

“This project aims to give life to those who were dehumanised by slavery, and it could not be a more significant and timely initiative.” 

Salt in the wounds?

You might be wondering, as we did at Caribbean Intelligence©, whether this project could be seen as rubbing salt in the wounds of an already unsettling issue. 

“I would hope not!” Stephen told us.  “My own family are descended from the enslaved, so I am just as affected by this history. In fact, this is what has made me even more curious about these times, as I am forever indebted to those who struggled before us to give their descendants a chance for a better life.

“The purpose of the project is to honour the resilience, courage, and solidarity of the people who were enslaved, and to show that they were not merely victims, but survivors who shaped the world we live in today.”

Don’t expect the issue of slavery reparations to burn out. The world is gearing up for the next round of discussion over slavery compensation in 2026 which will see the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting taking place in Grenada’s neighbouring country, Antigua & Barbuda. The issue of reparations and the future of retaining King Charles III as the head of state of Caribbean countries will most likely continue to occupy public space as Commonwealth leaders and the King, as Head of the Commonwealth, head for this Caribbean get-together.

So, with this continuing debate over reparations, is this website aimed at helping or throwing more fuel on the fire?

Stephen Lewis told Caribbean Intelligence©: “It really depends on how the reparations discussion is framed and who is leading it.

“On one hand, reparations can be a constructive tool which acknowledges historical injustice, providing material support, and fostering societal healing. When done thoughtfully, it can help communities to see that their suffering is recognised and that measures are being taken to correct systemic inequities. This is the ‘helping’ side.

“On the other hand, reparations can be politically and socially divisive if presented in a way that emphasises guilt, shame, or blame without a practical plan for redress. It can then become fodder for polarisation, resistance, or resentment. 

“So, the difference often comes down to: intent, framing, and action.  Depths of Paradise will stand firmly to help with the debate.”

Debbie Ransome is the former Head of the BBC’s Caribbean Service and serves in various Commonwealth-related roles. She is also the Managing Editor of Caribbean Intelligence.