From 1833, the Slave Compensation Commission paid out £20 million (£2.7 billion today) to over 46,000 slave owners in the UK for the loss of their human ‘property’. The emancipated people received nothing. After 1 August 1838, former enslavers had to pay the emancipated labourers – usually as little as possible and the labourers had to pay rent on their homes.

William Foreman Home inherited Waltham plantation in Grenada from George Home, (and other Scottish estates including Paxton). He received £6226, 16s for the ‘loss’ of 247 human beings considered his ‘property’ on 2 November 1835. The equivalent of £841,699 today. This money was used in part to clear the remaining debts. Waltham estate was advertised for sale in 1844. George Walker of St Vincent purchased Waltham for £2,500 in 1848.