The Redlegs

The Redlegs

Redlegs is a term used to refer to poor whites that live on Barbados, St. Vincent, Grenada and a few other Caribbean islands. Their forebears came from Ireland, Scotland and Continental Europe.

In all, more than 50,000 Irish were transported from Ireland to Barbados more were sent to other islands in the West Indies, many of them prisoners captured by Oliver Cromwell during the wars in Ireland and Scotland and following the Monmouth Rebellion

The slaves became known as Redlegs, almost certainly a reference to the sunburn they picked up in the hot tropical sun.