Doctor Who
Object

Perkins' Administrative Papers for Prisoners

A bundle of administrative documents tied to the systemic enslavement of Highland Jacobite prisoners, used by Perkins and Grey to enforce plantation labor contracts. Appears in The Highlanders Part 3 (ep_sea_ser_doctor_who_s04_e17).
2 appearances

Purpose

Manage prisoner contracts, authorize transport to plantations, and enforce administrative control over captives

Significance

Grey deploys these papers to assert legal dominance, blending paperwork with threats to crush Highlander defiance and secure profits from forced labor, escalating stakes as Ben's contract-tearing defiance looms in memory

Appearances in the Narrative

When this object appears and how it's used

2 moments
S4E17 · The Highlanders Part 3
Grey's Controlled Brutality on the Annabelle

Perkins' administrative papers for the prisoners are carried aboard the Annabelle as he arrives alongside Solicitor Grey. These papers include the contracts and other documents tied to the Highlanders' enslavement, enabling Grey's oversight of Trask and the prisoners. The bundle of papers symbolizes the bureaucratic machinery that locks the Highlanders into plantation labor, reinforcing Grey's authority and the legal framework of their oppression. Perkins grips them tightly, reflecting his role as Grey's enforcer and the importance of these documents in maintaining control.

Before: Carried by Perkins as he boards the Annabelle, organized and ready for use.
After: Used to prepare the deserter's punishment and distribute the contracts to the Highlanders, now central to the scene's action.
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S4E17 · The Highlanders Part 3
Grey Orders Public Deterrent Execution

Perkins’ Administrative Papers for Prisoners include the contracts and other documents tied to the Highlanders' enslavement. These papers are a tangible representation of the bureaucratic machinery that facilitates the sale of the Highlanders as laborers. Grey relies on them to finalize the sale without resistance, and their presence underscores the institutional power that locks the Highlanders into their fate. Perkins grips them tightly as Grey issues his orders, reinforcing the oppressive hierarchy aboard the ship.

Before: Carried by Perkins in a bundle, ready for use in enforcing the contracts and other administrative tasks.
After: Still in Perkins’ possession, but their role in the bureaucratic process is highlighted as a means of control.
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