A piece of St Helena’s “forgotten history” has been returned to dignity in the Briars village, it is one of St Helena’s most poignant restoration projects, it is finally complete.
Toby’s Cottage consists of two small rooms under one roof, and the detached kitchen that once stood beside it has now been reinstated during the restoration
The cottage lies in The Briars valley, along the path that eventually leads to the Heart-Shaped Waterfall, has been saved from ruin.
Once the home of William Balcombe’s enslaved domestic servants, the building represents one of the few surviving dwellings of enslaved people on St Helena.
While the main house at The Briars (established by Balcombe in 1811 along with a brewery) is famous as Napoleon’s first residence, this humble cottage tells a different, harder story.
The cottage is named for its most famous resident, a man known simply as Toby. According to historical records, Toby was an enslaved man of Malaysian descent, was born on Mozambique Island and had been captured and brought to the Island years prior.
He wasn’t just a gardener; he was a force of nature.
Betsy Balcombe, William’s daughter, wrote vividly of him:
“He was an original, and rather an interesting character. A perfect despot in his own way, he never allowed his authority to be disputed; and the family stood almost as much in awe of him, as they did of the master of the Briars himself.”
When Napoleon arrived in 1815, he formed an unlikely bond with the gardener. He was moved by Toby’s tragic history, having been kidnapped and separated from his family, and reportedly approached William Balcombe to buy Toby to grant him his freedom which is mentioned by both Las Cases and O’Meara; Betsy’s memoir which confirms the affection he had for him. Tragically, British authorities denied the request for “political reasons.” According to the memoirist Las Cases, Napoleon was deeply haunted by his inability to help:
“Certainly, there is a wide step from poor Toby to a King Richard. And yet, the crime is not the less atrocious, for this man, after all, had his family, his happiness, and his liberty; and it was a horrible act of cruelty to bring him here to languish in the fetters of slavery.”
Despite this, Toby remained loyal to the Emperor, frequently sending the choicest fruit and bouquets to Longwood House for “that good man, Bony.”
The journey to save the cottage began in 2020 with high-tech 3D scanning was undertaken by the organisation then known as the St Helena Napoleonic Heritage Trust to ensure any work was a “faithful replica” of the conditions Toby lived in.
Physical work commenced in late 2023, spearheaded by St Helena Napoleonic Heritage Ltd. The project was made possible through significant donations; the restoration was carried out by Isaac’s Contractors who completed the works with Johnny’s team.
The project was steered by Michel Dancoisne-Martineau, Director of the French Domains on St Helena.
The finished site was celebrated in October 2025.
For those who wish to dig deeper into the human side of this history, the St Helena Independent published a feature in its October 24, 2025 edition (Vol. XX, Issue 45). Titled “Anthony Bowers, the Last Resident of Historic Toby’s Cottage,” the article offers a rare glimpse into the life of the man who called this historic site home until the 1950s. Anthony was the guest of honour at the opening.
The meticulous process of saving the cottage along with photographs and step-by-step documentation are available on Michel Dancoisne-Martineau personal blog here Toby’s Cottage. The online blog offers a fascinating behind-the-scenes look at the challenges and triumphs of the project,
The Anthony Bowers coverage : Read the full article in The St Helena Independent (PDF)
Restoration Log and a view the transformation photos on the St Helena Napoleonic Heritage Trust Project Page