Gloucester was founded by Governor
Charles MacCarthy in 1814 as a settlement for
liberated Africans, or recaptives, who had been freed for vessels involved in the slave trade by the
West Africa Squadron.
Henry Düring was a missionary active in the village between 1816–1823. He supervised the building of stone
gothic-style church which was formally opened in 1820 with a service involving 400 recaptives. ==Population==