Nearing the end of his career as a ship surgeon, he agreed in 1817 to take a three year posting to St Helena. Stokoe set out for St Helena on HMS Conqueror in 1817. At St Helena there was discord following the Governor, Lieutenant-General Sir Hudson Lowes controversial decision to dismiss Napoleons doctor, Barry OMara.
About this time, Napoleon asked that Mr Stokoe, who had once attended him and who he understood was returning to St Helena, might attend him again or would the Governor authorize some other English doctor to come, providing he sign similar conditions as had been accepted by Stokoe in the past. Immediately after, Mr Stokoe arrived at St Helena, was put under arrest and tried on varying counts-seven in all. The whole was found proven.
The third indictment read, That he had signed a paper purporting to be a bulletin of General Bonapartes health, and divulged the same to the General and his attendants contrary to orders, and the seventh, That he had contrary to his duty, and the character of a British Naval Officer, communicated to General Bonaparte or his attendant an infamous and calumnious imputation cast upon Lieutenant-General Sir Hudson Lowe. etc. by Barry OMeara, late surgeon in the Royal Navy (also now dismissed) implying that Sir Hudson Lowe had practiced with the said OMeara to induce him to put an end to the existence of General Bonaparte.
Stokoe, though dismissed the Navy, was put on half-pay. At Stokoes treatment Napoleon, enraged, refused the future services of British doctors. This book is Stokoes own defense, another book with damning evidence against the notorious Governor-Sir Hudson Lowe.
