Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed by the author(s) do not represent the official position of Barbados TODAY.
by Pastor Everette W. Howell
When our ancestors landed on this little island, one thing to which they could lay claim, male or female, was a dirtied loin cloth. How then did these fields and hills become, “our very own?” How did we become an independent nation and now a Republic? Was it our right because we suffered? Could it be our right of birth-primogeniture?
Was it a gift from those who suffered from guilt, having treated our forebears worse than they would treat their horse? Or perhaps it was because residing in every human being is an innate desire to exercise and enjoy freedom and to resist any threats to one’s right to be free?
Additionally, there is also that latent desire in the human heart not only to empathise with the plight of disadvantaged humans or animals but to get personally involved in efforts to alleviate the suffering of the endangered.
At the height of the slave trade, existing sentiments included the following: By law, a British citizen was not to be enslaved. “Britons never, never shall be slaves.”
Neither were “Christians” (white people) to be permanently enslaved. Permanent enslavement became the lot of the “savage heathen” from Africa.
The plantocracy confessed that, “in the colonies they were not given any guidelines on how a non- British person should be treated.” The slaves of African roots became the property of their owners to be treated as their owners chose. They had no legal recourse for their self-preservation or self-defence. They could not own property or exercise franchise. They were stock.
Educating the slaves was not on the agenda of the plantocracy because it was perceived that to teach a slave to read and write would be to teach him to hate enslavement and therefore endangered the whole enterprise, profit.
How then was it possible for us to have ownership of these, “fields and hills?” The following factors played a significant role. There were people in whose hearts was a desire and willingness to get involved even at their own peril. I think of Rev. William Harte of the St. Lucy Parish Church who saw it as his God-given responsibility to “Christianise” the slaves in his parish.
Some 300 of the slaves from the plantations in St. Lucy showed up for Bible study on a Wednesday night. For this, Harte was taken to court by the vestry. He was found guilty and fined. The vestry deducted $100 from his $300 annual income.
In the south of Barbados were individuals who had amassed property and wealth and were willing to do some good for the poor in their community. Christopher Codrington donated two estates in the parish of St John, to the Society for the Propagation of the Gospel, to provide a college for the training of missionaries.
The planters, John Elliot and Rowland Bulkey gave $1 000 for the foundation of a school for poor white students. Captain Francis Williams gave one hundred acres of land for the establishment of a charity school for white children, the Boys’ Foundation school in Christ Church.
The first school for coloured boys was erected near St. Mary’s Church, Bridgetown. One hundred dollars was given to help meet the costs. Between 1835-1845, the British government made an annual grant to the colonies for the education of former slaves.
In time, all over the island, developed church sponsored schools, Saturday schools, Sunday schools and evening schools. “Ragged schools” were also organised for those too poor to dress appropriately for the regular schools. By 1844, there were 48 Anglican, four Moravian, four Wesleyan and 149 private schools with an enrollment of 7452 pupils.
Some very important points must be noted here. The role played by religious organisations to Christianise and to educate. Secondly, the readiness and willingness of the poor and the slaves to grasp the opportunities provided.
A third and equally important point that should not be overlooked is the existing threats to health and well-being of both the slaves and their masters.
Christopher Codrington died at age 49; Sir John Colleton at age 59; Dr. Charles Cave, a physician at age 49; Dr. Duncan O’neal died at age 49; James Drax at age 53. William Harte was an exception. He was 75. This suggests that there were significant health issues which had to be overcome over the years, so that today our average lifespan is significantly higher.
The foundation pillars laid by our forefathers and upon which our heritage is built, include, the spiritual, educational, health and nutrition, and a hard work ethic.
These Fields and Hills.
The Checker Hall plantation, located in the parish of St Lucy, in the north of the island was a 320-acre plantation with 137 slaves. It was originally owned by Thomas Rowe, who was generally an absentee landlord. This plantation eventually ended up in chancery, owing taxes.
In 1918, 177 acres were subdivided into 146 lots and Checker Hall became the largest village in St. Lucy.
Land ownership began to change hands.
As the British landowners began to experience escalating costs in purchasing labour and the significant reduction of profit it became necessary to dispose of their land assets, giving opportunity over time for visionary descendants of former slaves to own piece of the rock. This was replicated throughout the island.
The Roman Republic, in her time, was a powerful government, exposed to the primary Christian principles from the originals.
Rome influenced the world in so many areas: military competence, modern day system of government, jurisprudence, languages, alphabet, architecture, engineering, and religion.
In spite of such great achievements, this Republic collapsed. Historians have suggested that the collapse of the Roman republic was not due to enemies from outside of Rome but from the following internal challenges which were ignored or not duly addressed: economic, government corruption, crime, private armies, decrease in available revenue, bribery, cheap agricultural labour, over taxation, crime out of control leading to fear.
As citizens of our Republic, we are responsible for the present and future of our outcome and side effects of the decisions made as well as our chosen lifestyles.
The sacrifices made by our forefathers to bring us to this important junction in our journey must not be taken for granted or mismanaged by those who make important decisions on behalf of the people.
Our growing insatiable demand for pleasure and being pleasured must not be pandered to, while ignoring the need to commit fully and expand our spiritual, ethical, educational and industrious benchmarks used to measure our success in the past.
The thirst for education which at one time allowed us to boast of 98 percent literacy must continue to be pursued.
Our health and dietary practices which have contributed to our longevity must never be allowed to be overtaken or replaced with our hunger for fast foods, junk foods, overuse of sugar and salt, leading to a generation of obese individuals.
It took many generations before we accepted that cigarette smoke was a health hazard more than an economic benefit. How long will it take before we recognise and accept that the inhalation of mind-altering substances will be counterproductive to our physical and mental health beyond the fantasy of its economic benefit.
What is sown will be reaped but in greater measure.
We must remain the guardians of our heritage and the craftsmen and women of our fate regardless of how attractive the offers to buy us out.
Success to our Republic and the citizens of our Republic.
Pastor Everette W. Howell is a certified Family Life Educator and a retired ordained Pastor of the Seventh Day Adventist Church.
