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Author Topic: "Hall of Justice","Tobago Airport" & "Wrightson Road" Possibly Renamed Soon !  (Read 34576 times)

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Offline Bitter

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If you want to know the history of T&T (until 1962 at least) a great place to start is Eric Williams' History of the People of Trinidad and Tobago. (I'll leave a discussion about how Caribbean leaders used to be scholars to another time and thread)

Dense reading to be sure, but probably the definitive scholarly work.

A small point I want to clarify, Trinidad was a Spanish colony from 1498 - 1797. The French influence began in 1783 with a proposal to allow immigration of French planters into Trinidad. The colony remained Spanish. As described: Trinidad was transformed from an Amerindian colony governed by Spain into a Spanish Colony run by Frenchmen and worked by African slaves.

Nevertheless the angst over naming seems to be a modern one. The British had no problems renaming Spanish places (if only to translate) nor did they seem to have a problem naming roads, parks and landmarks after themselves. Woodford, Harris, Picton... just because something has been so for a long time doesn't mean it should remain no.

Still, there should be more than enough new streets, parks, landmarks and as yet un-commissioned statues to satisfy the apparently pent-up demand for non-sports related naming.  
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Offline Bakes

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I agree the French influence is bigger. Understandably, since even when the Spanish "owned" Trinidad, it was really the French who were living here - not many Spaniards settled in Trinidad, which is why they courted the French.

But is de Spanish influence really dat small?

Most of our "local" Christmas traditions are Spanish, both the food and the music.

The Roman Catholic church is still huge - introduced by the Spanish.

There are dozens of towns/places wid spanish names.

Our capital is.....



With regards to the Spanish influence, notice I didn’t just make the statement and leave it alone… I provided context by contrasting the influence left by the Spanish with the influence left by the French in 2 years and by the British in 165 years.
300 yrs
2 yrs
165 yrs
… yet the Spanish influence is smaller than both the French and English individually.  The Spanish names of places endured and that’s about it.  Unless you can trace parang back to pre-1797 you cannot attribute our “ ‘local’ Christmas traditions” to the Spanish.  More likely that’s a South American (namely Venezuelan) influence.  Let’s not forget the “cocoa panyols” who came from that country to work the cocoa estates under the British.  For all we know it is to them that we really owe most of the “Spanish” influence that we see today.  Yes, yes tracing it all the way back the Spanish influenced the Venezuelans who influenced… but that’s not what we talking about.

The Roman Catholic Church introduced by the Spanish… but sustained by French citizens, that “influence” really and truly is the legacy of the French, not the Spanish.  As you pointed out, Trinidad was an insignificant Spanish outpost, and treated as such.  There was no infrastructure to speak of even while the French were here.  It wasn’t until the Cedula that mass migration of French planters from Dominica, Martinique, Haiti, Grenada, Guadeloupe… (note that this was 1783… just 6 years prior to the Fr. Revolution, so think of the conditions under French rule in the Antilles… if dissatisfaction was so high in France, you know they couldn’t  have been happy in the colonies.  Yet their fate worsened after the Revolution because they considered themselves petit bourgeoisie, and were seen as such by the new French leadership.  So they bolted to TnT… with their slaves in tow.  This influx of slaves was really the first major introduction of Africans to Trinidad.  Once the British took over 14 yrs later in 1797 then slavery in TnT really took off.
So yes… relative to the other colonial powers the influence directly left by Spain is tiny, in my opinion… others can feel free to disagree.

Offline Bakes

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Since last August, Louis B. Homer (T&T Express) has been writing a Remembering Our Past column. Check out some past articles:
The almost forgotten village of Anglais

Thanks Tallman... ah could shake yuh hand.  My mother family from up inside Cumana originally and Anglais Road specifically.  I too have wondered what would become of Toco, Cumana, Anglais with young people heeding the call of the more populous... and popular places in TnT.  Being so far removed from the action was a deterrent to many of my cousins growing up... now, with cable TV and internet notwithstanding, I imagine it's still hard for the youths to resist the urge to migrate towards Sangre Grande, Arima and other points along the EMR.


A small point I want to clarify, Trinidad was a Spanish colony from 1498 - 1797. The French influence began in 1783 with a proposal to allow immigration of French planters into Trinidad. The colony remained Spanish. As described: Trinidad was transformed from an Amerindian colony governed by Spain into a Spanish Colony run by Frenchmen and worked by African slaves.

Correct, Trinidad was never officially French... and to the extent I created that impression it should be clarified as you said.  But abdication by the Spanish crown and the growth of the French plantocracy in Trinidad meant that for the final years of official Spanish reign TnT was a de facto French colony.  Why do you think it was such an easy decision for Chacon to capitulate to the British once they made their intentions known?

Offline Bitter

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Why do you think it was such an easy decision for Chacon to capitulate to the British once they made their intentions known?

Because he didn't want them to open the can of whup-ass they were holding. The French and British had squared off in POS previously with Chacon literally in the middle saying Trinidad/Spain not in that, take it elsewhere. Meantime he facing the next gunfight with a piece of wood and a big stone. He was banished from the Spanish Empire for his actions.
« Last Edit: March 25, 2010, 10:11:23 PM by Bitter »
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Offline Bakes

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Why do you think it was such an easy decision for Chacon to capitulate to the British once they made their intentions known?

Because he didn't want them to open the can of whup-ass they were holding. The French and British had squared off in POS previously with Chacon literally in the middle saying Trinidad/Spain not in that, take it elsewhere. Meantime he facing the next gunfight with a piece of wood and a big stone. He was banished from the Spanish Empire for his actions.

Spain didn't give ah fart about Trinidad at that point... they had they garrisons in Venezuela and Colombia along with at least one armada, why they di'n send them?  Yuh have to remember the context, Trinidad wasn't remitting nutten tuh de spanish coffers.  War with England just wasn't cost effective... plus England had been spoiling fuh ah fight with Spain for 50 years at that point... ever since the War of Jenkins' Ear.  It was all pretext to fight a decisive battle that would cripple the Spanish fleet and leave the colonies vulnerable.  Spain did more than happy tuh sacrifice Trinidad.
« Last Edit: March 25, 2010, 10:28:36 PM by Bake n Shark »

Offline Deeks

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Shark, I thought I was a history buff. You is history maniac. Go, bro, go.

Offline Bitter

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Why do you think it was such an easy decision for Chacon to capitulate to the British once they made their intentions known?

Because he didn't want them to open the can of whup-ass they were holding. The French and British had squared off in POS previously with Chacon literally in the middle saying Trinidad/Spain not in that, take it elsewhere. Meantime he facing the next gunfight with a piece of wood and a big stone. He was banished from the Spanish Empire for his actions.

Spain didn't give ah fart about Trinidad at that point... they had they garrisons in Venezuela and Colombia along with at least one armada, why they di'n send them?  Yuh have to remember the context, Trinidad wasn't remitting nutten tuh de spanish coffers.  War with England just wasn't cost effective... plus England had been spoiling fuh ah fight with Spain for 50 years at that point... ever since the War of Jenkins' Ear.  It was all pretext to fight a decisive battle that would cripple the Spanish fleet and leave the colonies vulnerable.  Spain did more than happy tuh sacrifice Trinidad.

The value of Trinidad to Spain had already been shown to be minimal when they agreed to let the French in. It was a sleepy non-productive outpost. The fact that Spain didn't try to retake Trinidad is an indication of the wider strategic calculations you are talking about, but the decision of Chacon to abdicate was certainly mostly influenced by facts on the ground.  17 vs 4 = cutass, especially when you consider he is "running" a colony where most of the people not even Spanish.
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Offline Bakes

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The value of Trinidad to Spain had already been shown to be minimal when they agreed to let the French in. It was a sleepy non-productive outpost. The fact that Spain didn't try to retake Trinidad is an indication of the wider strategic calculations you are talking about, but the decision of Chacon to abdicate was certainly mostly influenced by facts on the ground.  17 vs 4 = cutass, especially when you consider he is "running" a colony where most of the people not even Spanish.

Actually the Poblacion (in my estimation) was actually a half-hearted attempt to salvage the colony, so I might have to disagree with you on that part.  Bringing in the French was Chacon's idea and he sold it well on the crown.  The French would not only supply a tax base but in building their plantations they would also develop the infrastructure of the island...building roads, digging wells etc.  Stuff the Spanish crown couldn't see the need for.  But to your point, Spain's interest was waning... as was it's naval power.  This was the turning point in European colonial supremacy... England was to take control of the seas and not relinquish it until the 20th century when German and US navies surpassed the HMS fleet.  The rise of air dominance was the death knell of the British naval power, but this late 18th century period was the dawn of its golden age.

As Spain's dominance waned she had to decide which of the coloinies she would focus her energies on... without a navy it was hard to keep control of these remote colonies so far removed from Europe.  Keeping the British out of S. America was a worthy enough goal to sacrifice Trinidad...whose only real value was LaBrea at the time.

Deeks ah wouldn't call mihself ah "buff" b/c it have man could put me to shame.  But I like to read and stuff like this real interesting to me because reading between the lines you learn the development of TnT... the power play in Europe resulted in collateral consequences for the colonies which left lasting impacts which endure to this day.  Kinda sad in a way (to the extent it shows how immaterial all of us islands were in the grand schemes... they might as well be trading marbles to settle schoolboy debts), but at the same time it fascinating to trace the influences we see today.

-----------------------------------

... on a much separate note, but one I think many would find interesting (if allyuh is anywhere a geek like me at least).. the American Revolutionary hero John Paul Jones was credited with founding the US Navy.  He was actually a Scotsman who was an accomplished sea captain at a very young age but he got in trouble in Scotland for beating one of his sailors within an inch of his life.  The man later died and he fled Scotland to of all places... Tobago.  In Tobago he established a very profitable maritime business before again running into trouble... this time killing another man with a sword.  It's at this point he left the West Indies for America... settling in Virginia right at the time of the American Revolution.  He volunteered his services to the nascent Continental navy... and the rest as they say is history.  Small, accidental, but all the same important footnote played by Tobago in the American Revolution :D


Offline Daft Trini

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Notes from

Handbook of Trinidad and Tobago, Port of Spain 1924, p.141
A guide to Trinidad Collens,J.H. london 1888 p.238

the great divide

 When slavery was formally abolished across the british empire in 1834 and cheap labor was needed for the sugar-cane plantations, malnourished Indians were shipped over from Calcutta and Madras. While the white planters of the West Indies had grown rich on sugar cane their cousins in India had made fortunes from land revenues; and many beautiful houses were built in the English countryside. North India, under British control, was awash with dislocated, landless peasants. A voyage across the oceans and a stint as a bonded or indentured laborer was an alternative to destitution.

In Trinidad, the newly arrived East Indians were nervous of the alien society in which they found themselves. They feared the island's black majority: Negroes seemed physically stronger, had rough manners and their dark skin identified them with the lower castes of Hinduism. the negroes for their part, came to regard these East Indians as heathens with peculiar customs who kept to themselves, were mean with money, cooked strange food and were servile to the plantation owners. Black agricultural laborers found their wages being undercut. The looked down on the Indians, who had to work long hours in the cane fields, as the "new slaves"


from the Protector of Immigrants, Port of Spain 1894,

Photographs of these new arrivals from India show them dressed in rags: a kurta and dothi and light turban for men, or a sari with the pallu, or tail, of the sari draped over the head in modesty for the women. These broken-down, thin limbed immigrants with their bundles of possessions can only have made the journey to Trinidad as a last resort.

« Last Edit: March 26, 2010, 06:39:00 AM by Daft Trini »

Offline Daft Trini

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POS Harbor


American Occupancy- note no person of color on de beach



Carnival



Carnival 1918


St Joseph 1880 Guiseppi Family Cane fields


The beauty of my ancestors  ;D
« Last Edit: March 26, 2010, 06:15:35 AM by Daft Trini »

Offline Daft Trini

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Bakes you are correct your stuff... My spanish ancestors of the North Eastern Coast of trinidad are really venezuelans who settled there after 1867... many of them journeyed from Margarita to the smaller island, crossing the bocas till they reached the cocoa plantations of Matelot... I tort that place or the spanish names associated with it (in and around) may have existed since spanish occupation but found out that it's a lot later into the centuries...

Yuh know you, me and him are all alumni (descendant of a trinidadian fadder)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stephen_Mallory_II

Tortuga-

Has a british look out... the lookout as many called it was a post established by the British (de road next to bahadursingh shop) to monitor the furthest points of the West Coast and the Gulf of Paria... the stuff noted in the trinidadian article about amerindians living there is true... When I was a kid I was digging with a pick axe (destructive little kid) in tortuga (foothills behind the Church) I discovered a huge amount of chip chip, mangrove oysters, some bone and a little pottery not a large amount just shards). Some historians were alerted and it was said that that place was a dump for a possible amerindian village that existed there...

There is an existing maroon/rastafarian village that existed on our lands in Bon Aventure (just on the outskirts of the Caratal Rd near the quarry.... if you take school road and go down pond lane, then pass karate boysie and follow the track to the quarry is slightly to your right on de hills, best herbs grow there) I remember as a kid some of the indians fellas picking on one of the rasta fellas because he was dressed in a crocus skirt.... sad sad sad... a few days later my dad took me to the lil ajoupas (mainly constructed from bamboo and carat thatched roofs) I have not visited them in nearly 15 years... so ah doh know about it presently.... will ask meh fadder.

Who remember the show Cross Roads with Stalkie...?
« Last Edit: March 26, 2010, 07:17:44 AM by Daft Trini »

Offline 100% Barataria

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I think the most tragic part of all of this is the fact that these very books from which the youth and future of the nation could learn "from whence they came" is not on standard primary and secondary school curricula.  I myself did not read "From Columbus to Castro", "Making of Port of Spain" etc until after leaving Secondary school. Presumably if one took history for O'levels this would be part of the curriculum (correct me if wrong, did not do History at O's), but all of this should be mandatory from 1st Form or before.

Education is our passport for the future for the future belongs to those who prepare for it today

Offline Daft Trini

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I think the most tragic part of all of this is the fact that these very books from which the youth and future of the nation could learn "from whence they came" is not on standard primary and secondary school curricula.  I myself did not read "From Columbus to Castro", "Making of Port of Spain" etc until after leaving Secondary school. Presumably if one took history for O'levels this would be part of the curriculum (correct me if wrong, did not do History at O's), but all of this should be mandatory from 1st Form or before.



My problem from de system is that from 1st year to standard five to sec school all yuh really does learn about was Columbus, we had a people called carib and arawak, africans were slaves then came indians... de las casas, raleigh caulked he ships in la brea... and the cycle is repeated over and over year after year...

Offline Daft Trini

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Hugh Stollmeyer
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Hugh Stollmeyer (1912- 1982)[1] was an artist from Trinidad.
Hugh Stollmeyer


Hugh Stollmeyer with Wall Painting
Born   1912
Trinidad
Died   1982
New York
Field   painting, poetry
Training   Art Student's League in New York, U.S.A
Contents [hide]
1 Early Life and the Trinidad Independents
2 The Beacon
3 Artistic maturity
4 Expanded description
5 References
6 External links
[edit]Early Life and the Trinidad Independents

Hugh Stollmeyer was born in Trinidad, the southernmost island in the Caribbean, on January 13, 1912. The influence of his idyllic early years in this lush tropical paradise is apparent in his art, both in his use of vibrant colors and in his portrayal of island people. Hugh was an artistic child; always painting, reading, drawing and writing poetry and plays. When he finished school he joined the "Trinidad Independent", a group of creative thinkers who questioned the social and artistic "norm" of the day and whose interests included: the abolishment of class divisions, capitalism, racism, religious extremism and prejudice against homosexuality. A consciousness of Trinidad's cultural heritage was visible for the first time in the artwork of Hugh and the Trinidad Independents; the influences of Amerindian iconography and the symbols of African Obeah are two such examples[2]. Hugh exhibited his work with others from the Independents in Trinidad and abroad.
[edit]The Beacon

Collectively, the Independents published a magazine called "The Beacon" as a means to manifest their collective desire to make the nation of Trinidad a vital intellectual center where new ideas could be tested and new avenues of racial and political justice could be discussed in the Caribbean[3]. The magazine included articles on politics, sociology and philosophy, as well as reviews of book and art exhibitions, original poetry and short stories. Hugh wrote articles on art, art restoration and reviews of art exhibitions, as well as poetry.
[edit]Artistic maturity

Hugh left Trinidad for New York in the summer of 1930 and lived with his older brothers who were already working and studying there[4]. Hugh apprenticed at a photographic advertising company, and attended classes at the Art Students league. He continued his correspondence with the Trinidad Independents and wrote for the Beacon. In 1933 he moved back to Trinidad. Hugh continued exhibiting his work locally and abroad and was active in the Trinidad art scene. By 1938, Hugh was increasingly uncomfortable within the confines of Trinidad society, and he returned to New York. The work from the late 1930's, particularly after his return to New York, marks the beginning of his artistic maturity. His work captures the character and mixed ethnicity of the Trinidad people as well as the vibrant color and the lush and varied forms of topical foliage.
He was very active in the Greenwich Village creative community and spent much time frequenting the galleries, critiquing and learning from others‚ art. While his subject matter and palette continued to reflect both Trinidad's culture, people and tropical foliage as well as the influence of artists such as Botticelli, Gauguin, Van Gogh, and Picasso, his style increasingly reflected his knowledge and understanding of Avant Garde painting in New York at that time.
[edit]Expanded description

In the mid 1950s, Hugh and his friend Arthur Repkin moved to the countryside north of New York City. Hugh planted extensive gardens here and both the flowers and vegetables he grew became the subjects for his painting. He was also vitally interested in abstract painting, but not the action‚ painting of the abstract expressionists for which he had little sympathy. Much of his abstract work is on an intimate scale in gouache and reflects his continuing interest in surrealism as well as in clear and vibrant color, and in the juxtaposition of mass rather than line.
By 1959 Hugh's relationship with Repkin was disintegrating and he returned to New York briefly and then to Trinidad where he lived for the major part of each year until 1964. He immediately immersed himself in the artistic life of the island and exhibited frequently. This was a very productive period, marked by his return to painting Trinidad women, in all their diversity, surrounded by the lush vibrant color of tropical flowers and foliage. There is a new, almost ecstatic freedom in the design of these works which conveys his love for tropical people and tropical plants.
Hugh's productivity and involvement in the art scene was counterbalanced by bouts of depression which he had suffered from throughout his life. At this time the depression was accompanied by increasingly heavy drinking and this began to take its toll. After he returned to New York in 1964, he found it increasingly difficult to paint and stopped painting seriously in 1965.
In 1966 he was asked to design the curtain for the stage at the Trinidad and Tobago Pavilion at Expo '67 in Montreal. He was both gratified and perplexed to be asked. He was an enthusiastic supporter of Trinidad independence (in 1961), but was also quite aware of his status as an "old colonial". This may have been his last work.
In 1967 he went to work at the Elmhurst Mount Sinai Hospital, New York, in the physiotherapy department. He viewed his work there as a kind of performance, healing through love and laughter as well as physiotherapy. He found the constant contact with people invigorating after the solitary pursuit of painting.
In 1971 he left the hospital, hoping to return to painting but found that he could not. His previous work, however, was taken up by the Ligoa Duncan Gallery in Uptown Manhattan and he had exhibitions there and at their gallery in Paris.
In 1976 he returned to Trinidad at his family's insistence and was treated for alcoholism. In 1977 Hugh returned to New York where he died on June 15, 1982.
Hugh Stollmeyer was one of Trinidad's great painters. His work was very influential towards the Caribbean art movement. Many of his paintings have been published by Fine Island Arts Inc., a publishing, marketing and distribution company established by a relative in 2006.

Offline Bakes

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Bakes you are correct your stuff... My spanish ancestors of the North Eastern Coast of trinidad are really venezuelans who settled there after 1867... many of them journeyed from Margarita to the smaller island, crossing the bocas till they reached the cocoa plantations of Matelot... I tort that place or the spanish names associated with it (in and around) may have existed since spanish occupation but found out that it's a lot later into the centuries...

Yuh know you, me and him are all alumni (descendant of a trinidadian fadder)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stephen_Mallory_II


Ah came across the info on Mallory, Sr. some years ago... couldn't remember his name though.  Didn't know about the son.  Interesting stuff about the Maroons in TnT... didn't know anything about them.

Offline Daft Trini

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Kinda related to trinidad since most of our family came across the seas from Ghana and Angola (tracing bantu origins here)

photos courtesy my sis in law



slave children




« Last Edit: March 26, 2010, 09:32:36 AM by Daft Trini »

Offline trinindian

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Postive thread, nice change from the usual movalang behaviour.
« Last Edit: March 27, 2010, 08:37:26 AM by trinindian »
 

Offline Dutty

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Postive thread, nice change for the usual movalang behaviour.

ah now go to say dat...fuss time ah ever see ah ah thread turn from good to better
Little known fact: The online transportation medium called Uber was pioneered in Trinidad & Tobago in the 1960's. It was originally called pullin bull.

Offline Deeks

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I guess this one must be related to Jeffery the cricketer. There was Stolmeyer who played for the US a couple years ago. His father is related to the Stolmeyers. He settled in Virginia. They are a pretty diverse family.

Offline Bakes

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I guess this one must be related to Jeffery the cricketer. There was Stolmeyer who played for the US a couple years ago. His father is related to the Stolmeyers. He settled in Virginia. They are a pretty diverse family.

Yeah all them Stollmeyers related... the US footballer is John Stollmeyer, he didn't get too many caps, but irony of ironies one of them was the infamous game in 1990.  I remember there being an article in the Express at the time about his visit and his family here.  He didn't know much about it/them.

EDIT:

I stumbled upon an incredible archive of blogs written by local historian Gerard Besson.  Still haven't made my way thru all of them but what I've read is riveting thus far... thought I'd share.

http://caribbeanhistoryarchives.blogspot.com/
« Last Edit: March 26, 2010, 08:09:05 PM by Bake n Shark »

Offline Deeks

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All the history of TT in all yuh tail. Bakes, you bad. Thanx man.

Offline Bakes

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All the history of TT in all yuh tail. Bakes, you bad. Thanx man.

Deeks yuh eh see how Tallman come and bring he 'A' game or wha'? lol.


Cana... ah see yuh family get ah mention in dat link about La Rufin  ;)


btw... here's another link I think some might appreciate, ah sure ah post it before (probably in that thread we had ah while back about patois) but it fitting fuh dis thread too:

http://www.une.edu.au/langnet/definitions/trinidad.html

Offline TriniCana

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All the history of TT in all yuh tail. Bakes, you bad. Thanx man.

Deeks yuh eh see how Tallman come and bring he 'A' game or wha'? lol.


Cana... ah see yuh family get ah mention in dat link about La Rufin  ;)


btw... here's another link I think some might appreciate, ah sure ah post it before (probably in that thread we had ah while back about patois) but it fitting fuh dis thread too:

http://www.une.edu.au/langnet/definitions/trinidad.html
:rotfl:
I have to laugh. Last night I email the links to my dad, who in return sent a message saying you'll find your family in one of those links. Of course, that meant I really had to read up on all to give the man an answer next time I speak with him. Time I opened the link, I realized that I've read it already. Actually I think it was pecan that posted it in this very same forum.

But I do intend to read them especially those that I've never heard of - L'envieusse village (can't even pronounce the damn thing) and Killdeer Village.

My question is, are these villages still in existence? Or I would guess that their names have been changed by now. I'm seeing a lot of photo opportunities on my next visit home  ;D
« Last Edit: March 27, 2010, 06:11:35 AM by Prematie Bheem »

Offline Daft Trini

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All the history of TT in all yuh tail. Bakes, you bad. Thanx man.

Deeks yuh eh see how Tallman come and bring he 'A' game or wha'? lol.


Cana... ah see yuh family get ah mention in dat link about La Rufin  ;)


btw... here's another link I think some might appreciate, ah sure ah post it before (probably in that thread we had ah while back about patois) but it fitting fuh dis thread too:

http://www.une.edu.au/langnet/definitions/trinidad.html
:rotfl:
I have to laugh. Last night I email the links to my dad, who in return sent a message saying you'll find your family in one of those links. Of course, that meant I really had to read up on all to give the man an answer next time I speak with him. Time I opened the link, I realized that I've read it already. Actually I think it was pecan that posted it in this very same forum.

But I do intend to read them especially those that I've never heard of - L'envieusse village (can't even pronounce the damn thing) and Killdeer Village.

My question is, are these villages still in existence? Or I would guess that their names have been changed by now. I'm seeing a lot of photo opportunities on my next visit home  ;D


Prematie-

If you are ever in DC you and your family are welcomed to stay at my home... to date I probably have in my possession the largest personal collection of photos, original documents and artwork on TnT... plus modern day photos of the coast line. Was about to do some more research but the Ministries and their employees prove to be very unreliable, too busy, blatantly will ignore you, love their cell phones and not to mention it's dangerous in some areas to carry pro camera gear.... so I did not get to visit and photograph a lot of places on my last visit.... I will be going home in May and may be I'll take photos of those places that Tallman linked us with. My FB has some of the photos but I'm too lazy to individually tell their story, so the are just nice to look at.

(nb) something that is interesting is that The Toco light house has a sister (exact height) on the island of Chacachacare...

Offline Daft Trini

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I guess this one must be related to Jeffery the cricketer. There was Stolmeyer who played for the US a couple years ago. His father is related to the Stolmeyers. He settled in Virginia. They are a pretty diverse family.

Yeah all them Stollmeyers related... the US footballer is John Stollmeyer, he didn't get too many caps, but irony of ironies one of them was the infamous game in 1990.  I remember there being an article in the Express at the time about his visit and his family here.  He didn't know much about it/them.

EDIT:

I stumbled upon an incredible archive of blogs written by local historian Gerard Besson.  Still haven't made my way thru all of them but what I've read is riveting thus far... thought I'd share.

http://caribbeanhistoryarchives.blogspot.com/

Hugh was part of the great Stollmeyer legacy... he was the inheritor of the Castle at the time... that family has a very colorful history (very interwoven in the fabric of TnT life)... may be Jeffers can tell us a bit...!

Some of the more successful maroon societies may have been the Gullah in SC, Black Seminoles and the tribes of inner Guiana and Suriname. My great grand father told us stories about the maroons can't remember the facts but there were several reasons why they survived.... Cotton Hill off the Mayo Road at the corner of Whiteland and Bon Aventure RD was formed from a maroon settlement. From what I learned from our oratorical history... the small population of "white and creole" planter, the difference between jungle and forrest and the prevalence of the cascabels (mapapies) aided in the formations of these small pockets of maroon settlements. Most settlements diminished at the turn of the 1900's...
« Last Edit: March 27, 2010, 06:46:46 AM by Daft Trini »

Offline Conquering Lion

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I think the most tragic part of all of this is the fact that these very books from which the youth and future of the nation could learn "from whence they came" is not on standard primary and secondary school curricula.  I myself did not read "From Columbus to Castro", "Making of Port of Spain" etc until after leaving Secondary school. Presumably if one took history for O'levels this would be part of the curriculum (correct me if wrong, did not do History at O's), but all of this should be mandatory from 1st Form or before.



Great point.  :applause. Columbus to Castro is a great book. Books like "Capitalism and Slavery" by Eric Williams, "Beyond a Boundary" and  "Black Jacobins" by CLR James should be must reads for the youths. Another one is "If yuh iron good yuh is King"..on the history of the steelband.

Unfortunately there seems to be no desire to learn about, or preserve our history. Ideally Gov't should do it, but thinkers aren't always in power (or they too smart and decide to leave the masses ignorant..lol)
We fire de old set ah managers we had wukkin..and iz ah new group we went and we bring in. And if the goods we require de new managers not supplying, when election time come back round iz new ones we bringin. For iz one ting about my people I can guarantee..They will never ever vote party b4 country

Offline TriniCana

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All the history of TT in all yuh tail. Bakes, you bad. Thanx man.

Deeks yuh eh see how Tallman come and bring he 'A' game or wha'? lol.


Cana... ah see yuh family get ah mention in dat link about La Rufin  ;)


btw... here's another link I think some might appreciate, ah sure ah post it before (probably in that thread we had ah while back about patois) but it fitting fuh dis thread too:

http://www.une.edu.au/langnet/definitions/trinidad.html
:rotfl:
I have to laugh. Last night I email the links to my dad, who in return sent a message saying you'll find your family in one of those links. Of course, that meant I really had to read up on all to give the man an answer next time I speak with him. Time I opened the link, I realized that I've read it already. Actually I think it was pecan that posted it in this very same forum.

But I do intend to read them especially those that I've never heard of - L'envieusse village (can't even pronounce the damn thing) and Killdeer Village.

My question is, are these villages still in existence? Or I would guess that their names have been changed by now. I'm seeing a lot of photo opportunities on my next visit home  ;D


Prematie-

If you are ever in DC you and your family are welcomed to stay at my home... to date I probably have in my possession the largest personal collection of photos, original documents and artwork on TnT... plus modern day photos of the coast line. Was about to do some more research but the Ministries and their employees prove to be very unreliable, too busy, blatantly will ignore you, love their cell phones and not to mention it's dangerous in some areas to carry pro camera gear.... so I did not get to visit and photograph a lot of places on my last visit.... I will be going home in May and may be I'll take photos of those places that Tallman linked us with. My FB has some of the photos but I'm too lazy to individually tell their story, so the are just nice to look at.

(nb) something that is interesting is that The Toco light house has a sister (exact height) on the island of Chacachacare...

Daft you don't want to go home in June by chance? I'm heading there for 2-3 weeks.  ;D
It will be my pleasure following you around the country.
And thank you for the invite; one that I would possibly take you up on on my next visit. Most likely September.

I agree with taking out your photography gear in public. I actually had to hid to take shots around the Savannah. steupses!! You really have no idea who watching and looking at you....

me female....you thinking, 'easy prey'. and most likely he/they damn right.

Offline Bakes

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Yeah, from the articles the villages still in existence... except for Abyssinia, which was nationalized by NGC as part of their natural gas portfolio apparently.  Like you nearly all dem name foreign to me... which is something I find real saddening.  Trinidad too small for us not to be familiar with these places and their history.  Growing up in Valencia I couldn't even point you to where Cumaca (or "Cumac" as they call it) was... although I know the name and know that it was somewhere "up so".  It would be great to visit some of these places for real.

-------------------

To 100% Barataria's post... there was relatively little local history taught at O' Levels when I took it, we examined the pre-colonial history only in passing, to note the indigenous tribes, then delved into the colonial period, slavery, emancipation and some of the post-colonial period.  Very little, if anything on Trinidad's particular history and cultural development.  Everything I learned I basically had to educate myself on... and I still have a very long way to go, I'm yet to read "Columbus to Castro" or "The Making of Port of Spain".  I need to put that on my list of things to do.

Offline Bakes

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Ah have de people work to do but ah juss take a break and come across this and decide tuh share... I went to Guaico Presbyterian School so I have many fond childhood memories from this place...

GUAICO: AN INDUSTRIAL AND COMMERCIAL VILLAGE
 

Trinidad Guardian

May 29, 1999

Page 29

 

Guaico - The Village bears the Amerindian name from the river which flows through it and extends from Turure in the West to Picton Road, Sangre Grande in the East, bounded on the North by the Guaico river and to the South at Modeste Hill, Guaico Tamana Road.

With the abolition of slavery in 1834 and later the completion of Indentureship contracts which freed Africans and released East Indians, labourers ventured eastwards of the island which was covered with virgin forest. They were encouraged by English Governor Lord Harris who offered the incentive of reduced prices for Crown Lands.

Between 1822 and 1839, the Royal Road was opened from Manzanilla Bay to Arima, passing through Sangre Chiquito, Sangre Grande, Cunapo, Guaico and Valencia.

This 'dirt track' is now known as the Eastern Main Road, which ends in the City of Port of Spain. Many East Indians bought Crown Lands and cultivated sugar cane, cocoa and coffee, while Africans continued to work for wages in the larger estates and on Government projects.

Along this 'dirt track' houses were erected with wooden pillars, earthen floors, tapia walls-mud, wood and timite roofs. Those who were nomadic rented rooms and planted ground provisions in their backyards to subsidize their food bills.

When the railway was extended from Arima to Sangre Grande in 1897, these settlers found employment in the construction of the railway line and the bridge over the Guaico river. Guaico railway station was later built in 1902.

Immigrants from other West Indian islands, particularly St Vincent and Dominica, migrated to Guaico and brought with them their custom of giving elevated places where they lived the name "Hill," and so the names Damarie Hill, Goat Hill and Modeste Hill got their names.

These settlers were poor and so too was sanitation. Since poorly constructed pit latrines in the yards were a health hazard and yaws, hookworms, jiggers and malnutrition were prevalent among inhabitants, a hospital was erected where the present gasoline service station now stands.

Guaico river provided water for drinking, cooking, bathing and washing and residents were always sure to catch fishes like cascarob, guabin, yarau, cascadoo and sardines which they prepare for their meals.

One of the early indentured Indians, Tewarie Mahadeo Maharaj, known as Babaji Mahadeo, bought 16 acres of Crown Lands. Mahadeo and his sons reared cattle and horses and were involved in horse-cart transport and the selling of cow's milk. A Vincentian named Charles Toney (the grandfather of former Minister of National Security Joseph Toney) who lived at Guaico Cross Roads, was also a horsecart transporter of goods. He later bought a lorry and continued his trade.

William Hugh Benjamin, of Scottish descent, was the first person to have a motor car in Guaico. His bakery, manufacturing hops bread, served the whole of East Trinidad by bicycle and horse transport. Today, the bakery, over 100 years old is serviced by a new fleet of trucks and services areas north east and south east of the country.

Benjamin also had the first two storey wooden dwelling house in Guaico and assisted Dr. John Morton, Pioneer Canadian Missionary, who established the Guaico Canadian Mission Indian Primary School in 1898, with lumber to erect the Morton Memorial Presbyterian Church and the Guaico Presbyterian School.

Seecharan Well near the Presbyterian Church and Jhaboo's well supplied water to the nearby residents until the coming of pipeborne water in 1924 from the Valencia Dam.

Shopping had to be done at Arima and when returning home, residents were often beaten and robbed by brigands along the Valencia Long Stretch. There was no electricity and pitch oil lamps and flambeaux provided light until the village got electricity in 1948.

The transfer in 1962 of the Public Works Department to Guaico where it is at present opened another avenue for employment. It assisted in the opening of additional traces and roads in the village.

For playing cricket, grounds were at Damarie Hill, Freida Hosein's and at San Louis Estate. "Badjoe" who died a few years ago, provided much labour to level the Oriental Ground.

As the population increased, shops were opened by Chinese and Indians. At Guaico Junction, the shopkeepers were Huggins, then Mahong, Ramdass and Subhit.

Some of the pioneers in local trade at Guaico included Ma Prieto-toolum; Ma Leeman-sweets; Miss Adelene-pone; Ma Soodie-buns and cakes; Miss Annie-buns and tarts. Mook sold snow ball, while Lazer sold ground nuts.

Other village pioneers include, John Villafana, Maharagin, Sonwa, Sinanan, Creese, Cupid, Pierre, Ada, Johnny, Nerahoo, Bonalde, Baboo, Hafizul, Ogis, Blake, Sadhoo, Odain, Frederick, Glasgow, Sampson, Toney, Manuela, Hillie, Priscilla Irish, Nath and a host of others.

Guaico, once a struggling agricultural village, has grown in recent years to become an industrial and commercial centre in East Trinidad.

Saw mills, milk processing farms, quarries and a large company now processing cocoa and coffee grown in the East have been built.

In 1991, a new Government school was established with a spacious lighted playground nearby and new homes and businesses have sprung up.

Once, a village with earthen drains and gravel roads, Guaico has made tremendous advancements and now has street lights, paved drains, footpaths, modern asphalt roads and two storey structures.

http://www.nalis.gov.tt/Places/places_Guaico.html


p.s. Clint Huggins who was killed by Dole Chadee's gang 13 years ago when they shot and burned him on Churchill-Roosevelt was a classmate of mine all thru primary school, the "Huggins" mentioned in the article are no doubt his forebears.

 

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