Homer's St Joseph OdysseyBy Desiree Sampson Thursday, May 15 2014
Newsday
The St Joseph RC Church where three monks are buried beneath the altar....
A recent drive through the main road in St Joseph brought back memories of a walking tour through this district, led by that late fountain of historical information, Louis B Homer. This was among Homer’s last few walking tours before he passed away in August last year. So as a tribute to Louis B Homer, this piece will retrace our journey with him through the town of St Joseph; a tour organised by the National Trust.
I met the group at the car park across from WASA’s head office. Once all had gathered in the location wondering perhaps as to the significance of stopping here, Homer informed us that this spot was one of the most important historical sites in the country. Why? It was here that the capitulation treaty was signed in 1797.
The treaty was an agreement between the Spaniards and Governor Abercromby that gave the British possession of Trinidad.
“If there are any sites, places in Trinidad of importance, this is the most important place because this is what made us British citizens of the Commonwealth,” declared Homer.
We then drove up the PBR and stopped at the empty lot across from the St Joseph mosque.
We were told by our able guide that on this spot, once stood a building from which the first telegraph was sent from Britain to Governor Arthur Gordon in 1870.
After exploring the St Joseph mosque (correct name Mohammed Ali Jinnah Memorial Mosque), which is now one of the buildings considered by the National Trust as representative of our built heritage, we then drove up the main street through St Joseph, to a site located on Albert street.
We stopped at a sloping park-like area on the street where stood a huge silver cross. According to Homer, The cross was built by the Gonzales family in 1892. The site is an excellent point to get a birds-eye view of Curepe and the central and southern regions of the country.
From here the walking tour really began as we no longer relied on the hired tour bus but our own two feet to take us along the remainder of the journey. We ventured back down the street and across the road to the park known by many as George Earle Park. For Homer, this was Barrack Square, the name the park was given centuries ago.
As he recounted, Barrack Square was the place where the infamous African known as Daaga, a member of the Third West India Regiment, was executed along with three others for their attempts to overthrow the then government in 1837.
All three were executed in this square which was renamed after the town’s long standing councillor George Earle and now most recently has been named as First National Park.
Homer had us hanging on his words when he opened his repository of historical knowledge to tell us of Daaga’s defiance in the face of death. “They were shot.
But Daaga was so brave that he said he did not want his head to be covered. He wanted to know exactly how they were going to kill him.”The park is also the place where two British soldiers were buried, their graves still there close to the eastern entrance to the park. This particular spot is maintained by the British High Commission.
Onward we walked, down the street to the St Joseph RC Church. The church has a very rich history, apart from that of its architecture. Homer informed us that three monks are buried beneath the church’s altar. Around the side of the church, towards the back, lies a cemetery where you can find the graves of ancestors of prominent Trinidad families such as the Farfans and the Dupreys. After touring the grounds of the church we ended our time with Homer at the community centre where we sat down to lunch and some of had a chance to pick Homer’s brain some more.
No doubt, St Joseph is a place where the old and the modern mingle to create a special town. And on this tour that jewel of a historian, Louis B Homer made the town come to life better than any history book could have ever done.
