DOMINICA
See also : CARIB RESERVE ROMAN CATHOLIC HIERARCHY IN DOMINICA 1848 - 1945 ANGLICAN CHURCH IN DOMINICABRITISH DEPENDENCY OF DOMINICA
The Spanish reached the Antillian island of Dominica (Carib : Wai'tukubuli) in 1493, but fierce Carib resistance prevented all further colonization attempts for nearly 150 years. After the landing of the French in 1627 the island became a battlefield between the British, Caribs and French. This situation lasted until the end of the 18th century when the Caribs were finally defeated (s.b.) and France gave up its claims on the island (Treaty of Versailles of 1783). In 1771 Dominica was organized as a separate British colony, which became part of the administrative union of the Leeward Islands in 1833. This situation lasted until 1871 when the island was integrated into the newly created federal colony of the Leeward Islands. In 1940, it was transferred to the administrative union of the Windward Islands. __________________________________________________________________________________BRITISH ADMINISTRATORS
(subordinated to the administrators of the Leeward Islands 1833 - 1940, to those of the Windward Islands thereafter) Lieutenant Governors 1845 - 1851 Col. George McDonald 1851 - 1857 Maj. Samuel Wensley Blackall 1809 - 1871 1857 - 1861 Maj. Harry St. George Ord (* 1860-1861) 1819 - 1885 1861 - 1864 Thomas Price 1864 - 1867 James Robert Longden 1827 - 1891 1867 - 1869 ... 1869 Henry Gascoyne Ernest Bulwer 1836 - 1914 1869 - 1871 Sanford Freeling 1828 - 1894 Presidents 1872 - 1873 Alexander Wilson Moir 1873 - 1882 Charles Monroe Eldridge 1... - 1888 1882 - 1887 James Meade 1887 - 1894 Charles Ruthven LeHunte 1852 - 1925 1894 - 1895 Edward Baynes* Administrators 1895 - 1899 Philip Arthur Templer 1... - 1899 1899 - 1905 Henry Hesketh Joudou Bell 1864 - 1952 1905 - 1914 William Douglas Young (* 1913-1914) 1859 - 1943 1914 Edward Rawle Drayton 1859 - 1927 1915 - 1919 Arthur William Mahaffy 1869 - 1919 1919 - 1923 Robert Walter 1... - 1959 1923 - 1924 LtCol. Wilfred Bennett Davidson-Houston* 1870 - 1960 1924 - 1930 Edward Carlyon Eliot 1870 - 1940 1930 - 1932 Thomas Edwin Percival Baynes* 1885 - 1952 1931 - 1933 Walter Andrew Bowring 1875 - 1950 1933 - 1937 Henry Bradshaw Popham 1881 - 1947 1937 - 1938 Thomas Edwin Percival Baynes* (2x) 1938 - 1946 James Scott Neill (* 1945-1946) 1889 - 1958
CARIB RESERVE
Dominica is the only Antillian island where a small Native American community still survives. At the arrival of the Europeans on the end of the 15th century, all Lesser Antilles were inhabited by the Caribs (Calinago, Caliponam or Calino). In the course of the following two centuries they were gradually exterminated by the Europeans in most islands and by the early 18th century only those on Dominica and St. Vincent still opposed colonial conquest. As no compromise could be reached, a British-French agreement - part of the Treaty of Aix-la-Chapelle of 1748 - finally recognized Dominica as a neutral Carib possession, to be ruled by its own chiefs. (1) This arrangement lasted until 1761, when the island was once again invaded by the British. This time the Caribs were defeated and by the end of the 18th century only a small group of them survived in the poor northeastern coastal area, which came to be known as the "Carib Quarter" (center : Salybia). At first they were left alone by the British, being ruled by their elected chiefs (recognized by the British), paying no taxes, etc. But later - since 1865 - there was somewhat more government concern for the area and a Catholic church, a school and a government building were erected. This measures seemed however not enough to prevent a possible total disappearance of the Caribs. It was in this context that administrator Henry Hesketh Joudou Bell (s.a.) - inspired by modern anthropology and by his desire to save a "vanishing people" - decided to create in 1903 out of the Carib Quarter, the Carib Reserve enjoying some kind of self-government. The creation of the Reserve didn't however resolve all problems and by the 1920's ther was some anti-British agitation. (2) This was at its highest in 1930, when a minor confrontation between smugglers and police forces evolved into a major clash - to be known as the Carib War - resulting in the abolition of "selfgovernment". (1) The Caribs were described as warlike and man eating (hence the derived word Cannibal) and it is said that with their fleets of thousands of warriors (4000 for an expediton against St. Kitts in 1635) they raided all islands in search of human flesh. By 1600 only Dominica, Guadeloupe, Martinique and St. Vincent still had Carib communities, by 1660 only Dominica (until now) and St. Vincent (until the 19th century). (2) Positive aspects of the creation of the Reserve were : - the original quarter was largely extended to include more fertile lands, - the elected chiefs were now granted a salary by the British government, - like before the Caribs payed no taxes in exchange for the keeping open of parts of a road running through the reserve. Negative aspects were : - interventions by local colonial officials increased, - the nature of the self-government measures had not been well defined, - the creation of a larger Reserve did not stop penetration of non Caribs. __________________________________________________________________________________CARIB OFFICIALS
Chiefs 18.. - 1850 Popot Wakkanik 1850 - 1870 Joseph 187. - 1... Brunie 1... - 19.. Auguste François "Ogiste", first chief of the "Carib Reserve" in 1903 19.. - 1926 Jules Benjamin Corriette, deposed 1926 - 1930 Thomas "Jolly" John, deposed 1930 Simon John 1930 - 1952 none Representatives of the Carib Reserve to the Dominica Legislative Council (Since 1925 as part of the Eastern Electoral District, not necessarely Caribs) 1925 – 1928 Alexander A. Baron 1928 – 1937 J. B. Charles 1937 – 1940 Lennox Napier 1891 - 1940 1940 – 1944 Elma Napier° (first female representative to a Caribbean legislative institution) 1892 - 1973 1944 – 1947 Clifton Dupigny
HOME INDEX