RE: Drax Hall, Jamaica
C.M. Codrington
Estate developed originally by William Drax son of Henry (of Barbados)
between 1669-1699. It was owned by his son Charles till 1725 and devolved
through various heirs, mortgagers etc.....There was an archaeological study
done there and a book published on it named "The Old Village and the Great
House, an archaeological Examination of Drax Hall Plantation, St. Ann's Bay,
Jamaica"
It was one of the large ones, and noteworthy because much of the acreage was
actually used (many of the figures you see on "large" Planters and
plantations vary wildly in accuracy) Up until at least 1780 it was
apparently profitable. It was worked until about 1925 and then lay
abandoned. As of 1990 it was owned by Drax Hall Ltd (Gulf and Western
Corporation)
The book is analytical but if you are willing to plug along there are some
great insights into how things were organized both at the Great House and
it's surrounds and in the African Village where they gathered wonderful
understanding of how people lived there.
.........
Incidentally land values in Jamaica have had a very shaky history and huge
amounts of land lay "abandoned" during several periods including some you
might think of as golden years for the planting set.
"Prime Real Estate" is an extremely relative term. The current value of a
lot of land in Jamaica these days is directly tagged to tourism which is a
market only slightly more stable than that of sugar, pimento, coffee,
bananas, arrowroot etc. The cash "value" of plantations was an utterly
deceptive notion on Jamaica in particular (Where there was Always more land
than they needed) and most of the figures shifted around according to
whether you subtracted the annuities and debts and mortgages on everything
from barrel staves shipped from the Carolinas on credit to how the Jamaican
pound held against the Pound Sterling on a particular day in London. By far
the majority of Jamaican plantations at the turn of the 19th century were in
trouble...... When sugar beets got turned to sugar and London dropped the
sugar protections for West Indian Sugar the game was basically over.
Most of the estates were going bankrupt before emancipation and there were
actually planters who quietly espoused the fact that slavery was more
expensive (at that point) than "free" labor (freeman on hire) and far less
productive (you can fire free labor). But the majority of planters
regardless of their ethics were worried about money because their slaves
were their primary cash asset.
There are some very good books which have attempted to examine the issues
and many of their conclusions are surprising. These are mainstream works
done between the late 50's and today. They seldom make it onto BBC or the
History Channel....
............................
A Digression not necessarily inspired by your comment but very pertinent to
Caribbean History....
Ah reparations.....it is hard to imagine any viable effort there when even a
modest survey is made of all those who "profited" and had either a direct or
indirect role in the Atlantic Economy it was part of. This would include
most of the major African tribal states (there were exceptions) and plenty
of relatives of and guardians of and chieftain/protectors of.... not to
mention the criminals: European weavers, iron founders, weapons
manufacturers, Merchants, planters and of course The Ruling Elite.....
Contrary to popular thought in the period 1500-1750 when the hideous
institution was fully developed African Kings and power brokers were using
the trade to further their own ambitions quite voluntarily and with what can
only be described as remarkable street smarts (or should we call it
entrepreneurial genius?????) Of course it is most important in the current
version of the Real Story that we violate all the same rules of
truth-telling as were violated by the institutional racism of the 19th
century Empire Builders....
And it is a-priori that we hold the Europeans up to a far higher standard
than anyone else in history.
But even if all this is discounted and we adhere to strictly emotional
principles....we have that MONGOL problem.....how are we going to determine
the reparations due the victims of the Khans? And how will little Mongolia
pay for it? Perhaps they could make videos of the archaelogical study of
Karakorum and sell it to the rich survivors of those damned Brits....or we
could enslave them till they pay it off......Ah "Justice"....the fourth and
dominant muse of the French Terror
All this nonsense aside, there can be no valid compensation. What can be
done is spiritual. All of us could take a moment a day to meditate on the
role of expediency in our world (and our own lives) That utterly common
expediency which so often justifies the most outrageous actions or the small
violations which lead to them.....At this moment in this world you would
have no difficulty making a long list.
But none of this yields progress till humans take responsibility for their
favorite weapon and resident mystery: Otherness. No one is innocent of
that...
Anyway, politics is not the practice of history and history is too often a
slave to politics. In my mind family history at its best is a meditational
practice which can lead to growth in understanding and humility.
I came to find out some family stuff and stayed to study a world....I found
out it was more than who lived in the "great" house or who was good and who
was bad. It was not about blue-eyed Devils and Black African Demons in the
Blue Mountains it was about all of it. But if I learned that my great great
great grandfather George Cod beat a slave to death you can be sure I'd write
it not minimize it.
And I learned something else: that slavery left it's mark on Everyone and
the brand remains to this day......And I am thankful I am not presented with
the decisions of that time and place. Because I believe honestly that it is
only a false sense of "otherness" that permits us to so smugly distance
ourselves from those who came before....
Ps Sorry if this is abit controversial but the elephant IS in the room and I
don't suffer denial of any persuasion very well.
Cod
-----Original Message-----
From: caribbea...@rootsweb.com [mailto:caribbea...@rootsweb.com]
On Behalf Of Winston Hawthorne
Sent: Tuesday, June 05, 2007 5:44 PM
To: cari...@rootsweb.com
Subject: Re: RE: GROSVENOR FAMILY IN BARBADOS
There's a Drax Hall development in Jamaica too, prime real estate, I can
recall asking who the %@*$ could get a hold of that much land in a place
like this?, this was before it was developed and sold off, so I would'nt be
surprised that there is a DIRECT slavery connection here, so much land
though and was sitting idle for so long.
Another argument for reparations.
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Maureen Campain
Thanks for your long email on history & "otherness"...please don't apologise
for it as I feel much the same.....
I have a double 'whammy'.....not only am I seeking the history of my MARK
family from the "West Indies", but I am also trying to do research on my
husband's paternal family here in Australia & because my husband has
Australian Aboriginal ancestry it is like hitting one's head against a brick
wall......not a lot of information was kept about the indigenous peoples of
Australia as they were considered way, way down in the order as white
man/European had considered. Even today, among people I know extremely
well & who consider themselves to be non racist, when I talk about the
rights of every man, black or white, I get some very interesting
replies....most not worth repeating!
Reparations are so hard to ascertain.....all some indigenous people are
asking for is for the white man to just say "Sorry", but some can't even do
that....Just how does one define & decide on reparation. Even my
Grandmother refused to admit that my Great-Grandfather was her
father.....Gran told her children that her father had been killed when she
was very young & that their Grandfather Mark was really her
step-father......how very sad & I often wonder what had happened or been
said that made her deny the fact......perhaps it was that very essence of
"otherness" that you speak of.
AGain, don't apologise Cod. You have put into words, thoughts that I have
not been able to express very well.......Thank you.
Maureen Campain
Glanville
South Australia
Spring
Thanks for that.
We want to know our ancestors' occupations and places in society. Many
were enslaved or victimised by harsh penal codes. It would be impossible
to compensate them by trying to place a legalistic monetary value on
their suffering and then deciding who should give and who should receive
it today.
It seems to me that the best forms of reparation for past injustices
would be to treat their descendants with the sort of respect and social
justice that they should have had (e.g. give them affordable access to
good education and health care).
BBC World last night reported on a compact between an industrial
polluter and an aboriginal community which recognised and utilised the
latter's traditional skills at creating windbreaks in order to reduce
carbon emissions from raging bush fires that also destroy property and
are costly to put out. Given the Australian government's foot-dragging
on environmental issues, would you consider that a good model to follow,
provided that the workers are remunerated adequately and any funds for
community projects are properly controlled?
Peter Moll
Tortola
B.V.I.
Maureen Campain
Yes, I certainly do think that that is a really good model to follow.
Europeans, & I refer not only to modern day European/Caucasion peoples, but
also to our early settlers here in Australia, have continually failed to
realise that our idigenous people understood the land, worked with nature &
not against it. A big problem with Aboriginal communities in the past has
been lack of control with regards to funds. Unfortunately, there have been
incidents where funds have been squandered & that again was partly due to
European/Caucasion people not understanding the traditional family values
within the indigenous communities. Monies have been shared with the rest of
the family, family meaning is very different between indigenous & Caucasion,
& this in itself has caused problems. However, we have some wonderful
indigenous people who are now trying to work with both sides of the equation
& hopefully not only our Federal Government, but also our State Governments
will see that both communities can work together for the environment.
Only last week I watched "Australian Story" on ABC TV about 2 brothers in
Far North Queensland working to help the young people of the area by helping
them through college & on to University and also working to help save the
rivers from becoming polluted by mining. The Queensland Government isn't
being all that helpful at the moment but, hopefully, in the near future the
communities in Far North Queensland will win out.
It's a very involved problem which isn't going to be solved in an instant &
of course, we have those in the white population who still see Australia as
belonging to the white man & also indigenous people who are just as
dogmatic....thank goodness there are those in both communities who see value
in each other.
As to monetary value as compensation....How can you compensate in money
value, an aboriginal family whose son/brother/father was put in a uniform
sent overseas to fight in WW2 and then at the end of the war, the man comes
home & is denied the right to vote because he is black? How can you
compensate a family whose child has a white father & a black mother & the
child is taken from that family and brought up within the 'white' community,
most likely as a servant.
The saddest part of the indigenous culture for me, is the fact that because
they were divided as in families being separated, their culture, their
dreamtime stories which for centuries have been handed down by word, are now
being lost because a lot of the modern Aboriginal people no longer live
within their tribal communities & therefore no longer have their elders to
pass on their history.
As Cod wrote, it's that "otherness" that we have to overcome...I guess
through researching our family history we find a "oneness" that binds us all
together.....I hope so anyway.
You got me started Peter, sorry, everyone, that this was so long.
Regards
C.M. Codrington
much to learn so little time!
Cod
-----Original Message-----
From: caribbea...@rootsweb.com [mailto:caribbea...@rootsweb.com]
Hello Peter,
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tony figueroa
To date I have not gotten confirmation that the info was recieved.
If you wish, I can resend it.
Tony Figueroa
Maureen Campain
Glanville
South Australia
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Ccad...@aol.com
I concur with the contents of your e.mail. My ancestors I believe hail from
Barbados and maybe other destinations. However as a child I was told that my
grandmother had a brother who went to war, he was called Johnny but he never
came back. I was able to trace some of my family, others like Johnny is
history as I have no idea where to start looking but at this juncture sorry would
not be good enough for me. Finding my ancestors is more
important.........compensation yes, but this should be contributed to Archives all around the world
to help restore and maintain records.
Cheryl
Winston Hawthorne
would be such, let Africans present their case and use the yard stick, that
has been used in other instances, there are many, Japanese victims of
internment, Jews in European skirmish, even lockerbie bombing, we don't have
to worry about how Africans will apportion out.
I will speak more about this in other mail but wanted to get this out as it
seems no more than a deflection talk about it would be too tough confusing
and it's been so long......
----- Original Message -----
From: "Spring" <spr...@surfbvi.com>
To: <cari...@rootsweb.com>
Sent: Wednesday, June 06, 2007 5:10 AM
Subject: Re: Drax Hall, Jamaica
> Hi Maureen
>
> Thanks for that.
> We want to know our ancestors' occupations and places in society. Many
> were enslaved or victimised by harsh penal codes. It would be impossible
> to compensate them by trying to place a legalistic monetary value on
> their suffering and then deciding who should give and who should receive
> it today.
> It seems to me that the best forms of reparation for past injustices
> would be to treat their descendants with the sort of respect and social
> justice that they should have had (e.g. give them affordable access to
> good education and health care).
> BBC World last night reported on a compact between an industrial
> polluter and an aboriginal community which recognised and utilised the
> latter's traditional skills at creating windbreaks in order to reduce
> carbon emissions from raging bush fires that also destroy property and
> are costly to put out. Given the Australian government's foot-dragging
> on environmental issues, would you consider that a good model to follow,
> provided that the workers are remunerated adequately and any funds for
> community projects are properly controlled?
>
> Peter Moll
> Tortola
> B.V.I.
>
Winston Hawthorne
I brought up the point about reparations as it's clear to even a passing
observer that the cause for the brutality towards Africans in the past was
the ignorance of entitlement, greed etc. in short economic, and if we
observe the shenanigans of UK and the US especially to this day there is
little difference in their behaviour, wars are still fought to protect
their economic interests, I'll assume I do not need to give examples.
furthermore just I did anyone can wonder when I asked "who the %@*$ could
get a hold of that much land" well we know the answer, it is someone who is
still benefiting from the price paid in blood by others for generations,
that same person continues to benefit to this day, to say sorry would be
nice, but we can note even that is too much for the bloodsuckers of the past
and those benefiting today.
Now we should also be reminded that after slavery was let's called it
"abolished" it was considered good economics by Britain to pay compensation
to the previous slave owners, France exacted a heavy penalty against the
people of Haiti for their audacity of winning their freedom, a crippling
monetary price, and when they looked like they were over that debt, then
America stepped in just to ensure they never got off their knees and
therefore serving as an example to the millions of Africans in America, this
is the reverse side of someone looking over the fence of Drax. Hall, No, No
Chris we cannot ignore the elephant in the room, the effects are still
being felt, the profits of unearned privileges still being realised.
Now some people might say "It has been so long though" so what? the
worse atrocities are still committed based on race and economics, so if we
are truly desirous of redressing wrong, let's attack in the way that is most
effective in the world today, pay up, and if they do not wish continue
paying they will curb their ways.
Yes, many who have become used to a life of entitlement because of race
will have to make their way like the rest of us, it will make for a more
equitable and just society though.
Winston
----- Original Message -----
From: "C.M. Codrington" <chri...@candoo.com>
To: <cari...@rootsweb.com>
Sent: Wednesday, June 06, 2007 7:31 AM
Subject: RE: Drax Hall, Jamaica
> Boy it is encouraging to read the postings coming out of this thread....so
> much to learn so little time!
> Cod
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: caribbea...@rootsweb.com
> [mailto:caribbea...@rootsweb.com]
> On Behalf Of Maureen Campain
> Sent: Wednesday, June 06, 2007 9:15 AM
> To: cari...@rootsweb.com
> Subject: Re: Drax Hall, Jamaica
>
> Maureen Campain
> Glanville
> South Australia
>
>
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> To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to
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>
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