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Re: Local history Thread

Postby sMASH » September 12th, 2011, 4:25 am

don't tess the cathalic church.

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Re: Local history Thread

Postby dougla_boy » September 12th, 2011, 8:02 am

ah swear ah love this ched....

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Re: Local history Thread

Postby dougla_boy » September 13th, 2011, 7:44 am

doh let d ched die out na....ah researching sum history to come and share!! bump!!

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Re: Local history Thread

Postby dougla_boy » September 13th, 2011, 11:53 am

all right....what about the queen's park savannah? did u kno there is a cemetery for members of the Peschier family? it was owned by the Peschier family and given to the people of trinidad and tobago .....heard that from a little old lady


EDIT: found the info on it, see below.....

Mention of the word Caribbean brings to mind clear blue waters, wide sandy beaches, coral reefs and palms swaying in tropical breezes. While it is all of these and more, this tropical tourist vision lacks the realism of everyday life for its residents of the region. However, for resident and tourist alike it is difficult to imagine the capital of Trinidad and Tobago, Port-of-Spain, without the Queen's Park Savannah and the adjoining Botanic Gardens.

As public land it is 165 years old, making it the oldest recreation ground in the West Indies. Today it is without doubt the most valuable parcel of real estate in the city and plays a very important role in the lives of most of the nation's 1.3 million inhabitants. Since the country is slightly over 5,000 km in size, the Savannah is in a sense a national recreation park.

When St. Ann's Estate was purchased from the Peschier family by the City Council in 1817, it was considered by many to be a questionable expenditure of public funds, on the grounds that it was too far from the city (2 km) and too expensive (6,000 pounds sterling for the 120 hectare plot). However, by the mid 1800s Port-of-Spain had grown from a fishing village of 1400 habitants in 1760, to a thriving town of 15,000 residents and by the early 1900s, the most luxurious homes were situated adjacent to the park.

Sir Ralph Woodford, the first civil governor appointed by England in 1813 to the colony of Trinidad and Tobago, was given the initial task of rebuilding the city after a fire destroyed 50% of the developed area in 1808.

One f the underlying principles which guided this task was the belief in the necessity of creating public squares and open-space for a range of recreational and other pursuits. As a result, Port-of-Spain has some 50 parks; nearly 3 percent of its area. Of course in the early 1800s the Savannah was not envisioned as an area for recreational pursuits but was purchased as part of the estate for the governor's official residence and as a public pasture for grazing domestic stock. In 1820 the City Council transferred this land to the Colonial Government.

The first mention of any sanctioned recreational activity occurring in the park was in 1828, when a horse race was held in the Grand Savannah as it was then called. In 1854 the construction of the grandstand and stable institutionalized annual races during the Christmas and Easter seasons. Besides the land leased for pasture and a 2 ha parcel of sugar cane cultivated for fodder for police horses, by 1890 facilities included an international cricket pitch, polo grounds, Port-of-Spain's first golf course and areas for field sports such as soccer and hockey.

By the turn of the century, and electric tramway provided a "scenic tour" (4 km) around the perimeter of the park at 2 cents per trip and it was not until 1950 that this facility was removed due to the protests from citizens who claimed that the tram added unnecessary noise and congestion to the otherwise peaceful ambience.

The Queen's Park Savannah became at the same time more controversial and more endeared by the citizenry as the years passed. Actually by the 1900s the city had expanded beyond the park, and Governor Broome suggested that a small area be developed for housing, commerce and parking. A public outcry and press barrage condemned the proposal and convinced the Sub-Intendent of State Lands, Sir David Wilson, to approach the Governor and ask him to reconsider. He pointed out that though the park appeared to be too large and under-utilized, future demand would necessitate similar facilities in other parts of the city to meet demand. The Governor acquiesced and the Savannah was saved for posterity.

Other ideas for use of the park open space included one by a particularly ambitious entrepreneur who campaigned for the erection of 200 billboards, the rental of which would help defer maintenance costs. The construction f a national sports stadium on Savannah grounds proposed in the early 1970s posed a serious, if short lived, threat and became the catalyst for the formation of the "Save Our Savannah Committee" (SOS) - a private watchdog citizens group. The citizenry supported the SOS and another site was found for the stadium.

Present use of the Savannah-Botanic Gardens is governed by a 1950 Ordinance under which the Division of Horticulture is charged with both maintenance and development programmes, while the City Council is responsible for the sidewalk and benches on the perimeter of the park.

The adjacent zoo complex is administered by the Zoological Society and managed by an independent curator. The physical area on which the zoo is located was originally part of the Botanic Gardens but was leased (on a permanent basis) to the Society in the 1950s.

The same document guarantees the continuance of the lease of 2 ha to the Trinidad Turf Club until the year 2007. There are at present 26 cricket pitches and 27 soccer fields in the Savannah, the use of which is programmed by the Ministry of Agriculture, Lands and Food Production.

The role of the Botanic Gardens goes beyond that of a recreation ground since scientific and educational goals are emphasized. There are in excess of 870 tree species in the Gardens in addition to numerous woody shrubs and herbaceous ornamentals.

Several of the more notable native species include the Royal Palmetto (Sabal umbraculiferum), Black Roseau (Bactris major), Christmas Hope (Tecoma stans), Cohune Nut (Scheelea urbaniana), Balata - Bullet Wood (Manilkara bidentata), Yellow Poui (Tecoma serratifolia), and Naked Indian (Albizzia caribaea). Exotic species include Flamboyante (Delonix regia), Eucalyptus (Eucalyptus tereticornis), Whistling Pine (Causuarina equisetifolia), Sausage Tree (Kigelia pinnata), Pomme Rose (Eugenia jambos), Norfolk Island Pine (Araucaria excela) and the Bootlace Tree (Esperua falcata) among many others.

http://www.nalis.gov.tt/Places/places_H ... Gdns3.html

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Re: Local history Thread

Postby Seeker » September 13th, 2011, 3:37 pm

Nice read there.

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Re: Local history Thread

Postby d spike » September 13th, 2011, 5:40 pm

As you mention the Botanical Gardens...
Did you know that until the recent rescheduling of the Protected Species list, the Corbeau was a protected bird?
Lord Harris was one of the few bachelors to be appointed Governor (actually the only one, if memory serves me right) and from the time he set foot on our soil (and "set foot" is indeed what he did, for when he heard how close the Governor's Quarters were to the port, he waved away the coach that was sent for him, and walked through the town instead) he became the prey of all the eligible ladies of the elite families of Trinidad. Every mother, aunt and macomere ensured that the young lady of the house was prepped, placed in an open coach, and "aired" (in their company, of course) around the savannah along the Long Circular Road (so named due to it being a... ermmm... uhh... a long, circular road... it was this "trail" that all those who wished to see and be seen would travel after tea on an evening) in the hope of catching the young Governor's eye.
The hook was set, the bait was tasty, the line was well played. Lord Harris married a Cummings girl - can't remember her name...
Anyway, Lord Harris' wife would go walking with her new husband on evenings in the Botanical Gardens - then they were the private gardens of the Governor - and one evening she was showing off her new dress, just brought in from England, when a corbeau flying overhead chose that moment to perform a feat that few animals are capable of. This amazing skill is one of the arts that allows the corbeau to survive as a practised scavenger in case it should eat something that disagrees with it - it can engage anti-peristalsis in flight... (de t'ing could make 'eself vomit while it up dey)
Lady Harris' new dress was ruined. In an effort at placation, soothing ruffled feathers, so to speak, a bounty was placed on the head of this magnificent bird, one shilling (24 cents) - a lot of money in those days.
Yuh know how Trini like easy money... In a short space of time, corbeaux became as scarce as an honest parts dealer. From the time an unwary corbeau chose a thermal over town to make a few lazy circles, gunshots would be heard, wild-west style.
Soon, Port-of-Spain started to stink... for the fisherman would land their catch right there on the wharf, gutting and cleaning their wares as they sold them, or prepared them for delivery. The Gulf is a calm puddle, no currents flow to flush the harbour, and it were the corbeaux (introduced by the Spanish, I think) that kept the harbour reasonably clean.

It was just a matter of time before the importance of the maligned corbeau was realised, the bounty lifted and the much-valued species made a protected bird.

Speaking of protected species and Governors' wives, here is another remarkable incident.
Lady Young was driving one day (towards Santa Cruz, I think) when she saw a hunter walking along the road with a magnificent ocelot slung over his shoulder. (A dead one, of course :lol: )
She stopped and went over to him, and asked him to allow her to view and touch the pelt. She had never seen one before, and was clearly amazed with the beauty of the animal.

The next week, Lord Young proclaimed the ocelot a protected species. :mrgreen:
Last edited by d spike on January 23rd, 2012, 3:58 pm, edited 1 time in total.

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Re: Local history Thread

Postby sMASH » September 13th, 2011, 8:55 pm

pum pum rules!!

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Re: Local history Thread

Postby dougla_boy » September 13th, 2011, 9:12 pm

i am supposed to have a book about caribs that my aunt wrote....i think my family has a bit of it mixed up in it......speaking about caribs a history teacher said dat diff tribes were called either a carib or arawak because of their language.....

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Re: Local history Thread

Postby d spike » September 14th, 2011, 7:43 am

dougla_boy wrote:....speaking about caribs a history teacher said dat diff tribes were called either a carib or arawak because of their language.....

If that were so, then they would all be considered "Arawak"... :lol:
The "Island Caribs" used to capture women and use them for wife material. An Island Carib village was a bi-lingual place, for the men spoke their own language (I guess what you would call "Carib", though the Cariban language covers quite a few languages) while the women and children spoke their Arawakan language...

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Re: Local history Thread

Postby dougla_boy » September 17th, 2011, 8:33 am

bump because more info is required ............

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Re: Local history Thread

Postby rspann » September 17th, 2011, 12:11 pm

Go on youtube and check"time out in Trinidad",you will see actual videos of how Trinidad was in the years past.Also on youtube vids of historical events in Trinidad and calypsonians etc.

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Re: Local history Thread

Postby Seeker » September 17th, 2011, 6:54 pm

I love the vid re: Trinidad in 1938. Really epic

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Re: Local history Thread

Postby d spike » September 17th, 2011, 11:14 pm

dougla_boy wrote:bump because more info is required ............

Anything specific?

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Re: Local history Thread

Postby Olivia425 » September 18th, 2011, 4:12 am

nice thread. found this on f/book....Very cool pics

http://www.facebook.com/people/VirtualM ... 2239346760

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Re: Local history Thread

Postby dougla_boy » September 19th, 2011, 11:18 am

d spike wrote:
dougla_boy wrote:bump because more info is required ............

Anything specific?


well i really like anything about the Spanish and Amerindians....and what about politics? how many people kno how the PNM and UNC was formed? and who was one of the firsts Oppostion Leaders?

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Re: Local history Thread

Postby cinco » September 19th, 2011, 11:24 am

Wow
last train to sando some interesting tidbits in the youtube video page too
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sdkz-rZs ... ture=feedu

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Re: Local history Thread

Postby dougla_boy » September 22nd, 2011, 1:55 pm

bump for a best but dying thread

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Re: Local history Thread

Postby d spike » September 22nd, 2011, 9:54 pm

dougla_boy wrote:
d spike wrote:
dougla_boy wrote:bump because more info is required ............

Anything specific?


well i really like anything about the Spanish and Amerindians...


Well...
After Sedeno's horses were killed by poison arrows in 1530, and he gave up and left, no Spaniard or European visited Trinidad for quite a while (yeah, right)... until de Berrio, our second governor (another conquistador like Sedeno, but with better luck) entrenched the Spanish presence here in 1591...

However, these weren't the first two (or only) Spanish visits...

After Columbus performed his drive-by discovery, Spanish ships regularly stopped in our waters to snatch Indians to slave in New World settlements, or dive for pearls - neither occupation had a pension arrangement...

In 1513 there was a brief change to this behaviour, when two Spanish Dominican priests, Francisco de Cordova and Juan Graces, were dropped off on the coast to bring Christianity to the Amerindian heathen... They actually did quite well, getting accepted by the Indians, and lived among them for quite some time, preaching and aiding the sick, while the Spanish soldiers obeyed the ruling to desist from acquiring free labour from Trini due to the Spanish priests acquiring free souls...
Until a Spanish ship passed by, whose crew either didn't know about the ruling or didn't care. They entertained the two Dominicans, who were thrilled to see some boys from home. The boys from home asked the priests to pray for them, and while the two Spanish priests were praying in their old habits for the ship's crew, the rest of the ship's crew fell prey to their old Spanish habits, and snatched some able-bodied Indians...

By the time the Dominicans realized what had taken place, the ship had departed, leaving them up the creek without a paddle - but safe on shore among a large and angry mob of Amerindians, who were having a hard time differentiating between Spaniards who came on a ship acting friendly, and Spaniards who came on a ship acting friendly in order to kidnap Indians. The Indians seized the two priests, and prepared to demonstrate another aspect of Amerindian culture that involved revenge, captured kidnappers and sharp objects.
The Dominicans begged for their lives, pleading with their once-friendly hosts for a chance to redeem the name of Spain and free the stolen Indians. They were allowed to write a letter to the Spanish Crown, explaining the situation, demanding the Indians be returned to their home, allowing the Dominicans to continue their work among the Indians of Trinidad in peace. A passing ship was hailed and a canoe went out, allowing one of the Dominicans to deliver the letter to the ship. Months passed, and no response came...
Unfortunately, the Indians' patience ran out before the Dominicans could, and two more martyrs were added to a long list in the Church's archives...

...leaving conquistadors free to visit the happy shores of Trini once more, leaving with fond memories and free labour...

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Re: Local history Thread

Postby sMASH » September 23rd, 2011, 3:55 am

ent it was raleigh who was lookin for el dorado and he found the pitch lake?

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Re: Local history Thread

Postby d spike » September 23rd, 2011, 7:14 am

sMASH wrote:ent it was raleigh who was lookin for el dorado and he found the pitch lake?

He certainly did come across the Pitch Lake in his search for El Dorado (and proclaimed it to be "most excellent pitche") but as far as his "finding" it in true European style... it wasn't lost ( :lol: ) and you will note that he refers to it by the name the natives used to call it, "La Brea" - a Spanish name, NOT an Amerindian name... so Europeans had "discovered" it before he did... Viva Espana...

Raleigh got the support of many Amerindian tribes along the Orinoco and in Guyana (they realized he hated the Spanish just as they did) including the chief Wareo, a Yao indian who led the last of his people out of Trinidad (he was from Moruga) to escape the Spanish.
With this support, Raleigh attacked St. Joseph and sacked it.

After Good Queen Bess passed on, Raleigh's habit of plundering Spanish concerns along the Main fell out of favour in the English court... England was attempting to woo Spain, when Raleigh was attempting to find a good box of matches to burn yet another Spanish town... This act outraged the Spanish and English courts alike, causing the English King to lose his head (figuratively speaking) and demand that Raleigh in turn, lose his head (not figuratively speaking, unfortunately for Raleigh).

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Re: Local history Thread

Postby sMASH » September 23rd, 2011, 7:36 am

wtf,,, lolz,,, de man was sumtin like ah pirate, then?

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Re: Local history Thread

Postby d spike » September 23rd, 2011, 7:51 am

sMASH wrote:wtf,,, lolz,,, de man was sumtin like ah pirate, then?

Depends whose point of view you choose to agree with... The Spanish considered him a pirate, along with Drake and Hawkins. Queen Elizabeth and England considered them otherwise.

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Re: Local history Thread

Postby Seeker » September 23rd, 2011, 3:32 pm

To me, the Spaniards considered all rivals for world dominion as pirates.

Are they the ones that attacked an english or dutch outpost in Florida and killed the inhabitants??

(can't remember all the details)

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Re: Local history Thread

Postby d spike » September 23rd, 2011, 9:05 pm

Seeker wrote:To me, the Spaniards considered all rivals for world dominion as pirates.

Are they the ones that attacked an english or dutch outpost in Florida and killed the inhabitants??

(can't remember all the details)

Yes, the Spanish were very possessive about their New World... but other Europeans weren't backward either when it came to slaughtering... you should read Tobago's history!
Anyway, Florida...
The Spanish (de Leon, de Soto, and countless conquistador slavers) had an interest in Florida, including failed attempts at settling the area.
The French began taking an interest in the area, as well, leading the Spanish to accelerate their colonization plans. Jean Ribault led an expedition to Florida, and established Charlesfort on what is now Parris Island, South Carolina in 1562. René Goulaine de Laudonnière founded Fort Caroline in what is now Jacksonville, in 1564, as a haven for Protestant Huguenot settlers fleeing persecution in France and religious wars. The garrison at Charlesfort abandoned it and moved to Fort Caroline the same year.

These French adventurers prompted Spain to accelerate her plans for colonization. Pedro Menéndez de Avilés hastened across the Atlantic, his sights set on removing the French and creating a Spanish settlement. Menéndez arrived in 1565 at a place he called San Augustín (St. Augustine) and established the first permanent European settlement in what is now the United States. He accomplished his goal of expelling the French, attacking and killing all settlers except for non-combatants and Frenchmen who professed belief in the Roman Catholic faith. Menéndez captured Fort Caroline and renamed it San Mateo.

French response came two years later, when Dominique de Gourgues recaptured San Mateo and made the Spanish soldiers stationed there pay with their lives. However, this incident did not halt the Spanish advance.

The English, also eager to exploit the wealth of the Americas, increasingly came into conflict with Spain's expanding empire. In 1586 the English captain Sir Francis Drake looted and burned the tiny village of St. Augustine. However, Spanish control of Florida still was not diminished.

In fact, as late as 1600, Spain's power over what is now the southeastern United States was unquestioned. When English settlers came to America, they established their first colonies well to the North—at Jamestown (in the present state of Virginia) in 1607 and Plymouth (in the present state of Massachusetts) in 1620. English colonists wanted to take advantage of the continent's natural resources and gradually pushed the borders of Spanish power southward into present-day southern Georgia. At the same time, French explorers were moving down the Mississippi River valley and eastward along the Gulf Coast.

The English colonists in the Carolina colonies were particularly hostile toward Spain. Led by Colonel James Moore, the Carolinians and their Creek Indian allies attacked Spanish Florida in 1702 and destroyed the town of St. Augustine. However, they could not capture the fort, named Castillo de San Marcos. Two years later, they destroyed the Spanish missions between Tallahassee and St. Augustine, killing many native people and enslaving many others. The French continued to harass Spanish Florida's western border and captured Pensacola in 1719, twenty-one years after the town had been established.

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Re: Local history Thread

Postby InDeForest » September 24th, 2011, 1:03 am

I've got a book named La Magdalena, by David Philips, which is a history of Tobago from 1498-1898. Very interesting read, as there is a huge amount of activity detailed during years where Trinidad was very dormant, real bacchanal in tobago.

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Re: Local history Thread

Postby Country_Bookie » January 23rd, 2012, 3:33 pm

Rowdy talks lead to T&T's Independence
By Louis B Homer South Bureau

Story Created: Jan 22, 2012 at 11:01 PM ECT

(Story Updated: Jan 22, 2012 at 11:01 PM ECT )

DURING the recent public debate on the selection and appointment of lawyers for silk, Ramesh Lawrence Maharaj, SC, said that, during his tenure as Attorney General, he had appointed Tajmool Hosein as one of three Queen's Counsel to interview applicants.

He described Hosein as "one of the finest legal brains and an outstanding constitutional lawyer".

Not many, though, would remember Hosein as one of the architects of Trinidad and Tobago Independence, of which the nation celebrates the 50th anniversary this year.

Hosein, who went to England in 1962 to assist in framing the Independence Constitution for Trinidad and Tobago, is still with us today.

Before that historic change from colonialism to Independence, a team of parliamentarians headed by Dr Eric Williams, then premier, travelled to London to attend the Marlborough House Conference, which was a forerunner to Independence.

Among those who attended was Hosein, a member of the Opposition Democratic Labour Party.

On the part he played as one of the legal advisers to the Trinidad and Tobago delegation, Hosein said, "I am happy to recall my attendance at the Independence conference at the Colonial Office in London. The Trinidad and Tobago Constitution was arrived at after much debate. It has worked quite well over the last 50 years, and it has provided constitutional remedies for the violation of constitutional rights, which are now being now being utilised in the courts on a daily basis by our citizens. In my view it has worked very well. It gives me great pleasure to recall the part I played in the preparation of the independence Constitution."

Hosein, a member of the Bar since 1946, was awarded silk in 1964 and the Trinity Cross in 1982. He is a former MP for Chaguanas and a member of the Opposition Democratic Labour Party (DLP), headed by Dr Rudranath Capildeo.

During the conference, several issues concerning Independence plagued the Opposition team.

"It was Hosein who was able to bring about unity among the Opposition team," said Lionel Seukeran, also a member of the Opposition delegation.

In his memoirs, Seukeran stated, "I was proud of Tajmool. He was a man of few words, but one of the greatest constitutional lawyers in the hemisphere."

Seukeran said it was Hosein who played the part of peacemaker at times when the Opposition seemed divided on certain issues.

Before its Independence in 1962, Trinidad and Tobago was a member of the ten-island West Indies Federation formed in 1958. Jamaica pulled out of the Federation in 1960 and later became Independent.

When Trinidad and Tobago decided to do likewise, Dr Eric Williams, reflecting the Jamaican stand, remarked in a famous quote, "One from ten leaves nought."

Following that statement, several discussions were held on the way forward for Trinidad and Tobago. Discussions on a proposed Constitution ended with a decision that a delegation of the Government, Opposition and Independent members should travel to England to discuss the independence of Trinidad and Tobago.

The Independence Conference opened at Marlborough House, London, on May 28, 1962 with Reginald Maudling MP, Secretary of State for the Colonies, chairing the proceedings.

The Trinidad and Tobago delegation comprised Dr Williams and his advisers.

The Opposition was led by doctor, physicist and mathematician Rudranath Capildeo supported by Hosein, solicitor Ashford Sinanan, economist Peter Farquhar, Stephen Maraj and Lionel Frank Seukeran.

Sir Patrick Hobson led a team of Independent members.

Speaking about what took place among members of the DLP, Seukeran recorded, "From very early the Opposition laboured under severe constraint. Our greatest problem was our own leader (Capildeo), who was incapacitated as he was wearing a cast and walking with crutches. He spent a great deal of time in his suite at Piccadilly Hotel while he was nursed by Maraj. He was moody and short-tempered, denying consultations and refusing to advise or be advised."

The conference convened each day with Maudling in the chair.

"Very early in the conference, Capildeo began to advocate for proportional representation, claiming that Indians in Trinidad were discriminated against and were advocating for equitable treatment. Capildeo was advised that his call was an internal matter to be discussed at the local level and not at the Independence conference. Capildeo persisted in his demands."

Seukeran at that stage told him, "I had always heard people say you are a mad man, and I am now fully convinced of that."

According to Seukeran, "Capildeo ranted and raved, threatening to break up the conference. He was told that if he continued in that vein he would be sent back to Trinidad the next day."

Capildeo replied, "Then you write my speech (for the opening of the conference)."

Seukeran said Farquhar and Hosein spent the whole night, prior to the opening of the conference, preparing the speech that they wanted Capildeo to read.

The speech was not given to him until the opening of the conference.

When the time came for Capildeo to read the speech, he did it, but was frowning as he read it.

"At the end of the speech, Capildeo was hailed as a great statesman," said Seukeran.

At the conference, the Opposition fought for constitutional safeguards to prevent an ambitious government from manipulating the Judiciary to its own advantage. They ensured that the three arms of government, the Executive, the Legislature and the Judiciary, exercised their functions independently of each other and that the separation of powers remained a reality.

Seukeran said after the conference the government had proposed that Justice Hugh McShine be appointed Chief Justice, but the Opposition wanted Sir Hugh Wooding.

"Dr Williams's choice for the position of Chief Justices was Justice McShine, but he bowed to the recommendation by the Opposition that the job should be given to Sir High Wooding," Seukeran stated.

At the end of the conference, it was announced from London that Trinidad and Tobago would become independent on August 31, 1962.

In three months, all arrangements were put in place for the celebration. At midnight on August 30, the Union Jack was lowered and the Trinidad and Tobago flag hoisted in the precincts of the Red House in Port of Spain.

This after 165 years of British rule.

After the flag-raising ceremony, there was a church service at the Trinity Cathedral and, later that day, there was a special sitting of Parliament at which the Throne Speech was read by The Princess Royal, who represented Queen Elizabeth II.


http://www.trinidadexpress.com/news/Rowdy_talks_lead_to_T_T_s_Independence-137865628.html

There's a 2nd part of this article in the print edition that talks about the speeches from Williams and Capildeo at the Independence ceremony, but of course, it's missing from the online edition!

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Re: Local history Thread

Postby Yodins » January 23rd, 2012, 4:14 pm

any more historical info on the animals in Trinidad/Tobago? some stories abt lopinot would be nice as well

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d spike
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Re: Local history Thread

Postby d spike » January 23rd, 2012, 4:42 pm

Yodins wrote:any more historical info on the animals in Trinidad/Tobago?

The "crapaud" is actually a foreigner, who came from the States...
The Louisiana Bullfrog, Bufo marinus, is supposed to have been brought here in colonial times to deal with a froghopper infestation in the sugar-cane estates.
As it has NO natural predators here, it's numbers multiplied rapidly and it is now part of the landscape - especially on the roadways, flattened out... the turkey vultures don't complain, as they much prefer this tasty morsel to over-ripe dog, a meal their cousin, the corbeau, would rather.
Apart from squeamish females and metrosexuals, the only people who have a major problem with crapauds are bee-keepers. Any crapaud who discovers a bee-hive is a happy toad. He will sit there for the rest of his life, feasting on bees as they enter or leave the hive.

Speaking of the corbeau, this gentleman who, like the crapaud, seems to be an integral part of our local scenery, apparently shares the crapaud's history of having a foreign origin. It is said that the Spanish brought the corbeaux to our shores, as these birds help clean up the offal of society... Tobago doesn't have this grand creature.
The turkey vulture, or "Red-headed corbeau" or "King Corbeau", is a local boy, however.

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Re: Local history Thread

Postby Bezman » January 23rd, 2012, 5:01 pm


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SMc
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Re: Local history Thread

Postby SMc » January 23rd, 2012, 5:17 pm

^^ doh feel bad about the plug,

I still looking to read/buy a copy of 'Tales of the Paria main road'..published 3 years before we born, but have heard good things about it and cant find the thing anywhere.

remember '(a)round the savannah' ?

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