Vere 105u5i

V E R E

William Manning

Copyright © 2012 by William Manning.

Library of Congress Control Number: 2012920683 ISBN: Hardcover 978-1-4797-4469-5 Softcover 978-1-4797-4468-8 Ebook 978-1-4797-4470-1

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CONTENTS

Acknowledgement

Special considerations

Perspectives

Withywood

The Plains Of Vere

Slavery and Its Aftermath

About The Weather

Vere and Modern Cane Sugar Manufacture

Vere, The Drive Towards Nationhood

Youth Development in Later Years

Reminiscences Of Vere

The Tour

Addendum

Sport Groups

Notes

References

Dedication:

To: Ida Howard, Robert, Andrea, Pauline, Lesley, Paul Arron, Lucas, Christopher, Malique, Serene

PENSIVE

Notation: While gazing at a house hibiscus plant, with an open window in the background, what looked like a head appeared. It disappeared when my line of vision shifted a few inches either way. I marked the spot and took the picture. An hour later I could not find the image anywhere.

Acknowledgement

The author wishes to thank Ms. Enid Mitchell for proof reading the manuscript at short notice.

Special considerations

The scouts from the 6th Clarendon Troop, who accompanied me to the First Caribbean Jamboree in Kingston, Jamaica, 1952, and the others who for various reasons were not able to go. It was a wonderful experience.

Happy hunting: Ernest, Headley, Louis, Clement, Kenneth, Granville

All of the Hayes Cricket team who struggled, and with tenacity, skill and discipline, won the Clarendon Lawson Cup Competition in 1955, for the first time.

Perspectives

JAMAICA IN RELIEF

Vere is a part of Jamaica. In 1494 the Spaniards became the first Europeans to make with the Tainos or Arawaks who were living in the island. The country which they claimed as their own remained Spanish until 1655. The island is very rugged in parts, and one way to appreciate this robust beauty is to make an overnight hike into the Blue Mountains on a clear day. Get to the peak region at the crack of dawn, just before that wonderful source of eternal light hugs the earth in its warm embrace. Through the glistening dew drops, and the resplendence of nature, one begins to understand why Nanny of the Maroons lived in these thickly wooded areas. While struggling through the strain of the final push to the top, feel the freshness it provides and savour the challenge of the final steep climb. Once there, take hold of the metal trestle which identifies the zenith, and gaze through the early morning haze, at Kingston and its harbour to the south, and in the opposite direction, Hope Bay, Buff Bay and St. Margaret’s Bay to the north. Jog the memory a little, and that within that short distance of twenty five miles, as the crow flies, we are over seven thousand feet up. Great mountaineers call this the top of a hill, we call it the spectacular Blue Mountain Peak. With back pack towards the rising sun, look ahead, through the clouds doing their early morning dance, and as far as the eyes can see, the seemingly endless mountain range continues. It was early one morning as an eight year old, when I saw my mother reading the ‘Gleaner’ newspapers with tears in her eyes. I asked her why she was crying. Her reply was that some boys from a school in Kingston set out on a hike on Good Friday, to cross the Blue Mountains, and no one had heard of them since. She also said that airplanes dropped food in the area hoping they would find

some and not starve, because they carried very little food with them. Search parties were quickly assembled by experienced mountaineers. Soldiers also ed the search and after several days, clothes belonging to the boys were picked up at a river gorge, and there the trail ended. It was a chilling situation. People waited with abated breath for news. Several long days later, the boys struggled into Fruitful Vale, on the north side, with a wood cutter as their guide. That happened over seventy years ago. A book, written by one of the boy scouts, called ‘Lost in the Blue Mountains of Jamaica’, chronicled the events Like a backbone the mountain ridges separate the island into, north and south. On the north side, the rivers are short, fast flowing rapids. On the south, the rivers are generally wider, longer and slower. Together they help to define a land where its citizens, brought together by the events of history strive to be One People.

Withywood

When England wrested the island from Spain, they found a certain part of the island, covered by withes, a variety of the milk weed plant, and called it Withywood. [Historic Jamaica] This area may have been the habitat of butterflies for eons, before the Tainos, or Arawaks who came between AD 600 and 900 [The Story of the Jamaican People] Within the limits of information available, the Monarch and the other butterflies, from Point Pelee in Southern Canada carry out an annual, Fall migration to warmer climates. Areas of destination include some forests in Mexico, where a variety of the Milk Weed grows and, is now an international preserve for butterflies. This phenomenon was observed on a small scale, when on several occasions, myriads of butterflies suddenly descended on the village of Hayes and no one knew from whence they came, and for what reason. Patches of the milk weed plant still grew there; but as the withes gradually disappeared to make room for other plants of greater economic value, so did the butterflies. Many however have become established in the area. The splendid Monarch butterfly, a long distance flyer is one of them. Three rivers give this grassland area its character. The Salt River, a small, slow moving, mostly fresh-water stream, flows from the eastern side of the Braziletto Hills into the Salt River Bay On the western side, there is the larger Milk River which sometimes has a certain whitish haze over it. This phenomenon is best explained by the interaction between the cool air and the warmer water creating a thin white mist before it meets the sea. It also supplies water for irrigation purposes. The Rio Minho which rises in the Mocho and Bull Head Mountain ranges in Northern Clarendon, and from an altitude of about 2500 feet, flows through, areas of alluvium and limestone into the Caribbean Sea 45 miles away. It is the longest river in Jamaica. When it rains, the Rio Minho flows freely. When there are extended periods of drought, the river on the surface dries up, so it is also

called Dry River. But the river does not really dry up, it continues flowing at a reduced rate through an under-ground system of caverns and tunnels for most of the way before it enters the sea at Carlisle Bay. The name Withywood was changed to Vere, in remembrance of Vere Lynch, the first wife of a Governor of Jamaica Sir Thomas Lynch. She and her two sons, perished on their age to Jamaica in 1683. Vere was a distinct parish of Jamaica from 1673-1867. [Historic Jamaica]

The Plains Of Vere

The plains of Vere, occupy a large part of the parish of Clarendon on the south side of the island. It is essentially flat and grassy, and includes all of the alluvial land between the Braziletto Hills in the east and Round Hill and Kemps Hill in the west, and beginning about one mile north of the district of Hayes, it continues south, to where the land meets the Caribbean Sea at Rocky Point and Portland Point. Because of its southern location, when travelling across the island, on an east/west route, one does not normally through Vere. To get there, a detour is necessary. One way is to go directly south from May Pen. The other is south from Four Paths. During the early years of colonization, Vere became well known as a leading area in the manufacture of sugar in Jamaica. The cane, a giant member of the grass family, from which the extracted juice is used, to make sugar, was known in the South Pacific region eight thousand years ago. It was widely grown in India, and Pakistan during the time of Alexander the Great in 325BC, then spread to China, Europe and North Africa. [World Book] It is said that the Spanish explorer, Columbus when he came to Jamaica, brought along cuttings of the sugar cane. Whatever use the Spaniards made of the sugar cane, was mainly for domestic purposes. One of the early governors of the island, Sir Thomas Modyford, was a successful cane planter from Barbados. He took up the challenge of making the production of cane sugar a competitive, commercial undertaking, There was greater land space available for cultivation and also the prospect of making more money was very attractive and cannot be overlooked. The rich, fertile soil was ideal for growing the sugar cane. This new development placed Vere in a position to become commercially important. It was a giant leap industrially, because most of the withes had been replaced with indigo and logwood plants used for making dye and, cotton for

making cloth. Also, there was pig farming and cattle rearing. With the increasing economic power of sugar, the challenge was to bring as much land as possible into cane cultivation quickly. That involved removing the other plants, clearing and preparing more lands to make them available for this other form of agriculture. Sugar production was not only a challenging physical operation, it also led to the rise of the planter society. [The Story of The Jamaican People] As the plantation society in Vere flourished, so did the wealth of the planters or owners and, it became the story of the English occupation, where large tracts of land were given for service rendered to the crown. The chief town of Alley, known as one of the rich places in the island, had its own church. The stories at that time describe the Church and the people who during that Colonial period lived in Vere as being wealthy. They owned more carriages than almost any other area of Jamaica. Many of the citizens were prominent in the life of the country. [Historic Jamaica] However, the ambition of most planters was not to remain in the West Indies; but to become absentee proprietors and live in Europe off the profits of their estates. Jamaica soon became a very important and large sugar producing country. [The Story of Jamaica] Before the introduction of mechanization, the clearing and preparing of lands for planting, providing water for irrigation and reaping of mature canes, were all carried out by human physical effort. This was no easy task. It was all done by man power that is, slave labour, backed up with animal power. Cattle and horses were imported about 1736-1738, for sport and, also used for plowing and hauling the canes to the many factories which existed. The slave trade flourished. The number of bondsmen, who were sent out to the colonies, as indentured servants, also increased. [The Story of Jamaica]. About the year 1754, missionaries came and played a very important part, in helping to protect the slaves, not only against the cruel forces aligned against them, but also to spread the Good Word and, helping them to develop their own villages. Sometimes however, by being silent on some issues, they were voluntarily ignorant of the bad behavior of those in power.

In 1814, part of the parish of St. Elizabeth and a part of the parish of Vere were merged with a part of Clarendon, creating the new parish of Manchester. Vere became part of Clarendon, and the number of parishes was reduced from 22 to 14. Many Jamaicans still talk about Vere as though it is a political entity. It is in fact a part of the wider istrative district of Clarendon. [The Story of Jamaica]

Slavery and Its Aftermath

To satisfy the requirements of certain treaties, because of wars and agreements between some European countries, Jamaica became a distribution centre for slaves, because it was so centrally located to shipping, and the capital city, Kingston possessed one of the very important land-locked harbours in the world. In recent years it has sometimes been referred to as the ‘navel of the Caribbean’. Slaves were from different tribes in Africa, with their own national characteristics. It should be ed also that slavery was not an Africa to the new world creation. It was an international system which had been in existence for a very long time where the strong defeated the weak, and forced their captives to work against their will. The system was now being used to satisfy the need for manual labour in the sugar industry. What was most repulsive about this system however, was The Middle age, where large numbers of people were removed from their homeland in Africa, and transported under horrible conditions across the Atlantic Ocean in ships. Where they lived, and worked were sometimes better than anticipated, because of the investment consideration of the planters. It should also be ed that Africans were culpable when they defeated other Africans and sold them into slavery. In Jamaica, slavery was not a ive system of accepting the servitude which existed. There were slave uprisings, fear on all sides, repression, distrust, plantation burnings. This was a bad system for everybody. Also, there were the Maroons with leaders such as Cudjoe and Nanny, who refused to give up their freedom and with militancy, carved out their own lives in selected areas of the country. As the need for physical labour increased on the sugar plantations, so did the trading in slaves. Nationally, the slave population went from a few hundreds to several thousands in a short time and new thinking about the rightness or wrongness of slavery, amid mounting political pressure against slavery, created doubt about the soundness of a slave based economy.

The slave trade was halted in 1807 and emancipation came in 1838 Economic conditions had been very good before 1838, but after the slaves gained their freedom and refused to work as before, the economy suffered, the country suffered, Vere suffered. From that time onwards, Jamaica went through various types of colonial governments which resulted in struggles between the local leadership and the government in England. Several methods were tried to replace slave labour; none was fully successful. A program for the immigration of free African workers, did not last long. The East Indians, and the Chinese formed the largest groups of immigrant workers. Many went to live in Vere where the work was. The Chinese gradually went into the shop keeping enterprises while the Indians remained for a longer time in the sugar cane and vegetable growing business. Other immigrants, mainly from Middle Eastern countries and, bondsmen including Germans, Scots, Irish, Portuguese also ed the work force. Jamaica was then not only a transfer point but an area where different groups of people had the opportunity to mix and mingle freely. Vere was no exception. One group was the white owners of property who became wealthy. Another was the white bondsmen, another was the Africans slaves, who by far formed the largest group. And there was a fourth group, the increasing number of mulattoes, popularly known as, the people of mixed ancestry of Negro and Caucasians. They were in fact slaves; but most were bought out of slavery by their white fathers. They were becoming involved in the affairs of the country. With all the changes taking place, Vere maintained its position as a good producer of sugar. However changes to the industrial and commercial life of Britain, their main trading partner, caused the price of sugar to fluctuate on the world market. Jamaica’s costs were very high so its hold on a position of great importance dwindled, as other countries could produce the product more cheaply. There was also great competition from beet sugar. The villages of Vere which developed at the edge of the cane growing areas, now had to be more self reliant, and the most important thing to do was, continue the development of Negro villages, and educating the freed people, who were left behind educationally by the kind of society which existed. The plantation system

was in trouble. Education then became a necessary component in the expanding need for community and skills development. The religions although continuing to emancipation, had to deal with sources of conflict. An important one, if not the most important was language or verbal intercourse. A unique method of communication developed because there was a common dominant language carrier, English. Everybody understood it in some form or other, and on it, different languages piggy-backed. That unlocked a lasting kind of creativity in the people. One of the Jamaican books describes its development in the following manner. “There was no Jamaica talk in 1700; but by 1800 the folk had an English learned incompletely with a strong infusion of African influence,” a vigorous, vivid language made up of “preservations, borrowings, new formations, transferred meanings and special preferences”[The Story of the Jamaican People.] In my adulthood a friend who as a primary school teacher, travelled to various parts of the island, said she noticed that the Jamaica Talk/Patois used in the northern parts of the country, was somewhat different from that which was spoken in Vere, and wondered why? She concluded that the difficulty of movement across the mountain ridges in days of old tended to keep people from intermingling easily and could be a contributing factor, causing different talking styles to develop. On another occasion when I accompanied my older sister to the May Pen market, just about early afternoon, a truck loaded with produce arrived. What was different about this truck was that it looked as though painted with red mud. The occupants were mostly male, long haired, white and sun burned to a reddish complexion. Their Jamaica talk/patois was different from anything I had ever heard even though I understood most of what they said; but it had a flatness about it which made it different. So, I asked her where they came from. She said that was the St. Elizabeth truck. In later years I learned that Germans had settled in the area.

About The Weather

The weather in this important industrial area was always a source of concern. It was about Christmas time when, a reporter noted that the winter season had arrived in the island with a vengeance, because the, temperature at the weather station was 60°F. This at one time looked like a joke; but when one gets used to 90-110 F in the shade, and the temperature suddenly drops to 60F, it is cold, especially in a country noted for its salubrious climate. A different kind of seasonal identity emerges when someone said that there are only two seasons in Jamaica, the rainy season and the dry season. Vere is well known for its periods of severe drought. On a really hot day it must rank as one of the most inhospitable places in the island. Compared with the salubrious nature of the northern parts of the country, the weather in Vere especially during the hurricane season, from July to September, peaking in August, can be very unstable, whether or not a hurricane strikes. One person observed that about the year 2004, when Hurricane Ivan, ed by south of Jamaica, the angry sea produced a surge estimated to be about 10 ft high in the Portland Cottage area of S.E. Vere. When the wave receded after the hurricane had ed, it carried everything with it! Some damage! Also, people living in the most southerly part of Vere, near the sea, noticed that the shore line had changed over the years. This was especially true when the very much older people gave their experiences. They claim that the sea had swallowed up lands which were habitable fifty or sixty years previously. The early assumption was that the land was sinking. To my mind, this idea has been challenged by more recent concerns about the environment, where the ice caps melt and deposit vast quantities of water into the seas, causing them to rise. This will have the same effect on the shoreline, making low lying areas vulnerable to flooding, or a combination of the two, could do the same thing. One of the results of the continual incursion of the sea water inland was that some waterlogged places were prime areas for the growth and development of mosquitoes. The areas proved to be the main breeding ground for the insects

which had caused yellow fever and malaria in times past, ravaging the population. These infections may have been the reason why so many people, especially in the early years of colonization, died at a young age. Modern techniques of mosquito control largely removed the threat caused by these plagues. The West Indies Sugar Co [WISCo] in conjunction with the Public Health Authorities, developed and popularized a mosquito control program which included, disrupting the life cycle of the mosquitoes by proper drainage systems, eliminating discarded catchment containers and areas where water could accumulate and become stagnant, using mosquito nets to prevent being bitten at nights, and spraying with DDT. The ideas and actions were extended to villages in the area, and in no small measure helped to control mosquitoes in Vere, hence the incidence of malaria infection. [Personal experience]

Vere and Modern Cane Sugar Manufacture

For a time Vere was able to compete successfully against the on-going competition from other countries and other sugar sources. The small factories gradually disappeared, and the large companies such as the West Indies Sugar Co. at Monymusk, the Bog Estates, and New Yarmouth Estates, changed the whole face of sugar cane cultivation and sugar manufacture. They introduced mechanization and an era of modernization and greater efficiency, in order to keep prices low and stay in the competition for markets. This was the high point in the manufacture of sugar. There are several stages in the making of sugar from cane, where improvement could be made. They include improved methods of cultivation or farming, improved methods of sugar extraction at the factory level and replacing mule power and drays used for hauling reaped cane to central points, by using specially designed carriages for transportation to the factory via the company’s rail, and tractor haulage systems. These actions were exploited to the fullest. New lands were acquired and cleared with heavy equipment, and divided into various farms for easy identification and management. Then there was preparation of the farmlands for the cuttings to be planted. The growing plant was nurtured, which sometimes included chemical weed control, protecting the plant from insect damage and cane diseases, selecting the best variety to suit the growing conditions, use of fertilizers, more efficient use of water to get maximum benefit from the irrigation process. Reaping [cutting] the mature plant at the right time for maximum sugar content was also important. Reaped cane was then taken to the factory for processing by new, improved or updated equipment, into sugar. By-products were alcohol and molasses. Bagasse which is the woody remains from the cane grinding process, was used as fuel, or sometimes converted into insulation. The dunder was waste. To keep pace with mechanization and modernization, there was the need for new and improved methods of management and more skilled labour. Scientific

investigators brought in information about the quality of sugar cane grown. New and better varieties were introduced to resist diseases. National and international conferences opened up areas for new information, all in the challenge to maximize profits. Innovation was also encouraged. Take for example what happened when an experienced entomologist was hired to be an advisor in charge of irrigation, a subject about which he knew next to nothing. Although he knew why water was placed on the cane at intervals, he had no idea why so much was used or how often it was necessary to use it. So he set out to find out why. Following a week end of heavy rain showers, the whole environment became green and fresh, so he set about to study a specific area. He kept track of everything that happened to that particular field and included regular measuring of the growth of the canes, and also found out that soil conditions varied by inches. That was the beginning of a very interesting study about cultivation of the sugar cane. Bear in mind that savings could be made in reaping at the correct time when the cane had reached its maximum sugar content, in usage of water, a scarce and expensive resource, especially in a very dry area such as Vere. The understanding and use of these and other activities associated with this study, had a great impact on the cost of cultivation and encouraged new and improved methods in all areas of cane cultivation. These skills could not always be found in Vere, so there was need for the companies to provide suitable accommodation for hired help. Filling most of the skilled jobs were mulattoes and expatriates from other Caribbean Islands and Brtitain. There was also need for book keepers. Irrigation processes, weed control and reaping of canes were still done manually until they too were largely mechanized. That was the up side of the sugar industry. The down side was stronger competition from abroad, by beet sugar, and the expanding banana production locally. Net result was loss of unskilled jobs, and high unemployment. The system almost completely excluded ex-slaves and their progenies, who without sufficient education, had difficulty finding jobs even though living near the estates. Conflict began and intensified.

About the end of World War 1, sugar workers in Vere erupted into strikes which was quelled by police. There was agitation of labour for increased wages and better working conditions; and many Jamaicans had migrated to other countries, such as Cuba and Panama, where their labour was needed. This affected the availability of local labour. By the end of World War 2, Vere, like the other parts of the sugar industry and the country generally, was in ferment [Bustamante and Modern Jamaica]. By the late1940’s the days of cheap labour were over. The idea of political independence was also taking root. This was seen as one way to tackle the looming problems, which were bound to appear with greater responsibility for local activities. It was described as the development of a national spirit in the country and required the acceptance of the responsibilities and duties which the people of the country needed. [ Manley & The New Jamaica]

Vere, The Drive Towards Nationhood

EDUCATION

Vere Trust Old Scholars Association

Trustees of the Vere Trust

After 1838, the churches were in the fore front of organizing education in the island. [Story of Jamaica] Vere as an important part of the sugar/slave plantation economy followed a pattern similar to that in other parts of the island, where during the early days of settlement education was generally neglected and planter’s children got what education they could in their home. Later many were sent to schools in England. When they returned they were in the front line of progressive activities. In the eighteenth century, a number of bequests were made by wealthy residents for the education of poor children in their parish. In some cases the money was very small and could not have had much effect on the system. Some failed from lack of attention. Many schools started as charity institutions, and survived as fee-paying grammar schools, which placed them beyond the reach of poor children, except with government aid. Some of the most well known secondary schools in the island started in this way. [Story of Jamaica]. One of the charitable bequests was made by Raines Waite, a planter in Vere by his will dated 17th June 1694. He left the remainder of his will for the education of the poor children in Vere, and the development of a free school for the parish. [Historical Review] Other people also left gifts for the same purpose. So, an Act of the Island was ed in 1740 to establish clarity in the management of the gifts. In Vere the Freeholders convened at the house of Mrs. Ann Mills on Tuesday the first day of July, 1740 and elected the Trustees for the Free School to be erected. The Trust became known as the Vere Trust and was the dominant force in the development of education in Vere. In the early years, poor meant poor whites. As the unbridled mixing and mingling continued unabated, not only the language changed, colours changed, attitudes changed. The foundation for greater tolerance was laid. “About half a mile from the St. Peter’s Anglican Church, on the opposite side of

the Rio Minho, is the free school, founded about the year 1741 [1755] with sundry private benefactions and calculated for instructing the poor children of the parish in Reading, Writing, Arithmetic, English, Latin, Greek, and Mathematics.” [Long,1774] “The school was first situated at Vizzards on the opposite side of the river from the Alley and now a part of Monymusk (West Indies Sugar Co); then it was transferred to what was until 1954, the Alley Constabulary Station. In 1805 it was transferred to the premises now occupied by the Alley schools The first school opened on May 1, 1755 with six boys entirely on the Foundation’. [Historical Review] The Trustees marked the centenary of the founding of the free school, by founding seven district schools, at the primary level at Hayes, Kemps Hill, Lionel Town, Milk River, Portland (2) and Race Course. In 1868 a school was established at Mitchell Town which the Trustees added it to their list. In 1881 benefits of the Trust was extended to Salt River school. In addition to the free secondary school at the Alley, Vere now had District schools which got benefits from the Trust. The Trustees also established a school for East Indians in 1873. The school lasted for only two years, owing to poor attendance. An infant school, established in 1875 lasted only a short time. Within the years 1878-1884 teachers’ cottages and or schools were built on purchased properties at Hayes, Kemps Hill, Race Course and Milk River. The school house at Mitchell Town was built entirely by the peoples’ efforts. In 1886, the Vere Trust came under the sponsorship of the Jamaica Schools Commission and in 1921 at the request of the Government, the Vere Trust ceased to manage and supplement teachers’ salaries. “During the chairmanship of the Trust by Rev. Sam Negus, rector of Vere in 1905, a new and important step was taken. Trustees suspended the scholarship scheme and re-established at the Alley, a secondary school in 1909. Up to that time, no dark-coloured or Indian student had been awarded a Vere Trust

scholarship. It closed in 1917. What was most important, however, was that children of every shade and color had been itted to the Vere Trust school. Therefore colour discrimination in secondary schools as far as the Vere Trust was concerned had been brought to an end”. [Histotical Review] There came a time however when very few or no scholarships were awarded from Vere seen in poor examination results. The Governor, Sir Leslie Probyn had previously declared that unless a pupil from a Vere school qualified for a scholarship not later than 31 December 1921, he would confiscate the money of the Trust. That put the Trust on notice, and so an extension was granted on a request by the examiner who had seen improvement in the skills of candidates presented. In 1923 Louis S. Grant qualified for a Vere Trust Scholarship, and so saved the Trust from being taken over by government. Since that time, there is a long list of Vere students who have been awarded scholarships to secondary, vocational and technical schools. [Historical Review] Other changes in direction by the Trust included establishing an infant school which opened in 1925, with Miss J. C. Clark as teacher. This was taken over by government in 1953 Gradually the Trust withdrew its direct connection with the schools and primary education. The funds of the Trust are all together used for scholarships at approved secondary schools and vocational training centers. Further developments in the cause of education in Vere, was the annual holding of the Commemoration Services, the first of which was held in 1927. An Old Scholar’s Association was founded in1947. In a letter to the Trust, the Chief Minister of Jamaica wholeheartedly congratulated the Trustees and the of the Vere Trust Old Scholars’ Association, on the bi-centenary of the opening of the first schools at Hayes, Kemps Hll, Lionel Town, Milk River, Portland, Race Course, in the old parish of Vere.

Youth Development in Later Years

National responsibility, which encouraged people to be actively engaged, was taking hold in the island, and Vere was no exception. Great attention was paid to youth development through organizations such as scouting, and its sister organization guiding, and later 4-H Clubs. These ushered in a new spirit of nationhood, with the schools in the vanguard. In essence, this was awareness training especially in young people, to accept individual and community responsibilities, which are essential tenets of being a nation. They also softened the restrictions placed on the individual by religion and skin colour, in the drive towards becoming One People.

TOWARDS THE VERE TECHNICAL HIGH SCHOOL.

The Clerk of the Trust, Mr R.J.M.Lewin [RJM] invited Old Scholar’s and other interested people to a meeting in the Hayes school room and intimated that, ‘if there is a permanent memorial to the Trust, what should it be?’ Of the many interesting ideas presented, two stood out. One was the establishment of a science museum, and the other idea was that it should be a school. In summing up he said that in his view the science museum was an excellent idea; but a school would serve more people. And so, at the April 1955 commemoration service marking the centenary of the establishing of the seven district schools in Vere, the sermon was preached by the first Jamaican Suffragan Bishop, the Rt. Rev. the Hon Percival Gibson. He was also Heaster of Kingston College. With education being the theme of this Commemoration Service, the Bishop took his text from the Book of Proverbs (3:12-14) “Happy is the man that findeth Wisdom etc. [Gleaner report May 3,1955] At that service, the Clerk and Treasurer of the Board of Trustees,[RJM] declared

that the Trust was not only commemorating one hundred years of the Vere Schools, and the establishment of seven other schools. “They have now pledged themselves to establish again a Secondary School in Vere. It is a tremendous task,” he said; “but because it is tremendous, it has to be done. And we look forward with confidence to , in this to which we have set our hands”. [Gleaner Report] In a letter to the Gleaner, the Clerk and Treasurer of the Trust, wrote that the idea of the proposed Vere School, originated with the Vere Trust Old Scholar’s Association under the Presidency of Mr. Allan Campbell, who asked the Trustees to allow them, (the Old Scholars), to set up a building at the Alley for the dual purpose of Board Room and draft Secondary Department. The Hon. A.M. Pawsey, Custos and Chairman of the Trust invited the Trustees to collaborate, giving serious consideration to the re-establishing of the Vere Trust Secondary School with an agricultural bias. This was later changed to, a technical bias. The Trust owned several acres of land at Alley which was available; but this was a dying area easily threatened by the Rio Minho. The West Indies Sugar Company, made available several acres of suitable land in Hayes on which to build the school. So as to make acceptance of the project as wide as possible, of the Old Scholar’s Association met at the Institute of Jamaica to discuss the matter. They were addressed by the Trust Secretary [RJM] who shared the latest information for the school project. Full was requested and pledged. This was an interesting, lively meeting of experienced people. Hand clapping and laughter followed the announcement. There was silence however when one of the Old Scholar’s took the floor. “Mr. Chairman, he said, “I do not know where all this money will come from; but if our money could just get mixed up with your money we would certainly get all the money we need to build the school”. This quip evoked much laughter, because the chairman was owner/manager of the Inswood Sugar Estate and Chedwin Park, one of the most beautiful cricket fields in the island. When the Trustees, ed by the Old Scholars Association made the final decision to establish the secondary technical school in Vere, in 1955 one could visualize the fulfilling of a dream. This event marked not only the end of an era

but the beginning of another in the history of education in Vere. The lands are still the property of the Trust. Conferences were held between the Vere Trust Old Scholars Association and several industries most of them located in Vere. In August 1955, a deputation met with the Minister of Education, and in 1957, at the Ministry, the building contract was awarded to Messrs. Tad Smith Ltd. Construction began in 1958. In October 1959, seeing that the scheme was far beyond the financial means of the Vere Trust to complete, a conference resolution ed, transferring the project to the Ministry of Education. (Daily Gleaner Report, April 25, 1962) The secondary school was established and named the Vere Technical High School. The first Principal, Mr Ben Francis was appointed and took up duties on September 3, 1960. He remained there until 1994, a period of thirty four years. Vere Tech celebrated fifty years of operation in 2011.

Reminiscences Of Vere

I lived a very important part of my life in Vere. Living outside the area now, affords the great opportunity to look back and see things from other perspectives. Many things have changed since the heady days of sugar, when high school graduates, primary school graduates and expatriates, some from other Caribbean islands and Britain, found solace there. Yet the largest ex-parish, non-parish in the island is hardly mentioned anywhere except in connection with sugar. Some names and words used in Vere are of African origin and have remained throughout the years. For example, ‘fe me’[Ebo], ‘senseh’ ‘duckunoo’. [Ashanti]. There were also religious practices. Joncunoo masquerade and mime, with music and dance, were very popular at Christmas time. The annual Muslim hosay festival, re-enacting the war between the two sons of Mohammed, their death and burial used to be an annual event at Alley. There was also the popular influence of obi/obeah. For discussions on this matter see, The Story of Jamaica and The Story of the Jamaican People. The names of many people can be traced back to others who lived in Vere a long time ago. Places were often named after the owners of properties or who may have lived in Vere and held important positions in the island. Some names described the appearance of areas as in Round Hill, and Kemp’s Hill Look Out, the name which came about because that is where soldiers camped to man some old cannon found there, which commanded a view of Carlisle Bay. Milk River describes a milky white mistiness over some parts of the River, hence Milk River, which is caused by the interaction of cooler air and the warm water.

The Tour

Monymusk Sugar Factory 1995

Old Main Office/ Research Laboratory

The Tower

St. James’ Anglican Church.

St. Peters Anglican Church, Alley

Milk River Hotel & Spa

Old Baptist Church in Hayes

Unforeseen circumstances, caused my wife and I to make an unscheduled visit home to Jamaica on short notice. We drove to New York, left our vehicle with a friend, and got a flight to Jamaica. Since driving a vehicle in Jamaica without long practice has become a risky, hazardous operation, we did not rent a car. Instead we ed an old friend who agreed to help with transportation. He owns a private transportation system and met us at the airport. His name is George. [pseudonym] “Where are you guys going?” George asked when we met. “Well, we will have couple of days to spare, so we want to overnight at the Milk River Spa, and then we want to take a tour around Vere to see the old place, and we want to link up with a close friend in Hayes, and, then we want to go back to Kingston. So you see this is a small job.” “What man! With the price of gas? Anyway, it is good to see you both. Since most of today is already gone, we could go directly to the Spa. Would you agree?” “That’s OK with us.” Delia said. Driving carefully in the heavy traffic, after about one hour, from a distance the hotel looked like a great house jammed up against of Kemps Hill. “That is the Milk River Hotel & Spa.” George pointed out. A short while afterwards he stopped in front of the hotel. “See, we are travelling light”, I said while taking out the bags. We left our car and most of the clothes in New York, and will have to pick them up and drive back to Toronto. For our next move, we have in mind to go to some places in Vere. Not tomorrow, but the next day, Friday morning”. “Let’s see now,” said George. Today Wednesday is finished, Thursday don’t

come, Friday see you at 9.30 a.m., Right?” “Right!” I replied, and George left. Thursday morning, after breakfast we set out walking to Farquhar’s beach where we had been several years earlier. It is about a mile south of the Spa. Delia said, “Can you believe that the last time we were here was about fifteen years ago? Time is really flying.” Walking briskly, we ed through the giant cactus growth and noticed there were no stray cows around. “That’s a good sign,” Delia remarked. Shortly afterwards we arrived at Farquhar’s Beach. The transformation of the whole area was remarkable. We saw the herd fenced in a confined space and feeding on hay. There were houses on the slopes. The fishermen looked organized and some were fixing their nets. One fisherman saw us looking towards the Bay. “That is where the Milk River meets the sea”, he said and offered to take us there. My reply was, “no thanks. I really don’t like small boats.” Delia said, “there are lots of ’gators out there too. I saw some the last time we were here.” “You coward man!” he said. “Yessir.” she replied, as we all laughed. We hung around a bit longer talking with several people. One young woman said that it was the Food For The Poor group who helped them to fix up the place. “That’s beautiful”, Delia said. Not long afterwards we went on the return journey walking leisurely and taking photographs. That evening we had several dips in the Spa, before retiring. Early Friday morning we paid our bills and were ready when George arrived. “What’s the program for today folks?” George asked as we got into the car. “We want to see some of the places around. As you know, I worked in Vere with West Indies Sugar Co. [WISCo.] and know quite a bit about the place. Delia is a new comer, she wants to see some of the places I’ve talked to her about. Suppose we start at Sandy Gully. What you think?”

“That’s a good place to start. Sounds good to me! George said. We could go through the old Fort Simmonds Air base, drive by Race Course then on to Alley.” “That’s fine with us,” said Delia;” but I thought we were going to Sandy Gully?” “That’s right. During the last World War, the Americans built an airbase there and called the place Fort Simmonds. I used to take a lot of people there some time ago, but since things get bad, business is slow,” George said. Then he pulled out a Spa brochure from his car pocket and handed it to Delia, who read while listening. It was a short distance to travel before we got to the long asphalt runway. “Lots of planes used to fly over Vere”, George said. “Sometimes they were so low you could see and almost throw stones at the guys looking down from on high, sometimes barely skimming the tree tops. Also, a lot of money used to float around at that time. That was in the 1940’s. There used to be several buildings out here; but nearly all have been destroyed since the Americans left. The boys now use the long runway for car racing.” “How fast do they go George?” I asked. “Don’t know; but fast enough to get killed. Stupid brats!” he said, as he continued driving along. “George, is there any reason why the Government does not fix up the Spa and keep the road better maintained? It is supposed to be one of the best in the world and should be really attractive for a lot more people”. “I don’t have an answer for you, since I have asked the question myself. In past years mainly at holiday time, one could see a whole lot of people lining up to get their fifteen minute bath. Problems are caused mainly because of poor road maintenance and, when there is a lot of rain this place floods very easily. There is a story going around that some long time ago it was given to a private organization for development, and guess what? The water flow almost stopped. But I don’t believe that the powers that be, would shut it down because it needs a little fixing? What do you think?” “I really don’t know what to think,” I replied.

“ Race Course? This is it. Some guys from the States or Canada, I can’t which, came down the other day and painted the school. A lot of residents came out to help. Sometimes things only need a little spark to get going. It looks good too. We want more people like those around. Things out here tough man, as the lady used to say, “rain a fall but dutty tough,” or something like that,” said George. “There is a place around here called Hayesfield, do you know where to find it?” I asked. “No”, he replied; “I have heard of it; but never been there. It is somewhere in this area though.” A short while later we ed through Water Lane. Before crossing the river into Alley, George showed us the place called Mango Walk and said that, that was the place where Vere school sports used to be held. A large house used to be there also. It was used in later years as a hostel for men who worked at the WISCo main office.

Rio Minho in Spate

Farquhar’s Beach

“I used to go across this river very often. The fording never looked that deep when on several occasions I drove a Land Rover to Springfield. With all those roots showing, the river has really done a number on the big old trees. They may soon have to remove them,” I said. “So, this is Alley! I it with a large market. People used to come here from all over Jamaica. It had a good reputation. Now, just look at it, a rusted old wreck. Everything is mashed up. What are they going to do with it, George? At least they could haul away the crunched up metal and sell it for scrap. Can you please make a sharp right turn at the junction ahead, and then a left at the first road?” “O. K. Will do,” said George as he swung the car around the corners. “There used to be a building on the right. Good man!” I said, when the car stopped. “This building used to be the Main Office for West Indies Sugar Co. [WISCo]. When the Company moved the plant to Lionel Town, they fixed it up with work benches and so on, and moved the Research Department from Amity Hall into it”. “You know George”, Delia said” this place must brings back lots of memories to him? Sometimes we are sitting quietly, and he would come up with some unusual thing that happened while he worked here. Some of his friends have ed on. So we have to let him .” “One day, in the early 50’s the director, a very friendly Irish man, who we called HAT, rushed us to clean up, because Governor Foot was visiting shortly. So we spruced up the place and waited. He came up the steps smartly and into the lab, where the Director met him. ‘Hello,’ he said to everybody, and moved around for a while, seeming to look at everything.” “Do you carry on any work here? he asked with his familiar smile. “It is so clean and tidy!” Then he chatted with the director for a little while longer and left. “What do you think George?” I said.

“That’s how it goes my friend. It’s the same sort of thing we used to do at our Practical Training Centre when important government officials visited. We had to clean up everything and they would tiptoe in and tiptoe out. At least this guy talked to you all! Sometimes they wouldn’t even talk to us school guys.” . “Why don’t they shepherd them into the cow-pen without doing any cleaning? I tell you. That would make them leave in a hurry”, Delia said. “You would get a bad report”, George said. “So what!” said Delia. As George was about to turn the car around, I suggested that he drive around to the back of the building and stop a while. Getting out quickly, I walked slowly up the back steps to look through the glass windows. When I returned, George said that as far as he knows, the building is vacant. Nothing was going on in there. “Everything gets old, I said quietly. That place to our right used to be a garage. It was converted to a little factory. I had developed a spray which was used to kill weeds, so they got a man to make it regularly. It was then my responsibility to get it to the various areas where it was used. Some of the places were experimental plots. That’s how I got to drive a Land Rover around. Right behind us as we sit, there was a meteorological station, which was used by a researcher who was investigating the growth of sugar canes. There was a glass sphere, which was used for measuring the amount of sunlight in a specified time period and a system for measuring evaporation. Carlisle Bay is not very far from here either. That’s the place where du Casse landed troops, when he tried to capture Alley. It has been many years now that I haven’t been down there; but I hear that the river estuary is shifting to the east. Sorry we don’t have enough time to see the place. Probably the mosquitoes would kill us anyway. When I worked here, one field operative said that they went into a cane field and had to run out because of the attack by mosquitoes. He said they really had to run because the place was so thick with them. “One of the first things that I did at Monymusk, was to make a map, detailing all the Company’s holdings in Vere. There were several surveyors maps available and I had to find them and put them in proper order so they matched, location, name and size, and put them on one large map. That was tedious. When I got it

done it was greatly appreciated. The General Manager came over to look at it. He said it was well done and would be very useful. Was good to hear him say that. It took me several weeks to complete. Isn’t it interesting how things are? Sometimes you almost kill yourself getting something done, nothing in the world more important, then later on, it no longer matters. Just like people, after a time they become irrelevant, and have to make way for those who follow, or they are just pushed aside. George, now that you have heard my soliloquy, sir, may we go on? If you get a ticket for tresing, what will you tell them?” “Don’t worry about that man, I can handle it.” In a short time we were on our way to St. Peter’s Church in Alley. “Before we visited the lab,” George said, “you asked what we were going to do with the Alley market place. I really don’t know! The river is just around the next corner. If you want to see something horrible, look at the River in spate. You see all kinds of things just floating down. Occasionally you see four hoofs up in the air. That grabs you by the throat. Ever since WISCo moved the factory to Lionel Town, this place has been going down. Don’t suppose it can go much further. The River is also a menace, and you never know what it is up to. Let me tell you a story. I was a little boy then, and I heard it several times since. I can tell it to you in a few minutes; but you would not miss a minute, if you heard it told by old Mr. Harrison, the man who experienced it. It happened in 1933, when there were disastrous floods island-wide. Lots of houses and people were washed away. Mr. Harrison used to work as the man in charge at this same Alley Market. His assistant, Mr. Dan told me the story. He was from Lionel Town. It was during the rainy season, and they came in to work on the Friday night. The rain was falling heavily most of the time, so it was like a miracle how they got down. Anyway, the rain fell like crazy all next morning so they could not get home on Saturday at the usual time. Riding a bicycle in that rain was not easy. Harrison’s wife and children got really worried when they heard that Alley was flooded and no one could get down there. A few days later, he returned home looking tired and worn out. “Where have you been!” his wife asked quietly while trying to keep him

from knowing she had been crying. “Well, my dear”, he said, “God is good! God is good! If we had left for home the usual time, it is very likely we would have been washed away”, he replied. With all the children gathering around, he said that he and Mr. Dan were sitting in the office talking while waiting for the rain to hold up. That was about two o’clock Saturday, when they would normally be leaving for home. As he gazed through the window he saw a bucket which was left outside the grocery shop across the road, shift its position because of the flow of water. Then the bucket started to float and spin. Harrison said to Dan, “What is this? Come and have a look out there,” as he pointed towards the bucket, which was slowly rising and spinning in the swirling water. He said, “that does not look good. The river is the other way, so where is all this water coming from?” While they were looking at the bucket, someone banged on the door, shoved it open and yelled, “Get out of the office! Get out of the office!” They rushed outside and Dan slammed the door shut. Then they saw the place filling up with muddy water. “What on earth is going on,” Dan said as they jumped through the water and on to the concrete patio. A few people were in the market still, so everybody had to knock out some of the zinc roof to get outside on top of the building. And there they stayed. Harrison said that you never heard so much prayer in your life, and how somebody had a bag of hard dough bread ready to take home. That was all they had, to keep body and soul together. It was Tuesday morning before they could go home after the water had gone down. Although this place looks so beaten up now, it saved the lives of all those people. They learned afterwards that the Raymond’s Dam had broken. That’s where all the water was coming from. When we get to Raymonds we will have a look and see what the dam is like at this time.” “Were any people washed away?” Delia asked. “No one knows for sure. What was fortunate was the time of the event. When rain falls as heavily as it did, few people go to market. There was nothing to buy or sell. So when the Dam gave way hardly anyone would be travelling to or

from, or still be in the market. Perhaps a few stragglers, waiting for the rain to stop were still there. You should hear Old Harrison spin his story.”

Remaining Part, Raymonds Dam

Broken down section, Raymonds Dam

George’s next stop was at the St. Peter’s Church. “Looks like it will last another century”, he said. This is a place I used to go to very often. Guess I am a little older than you right?” “Looks so doesn’t it?” I said. “Well, before your time, anyway. I used to go to what was called commemoration services at the church, because I was a Vere Trust Scholar and went to Holmwood. Two guys from Hayes were there around the same time. I am from Mitchell Town originally, and know this place like the back of my hand. After I left, I went away to the U.S. a couple of times. I also worked at WISCo and came back right here. I like it here. It is home. There is a story I heard about the church. Don’t know if it’s true”. “Delia! Are you listening?” “I am all ears, my dear!” Delia replied. George continued, “Well, the priest was on his veranda quietly considering the topic for his next sermon, when he saw the organist go along the walkway and into the Church building. He heard the organ playing and then the music stopped. She suddenly ran out of the church, and did not return. So, he went in later and switched off the organ, and locked the door. He decided to ask her the next time they were together, what happened why she was in such a hurry to leave. When he did she said that while she was playing, she distinctly heard some notes playing, which were different from what she was playing. She stopped and the notes kept on playing. So she left in a hurry. “What you think partner?” “Man, I don’t know. It’s an old organ so maybe the keys stuck, or some such thing.” I said. “I should like to think so; but you never know boy! You never know!” George

said “What I do was the day I was confirmed in this very church. I was about ten years old at the time, and my friend took me down on the cross bar of a bicycle from Hayes, for the six miles, sitting on a cushion. Can you imagine! I was cramped when I got down. Roderick, the guy who took me down, was a pupil teacher and my friend, even though he was several years older. I used to call him Mc. Neish and he did not like that. Believe me I don’t know where that name came from. I tried it once on our way down, and he reminded me forcibly that I was his captive. So I shut up”. “We arrived at the Church with little time to spare, so Roderick found a seat and I was ushered in to my place among the other candidates. Some of them were about my age, give or take a few years, most were older. While sitting there waiting for the service to begin, I was fascinated by the beauty of the eastern stained glass windows and the inscriptions on them. It was the first time I had seen that sort of thing. The lectern was particularly interesting because it was different from anything I had seen before. It was designed to look like an eagle with wings outspread, and the bible resting on its back. There were several marble memorials on the walls. I was, however, certainly nonplussed at seeing the memorials in the nave of the church and hesitated to walk over them.” “Yes” said George, “I know the feeling because they used to bury people in the church. Good thing they have stopped all that nonsense.” “The hymn was announced, and at the sound of the organ playing, ‘Come Holy Ghost, Our Souls Inspire’, a chill went up my spine because it was a favorite of mine and the organist was doing such a splendid job. The congregation stood as of the choir marched out through the vestry door followed by Bishop Hardie, all dressed up with his fancy miter and crozier, and looking really in charge. Know what I mean? It was a wonderful occasion and I often it. Many years later, I saw the girl who was confirmed the same time as me, and we ed the occasion.” George said, “Did you know they used slate shingles on the roof of the building?” “Yes, Roderick told me so, as we rode back home. He was a long time visitor to this church.” “That’s true. They replaced all the slate tiles a few years ago, because the roof

was leaking and they could not get replacement slate tiles.” George said. We had just ed the Alley school, the WISCo Staff club and then we stopped at Amity Hall near the old train lines where it crossed the highway. I said, “Can we have a look at the old Research lab? That’s where I spent a lot of time.” When George pulled into the driveway, I was surprised at what I saw. The whole building I knew had disappeared and only the inside tower remained. “What happened here George?” I asked.. “Well, the powers that be, decided that the building was old and should be torn down; but apparently the historical society and the local people strongly disagreed so they saved the tower which is now the public library” George said. “In the fifties when I worked here, the Tower was the central for a two story building. The top story was a well ordered dwelling designed with a lot of mahogany or similar type wood to provide amenities for modern living. The bottom floor was a laboratory. The building was designed around the tower which could not be seen without going into the lab. Looking from the outside one got the impression that it might have been a Great House, with lawns and flower beds beautifully maintained. At that time, no one knew why the building was so designed. It looked strong and durable and we knew it was an unusual way for the building to be ed. It had the shape of a pyramid with the top part hidden. Other aspects of it made those of us who worked there realize it was not a Great House. At the back there were maids and custodial service quarters, and a large garage. The bottom story was surrounded with glass windows and shades, with two offices, cupboards, shelves, sinks. The very sturdy building on the inside was used for storage of chemicals, equipment and everything else. The top story was the residence of the Research Director.” One morning the gardener walked into the lab, and spoke with one of the technicians who was alone and taking his break. The technician did not mind the company and asked Albert, who stammered, why it was that there was so much dusty equipment in the store room. “Oh! Albert exclaimed, “a few years ago, this was a busy place, lots of guys

used to work here. The big man who lived upstairs used to work very hard at nights. One morning, they came in and found him leaning on his desk, dead, over there,” indicating the spot, with a nod of his head. “They could not find anyone to replace him, so they closed the place down and sent the technicians to work elsewhere. Some went to Frome, in Westmoreland, the other factory owned by West Indies Sugar Co. Some went to the plant laboratory at Monymusk. Others left the Company.” When break time was over, and Albert left, the technician told us that he carried on with his work. “About three o’clock, there was a sound in the store room which the technician probably heard before and did not worry about. What grabbed him, however, was the sound of glassware being smashed, one after the other. This episode caused him to think differently. Quitting time was still forty-five minutes away. However he quickly got on his bicycle and left for home. In his haste, he forgot to lock the back door, and it got the attention of the director who asked him about it next morning. His answers were brief and constrained, because he did want anyone to know that he was too scared to walk around and see that everything was in order before leaving. Next day he avoided going into the store room until the field hands arrived. He invited one of them to go with him when he heard a sound coming from the store room. They were confronted by the largest rat they had ever seen just sitting on its hind legs looking at them. They had invaded the space it had been used to. There were also broken flasks on the concrete floor. When it was shooed, it took its own time and squeezed through a hole in the wall. They quickly sealed the hole with steel wool and the sounds were never heard again”. “Yes, I know the feeling. That guy must have been scared real bad,” said George. The sturdy stone tower was built and used in the days of slavery as a surveillance station to apprehend slaves who tried to escape and also to see whether cane fields were burning or as some suggest, it was a wind mill. We drove past the factory which apparently was not working, since there was no smoke coming from the chimney and the factory club house, where I played in several matches in the past. Delia, who had been unusually quiet said, “I’m hungry.”

“What do you think of the idea of going to Rocky Point and having some fried fish & festival at Doc’s place?” said George. “I haven’t seen him for a long time. The roads are not too good but I think we will make it.” “Sounds good to me, but who is Doc,” said Delia. “Well, he used to work in the Company’s dispensary. With the organization losing money because of time off for workers to get treatment for small cuts and bruises, they decided on making an in plant first aid station, which dramatically reduced the down time. His work was satisfactory, so he was given the job. That name stuck, and followed him around. He used to own a fishing boat, then he developed the fried fish business and was a boy scout in the 1930’s. He knew most of the old scouts from Hayes and Race Course and the other Villages.” “Hello George”, Doc said as he walked in,” haven’t seen you around for a long time?” They shook hands. “Meet my two friends,” George said. “We are in a tight spot for time; but I couldn’t let them slip by without getting some of your fried fish.” “That’s very nice George, I know I can depend on you. I’ll send somebody over right away.” A server was with them in a very short time and took the orders. “So you guys have been travelling around since early morning?” “Since two days ago, and we still have to take in Lionel Town and Mitchell Town after we leave here,” George said. “Doc, you know what? Get some extra fish and festival for us to take away. Get plenty of it may be a few pounds. Then put it in a scandal bag so that it does not damage the car. Sure you don’t mind, George?” I said “No man. Just wrap them good Doc”, said George. We drove through Lionel Town, past the Police Station and Health Centre with the developing business area and Taxi terminal, to the other side of town, then turned around and were on our way again.

Our next stop was Mitchell Town. It is a flat, sandy looking village where no one seemed to be in a hurry. There were a few churches and some large new houses and renovations, and a primary school. George said that the youngsters who live abroad send money to build larger homes for their parents. “That is a very good thing to do,” I said and reached into my shoulder bag and took out a booklet which I carried because I had planned to visit Vere. The title was ‘The Boy That Saved Our Trust.’ I ed it to George who was about to slip away to see if everything was OK at his home, and asked him to return it. He left us with the school principal whom he knew quite well. She was very gracious and showed us around. It is a small primary school, the children were lively, well dressed, and looked very happy. When he returned he said that except for a short track which leads to the sea, this was all there is to Mitchell Town. “The place is so small, one look and you see everything,” George said. He handed the booklet to the principal and said that the last sentence was interesting. She read it. ‘Several years ago he desired to establish a Community Centre to the memory of his mother. He and, the Director of Library Services, spent half a day in Mitchell Town trying unsuccessfully to obtain a piece of land for the purpose. It is a relief to be able to record that he has this year succeeded, [1971]. This was about Dr. Louis Grant who was one of Mr Lewin’s students in 1923, a long time ago,” George said. “Interesting, isn’t it? I tell you, those guys abroad not only love their parents, They love the place too, and come to visit very often”. He told us that our next stop will be Raymonds. It should not take us very long. and we will through Salt River District, then Dawkins Pen, before we get to Raymonds.” We said good bye to the principal, and left. Just as we neared the exit to the Morelands farm, I related an incident which occurred before I started driving solo.

“One mid morning, three of us were going to Morelands, and the back wheel of the jeep flew off. The fellow who was driving was an expert, and he was not speeding. He quickly realized that something had gone wrong, and immediately tightened his grip on the steering wheel. The back wheel just sped by us before the axel hit the asphalt. He brought the vehicle to a stop quickly, and safely; but we had to go over into the cane piece to retrieve the wheel. That was scary. We had to wait about two hours before someone ing, saw us and ed the mechanics from the company’s garage. They came out and give us help. No cell phones!! What a difference that thing can make.” On the road to Dawkins Pen, as we ed another road sign, I related something else which came to mind. HAT our director, had asked whether we would like to visit the HMS Sheffield which was anchored in the Salt River Bay to give the sailors shore leave. The answer was, “Yes, of course!” “So, on the Sunday afternoon after picking up the other guys who worked in the lab, we travelled to the Salt River Wharf, and waited for about half an hour until the cutter came to get us. I am not fond of those little boats; but today the sea looked pretty shiny and calm from a distance. However when we got on the boat and the journey started, that crest to trough, up and down movement, over the glittering waves, was very frightening. Although the distance was not great, the sailor made it interesting by saying that the little boat we were in, sank two days ago, and they had to fish it out from the bottom. Wow! Anyway, it was nice to get there and go on a battleship. What solid equipment it is? We had lunch and were given a tour of the ship, to look at and touch the big guns. What ed through my mind was how stupid mankind is, when such a magnificent, solid piece of equipment is sent to shoot at, or be shot at by another from the opposite side, just to be mashed up and probably sunk. It was however, spick-and-span, as the sailors who ed by, were constantly wiping with a towel they carried in their back pockets. Not even a finger mark could be seen on the fittings. We were shown a movie afterwards. And so the tour ended. It was an afternoon well spent. Before the setting sun disappeared, behind the Braziletto Hills, we bade the

battleship farewell and, sailed back to Salt River wharf in the captain’s yacht, which made the journey enjoyable. From a distance the mighty ship stood like a giant on the quiet, glimmering sea. As I watched the waves softly breaking on the shore, I ed the first time I saw the sea. It was in this same general location, when we were taken on our first Sunday School outing. To little children who had never before seen so vast an expanse of water, it was exciting, scary stuff. So we touched the foamy water with our toes until we got bold enough to sit in the sand and search for cockles to show and tell at home. We reached Dawkins Pen and turned the corner going north. The place did not look familiar even though I used to by regularly in days gone by. “What happened here George?” I asked. “The place does not look familiar”. “Before they straightened out the road from Hayes to Lionel Town,” he said, “water from the Salt River pumping station crossed the road about half a mile north of the junction where there used to be a grocery shop. We ed the place when you were telling us about the Sheffield”. “That’s where my girl friend used to wait, so we could ride up to Hayes. That was a long time ago”. “You don’t say,” said Delia. You even how the place looked!” “And why not dear? You’re young only once, after that, it’s a long farewell!” We had not gone very far when George said: “this is Hillside, one of the places where ‘Young Boy’ and ‘Busta’, jostled over union hip and rights to represent the cane workers. Know who Young Boy was?” “Yes”, I said, “Michael. His chief organizer in Vere used to play for our cricket team. When I left Hayes he still helped, and found a lot of new talent. He was a good guy.” We were near to Raymonds, so George asked whether we still wanted to have a look at the old dam “Yes, man!” I said.

“OK “, he said, and maneuvered the car to a route which could not be seen from the main road, and stopped. “During my time as a scouter, a group of five of us hiked down to see the structure. That’s a long time ago. A friend, Cornelius went with us. At the time I thought the structure was massive. Still think it is. I heard a story which you may not have heard. A man rode his Harley Davidson motor cycle across it. Those were the big heavy ones, with the wide handle bars. I know who would not be doing any such thing boy. That’s me!” I said. We saw that part of the structure had been broken down and we were looking from the bottom where the hole was, up to the top where we first stood. In of Jamaica, it is still massive. When I returned from taking some pictures, I listened to Delia telling George that a few years ago we listened to an expose’ on the largest dam in the world, Itaipu, in Brazil. The man-made lake is about 1/10 th the size of Jamaica, so it is really large. On top of the embankment, similar to where the dare-devil rode his motor cycle, there is a large highway, where tour busses run, she said. While reading about dams recently, we also found out that on 31st May, 1889, the Old Forks Dam in Johnstown, Pennsylvania, broke at 3.10 p.m. and killed over 2000 people, with thousands more hurt. What they have done is to build a large memorial to this event which has become a must see area to visitors. “I always wonder, if many people died as a result of the Raymonds Dam’s breaking,” she said. “I really don’t know. That was not included in Mr Harrison’ story because he did not know either,” George said. We will have to Vere Tech. Suppose we stopped for a short time. Do you think they would let us in?” Delia said. “If they are not too busy, they might”, George replied. When we were about to Vere Tech, a large number of people were milling around, as though a function had just ended and people were going home. George stopped just before getting to the main entrance gate and asked a erby what was going on. She replied that a reception had just ended.

“Thanks,” he said Delia and I went walking outside the auditorium. This was her first visit to the school, so she wanted to have a quick look around. “Pointing to the wall of the auditorium, she said, “is that the memorial tablet you were talking about recently?” “Yes; but let us just walk around the square and talk about it later”. “Guys”, I said when we had settled down with our host. “Several years ago, I dropped in at the High School, to say hello to someone I knew, and was taken on a short, very pleasing tour of the facilities. We ended by coming to the ‘Public Square’ as I call it. That is the area now surrounded by classrooms and offices and a lawn with a hedge of croton plants. We ended the tour looking at the monument. The Memorial which at first glance looks like a tomb, is a fitting tribute by the Vere Trustees, and all those who had taken part in the activities of that group. It represents a time span beginning with the establishment of the Vere Trust in 1694 to the establishment of Vere Technical High School in 1960. I was quite surprised to see the Memorial Tablet fixed on to the wall of the auditorium, and in its place, a memorial to Mr. Ben Francis. That was unexpected. By placing the memorial inscription on the wall of the auditorium, it would probably be the first thing to be destroyed should there be a need to make improvements to the structure. I do not know the reason why this was done. What I do know is that removing it has destroyed the original intent of having a Memorial Insignia for the Vere Trust, which had become a part of the history of the school. A true story helps to understand the past, and will indeed be a guide to the modern era. By destroying the truth, future history is skewed. The memorial that looks like a tomb could be exactly what the Trustees intended, so as to symbolically bury a checkered past from 1674 to 1960 and give the modern era a shot at creating its own epoch. A more useful idea would be to remove the whole original structure to a less prominent place in the Public Square, then erect a new memorial to begin the new era, which began with the founding of the High School in 1960. This would include a memorial to Ben Francis and those who are elected to a place of honour after him. An obelisk designed and built on a base made from slabs cut from the

Raymond’s Dam, in a central place in the square, would have real historical significance. This is, an original idea which could be the beginning of an outdoor museum, an idea which was eloquently proposed the first time the memorial to the Trust was discussed. Now that the school has been built this space could be called: The Ben Francis Outdoor Museum, with ing inscriptions and so on, probably another first for Vere Tech.. It would be a genuine attempt to memorialize a great leader, without it appearing as an act of usurpation, for which he is not responsible.. The present memorial was not built for him. Mr Francis spent thirty-four glorious years there beginning a new and important period in the history of Vere. Several previous attempts were not fully successful. The design and implementation of such a memorial, lends itself to the imagination and skill worthy of a Technical High School. It would take a bit more time to accomplish; but in the long run it could be another first for Vere Tech. A beautifully designed obelisk would also attract the attention of photographers and be a greater mark of identification than the tomb like structure to which he is presently consigned. The Name Vere Tech is ideal also; because of the location. It is in Vere, and was founded by the Vere Trustees and the Vere Trust Old Scholars. I was at the meeting in the Institute of Jamaica when it was finally decided to build the High School. It was remarkable to see all those people showing great satisfaction when it was announced that the vote to build the school was unanimous. Later, the Trustees decided on the monument. So the stone represents not only the name on the tablet; but a period in the history of education in Vere. This happened because the planter Raines Waite, by his will, requested it in 1694. From an historical point of view, it needs to be kept in its original form. Also, Vere Technical High School is in a unique position to be innovative and lead in community development. Vere Tech is not a Hayes High School, it is a Vere Institution, and should see itself as such, helping the community to reinvent itself through wise leadership and imagination. The community would benefit and so would the school.

For a start [unless that is already being done], community involvement could be sparked by including in the Founder’s Day celebrations, a cricket match where the school team would challenge a local community team on an annual basis, even competing for a special Community Trophy. This game, would take place on the local recreation field. The spirit in which the game is played is key. It would be highly anticipated, very competitive; but friendly. This might even rekindle the urge for past students to revisit the school at least once per year. I believe there are past students groups which would make a yearly pilgrimage to be part of the celebrations. Placing a Technical High School in Hayes was a master stroke. It has started a whole new ‘education industry’. I am convinced that the Trustees did not plan for that, when they located the school in Hayes. Many people drive into town every morning and leave at nights, which is the opposite from what used to happen, when many people lived in Hayes and went to work at WISCo or Bog or New Yarmouth. At the school library, I also saw a brass plaque which was badly corroded. My question was why? The answer was that soon after the Mud Lake was built, the type of environmental concerns alluded to, began. The following letter expresses my concerns. It was addressed to the President of the mining company in the USA. dated: June 6, 1989

Dear Sir: I am from the town of Hayes, Jamaica where your wholly owned subsidiary, Alcoa Minerals Inc. is located. I visit Hayes regularly, and was making plans that when I do retire, as we all must some day, God willing, to live there and continue to make my contribution to public life. My letter is about the industrial development by the Aluminum Company of America. I am aware of the good things which an international company with its modern development has done for the economy of Hayes and the country. It has among other things undoubtedly relieved chronic poverty, unemployment and under

development. It has also promoted new thinking and attitudes. On my last visit to Hayes however, I became painfully aware as never before, that not all industrial development is good, or worth the cost in projected human suffering. As a major executive you may or may not have visited this location, or may not be completely aware of all the implications of the developments of your organization in the area. With the coming of your industry, what was once a little town has literally exploded over the past few years with the influx of new people and crime, for which of course no one can even begin to hold your company able. There are areas however where industry does have responsibility, and should constantly demonstrate its awareness and sensitivity. One of the most important being, its undoubted position to supply leadership in pollution related matters. In this area I am indeed troubled. The once fresh air in Hayes even though dry and sometimes dusty is in addition quite irritating. As one can feel occasionally, and observes from the early deterioration of the metal (zinc ) roofing of houses. For this the layman like myself, will quickly blame the caustic soda which Alcan must use in its processing. The expert may say that this is not the reason, or attempt to produce evidence to the contrary to say nothing of arguing that the answer is to change the type of materials used in the buildings. True there is relief in this direction. Alas, however that leaves us with the air we breathe and what that will do to our insides. The solution to this lies directly at the door of modern technology, to control the amount of the pollutant getting into the environment or to prevent it completely. We may be able to deal with polluted air in the long run even if masks have to be worn. What a solution that would be? Of more serious long term consequence however is the construction of the Mud Pond where spent lye is stored right in the middle of the town. Interestingly it is next door to an old cemetery, and the primary school. A few hundred yards further to the south is the well which supplies the whole area with its water supply. The name “Jamaica” as far as we know is from the original Arawak word Xaymaca meaning a country abounding in springs because of the abundance and

beauty of the environment. I am aware that change there will be and we must be prepared to deal with it. But; at what cost? What is the use of living in a place where water, the one vital element of all life is polluted? History is rife with examples of people who have been wiped out completely because of bad water supply. Water, water all around and yet we can’t touch it! Let me explain my thinking about this matter. The local water supply, which was regarded as one of the best in of its reliability and quality, is pumped from wells supplied by aquifers. When these become polluted the water supply becomes polluted. Some years ago the question of pit toilets was discussed because of their potential for underground water pollution. The mud pond however brings on another devastating dimension in our thinking. With the known troubling link between aluminum and Alzheimer’s disease, one feels dismay at the thought of the aquifer being polluted with spent aluminum components. With bacterial contamination from pit toilets, at least boiling the water will work wonders; but how does one handle aluminum contamination? These are some of the concerns which were brought into sharp focus recently. Aluminum production will cease sooner or later for whatever the reason. The question is what happens to the people who have trusted implicitly a modern industrial giant. Will the population which has endured for centuries suffer from genetic defects? Will the area be a wasteland? Science does not have all the answers, so these troubling questions persist. The most prudent route is therefore prevention. There are costs to improved technology; but where people are concerned, be it yours, mine or any other, costs should not be given priority. Alternatives may have to be found. I am ing on these concerns and assure you I am not alone in this type of thinking. These are not only technical and probably financially costly, they are more costly in of the future people; they are human and challenging, befitting a major international organization such as yours. I feel very justified in making you aware of my concerns, and do hope you will

use your powerful position to address them.

Yours truly. xxxxxxxx

Several replies from their Corporate executives regarding my letter were received. It was pointed out that Alcoa was partly owned by the Jamaica Government. The impression I got, was that their organization placed a lot of emphasis on corporate and local ‘alertness, sensitivity and pragmatic responsiveness’, to the types of concerns which were expressed. The company’s approach was to take all necessary steps which would allay my concerns. An important comment was that many research scientists have found no credible scientific evidence that aluminum intake leads to Alzheimer’s disease. However because there is continuing research into matters such as this, I wonder what the situation is today? So I left it at that. As the discussions progressed through the night, our host said, “hold on guys’, We down here have to live with that Mud Lake. We just sat down and allowed them to put that monstrosity right in our faces We are culpable. Sometimes we hear politicians say I am going to do this and that for you. Often they don’t know a thing. Well intentioned perhaps; but it is the vote that matters. “That is true, Kirk,” I said, It happens everywhere; but I can’t leave without telling this one. As a youngster, the thing I had most interest in, other than cricket, was politics. Although it is a serious matter, we had a lot of fun with it. A small group of us used to meet sometimes, after political meetings and have our own discussions. Candidates used to deliver their message in the village square (at the Cross Road). One of the outside visitors was “Slave Boy Evans.” He may have been from Westmoreland. One afternoon a car with loud speakers ed through, announcing that Bustamante would be holding a meeting in the square at 7 pm. At about 6 pm his swanky car with a musical sounding horn ed through!

“You mean the God-Bless-America sound,” George said. “That’s right. Yes! He ed slowly through the town and visited the surrounding areas. He even looked in at an old building where at one time the Hayes dance band used to be. The car returned as the crowd gathered. He did not leave his vehicle. He waited while the crowd got into the party songs and gave their stories. After a while someone pumped up the gas-burning lamp. What happened next reminded me of an old western movie where the hero being totally fed-up with a group of bad guys, straps on his gun for the first time in a number of years and rides into town. After getting off his horse, with slow determined dignity he pushes the saloon door open looking for the leading culprit, while his tormentors take cover. He spoke to them with quiet confidence. Where is he… . ?” The drama began when, the lady, in crisp Jamaican English, introduced the next speaker. She referred to him as, William the Conqueror! Alexa-a-nder the Great! and Bustamante the Liberator the Political Emancipator! The crowd shouted and whistled for a long time, as Busta slowly got out of the car. He looked complete as he pulled himself to his full height because he was a big tall man, and slowly made his way to the platform. I can’t what he talked about; but what he did was dramatic, it was unforgettable. In a slightly high pitched voice, he told the story of his being at a disturbance caused by labor strikes. One person was badly hurt or killed and the police were given orders to shoot rioters. He came face to face with a policeman who had the loaded gun pointed at him. He stared straight into the man’s eye and calmly said, “shoot me, but spare my people!” There was a hush in the crowd. After the meeting ended, there was the usual glad handing and shouts of approval, as the visiting party left and everyone went home. As neophyte politicians, we questioned everything and did not easily accept what we had heard. And so the local youthful discussions went on.

Now; fast forward, for several years and another location. “I watched a documentary, which was about the labor movement in Jamaica. An older man was being interviewed. He said he is a retired police man and was on duty during a strike. They were given orders to shoot to kill, and he came face to face with Bustamante. He pointed the loaded gun at him. Busta looked him in the eye, bared his chest, stretched out his hands and said,[circa] “Shoot me but spare my people!! “I couldn’t do it,” he said, so he lowered his gun. While being interviewed, he cried, then said, [circa] “just look what might have happened if I had pulled that trigger. It would have changed the whole course of our history”. I looked around and there was no one for me to talk it over with.

Addendum

YOUTH ORGANIZATIONS IN VERE

John S. Tait. Scout Commissioner, Clarendon. 1952

Headley Forbes[big man in the middle] with friends on way to Haiti about 1954

King Scouts: Ernest Lewin, Hayes 1930’s

21 George Morris, Race Course 1952

Wood Badge Recepients L/ R: Hurley Whitehorne, Jimmy Smith, William Manning, Osmond Carr.

Clarendon contingent, 1952 Jamboree.

Scouting, Guiding, and 4-H Clubs were at one time very popular, with the schools in Vere. This in essence was training young people to accept individual and community responsibilities, which were essential tenets of national development. Whether youth groups were sponsored by the schools, or churches, the objective was to encourage individual involvement and develop leadership skills. They were voluntary organizations and formed part of an unseen national idea by encouraging young people to become responsibly engaged in community life. By learning organizational, collaborative and technical skills, beyond what is required by school programs, the young people increased their abilities to participate on the local level, take on greater responsibilities in the nation building effort, and have a lot of fun in the process. In 4-H Clubs, knowledge of and interest in everyday life skills can be used in the home and in the community. Projects such as cooking, bee keeping, animal rearing, handicrafts were very well ed. Adult guidance was provided by teachers, often with the help and of competent adults.

Guide Company, Race Course

4-H Club Achievement Days, Race Course.

By getting involved in the clubs, students learned how organizations work. President, secretary and treasurer were club elected positions. Community experts often took on leadership and skills development roles.. When several clubs got together in the same location it was called Achievement Day, where shows and demonstrations at the club level took centre stage. In Vere, Achievement days were often held at the Alley school or any other school that the teachers decided on. In addition to learning new skills, students seized the opportunity to meet their compatriots from other clubs. They also got to know teachers who they had heard about. To the younger children, this was fun time with ice cream, cakes, cookies and so on. Scouts, Guides and Wolf Cubs belong to patrols of usually six, including a patrol leader. Several patrols make up a Wolf Cub Pack, Scout Troop or Guide Company. Very often they would meet separately because their focus is different. Sometimes they would have group meetings at the same place and time for special events such as planning outings, camp fires or concerts where their competence go on display. The life skills learned were based on togetherness, team work, leadership and, gaining knowledge on how to exist in unknown or difficult environments. That is why “Be Prepared” is their motto, and badges their rewards for competence demonstrated. The Wood Badge is the highest level of adult scoutmaster training. It was first presented in England by the founder of scouting, Baron Baden Powell. They were presented at the First Caribbean Jamboree by the then Chief Scout, Baron Roallan. A King Scout or Queen Scout Badge, depending on whether the monarch is male or female, signifies the highest level of competence a scout may achieve. The Guides/and or, Scouts/and or Wolf Cubs in one location, usually have a Group Leader, a kind of General Manager. International meetings, or Jamborees, require a very high level of organization and planning.

During the 1930’s, scouting and guiding, were very well ed in Vere. For the next few years however, interest in the movements declined. This happens when a leader, usually a teacher leaves town. As a sequel to this golden era of Scouting and Guiding in Vere, John S. Tait, having been appointed Assistant District Commissioner of Scouts in Clarendon, was effective in reviving scouting in Vere. He led the Clarendon contingent to the First Caribbean Scout Jamboree held at Briggs Park, Up Park Camp in 1952. Wood Badge recipients at that Jamboree were: L to R: Hurley Whitehorne, an Assistant Island Commissioner; Jimmy Smith, Scouter, from St. Ann; William Manning, Scouter from Hayes; and Osmond Carr, Scouter from Kingston. In Vere, Ernest Lewin in the 1930’s earned his King’s Scout Badge. In the 1950’s, George Morris earned his Queen Scout Badge. As Assistant Scoutmaster with the 6th Clarendon Troop in Hayes, Ernest attended the Jamboree in Holland in 1937. His staff (stick), which he proudly displays, was most beautifully decorated and is now a family heirloom. While leading a patrol of scouts, they travelled around the island on bicycles. When they were nearing the end of their journey, they were prosecuted for riding without lights and had to appear in court to answer the charges. Stanford Moulton, the scout who related the story was one of those in the group. He said that the judge allowed the Group Scoutmaster, to make a statement on their behalf. When he finished his presentation, the judge thanked him and congratulated the scouts for their magnificent adventure. He did not say the police officer was wrong, because he was doing his duty. He however dismissed the case and wished them well. The scouts, in uniform, jumped on their bicycles and rode off into history. Note: Bicycles in that era had to bear a registration license fixed to the back of the bicycle as well as lighting for safety purposes. Licensing was discontinued when it became too expensive to collect the licensing fees. The night light affixed to the front of the bicycle, was designed to burn acetylene in a small chamber containing calcium carbide on which water dripped. It was not unusual to see someone riding and holding a storm lantern for lighting. The later system using a wheel operated generator and a small light bulb really revolutionized the way that bicycle lights operated.

Principal of Mitchell Town School. Mrs Ivy Forbes.

Sport Groups

In Vere, sports groups flourished. They included amateur and professional cycling, which were extremely popular among young men. Several island champions were from Vere. In those days, Unity and Progressive clubs in Lionel Town were well known promoters of the sport. Easter Monday was the day when most of these activities took place. Cricket teams had great following among the people generally, where community teams played against each other. Sometimes a challenge cup, for example the Lawson Cup for parish competition, provided the impetuous for the team not only wanting to win, but give the community something to talk about, cheer about and .

Lawson Cricket Cup Presentation.

Soccer, although played in many districts was not as popular; but along with track and field events took center stage in schools It was at a senior invitational track and field event that George Rhoden carried out a successful coup d’etat against nationally ranked high school athletes, on his way to becoming a great olympian, and G.B.Grant, the “Flying Farmer,” gave a great display of long distance running in the closing days of his great career.

Notes

[1] William Alexander Bustamante otherwise called, ‘Busta’, was founder and President for life of the Bustamante Industrial Trade Union [BITU]. He was Knighted and became Sir Alexander Bustamante, First Prime Minister of Jamaica, and a National Hero.

Another story about Sir Alexander was this. It happened when I was about fourteen years of age and was just returning to school after the lunch break. I saw a whole lot of children, who normally would be playing; running towards the school room as though the bell had sounded or something important was happening. That made me hurry, because our heaster disliked lateness. When I got into the school door, I saw Busta sitting on an all-in-one desk, which seated about five children, with his feet on the seat. He was accompanied by two adults, not teachers, with many children just staring. When the bell sounded, he left immediately, albeit slowly, with all the children gazing after him on their way to classes.

[2] ‘Young Boy’’ as he was called, was President of the National Workers Union. [NWU] He later became The Rt. Hon Michael Manley, Prime Minister of Jamaica. [3] Records show that R. J. M. Lewin, B.A., A; educator, researcher and writer of the Historical Reviews, was a District School Teacher at Salt River in 1910, Portland Cottage from 1914-1917. He graduated from Mico College and studied abroad. He travelled extensively in the USA, England, Tanzania, India, Sri Lanka [Ceylon]

In the Vere Trust Organization he was a Master from 1921-1931 and Clerk in 1952. He kept the Trust going, and founded the Vere Trust Old Scholars’

Association in 1947. His vision was to see a Technical High School established again in Vere. As the man with the vision who saw the possibility of achieving that goal, through the Vere Trust, he could not afford to let up. He did not own a car, neither did he have a telephone or a secretary always at his disposal, so he did most of that work himself. As the protagonist in the drive, he had to communicate with all kinds of people. When the mail would not do, he engaged a trusted carrier to do his bidding. With all the ground work done, he pioneered the Trust in acquiring several acres of land from West Indies Sugar Co. Although his eyesight was failing, he never lost his vision of Vere.

[4] Special thanks to Anthony R.D.Porter who gave unreserved permission to use two photographs from his book Jamaica A Geological Portrait. [5] Robin Murray a professional photographer from Hayes, Vere, photographed the Monarch Butterfly on an orchid. Thanks Robin. [6] Permission to use Photographs and other information from the Vere Trust was given by the Custos of Clarendon, the Hon James De Roux. [7] The name of the main sugar producing company in Vere was Monymusk. The Company, was owned at one time by people from Scotland. The name ‘Mony’ is the Scotish variant for many, and musk was added, because of the large number of the musk plants on their property in Scotland. Hence Monymusk is spelled without the ‘e’, as in money. [Vere Trust Series No. 2] [8] A booklet called The Boy Who Saved Our Trust, was about Dr. Louis Grant who became a famous Jamaica, and international scientist and Professor of Microbiology at The University of the West Indies in 1964.

Several years ago he desired to establish a community centre in Mitchell Town to the memory of his mother; but failed to get a suitable place for the venture. The booklet, written in 1971 said, finally, he had succeeded.

[9] While gathering material for notes on the Vere Trust, the researcher noticed that the name B. J. A. Robinson was not in the records as an awardee, so he said to him “Doctor, it seems to me that there is a defect in our records. I do not see your name listed as a Vere Scholar.” “No”, he said, “I was too dark to be awarded a Vere Scholarship. I was an Island Scholar.” Dr. Robinson was ViceChairman of the Trust in 1939. [10] The Tower photograph was taken by me. Information about the Tower at Amity Hall was from a booklet: “Messengers, Timeless Truths From Humblest Hearts” which contained a similar photograph, by Olive Lewin [11] The pipe organ at St. Peter’s church was built and installed by Walker & Sons, London, in 1845-1847. [12] The eagle shaped lectern at St. Peter’s was given to the church, in remembrance of Henry Towton, Rector of Vere by his daughter, in 1888.

References

MANLEY & THE NEW JAMAICA Rex Nettleford. 1971

ALEXANDER BUSTAMANTE and Modern Jamaica George E. Eaton 1975

GONE IS THE ANCIENT GLORY. Spanish Town, Jamaica 1534-2000. James Robertson

THE STORY OF JAMAICA, 1965 Clinton V. Black

THE STORY OF THE JAMAICAN PEOPLE. Philip Sherlock & Hazel Bennett

THE GLEANER GEOGRAPHY & HISTORY OF JAMAICA 1988

MESSENGERS: Timeless Truths From Humblest Hearts.

Olive Lewin, 2002

JAMAICA: A GEOLOGICAL PORTRAIT Anthony R. D.Porter, 1990 Special thanks to Anthony Porter who allowed me to use two photographs from his book.

HISTORICAL REVIEW OF THE VERE FREE SCHOOLS TRUST R.J.M. Lewin.

HISTORIC JAMAICA Frank Cundall, 1915

THE DOYEN OF VERE W.H.Manning 1991

A Robin Murray photograph.