The Story of My Barbados Family
Scroll down for an informal pictorial family history
Anthony was born on 11th March, 1949.
Ian arrived in October of 1951.
I did not like to have my photograph taken, so I may have boycotted this one!
Herbert and Marjorie played tennis at Hannays Plantation on Saturday afternoons. Herbert was good at sports but smoking was his undoing.
Our father, Herbert, had a wooden sailboat called Aurora. I think it was about twenty seven feet long. When Herbert was tasked with opening a new branch of the Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce in St. Vincent, he was not going to leave his boat in Barbados!
The above shows Aurora entering the Careenage, Bridgetown. Herbert kept the boat at the Royal Barbados Yacht Club, as it was then known. The boat was brought to Bridgetown to do the required paperwork before leaving for St. Vincent.
St. Vincent was a hundred miles away across deep open ocean. Herbert made the trip navigating with a compass and a transistor radio!
I strongly desired to go on this adventure, but I was only thirteen and I had a habit of falling overboard!
At fifteen Anthony was chosen to crew. The others were Jacques Baldini, cousin Harold Jones and of course, Herbert.
Most of our school days were spent at our grandparents’ home, Windermere, in St. John, Barbados. We did fly to St. Vincent for most vacations. There we had many friends and enjoyed the parties and the fishing.
Barbados was once a British colony, and the dominant culture was English. When we were in school we held British passports, and many Barbadians thought of themselves as English. This influenced the educational system, and we would take exams from Oxford and Cambridge on graduation.
In this vein, Lodge was a boys’ school, based on the English public schools. It was described as similar to Harry Potter’s Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry!
As a little boy, I was very impressed that Anthony always came first in his class. Firstly it was very difficult to get into Lodge. Secondly students were divided into an A stream and a B stream, and Anthony was in the A stream. He became “Head Boy” and was accepted by Cambridge University in England.
Shakespearian plays were the norm at Lodge. Below Anthony is playing Julius Caesar. (On another occasion I recall he played Calpurnia.)
Can anyone identify the supporting actors?
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Above: The third person from the left may be Clive Davies from Britain.
Herbert died in 1996 and it became easier for his wife Marjorie to travel.
When I (Ian) was exploring Wales, I came across the Ty Cook Farm. It was also a Bed and Breakfast. This old house reminded me of the “Plantation Great Houses” in Barbados. I enjoyed my visit so much that I returned with my family in 1998.
Mummy loved to go on vacations with us. We were headed down to Merlin’s Cave in Cornwall, England when she asked us to take a photo in front of this sign!
In 2002, Marjorie attended the wedding of Summer her eldest granddaughter. This photo was taken at Bakers Plantation which was owned by Summer’s maternal grandparents.
Here we are on the beach of Craigwell. Spion Kop would be on the right. Craigwell and Spion Kop were owned by Kingsland Estates Ltd. Kathy used to live at Spion Kop.
In 2003, Marjorie went with Ian’s family to Yosemite National Park in California. I am looking for those photos.
These were taken on 5th June 2005. Marjorie held a party for her family at the Crane Hotel.
This is Marjorie’s apartment in Barbados. The mahogany furniture is the same that I grew up with!
In late May of 2009, Marjorie flew from Texas to Miami.
Marjorie’s granddaughter married Ben in 2009.
Mummy was always game to try new things. Below we are eating at Rudy’s where there are no plates – the food is served on a sheet of grease proofed paper!
After flying from Barbados to Texas, Marjorie went to Miami, Florida. This was taken at Ian and Kathy’s home in Kendall, Miami. Christine Baldini was visiting and here she is showing Marjorie some photos on her camera.
Marjorie then flew with Ian to London, England to celebrate the eightieth birthday of her brother George. The party was on the 6th of June, 2009.
Marjorie also visited her family in England.
When they first moved to St. Vincent, Herbert and Marjorie rented a home on a beach facing Young Island. We boys enjoyed swimming, rowing and fishing. On weekends, Dad would take us sailing.
One remarkable story is that when Prince Charles, son of Queen Elizabeth II, visited St. Vincent he spent some time at this house. My mother prepared the house for his visit and then stayed away until he left. She said she painted the word Britannia on our dingy, the tender for our sailboat. She said Prince Philip actually went rowing in it.
The next home was also rented. “Tally Ho” was a little further from the beach, but it was still only a short walk away. Ken and Phyllis Punnett had a beautiful home nearby, but I do not know where this was taken.
The last home in St. Vincent was “Ho Bohemia.” This was built by Herbert. It had a commanding view, including the sea and neighbouring islands.
Herbert used to have his hair cut by an itinerate barber, but here is something unexpected.
Marjorie was very active in the Mothers’ Union. This group may be affiliated:
This is a family reunion. Anthony and family are visiting from England, Ian’s and Ronnie’s families from Barbados. Laurence was living with my parents after Amy passed.
Grannie Marjorie enjoys her first two grandchildren.
Marjorie did not enjoy sailing because of the intense sun. She did enjoy being outdoors though.
Next: Later years
My recollections of my parents start in Belleville, where we lived on the 10th avenue. We first lived at “Constant”, a two story wooden home. Then we moved to “Bohemia”, which was close to George Street. Below Marjorie and Herbert in the backyard of Bohemia. The concrete wall runs along 10th Avenue. Behind the wall are towering palms. We called them Cabbage Palms, but their scientific name is Roystonea oleracea. They bore a “broom” which was used by our maid.
We were close to Bridgetown, and I recall my father coming home for lunch!
Here is an extended family photo taken in Barbados.
Laurence’s sisters were Helen Farmer, Katy Jones and May Marshall. Teddy and Katy’s daughter Audrey was married to Louis Seale.
This is a nice photo of my mother, but I don’t know the story behind it.
As a condition of his employment at the Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce, Herbert had to take a “long leave” every few years. The only stipulation that he was to head north to Canada or the US. My parents used to say with Dad’s uncle Leo in Brooklyn, New York. Leo’s wife Ida is on the left below.
Here is another unknown photo.
I am going to take a wild guess and say that the photo below was taken at Plymouth, Crane, St. Philip.
The photo below was probably taken on the south coast of Barbados. Marjorie is with her nieces, George’s girls.
Herbert was transferred to the nearby island of St. Vincent. Herbert had a sailboat, “Aurora.” I believe this group is seeing him off.
Below is a family reunion at Windermere, St. John, Barbados. Herbert, Marjorie and Ronnie would be visiting from St. Vincent.
Next: St. Vincent
This photograph was taken of Marjorie when she was attending Codrington High School, St. John, Barbados. CHS was a private school for girls. This school was quite far from Walkers, St. Andrew, but my grandparents valued education.
George attended Lodge School, which was within walking distance of Codrington High School. Here is the Farmer family. George is wearing his Lodge blazer and tie.
Can you identify any of Marjorie’s team mates?
I cannot identify Marjorie in the photo below, but I am fairly sure that it was taken at Codrington High School.
Next: Marjorie and Herbert
There are some photos that I did not use, and I plan to display them here.
Early Morning, 8th June, 2005, East Coast of Barbados: Preparing to go for a hike. Ronnie is on the right.
In the photograph above, Ron had organized a trip to the east coast of Barbados. It was one of the rare occasions when the three brothers were together. Anthony is in the blue shirt on the left.
We three brothers were not together often because Anthony was in England, and I was in Florida. I believe the photo below was taken at my parents house in Chancery Lane, Christ Church, Barbados.
I’ll add more later.
Click below to go to the beginning of this memorial.
Ron used to fly to Miami every now and then.
Ron and I were touring the Deering Estate in Miami when I took this:
When my daughter Michelle was married in Texas, we rented Judge Baylor House to accommodate visiting guests. We were delighted Ron could make it.
We ate at Rudy’s “Country Store” and Bar-B-Q. The food is good, but the service is Spartan! Ron looks a little thoughtful, but he has done justice to his ribs!
The Grenadines are a chain of islands stretching from the southern coast of St. Vincent to the north of Grenada. Despite their name, most of the Grenadines belong to St. Vincent.
One day Ron chartered a yacht and invited me to retrace the early sailing voyages that we had enjoyed with our parents. There were not as many fish, but the beaches were just as white and the water was clear.
This photo is probably from a later trip to the same location.
Ron gave me the chance to relive one of our favourite activities as teenagers – exploring uninhabited islands. I also have video of this trip that I may share.
Next: Ron in North Carolina, USA