Bajan History

Bajan (Barbadian) history.

Barbados Defence Force Golden Gun

Operation Golden Gun

It began years ago at the headquarters of the Barbados Regiment in Bridgetown, Barbados, West Indies, when a sailor on a visiting USA Naval vessel decided that the Regimental Saluting Cannon would make a suitable souvenir. That was 26th February 1956. Shortly after the sailor returned to the United States, an anonymous cable was sent to …

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C&W cable laying ship Stanley Angwin off St Lawrence coast Barbados

Cable & Wireless in Barbados

SOME OF CABLE & WIRELESS’ HISTORICAL DEVELOPMENTS IN BARBADOS Detailed below are some key Cable & Wireless Barbados milestones: 1942 – Fall of Singapore (8th – 15th February) 1944 – Barbados became a major telecommunications hub with the establishment of the HF transmitting and receiving stations at Boarded Hall and Carrington respectively. 1946 – Overseas …

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Slave Burial Ground Newton Plantation

Old Doll. The Matriarch of Newton Plantation

The book “A Kind of Right to be Idle: Old Doll, Matriarch of Newton Plantation” by Dr. Karl Watson is published by The Barbados Museum & Historical Society. It is on sale at the Museum shop and other good bookstores. This small book makes interesting reading. It gives the history of a family of slaves …

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Adam Straw Waterman memorial St. Georges Church - Barbados

Adam Straughn (Straw) Waterman (1803 – 1887)

Adam Straughn (Straw) Waterman was born a slave in 1803 in either St. John or St George. Probably on one of the estates owned by the Drax Family. He got his freedom before emancipation. Adam married Nancy Hannah at St. John’s Parish Church on 2nd November 1835. Some sources say she was an outside daughter of …

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Chase family vault Christ Church Parish church

Feuding Chase brothers vault – Christ Church Parish church, Barbados

Below are photographs of the famous Chase Vault, located in the south-west corner of Christ Church Parish churchyard.  Sixty meters from the Church Government school. Two Chase brothers, who hated each other and had many furious fights during their life-time, were buried with their coffins placed side by side in the vault; and they continued …

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Black violinist George Augustus Polgreen Bridgetower (1780-1860)

John Frederick Bridgetower

John Frederick Bridgetower was born a slave in Barbados but was not content to end his life as one. There is no record of how he escaped from Barbados and made his way to Poland. There he worked in the family home of Austro-Hungarian Prince Esterhazy (Joseph Haydn’s patron) and learnt to speak  English, French, German, …

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