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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