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By Will Johnson
Many times when I travel through the Caribbean people ask me if I am from Barbados. The Saba accent is very close to that of Barbados. Most of the old island accents are being diluted by our people imitating the accent of other countries..Therefore only the real expert on island dialects can detect the original accent of especially the smaller islands.
Saba and Barbados go back to the original settlement of the islands. When Barbados became overpopulated after sugar cane cultivation was introduced many white Barbadians moved up the islands. When in l629 a Spanish fleet scattered the inhabitants of St.Kitts, many of inhabitants turned to piracy. They together with those who joined Cromwell to capture Jamaica turned to piracy and operated out of Port Royal. In l665 these pirates under Thomas Morgan (uncle of Henry Morgan) captured Saba and St.Eustatius. They took the African slaves back with them to Jamaica and spread out the Dutch inhabitants as indentured servants on the English islands. On Saba forty of the pirates remained behind and joined the two hundred and twenty Irish, English and Scottish settlers left on the island.
The Dutch never came back in any numbers and so Saba is an English island flying a Dutch flag. Many of the pirates had roots in Barbados.
Throughout the centuries following a connection remained with Barbados. One family from The Bottom for example the family of Mrs Eva Simmons Johnson, moved back and forth through the centuries. "Miss" Eva was born on Barbados, but her father William H. Johnson was born on Saba while his father, also William H. Johnson was born on Barbados in the late l700's.
However the real exodus to Barbados only took place after the Dutch language replaced English as the language of instruction in the schools on Saba in l906. Many prominent Sabans moved their families to Barbados in search of a better education for their children.
The Bottom at that time was owned by families with surnames as Vanterpool, Simmons, Leverock, Beaks, Dinzey, Hassell and Johnson. Most of them moved to Barbados and remained there. The remaining families here would go and visit them. My cousin Estelle Simmons (85) used to tell me stories of going down by schooner to Barbados and visiting her aunt there for months at a time. My uncle Capt. Reuben Simmons who lived to 98 used to sail out of there. When he was in the Home For the Aged and suffering from Alzheimer he was quarreling one day when I went to visit him. He was waiting on the schooner to take him back to Saba. When I told him he was on Saba, he said:"Impossible, Saba does not have any coconut trees. Where did all of these coconut trees come from."
Among the families that moved to Barbados was that of Captain William Benjamin Hassell of Windwardside. In his lifetime he owned many large trading schooners. His brother Abraham used to buy them in Maine and the East Coast and bring them down for the West Indies trade.
On Barbados the Sabans gradually established themselves as boatbuilders and large trading schooners which provided the main source of transportation between Barbados and the other Caribbean islands. Eric Hassell whose father was Captain Frank Hassell told me once that if a telegram came to a Captain Hassell in the area where they lived at least twenty Saba captains by that name could claim it. Eric's mother was a black Barbadian lady and his father a white man from St.John's. Eric has passed on now but his son Frank and the other children are all prominent in trading and as doctors and so on.
Some of the Sabans married into prominent Barbados families. Ida, one of Captain Ben's daughters, married a Mr. Bruce Goddard who owned Goddard Enterprizes, with supermarkets, hotels, import-export and shipping interests throughout the West Indies. Their son Richard now runs the business empire. A daughter Betty Lee, married the famous cricket player.
Capt. Hubert Vanterpools daughter Louise married Dr.Clement Bourne. Their son Peter Bourne owned Collins Ltd. and Carlisle Ltd. and employs several hundred people.Other prominent families like the Evelyn's, the Hart family, the Mayhews, Marshalls, all have Saban ancestor. Just two weeks ago a television crew from Barbados and respresenting Island Life Magazine were here interviewing me. They were accompanied by wellknown artist Roland Richardson and his wife Laura. They want to come back to do a special program on the Barbados connection.
Capt. Leo Chance's mother is from Barbados and a dauughter of one of the Wards. He told me that as a child he used to sleep by Miss Eva. As was the custom back then old people living alone would have a young child sleeping by them just in case the grim reaper should decided to make a house call and alarm had to be raised. I used to do the same with some old people in the Windwardside and I learned a lot from listening to those old people.
Others who went to Barbados were Capt. Chandis Barnes and his cousin Robert Barnes who owned the schooner "Daimond M. Ruby", built in Barbados, also the three master "Russell M. Zink". They traded between Barbados and Demarara.
Peter Hassell, a steamship captain, and his wife "Panna" lived in Belville district. Herbie Every, captain of the large three master "Florence M. Douglas", built in Holetown Barbados, lived there also. The schooner was lost in a submarine attack between Trinidad and Barbados during Worl War II.
Frank Barnes, captain of several schooners, Will and Aubrey Leverock, captains of among others, "The Three Sisters", Pennyson and Frank Hassell (the latter was an Anglican priest) all lived on Barbados.
Pennyson's daughter Winnie married Captain Donny Hassell, who was a steamship captain. He also owned the two-master schooner "Henrietta" which had been purchased in Nova Scotia and ran gasoline between Trinidad and Barbados. He also owned the two-master "Roseita". Pennyson owned the large two-masted schooner the "Minnie M. Mosher". He and his wife Aramintha (Minty), a daughter of old captain Buddy Barnes, lived at Belville, St.Michaels, Barbados. Although they had nine children, still their home was a haven for Sabans. People stayed with them until they could find work. The last time I visited Barbados, Peter Bourne gave me a tour pointing out the various homes formerly owned by Sabans. That of Pennyson and Minty is still standing. The trip before that I had visited Captain Laurie Hassell at his home in Black Rocks. I could hardly understand him . He had the television blaring, twnty six clocks going off at different times and the radio on. When his son came to carry me back to the ship he had a good laugh that I was trying to interview his father under those circumstances.
Tommy and Johnny Vanterpool owned "Walmar Lodge" which later Cunar bought and built a hotel there.
Edgar Hassell (Muggie) was captain of the "Comrade" a two masted schooner. He used to trade between Barbados and British Guyana. He died from a heart attack on board the "Comrade".
Captain David Hassell owned the "Esther Anita" a two-masted schooner which was lost in St.Kitts. Captain Frank Hassell was majority owner of the two-masted schooner "Dutch Princess", built in Montserrat. He traded with her between Trinidad and Barbados, transporting gasoline.
Then there was Captain Austin Simmons, captain of the "Peerless" a two masted schooner which traded between Barbados and British Guyana. He was the father of the Anglican Priest, the Reverend Father Alvin Simmons.
Captain Frank Hassell (father of Eric) owned the schooner "Edward VII" and traded between British Guyana and Barbados. She was lost in a hurricane. He bought from Udalric Hassell the Rhode Island schooner named the "Francis W.Smith" The other two-masted schooner the "Vivian P.Smith", owned by the same captain, used to fish off British Guyana on the snapper banks.
In l943, the Vice Lt. Governor of Saba proposed Capt. Knight Simmons of Pentrose, Fontabelle, Barbados as a good Captain to run the mail service between the Dutch islands.
Captain Uldalric Dowling was a captin of the "Rhode Island" which ran gasoline between Trinidad and Martinique.
Capt. Laurie Hasell, (the clock collector) a son of Captain Ben Hassell at the age of nineteen was already captain of the lovely two-masted schooner the "Mona Marie". The schooner was 130 feet long and was 73 net tons. Captain Ben bought her in l933 for US $5.250.-- She was sunk by a German submarine between Barbados and Grenada on June 28th, l942. Nobody got lost as she was loaded with empty gasoline drums and her wreck drifted into Bequia.
Captain Ben's personal schooner, a beautiful two-master named "Mary C.Santos", got lost off St.Croix right next to the wreckage of the other schooner "Three Sisters" A third schooner the "Rhode Island" sent to salvage what it could from the other two got stuck on the botoom and nearly got lost. James Anthony Simmons said that his brother advised him to leave that reef behind as it would ruin him.
I would like to share with you newspaper clippings of a boat race and an obituary which show the imporatance of the Saban schooner owners on Barbados. On Sundays as many as twn Saban schooners would take part in schooner races around Barbados with their families and friends.
The following is taken from the Barbados Advocate in l939:
Intercolonial schooner supremacy "Mona Marie" again Victorious.
"Gilbert B. Walters" Thrice Defeated.
The schooner "Mona Marie" (Capt. W.L.Hassell) again demonstrated her superiority as a sailing craft in these parts by defeating yesterday the schooner "Gilbert B. Walters" (Capt. G.Graham) on a voyage from Trinidad. This is the third occasion on which the "Gilbert B. Walters" was defeated by the "Mona Marie" twice from Trinidad to this colony and once from this colony to British Guyana. With a cargo comprising 85 drums of gasoline, 300 drums of gas oil, 200 drums of dieseline, l50 drums of diesel oil and l65 drums of kerosine oil, the "Mona Marie" sailed from Point-aPierre, Trinidad, on Saturday night last at 9 o'clock in the afternoon when both Captains exchanged greetings. Capt. Hassell forged ahead with his schooner and lost sight of the Gilbert B. Walters. He arrived at the Beacon at 9 o'clock on Wednesday and enetered the river at about 10.30 o'clock. It was learned that the "Gilbert B. Walters" left Port-of-Spain, Trinidad on Saturday afternoon last at 4.30 o'clock with a cargo comprising 785 drums of gasoline, 355 drums and 600 cases of kerosene oil, 200 drums of gas oil and 5 drums of 'tractorine', and arrived at the Beacon at 5.30 o'clock yesterday morning. She entered the river at about 11 o'clock, consigned to Mr. H.B. Garjrag. The 'Mona Marie' was consigned to Mr. John Fernandes."
I guess you had to be a non smoker to sail on those wooden schooners with that type of cargo.
The following article is taken from The Barbados Advocate of April 20th, l933.
The Late W.B. Hassell
The news of the death yesterday of Mr. William Benjamin Hassell was received with feelings of profound regret not only by the members of the crews of the various sailing craft presently at anchor in this port, but also by a large number of persons drawn from every section of the community. Captain Ben, as he was familiarly known in this and other neighbouring colonies, was born in Saba and came to this island with his family about twnety years ago. Like many of his countrymen he loved the sea and as owner and master of various schooners he was a constant visitor to a number of these West Indian colonies. Wherever he went he enjoyed a wide popularity with business firms and everyone with whom he came in contact. He was possessed of many fine qualities but above them all stood his love for fair and honest dealing. It was on account of this admirable trait of character that he won the confidence of so many firms and individuals within and without this colony, and his demise removes from this scene one of the most popular of intercolonial captains and one of the most straightforward of traders engaged in that form of commercial activity. He had made a voyage to British Guyana on the schooner 'Mona Marie' of which he is now the master. He left Demarara for the return voyage to this colony in good health but on the voyage he removed from his face a small and apparently harmless pimple.
Unfortunately septic poisoning set in and on his arrival at this port he had to be taken to the General Hospital where he expired shortly after three o'clock yesterday afternoon.
But if the demise of Captain Hassell is sadly mourned in this island, even greater will be the grief of the people of the smaller northern islands with whom he had established the greatest bonds of friendship and affection. Some time last year, a false rumor of his death reached Montserrat and it was with some difficulty that a vast crowd of joyousislanders were prevented from singing over all parts of the schooner when he next visited that port. For many of of the persons in that island and similar small colonies, he was a trusted friend and advisor, whose assistance in the disposal of their produce in other colonies was invaluable. In this regard he filled a role which showed unmistakable the confidence of the people in his sterling colonies. He would purchase in some of these larger colonies articles which he knew would be required by the people of Montserrat and others of the Northern islands and in turn they would entrust him with their stock and cattle to be sold in this island in repayment for their indebtedness to him and with profit to themselves.
As a tribute to his memory the various flags of the schooners in the Careenage were at half mast yesterday afternoon. He leaves a widow and seven children, six boys, one girl-the wife of Mr. Bruce Goddard - to mourn their sad loss. His funeral leaves his late residence "Dulce Domun" Fontabelle this afternoon for the Westbury Cemetery."
Capt. Ben had adopted a black boy, John Edward Woods, from Middle Island village on Saba. He grew into a giant. Capt. Laurie told me that the night before his fathers death, his adopted brother. who was on a schooner with him coming from Guyana, had a nightmare that Captain Ben had picked something on his face and he had died. The next afternoon on entering Barbados harbour and seeing all the schooners flying their flags half mast they realized that Woods' dream had come to pass. Not long after Woods died on the "Maisy Hassell", another of Capt. Ben's schooners in Great Bay Harbour on St.Martin. His remains were brought to Saba and buried in Middle Island. People claimed that Captain Ben had sent for him to assist him in the great beyond.
I will end this article on the Barbados connection with a letter of April lst, 2002.
It reads:
Dear Will,
Many thanks for your 7 page fax of 26 March 2002 and the information sent is much appreciated.
In l979 when I visited Saba I met an old Captain Holm (Irvin), who had his coffin in his bedroom, as is the Saba custom and who had gone to sea as a cabin boy (age 11 or l2 as was the custom back then) with my maternal grandfather Captain Ben Hassell. As a cabin boy he was not paid for the first two years, but got room and board in return for his labour. After two years, he became an AB at $1 per month, rising by $1 after the second year, until after five years it was $5 per month - the highest pay possible.
Hassell was in Barbados in 1635. The Barbados Museum has a book on the Hassells in the US showing the Barbados connection. Our Hassell may have gone to Saba from Barbados, as I believe it was settled by Dutch and English in 1640.
I have researched Goddard Barbados to 1499 in Staple Fitzpaine, Somerset. The first Goddard recorded in Barbados in l648, was Captain Nicholas Goddard, mariner and bondsman.
In 1945, my cousin Joe Hassell travelled from St.Kitts to Saba in a twenty foot motor launch, going FIRST CLASS. When I asked how you could get more than one class in such a small boat, he advised that the second class passengers sat on the windward side of the boat and got wet first, shielding the first class passengers who were on the leeward side. There are so many Saba stories I have heard over the years.
We will keep in touch.
Yours truly,
Richard B. Goddard
Bleak House, Indian Ground
St.Peter Barbados.
The only ones who remembers these stories is James Anthony Simmons of The Bottom. His mother used to work for "Red Head" Joe Simmons and moved to Barbados with him. James Anthony (93) used to sail on some of the schooners mentioned and would spend time on Barbados. Also my cousin Estelle Simmons (85) used to spend months at a time there. They and others provided me with much of the information in this article
And as to this coffin business. Senator Kenneth van Putten told me that his aunt with whom he lived on Statia had built her coffin early on and had it stored under the bed. Every handwhile someone would come banging on the door in the middle of the night and shout ou "Kenneth boy, I need to borrow your aunts coffin." How does one borrow a coffin. Anyway Kenneths aunts coffin was constantly being renewed as time went along.
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