|
By Will Johnson
I have scanned into my computer a copy of the St. Christopher Advertiser and Weekly Intelligencer. It is dated Tuesday February l2, 1861 Vol. 78, number 4056.
The paper was started by the Cable family in 1782. They were a free coloured family with roots in Antigua.
Sir Probyn Inniss in his book 'Historic Basseterre' has the following to say about the paper; " In 1782, Richard Cable started publication of a weekly newspaper, The St. Christopher Advertiser and Weekly Intelligencer. Incidentally, Mr. Cable was one of the persons instrumental in bringing Dr. Thomas Coke to the island in 1787 to stimulate Methodism. The newspaper was published continuously until 1909. For the 126 years of its existence it remained in the exclusive control of the Cable family.
For over 100 years 'The Advertiser' Printing Office was situated at the same spot in Fort Street. This is believed to be the spot now occupied by the business premises of Mr. A. C. Heyliger (of Saba). In 1900 'The Advertiser' moved to premises a few yards to the north at the corner of Cayon Street and Victoria Road.
It is a testament to the courage and dedication of several generations of the Cable family that this newspaper survived for so long. It was evidently a source of great pride and satisfaction to Richard Cable to note, on the eve of the closing down of 'The Advertiser" that it had missed only five issues in its 126 year history.
In 1843 after the Great Earthquake it became necessary to remove the press to temporary premises while repairs were done to the building; hence for the first time one week's issue was lost. The issue of 9th July,1867 was not published because of the Great Fire. However the 'Advertiser' rising like a phoenix from the ashes resumed publication the following week, on 16 July 1867. The other two issues not published were due to the non arrival of newsprint in 1878 and a complete break-down of the aging press in 1905."
There were a total of 677 newspapers in the colonial period in the British West Indies, ranging in names from the 'Hummingbird' (Trinidad, 1904) to "The Jack-Spaniard" (Montserrat 1898).
The first newspaper in the British West Indies was 'The Weekly Jamaica Courant", published by Robert Baldwin, which appeared in 1718.
Although a few of the papers have published for considerable periods, no papers from the eighteenth century are still in print. Only five public papers from the nineteenth century are still issued; Royal Gazette (Bermuda 1828), Daily Gleaner (Jamaica 1834), Nassau Guardian (Bahamas, 1844), The Voice of St. Lucia (St. Lucia 1885), and the Barbados Advocate, (Barbados 1895).
Survival of newspapers in these colonies seems to be a function of the longevity of individual editors or family involvement in the publication. The Moseley family, for example, operated the 'Nasssau Guardian' from its founding in 1844 until the founder's granddaughter sold the paper early in 1952. The Dupuch family has owned and operated the Nassau Tribune since its founding in 1903; Sir Etienne Dupuch, who became the papers editor in 1919, was still writing for the paper in the mid-1980's; Donald McPhee Lee operated the Royal Gazette (Bermuda) from 1828 until 1883, a career of some fifty-five years, and Joseph H. Steber operated the Dominica Guardian for thirty years from 1893 until his death in 1924.
The Cable family was unique in that they were a free coloured family from Antigua, and 'The St.Christopher Advertiser and Weekly Intelligencer' remained in their hands until its demise in 1909.
There is an extract from this paper in the 5 April 1794 Bahamas Gazette. This paper is referred to in the 21 September 1843 Independent Press (St. Lucia). The 7 December 1864 issue of 'The Dominican' reprints the obituary of James Gordon who had been editor of the Advertiser. The obituary further noted that he was involved in plans for the establishment of a paper on the island of Nevis. The 26 January 1906 issue, of the 'Dominica Guardian', reports the celebration of Cable's paper reaching the 124th year of its existence. On 11th October 1911 the 'Dominica Guardian" says Richard Cable became the Editor in September 1877, after the paper had been put out of business through the efforts of the Governor. The article further states that Cable started the 'Daily Express' six years later (1884). In an obituary for Richard Cable in the 15 April 1915 Dominica Guardia, it was stated that Cable's father and grandfather had been associated with this paper from the early 19th century.
The American Antiquarian Society has a sizeable number of original copies of this paper. The location of the original one I have for this article is known to me, and I will pass the information on to St.Kitts.
The Cables like so many of their class owned domestic slaves in their printing office but were themselves subject to the injustices of the racial hierarchy of the British West Indies.
A notice from 28 September 1813 from Mr. G. Cable in the paper reads as follows:
Run-Away, from the subscriber about eight weeks ago.
A young Negro man named John, of a yellow complexion, about 5 feet 4 inches in height; he has been in the habit of serving the newspapers about the country sometimes from which circumstances he is pretty generally known. 'Tippy' is a name by which he is also known. It is supposed he is harboured at the Canaries estate of G.W. Mardenborough Esq. at Monkey Hill, where he has a brother.
All persons are cautioned not to harbour or employ, and Masters of Vessels against carrying him off the island. A suitable reward will be paid on his apprehension and delivery to the subscriber, from whose service he has absented himself without any cause whatsoever."
In describing the situation in the years 1807 to 1810 John Augustine Waller wrote "No property, however considerable, can ever raise a man or woman of colour, not even when combined with education, to the proper rank of a human being, in the estimation of an English or Dutch Creole. They were always kept at a respectful distance.'
Act 524 passed in 1830 granted Samuel Cable and thirteen other free coloureds the right to enjoy all civil rights, privileges and immunities of other free citizens.
It was not till after the abolition of slavery that the Advertiser showed significant political direction. Samuel Cable infuriated the local planters so much that they had him thrown in jail and fined for contempt of Court in September 1835.
Sir Proby Inniss continues: "It was inevitable that a newspaper which was as outspoken as "The Advertiser" was in championing the cause of the masses would have incurred the wrath of the establishment.
In commenting on the outcome of a particular case which had been heard by the court, the Editor made this observation:
"Constituted as the Court is, the majority of its members have a direct interest in reaching the conclusion to which they have attained."
Mr. Cable was thereupon cited for contempt of court fined and sent to jail. After 35 days in jail Governor Sir Murray McGregor intervened and freed Mr. Cable.
In 1909 the ruling class got its revenge. It enacted the Newspaper Sureties Ordinance which required the publisher or proprietor of a newspaper to enter into a bond in the sum of two hundred pounds with one or more sureties. The Advertiser was unable to meet these statutory requirements. And so, this gallant newspaper was forced to close down. It was then the oldest newspaper in the West Indies.
The paper circulated among the islands in the Eastern Caribbean considering the notices placed in it. In the paper I have in my computer there are several notices from Saba and from St.Barths.
The notice from Saba is dated 6th February 1861 and reads:
"On the authority of a dispatch received from His Excellency the Governor of Curacao and its dependencies. It is made known. That as the Light House on the island of Little Curacao is to be repaired the light will not be exhibited during the present month. Edward Beaks, Lt. Governor of Saba.
There is an article from St.Barths on the 50th wedding anniversary of the Harbourmaster Bron August Ridderhjarta and his Lady.
There is also an obituary for Sir Antoine Sapinnk Deslisle Esq. who died at the age of 61. He was born at Padillac in France had emigrated to St.Barths around 1821 and for more than thirty years he had been elected town councilor. He left to mourn his wife and four children.
I want to dedicate this article to my friend Mr. Erasmus Williams who had such great confidence in my knowledge of history.
One Saturday some years ago as I sat down for lunch on my verandah the phone rang. I suggested to my wife that we not answer it. But then conscience tripped in and when she answered the phone it was Erasmus calling from the office of Prime Minister Dr. Denzill Douglas on St. Kitts.
He informed me that there were some folks visiting with the Prime Minister and they were looking for their ancestors who had lived on the "Somers Islands."
They had looked up every available chart but no "Somers islands" to be found anywhere. Erasmus informed those present that he was a good friend of probably the only person in the Eastern Caribbean walking around with the answer readily available in his head. I told him that he was in luck as the "Somers Islands" was the original name of Bermuda. I could hear the Prime Minister exclaiming in the background "But I was in Bermuda just last week." Anyway I was in luck that time and after exchanging some pleasantries with my friend Erasmus I got back to my lunch much relieved that I had not disappointed Erasmus or the Prime Minister and was in good standing with the Government of St. Kitts.
During its long history the 'Advertiser' was also possible because of the leading role which the island of St.Kitts played in the Eastern Caribbean. With the imminent break up of the Netherlands Antilles the Dutch government should talk to the government of St.Kitts and in so doing foster renewed good relations between the Dutch dependencies of St. Eustatius and Saba and the island of St. Kitts.
|
