Here is a video of Barbados...enjoy. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=59796dBcAvY&feature=email   +++++++++++++  Congratulations Date: Thu, 20 Aug 2009 22:23:49 -0700   Bajan People and friends of Barbados:   CONGRATULATIONS on winning the gold in the 110 meter hurdles in the IAAF World Championship in Berlin.  Mr. Ryan Braithwaite proud son of the land of the Flying Fish. From: Grafton Rouse -----------   Thought my Guyanese friends would be interested in reading about this.   Fear and panic as Barbados regularisation deadline loom.    http://www.stabroeknews.com/2009/news/local/05/17/fear-and-panic-as-barbados-regularisation-deadline-looms/  Mike U-Ming     Geography of Barbados Researched by Brian T.P.Springer June 25th 2007 In the year 1629 Barbados was divided into six parishes (1) Christ Church (2) St. Michael (3) St.James, (4) St.Peter, (5) St.Thomas and (6) St.Lucy  1643 Governor Philip Bell divided the island into eleven parishes adding   (7) St. George (8)St. Philip, (9) St. John (10) St. Andrew  (11) St. Joseph  1683 (March) Sir Richard Dutton signed a bill for ascertaining the boundaries of several parishes but it was not started until an Act was passed in the Legislature on the 21st June 1720 appointing council members and surveyors to do the necessary map making, descriptions, and explanations: these were to be delivered to the secretary office, and these boundaries were to remain unchangeable. (Most have remained in- tact) Ministerial Controls Excluding Bridgetown, the Island was to be divided into 5 rural stations, which included police stations and district courts.  (1) District A for St. Michael  (2) District B for St. George (3) District C for St. Philip, (4) District D for St. James and St. Thomas  (5) District E for St. Peter and St. Lucy (6) District F for St. Andrew and St. Joseph The Hills and their heights of Barbados during the year 1720  Barbados has no mountains but possesses a number of hills, a mountain barometer list the heights of these as follows: (selection of the highest points) Parish of St. Philip                ---- Moncreiffe 564 feet Parish of Christ Church        ---- Adams Castle 405 feet (nearby Hill) Parish of St. George             ---- Golden Ridge 910 feet, & Gun-Hill 728 feet Parish of St Michael             ---- Fort George 391 feet, & High Gate 259 feet Parish of St. Andrew         --- Mount Hillaby 1148 feet, & Spring Plantation 955 feet Parish of St. Lucy                  ----Mount Gilboa & Pumpkin Hill 365 feet Parish of St. John                  ---- St. John’s Church 823 feet Parish of St. Thomas             ---- Mount Misery 1085 feet & Grand View 770 feet Parish of St. Peter                  ---- Four Hills 904 feet & Black Bess 501 feet Parish of St. James                ---- ancaster Hill 596 feet & Black Bess 581 feet Parish of St. Joseph               ---- Chimbarozo 1131 feet & Cotton Tower 1091 feet                                               ---Hackleton Cliff 1026 feet   The Parishes of Barbados and their acreage measured during the year 1720 & Their estimated population at the time  The Parish of St Philip         15,040 acres, Population 12,820.   Sugar Plantations 56 The Christ Church Parish     14,310 acres, Population 14,089.  Sugar Plantations 64 The Parish of St. George       10,795 acres, Population 10,174.  Sugar Plantations 57 The Parish of St. Andrew        8,780 acres, Population   5,995    Sugar Plantations 26 The Parish of St. Lucy             8,725 acres, Population   6,934   Sugar Estates      38 The Parish of St John              8,600 acres, Population    8,538   Sugar Plantations 38 The Parish of St. Thomas         8,500 acres, Population    8,504   Sugar Estates      55 The Parish of St. Peter             8,330 acres, Population    8,343   Sugar Plantations 44 The Parish of St. James            7,800 acres, Population    5,704   Sugar Plantations 33 The Parish of St. Joseph           6,010 acres, Population   6,753   Sugar Plantations 38 The Parish of St. Michael         9,580 acres, Population   34,344   Sugar Estates      42 History of the capital Bridgetown & St. Michael (act of 9th July 1654)  The shops and houses were fashioned according to English customs at the time. The shops were filled with all types of merchandise and fairs and markets were held here. It was well organized and was the model for other Caribbean countries to follow. The city was destroyed by fire in 1666 and the records lost. What little was saved was destroyed by the succeeding hurricane. The town was rebuilt and the 9th July 1654 act of parliament determined what materials were to be used. A stop was placed on the construction of new timber buildings and all new buildings had to be constructed out of stone. The first governor Sir Jonathan Atkins lived in Fontabelle in a house rented by the Colony.  By September 1700 the city had earned the reputation for it’s beautiful buildings, crafts and it’s wide variety of artisans (goldsmiths, jewelers, watchmakers etc.). Goods could be found from every corner of the earth and those employed to sell them did so with politeness. The adjacent swamp however made the air unhealthy but this apparently had no effect on the locals as the women and their children were seen every where and in abundance. The rents of Cheapside were as high as Cheapside in London and the nearby church St Mary’s was outstanding, it was dedicated to Saint Michael the Archangel and was as large as any in England, it had a fine organ with a good peal of bells and a fine clock. Fire in Bridgetown 8th February 1756 A fire broke out in a storehouse belonging to Mr. Blackman and 160 buildings were destroyed. Two years later in the same month a fire broke out destroying 120 buildings. It was in1666 when a major fire in the city destroyed all the public records during the night of 13 May 1766 one hundred years later at 11.30 pm a fire broke out and lasted until 9.00 am next morning. This was a massive fire as 440 buildings were destroyed; the damage was estimated at 300,000 Pounds Sterling. Commercial activity was conducted in other areas of the town as reconstruction work was being undertaken on the burnt-out buildings. Fate will again hit this area on 27th  December of the same year and the buildings which were not destroyed previously were now to have their fate sealed Fires continue to plague Bridgetown to a lesser extent during the years, 1821, 1828, 1837, but timely assistance prevented any major losses A major fire did break out on the 3rd February 1845 and it spread across 10 acres destroying 180 buildings. The estimate of damage was 200,000 Pounds Sterling. The Governor ordered that those with losses of shelter be given 500 dollars, a further bill by the legislature was passed on the 18th February allowing 9,500 dollars to be given to individuals with losses. The amount subscribed to the sufferers was 31,605. Contributions by neighboring Colonies $17,863 and were as follows:  Antigua                  4,800 < by Legislature> Antigua                  1,613 by private donations St. Vincent               2,400           St. Christopher           1,500 Nevis                       960 Jamaica                  3,428   < 1000 Pounds by Legislature > Guadeloupe             3,162 Total                         $17,863   The way forward on re-construction of Bridgetown 18 August 1845  A commission was appointed by the Governor, which included the Solicitor General and others, in order that an act, which dealt with the improvement of the city and rebuilding the burnt out district, could be undertaken. The chief object of the act was to purchase from the owners the land from the burnt out District and to lay out the areas and re-build in accordance to the improvement plan. The commission reported back to his Excellency on 5th October 1846 that the land had been purchased at $132,445.03 cents and $15,451.00 for the burnt-out buildings, this gave a total of $147,896.03 or pounds sterling 30,811 & 13 shillings. The total area was 341,314 square feet and it was valued at 38 1/2cents per square foot. Bridgetown was finally erected into a city on 8th October 1842 and was divided into 8 districts, containing 1802 houses.  479 persons were taxed on their businesses in the town and 38 in the rural parts of St. Michael along with 40 butchers. Taxes were collected also from 449 four-wheel carriages and 432 two-wheel carriages. A commission was appointed in February 1838 to name the streets and they were named after past Governors, Presidents and those who administered the Government Statue of Lord Nelson  The statue was erected in the Green Square later to be re-named Trafalgar Square and was the first monument to be erected for an immortal hero; the natives of Barbados were proud to be given this priority. The official news of Lord Nelson’s victory and death reached Barbados on the 20th December 1805. On the 23rd December there was a brilliant illumination to celebrate the great victory and a funeral service was preached on the 5th January following on the death of a hero. A subscription was entered for the erection of a statue in Lord Nelson’s honor, which was to be placed in some conspicuous part of the city, and in just a few weeks 2300 pounds sterling was subscribed. The committee appointed, purchased the Green for the execution of this plan for a sum of 1050 pounds sterling, the Legislator contributed 500 pounds sterling. The statue was to be erected in this area, which was later re-named Trafalgar Square.  By July 1808 the money collected totaled 1413 pounds 4 shillings 6 pence and this was sent to the Barbados agent in London with instructions to build a Bronze Statue of Lord Nelson in full uniform for the amount. A number of problems prevented the execution of the final design until 1813.  The first stone of the pedestals of which the Statue was to be erected was laid by Sir George Beckwith (The Governor); he was assisted by Rear Admiral Sir Francis Laforey on the 24th February 1813. The erection of the Statute of Lord Nelson was (early in the morning) at 2.00 AM of   22nd. March 1813. A large body of troops under the command of Major-General Stehelin took up their station in the square at 10.00Am, and soon after Sir George Beckwith and Admiral Laforey entered the square in procession, accompanied by the clergy and the civil, military and naval authorities on the island. Two lieutenants who were in action in Trafalgar unveiled the statue under the cheers of the assembled masses. The Legislature voted a further 2000 pounds sterling in 1826 to purchase and remove some un-sightly buildings from the square in order to enhance the beauty of the Statue of Lord Nelson. Submitted by Tony (Soca T) Gittens

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