Antigua and the Antiguans Volume I Part 20

"He was born in the Island of St. Christopher's, of an English family, distinguished for its loyalty and public spirit. His education he received in England, and it prepared him for the distinctions which awaited his return to his native isle, when he was elected a member of the House of a.s.sembly, and on its first meeting unanimously called to the chair of the House, in which high situation he gave an early display of those superior talents and eminent qualifications which afterwards secured him the confidence of his king, and the esteem of his country. On his return to England in 1762, he was elected a member of the House of Commons for the borough of Plympton, Devons.h.i.+re; and from his perfect knowledge of colonial affairs, he was appointed in 1771-a period of national interest-to be captain-general and commander-in-chief of the Leeward Islands, at which time he was also invested with the most honourable Order of the Bath. He remained in the exercise of his government until 1774, when he returned to England, and was appointed a member of the Board of Green Cloth. During the period of his residence in England, he sat in five parliaments, and in 1795, his Majesty was graciously pleased to raise him to the dignity of a peer in Ireland, by the style and t.i.tle of Baron Lavington of Lavington. In 1799, he was sworn one of his Majesty's most honourable Privy Council, and again appointed to the chief command of the Leeward Islands, in the wise and able administration of which important trust he pa.s.sed his latter years

And closed his venerable life.

This n.o.bleman Was revered for his public qualities, As he was beloved for his private virtues.

He blended the dignity of his high office with the affability of his disposition and the gracefulness of his manners, And at once commanded the respect, and conciliated the affections of all ranks of people Within the circle of his government As a sincere and lasting testimony of their veneration and regret, The Legislature of Antigua Have erected this monument He died at the Government House of this Island, on the 3rd day of Aug. 1807, aged 68; and was interred at his own estate, called Carlisles."

The whole of this very handsome monument is enclosed in an arch of plain black marble. I should have mentioned that the ornamental parts of this tomb are all in pure _white_ marble.

The remaining monument is erected to the memory of Mrs. Musgrave, who was unfortunately thrown out of her carriage (the horse becoming restive and breaking the shafts) and killed upon the spot. This unhappy catastrophe occurred in one of the streets of St. John's, and a representation of the event, absurd as it may seem, is sculptured upon the monument (which is of white marble) in ba.s.so-relievo. In the background is the animal, apparently of the cart-horse breed, scampering away with the broken shafts and traces hanging around him; in the foreground, is the figure of a man, kneeling and supporting in his arms a female, whose listless posture portrays the dire event. The face of the female is well executed, the features expressing acute suffering, while they tell the hand of death is upon them; but the figure is execrable in its proportions, the hand and arm being quite as large as the leg and foot of the man, if not larger. The inscription is as follows:-

"No warning given! unceremonious fate!

A sudden rush from life's meridian joys!

A wrench from all she loved."[74]

Sacred to the memory of Eliza Musgrave, Wife of William Musgrave, Esq., Of the Inner Temple, barrister-at-law.

She departed this life On the morning of the 12th Feb., 1815, Aged 24 years, Beloved and lamented by all who knew her.

Her G.o.d she reverenced; Towards her neighbours she never wilfully offended; To her husband she was everything His fondest wishes could picture or embrace.

He idolized her while she lived, And his respect for her exalted worth Survives beyond the grave.

The remembrance of her many virtues Remains indelibly inscribed In his dejected bosom.

"Friends, our chief treasure, how they drop!

How the world falls to pieces round about us!

And leaves us in the ruin of our joy!

What says this transportation of my friends?

It bids me love the place where now they dwell, And scorn this wretched spot it leaves so poor."[75]

The aisles of the church are paved with a coa.r.s.e species of marble, laid down in alternate diamonds of black and white. The chancel is raised by two steps, and has a stone pavement. The body of the church contains 152 pews, but with the a.s.sistance of the galleries, of which there are three, affords about 1800 sittings. The governor's pew is very neatly fitted up with crimson damask, and contains some gaily coloured ottomans; over the pew are the royal arms of England. Service is performed in the church on Sundays, Wednesdays, and Fridays; and our exemplary rector, with true Christian indefatigability, administers the sacrament monthly, at eight in the morning, and after the usual morning service.

The organ with which the church is furnished, was erected (partly by subscription) in 1760, at the cost of 450l. sterling, the vestry making up what was wanting. It is still a very fine instrument, and our talented and respected organist, G. Hart, Esq., fully recompenses us for any defects it may labour under by his inimitable execution.[76]

At the west end of the nave rises a plain quadrangular tower, surmounted by an octagonal cupola. The elevation to the apex of the cupola is sixty-five feet; the alt.i.tude of the tower itself is fifty feet. This tower was not erected until 1789, some years after the parent church, but from being constructed of the same materials, presents a uniform appearance; the cupola is built of wood, the perpendicular compartments being _jalousied_. John Delap Halliday, Esq. gave 500l. towards its erection.[77]

Within these last few months, two windows have been pierced at the east side of the tower, in the small chamber where the works of the clock are placed. These were made at the suggestion of Mr.

Jones, the keeper of the clock, and which prove very beneficial to him when inspecting and cleaning that necessary appurtenance.

Before that period this chamber was perfectly dark, which not only rendered the air within it extremely damp, but presented an obstacle to the due regulation of the instrument contained in it; for candles are but a sorry subst.i.tute for the clear light of day when employed in such delicate business as rectifying the machinery of a horologe. Under the care of Mr. Jones the works are kept beautifully clean, which of course will produce a good effect. This instrument was the gift of John Delap Halliday, (as may be seen by the inscription upon the works,) of Antigua, and the maker of it Charles Penton, London, 1788. The windows are glazed, and present exactly the same appearance as those to be found in the suburban dwelling-houses around that mighty metropolis, London.

The tower contains two bells; the tenor one inscribed-"Edmund Powell, Golden Grove, 1684," and was kept for the use of the coloured cla.s.ses in other days. The large bell was presented to the church by John Delap, (before he a.s.sumed the name of Halliday,) Esq., 1788. It bore the following inscription:-"The gift of John Delap, Esq. The Rev. James Lindsey, rector; Thomas Hanson Halloran, and Daniel Hill, churchwardens. Charles Penton, London, fecit. John Warner, founder, of London, 1788." It was taken down the 11th of February, 1840, on account of a serious injury beyond repair, s.h.i.+pped for London on board the "Antigua Packet," and exchanged for a new one of the same size, which now serves to call the people to church, and to speak the demise of the inhabitants; but it is silent at a wedding, for in this country no merry peal of bells announces that event which elsewhere is ever the signal for joy and festivity.

Having attempted the description of the church, I will now proceed to mention the churchyard, which lies upon a gentle slope, and contains numerous tombs, with their iron or wooden railings. The most beautiful tomb in the ground was erected to the memory of the Honourable Otto Baijer, by his widow, who afterwards died on her pa.s.sage to England in 1726. Her remains were brought back to Antigua, and now repose by the side of her loved husband. It is of pure white marble, although stained by exposure to the weather, and is elegantly ornamented with various fruits and flowers in ba.s.so-relievo.

The oldest sepulchral monuments, of which I could make out the inscriptions, are to the memory of Troughton, 1704; Col. Philip Lee. 1704;[78] Capt. Bastien Baijer, 1715; Thos. Oasterman, Esq., 1724; Frederic Cope, 1739; and Mrs. Warner, the wife of Ashton Warner, Esq., 1748.

The inscription upon the tomb of Frederic Cope demands, however, further mention. It is an acrostic; the _poetry_ I leave to the judgment of my readers.

THE INSCRIPTION.

"F ar removed from every human eye he is, R egardless now of earth, partakes of heaven's bliss; E xalted was his lively soul whilst here below, D elighted ever tender friends.h.i.+ps for to show; E asy and cheerful through every scene of Life; R eady to forgive all; but unto me, his wife, I ndulgent to the last degree, for ever kind- C alm was his spirit, virtuous was his mind.

C areful he ever was to take no bribe in Law; O h! full, full well the abject hate of mortals saw.

P artial he never was, just to each man's fame, E ach initial letter will now declare his name."

He was born in London, of honest parents, on the 21st day of May, 1711, and died, in Antigua, on the 8th ---, 1739.

A fine large marble tomb, to the memory of the Honourable Ashton Warner, who died 11th of February, 1762, stands near to this very original sepulchral acrostic; and at no great distance a single stone to the memory of some admiral (the inscription obliterated) with its anchors and flags, and escutcheons.

On the east side of the north vestibule stands the tomb of Major-general George W. Ramsey, governor-in-chief of Antigua, Monserrat, and Barbados, in 1816, who departed this life, November 1st, 1819, in the 58th year of his age. The iron railing has become rusted and bent,[79] and the tomb bears many a blackened mark.

Near to the last resting-place of governor Ramsey, stands another very handsome tomb of white marble, erected to that well-known and eccentric character, Patrick Kirwan. He was a native of Galway, and as true an Irishman as ever handled a s.h.i.+llelah, or vowed devotion to "the shamrock so green." Mr. Kirwan resided in Antigua for many years, as a planter and proprietor of estates, where his "bulls and blunders" are still remembered and repeated with delight. Upon one occasion he sent for a sun-dial from England, which he intended to have erected near his dwelling; but upon its arrival, it looked so smart with its golden rays and gnomen, that "Pat" p.r.o.nounced it the very height of profanation to have such a pretty "cratur" exposed to the relentless shafts of master Sol; and so to preserve its beauty, and keep all secure, he had a tight snug shed built over it, which eventually forbid the entrance of any straggling sunbeam which might feel inclined to call upon it, to learn the hour. Poor Mr. Kirwan! his Irish blood was always leading him to commit blunders, which were sure to raise a laugh at his expense. During a partial rebellion of the negroes, at a period when he was manager of an estate, a few miles from the capital, he one morning presented himself before the proprietor with a very flushed face, and excited mien- "Good morning, Mr. Kirwan," said his employer. "What brings you to town so suddenly-you look alarmed, I hope nothing is the matter?" "Faith, an there is though!" retorted the Irishman, "and if the blessed St. Patrick himself had been here, he would have looked alarmed too. Why, there's a perfect _resurrection_ of the negroes upon your estate!" "A what?" inquired the surprised proprietor. "A perfect _resurrection_," repeated Pat, "and I have come to ask you what I must do?" His employer could scarcely repress a smile at this strange intelligence. At length, however, he summoned gravity enough to reply, "If that's the case, Mr.

Kirwan, the best advice I can give you is, to put a _hoe_ into their hands as fast as they rise, and set them to work immediately."

But with all his "_bulls and blunders_," Mr. Kirwan was deservedly respected, and his death universally regretted. He died in 1819, in the 66th year of his age. The inscription upon his monument informs us "By his direction this tomb was erected."

At the entrance of the east gate is a mural stone monument, erected to the memory of James Cullen, by his brother Robert Cullen. This monument is pointed out to strangers on account of the peculiarity of its form, with the a.s.sertion that the person who built the church is buried there, and that the coffin is obliged to stand in a perpendicular position. This, however, is not correct; the monument certainly stands there, but the place where the body is entombed is 23 feet further to the west; and instead of being raised to the memory of the architect of the church, that individual erected it to perpetuate the memory of his brother. This fact is engraven upon the monument; but so unexploring are the Antiguans in general, that I think but few of the inhabitants are aware of the real truth, but still think the coffin stands upright.

This strange practice of putting up the grave-stone at a distance from the grave is not the only instance of the kind to be met in the churchyard of St. John's. At one of the west gates lies a stone slab, to the memory of the late organist; and upon reading the inscription, I supposed that the body reposed beneath. But not so: that lies far away, with "not a stone to mark the place."

Upon asking a pew-opener the reason for placing the slab in that situation, his reply was, "It does so nicely, you know, for the people to walk on, and looks well."

The churchyard is entered by five iron gates, of handsome patterns. At the north, a flight of stone steps leads up to the church, while from the south gate, the building is approached by an easy and gradual ascent, paved with brick. The pillars of the south gate are surmounted by stone figures, representing St. John the Baptist, and St. John the Evangelist. These figures were intended to receive the vows of the good catholics at Dominica; but as it happened to be war time, when they took their departure from "_la belle France_," on their pa.s.sage they fell in with an English man-of-war, who most unceremoniously took them into keeping, and brought them to Antigua; where, by universal consent, they were placed as sentinels in their present position, instead of being decked out in gold and silver leaf, and mock jewels. The negroes, however, refuse to recognise them by their own t.i.tles, but have unanimously dubbed them "Adam and Eve"-the Baptist, I suppose, playing the part of the lady, as his garments are longer and more voluminous than those of his companion.

[71] See Chapter XX.

[72] A descendant of Sir Thomas Warner, who planted the first English colony in Antigua.

[73] This strangely-worded inscription is copied verbatim.

[74] Slightly altered from Young's "Night Thoughts."

[75] Young's "Night Thoughts," Night 7th.

[76] To the organ is attached a choir, composed of the boys and girls from the parochial school.

[77] From this John Delap Halliday descends the present Admiral Tollemache-viz.-

Lionel Tollemache, 3rd Earl of Dysert, born June, 1708; married Grace, eldest daughter of John Earl of Granville, by whom he had (among other issue) a daughter, Jane, married, 1770, John Delap Halliday, of the Leasowes, county of Salop, and of Antigua, Esq., by whom she had issue, I. John Halliday, Admiral R.N., and who has a.s.sumed the name of Tollemache, and who married Elizabeth, second daughter of John, 3rd Earl of Aldborough, by whom he has, among other children, Elizabeth, the present Countess of Cardigan; and II. Charlotte, married Henry, fourth son of 6th Sir William Wolseley, of Wolseley, county Stafford.

[78] The gentleman who presented the pair of silver candlesticks for the communion table. He was an Irishman by birth and education; but after having served in the wars in Flanders, he emigrated to Antigua, and became Speaker of the House of a.s.sembly in that island in 1702.

[79] It is said to have been done by lightning.

CHAPTER XX.

Court-house-Bazaar-a.r.s.enal-Police-office-Government-house- Barracks-House of correction-Gaol-Methodist chapel-Methodism, its rise and progress in Antigua-Moravian chapel-Rise and progress of the Society of United Brethren-Scotch kirk.