Alexander Bedward and Bedwardism, Jamaica

BEDWARDISM

In the year 1895, Alexander Bedward, the Mona prophet, had been tried for seditious language and released on the ground of insanity. He was a picturesque and influential character around Kingston and St. Andrew for many years, baptising candidates dressed in white in the Hope River at Mona, and attracting a large crowd to his alfresco camp at Mona, where Mrs. Bedward did a brisk trade in fried fish and other food. Bedward was to announce the imminence of the end of the world; and the influx to Kingston became very embarrassing to the authorities, especially as many of the deluded followers had parted with their possessions. Urged to have faith and fly, when they fell, Bedward not unreasonably claimed that they had disobeyed his injunction to fly upwards. Bedward was tried before Judge Sam. Burke and sent to prison. Popular songs emerged around Bedward: "Dip dem in de healing stream", and "Bedward’s chickens", the latter being set to a popular Fox Trot. 

Alexander Bedward and his Church, August Town - Mona, Jamaica Cir 1905, Collection Historic Jamaica

Some forty years or more were to pass before the numinous predilection of the Jamaican Negro was to be again aroused or stimulated and a modern Messiah appeared in the person of Bedward. On his return to liberty after his brief imprisonment and being adjudged insane, Bedwardism took a leap forward, and became established at August Town at Mona In the suburbs of Kingston near the Hope River as a modern Lourdes, where Baptism in the "healing stream" was reputed to cure body and soul. It was claimed that the water, after being blessed by Bedward, had healing properties. Every month Bedward had a baptismal ceremony. Hundreds of people from Kingston and the surrounding districts flocked to Mona, the Bedwardites white robed and staging marches, singing hymns and chanting weird dirges. There were processions, sometimes of great length, tramcars often being packed with the devotees. Returning, many of them carried bottles or pans of the curative water, duly blessed by Bedward. The baptismal ceremony was held on the banks of the river. Bedward and his "minister" assistant consecrated the water and the "dipping" ceremony began. The candidate robed in a white gown walks into the water to a certain depth while Bedward's operator stands on a rock. Twice the candidate is immersed, while the congregation chant: "Hail to prophet Bedward". After all the candidates are baptised, there is a Communion Service: one shilling for each baptism, three pence for each Communion. Sunday January 13, 1907 was a great Bedward Festival. From far and wide In Jamaica, but mostly from Kingston came the people. There was competition for the restricted places. By nightfall on the Saturday evening the congregation had begun to assemble. 


Many brought food; others bought from the neighbouring stalls. Mrs. Bedward did a thriving business in her wares including quantities of fried fish and bread. The people gathered in hourly increasing groups on the banks of the river, with couples "with clear intent but with no apparent consciousness of sin" conniving under remote trees. In the cloudless moonlight, the main group began to sing, and throughout the night hymn after hymn followed. At dawn everybody was awake and alert, and the baptism began, Bedward sitting In an armchair, dressed In white, and surrounded by his elect, white clad and carrying small roughly nailed wooden crosses. Two evangelists stood in a deepish pool, two assistants stood by to take over the baptised. It was all very orderly and ceremonial, celebrant after celebrant being immersed, "I baptize thee in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Ghost, while the white clad Bedwardites sitting or, standing on near by rocks sang or crooned at each immersion. Sometimes a celebrant was hysterical. After the removal of the dripping gown, and the re-clothing, the celebrant partook of breakfast, one shilling per head. Thereafter to the Church adjoining the home of the Prophet with more singing and praying, the crowd overflowing in the environs of the church. Many put their offering in a printed envelope "Jamaica Baptist Free Church, August Town. A freewill offering to our Lord". Over three hundred waited for a chance of talking with or at least seeing the Leader. As they returned to the city on crowded trams or in procession, the hymn singing was heard far and wide. In the course of years, Bedwardism was succeeded by Pocomania ("a little madness") and later among a more restricted circle by the Ras Tafaris, dedicated mystics hoping to be repatriated to Ethiopia and Hail Selassie, the Lion of Judah.   

(By Ansell Hart of Newport (Manchester) Jamaica, W.I., Cir 1940)

Sailor's Rest - 18 Duke Street, Kingston Cir 1905

THE SAILORS' REST, 18 Duke Street, Kingston (Pre 1907 earthquake)

Sailor's Rest - 18 Duke Street, Kingston Cir 1905

This has been started by Mrs. Denniston to afford sailors visiting the port a pleasant room in which to sit, read, play games, etc. Once kept at Mrs. Denniston's private residence, the Reading Room has been removed to 18 Duke Street, Kingston . During 1908 a new and improved building was erected to replace that destroyed by the earthquake in 1907.

Collection Historic Jamaica

Half Way Tree, St. Andrew

HALF WAY TREE, ST. ANDREW

It derives its name from a cotton tree dating from the

Conquest, which existed as late as 1866. Richard Hill,

in an article which was published posthumously in the

"Victoria Quarterly" in 1890, said:

Engraving; AC Collection

I visited Halfway Tree on Sunday the 25th November, 1866. When I first saw the cotton tree at the junction of the four roads through the plain of Liguanea from which Halfway Tree receives its name, it had nearly lived out its time. It is of that lofty straight-stemmed variety of Eriondendron which originally growing among some clustering trees had over topped them and had spread its horizontal arms out above them at about some fifty or sixty feet in elevation from the root. Four or five of these arms yet remained with a few scattering stems on which a few straggling leaves vegetated. An age of surface rains rushing to the sea three miles away had removed all the soluble earth from the platform roots, so that they made arched resting places, where the marketers coming from the mountains would rest themselves in groups for they had reached the Halfway Tree. ... At the time of the conquest of the island 200 years ago, the Halfway Tree was one of those tall and solitary cotton trees of the Liguanea Plain."

It is to be regretted that no illustration exists of this interesting tree (Interesting to note that this could be the only photograph known which resides at the Smitsonian Institute, Washington DC), which has perished since Hill wrote. It stood near the present church, where the original road (now known as the old Pound Road) going from Passage Fort, the landing-place from Port Royal, direct towards the mountains, was cut by the road that went from Spanish Town to the plain of St. Andrew. Long the historian says: "The village of Halfway Tree is situated ... at the intersection of the three roads Which lead to Spanish Town, St. Mary, and St. George"And this probably is the origin of the name. The ascription of the name to the halfway position for the

troops between Greenwich on the Harbour and Stony Hill is evidently wrong, as the troops were not placed at Stony Hill till 1799

Historic Jamaica, Frank Cundall 1915

The Opening of the Jamaica Railway 1845

THE OPENING OF THE JAMAICA RAILWAY 1845

The completion of a line of railway from Kingston to Spanish Town in Jamaica is a most gratifying instance of colonial enterprise and proves that the energies of the people have not been repressed even by the sweeping calamities of fire and tempest; incident to their country. Somewhat more than two years since we had to record the burning of a great part of the city of Kingston and it is with different feelings that we now call attention to the town as a terminus of the newly completed railway.

The opening took place on Friday 21^st, November last (1845). The event had been long and anxiously anticipated and in order to invest it with the just degree of importance his Excellency the Governor, the Lt. Governor, the several heads of department, civil and military, the Hon. members of the Council and Assembly and a large number of the more wealthy and influential members of the community were invited to attend the ceremony and a most propitious day rendered this attendance very general and numerous. An enormous crowd of spectators was collected all around the stations and several very extensive booths were filled with well dressed females. His Excellency the Earl of Elgin arrived at a little after eleven o’ clock attended by his brother Lt. Colonel the Hon. Robert Bruce, and accompanied by the receiver General. He was received by a guard of honour from the 1^st West India Regiment and the band of the regiment playing the national anthem.  After a short conversation with Mr. William Smith, the Projector and Resident Director of the company, and recognition of the numerous gentlemen who were collected on the occasion, His Excellency was conducted at about half past eleven o’ clock to the handsome state carriage provided by the company for the accommodation of Her Majesty’s representative. The Company’s new engine “The Projector” having been attached to the train consisting of some eight or ten well filled carriages started on the first railway excursion in the British West Indies. The excellent band of the 1^st West India Regiment taking its stand in the last third class carriage and playing lively airs.

THE ILLUSTRATED LONDON NEWS, Jan 31, 1846 - Collection Historic Jamaica

The train passed at a slow pace through the suburban portions of the line which were densely thronged on both sides with crowds of wondering citizens who loudly cheered the novel exhibition as it passed before them. These crowds were more or less to be seen along the whole line of railway. At the embankment  through the morass, beyond Hunt’s Bay and generally known as “The Islands”, the train stopped and his Excellency alighted and walked forward with Lt. Colonel Bruce, Mr. Smith and the engineer Mr. Miller in order to examine the difficult work. At the new bridge over the Rio Cobre’ the train made a second stoppage in order to water the engine and arrived at the Spanish Town terminus at about half past twelve. The speed of the train being kept very low the whole distance for the double purpose of allowing the passengers a view of the works and of preventing the possibility of accident amongst the crowd of spectators collected at both termini as well as along the road.

The Western Jamaica Connecting Railway (10 Shares) Certificate
Even before the first section of track is completed, a £1 million equity issue
is floated to build a line to Montego Bay. This project was never started,
and it is not known how much was raised or what the funds were used for.
Collection Historic Jamaica

At Spanish Town the Governor descended and proceeded to examine the station in course of erection and the other works and designs of the Company at that terminus. Meanwhile the engine was adjusted to the other end of the train and his Excellency and the other passengers having taken their seats, the train started on its return at one o’ clock reaching the Kingston station in about 40 minutes. The speed on the return during a portion of the distance was considerably increased, a maximum speed of 30 miles an hour having been attained. On nearing Kingston the rapidity was very greatly diminished with the object as those previously stated. A second trip was shortly afterwards made when a large number of other persons who had been favoured with tickets took their seats and were similarly taken along the line and back. The return train on this occasion performing the distance, nearly 12 miles in 25 minutes.

The Western Jamaica Connecting Railway (20 Shares) Certificate
 Even before the first section of track is completed, a £1 million equity issue
 is floated to build a line to Montego Bay. This project was never started,
and it is not known how much was raised or what the funds were used for.
Collection Historic Jamaica

At a little after two o’ clock, his Excellency the Governor and his distinguished party and about 120 of the civil and military authorities and influential gentlemen of the city sat down to a superb difeuner provided at the expense of the Company at the Victoria Rooms in Duke Street. William Smith Esq. the Resident Director, took the Presidents chair being supported on the right by the Earl of Elgin, the Vice Chancellor, Lt. Colonel Bush, 1^st West India Regiment and the Hon. Duncan Robertson. On his left by Lt. Colonel the Hon Robert Bruce, the Attorney General the Hon. Thos. James Bernard and the Hon. Alexander Bravo. Opposite to Mr. Smith and at the same table sat the speaker of the assembly with Lt. Colonel Warren on his right and Captain Darling on his left. John Nethersole Esq. and David Smith Esq. the Manager of the Company acted as Vice Presidents. Several well timed speeches were made and the company did not separate until a very late hour. 

The Jamaica (Pilsbrow) Atmospheric Railway Prospectus
Collection Historic Jamaica

We perceive that the spirit of railway enterprise is rife in Jamaica. In the Despatch whence we have abridged the preceding report, we find advertised an Atmosheric Line (Pilbrow’s) from Milk River to Montego Bay (Westerly). Source: The Illustrated London News, Jan 31, 1846















THE PROJECTOR - 1845

Photograph: The Projector David Boxer Collection
(Jamaica in Black and White 2013)

One of two locomotives built by the Sharp Brother's of Manchester England in 1844 for the Jamaica Railroad. Named after William Smith the principal promoter of the railroad project, who was known as the "Projector".

The first railway called the Western Jamaica Connecting Railway was built in 1845 from Kingston 23.3 kilometres (14.5 mi) to Angels. The railway was proposed and started by William Smith, originally from Manchester who owned land in Jamaica, and his sugar planter brother David.

The system approved by the Assembly of Jamaica in 1843 was for a double track between Kingston and Spanish Town, with branch lines to Angels, Port Henderson and the Caymanas sugar estate. 

On 21 November 1845 the Governor of Jamaica James Bruce, 8th Earl of Elgin and ten carriages of passengers, pulled by the companies two locomotives Projector and Patriot built by Sharp Brothers of Manchester, travelled 19 kilometres (12 mi) from Kingston to Spanish Town. The first train came after the British Government had enacted the Sugar Duties Act 1846 and just after the emancipation of slaves, meaning the sugar industry needed the efficiency that the railway would bring to the island. (Source: Wikipedia)

I would like to believe that both men seen on the Projector would be the Smith brothers, David and William.

Jamaica Railway Starting Notice for 1846, Collection Historic Jamaica

Photograph: The Projector
David Boxer Collection
(Jamaica in Black and White 2013)

Collection Historic Jamaica