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.
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| 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)
