The murder of Barrie Best

Barrie Best was a fine arts teacher at The Government High school and was well known for his many contributions to the fine arts in The Bahamas.

Mr Best contributed by being a member of the Nassau Amateur Operatic Society, the Renaissance singers, a committee member of The Bahamas Music Society and the director of the New Providence School Concert Band 

On Saturday April 7th 1979 Mr. Best attended the Dundas for the national school of dance production of African Sanctus and Snow White.  He left and this this would be the last time his peers saw him alive 

When Barrie Best didn’t show up for class on Monday his friend Stuart Glasby a friend and fellow teacher at G.H.S was very concerned as it was unusual of him to miss school. 

When he arrived at Best’s residence on eastern road the 32 year old head of The Government high school fine arts department was found naked with multiple stab wounds with a knife left in his stomach on his  apartment floor . 

Best had constant  issues with burglary, his previous apartment was broken into several times and this prompted him to move to the eastern road. 

There was a clear struggle at the crime scene with lamps thrown down , other items broken on the apartment floor. In addition to having stab wounds in his stomach his hands were cut so badly it was obvious that this was a crime of passion. 

The crime scene was a messy one with Barrie’s body being dragged from the bedroom to the living room and then to the kitchen leaving blood smeared on the ground and drops of blood trailing from his bedroom to the kitchen. 

Aside from the scene being a passionate one there were other signs that pointed to the killer knowing Barrie personally. The killer took a shower in the apartment after brutally murdering Best 

Barrie was an amateur photographer and often took photos of people who visited him, most of his photos were taken candidly and kept in albums around his home. The murderer stole one of the albums and spread photos of different people across the coffee table, each of them were taken into questioning. 

As years went on there were many rumors surrounding the case but no one was ever arrested in connection to the murder. Some rumors included that Barrie was involved in a sex ring that included influential people and arrest of the killer would lead to many secrets being exposed. 

The case is still unsolved today but I wonder how does the gruesome murder of a white, high society, department head educator get swept under the rug so easily. It seems as though someone was hiding something. 

History of voting in The Bahamas

Photo credit Bahamas b2b

With just hours away from the general election It’s important to reflect on how far we’ve come as a country in terms of voting. Our current voting system is far from perfect and this has resulted in a loss in confidence in the system which of course leads to low voter turn outs. I’m aware that our current voting system has its flaws as it can still be considered archaic and construction papers aren’t ideal but I’m thankful that as a country we’ve progressed from laws that once upheld a corrupt electoral system.

Here are just a few of many moments in voting history that changed the way we vote today

In 1807 free black men were given the right to vote it would take over 100 more years for women to get the right to vote

The secret ballot act was instituted in Nassau in 1937 and then in 1942 in the family island’s. Before then according to bahmianology.com voting would go a little like this “Men would go in the room to vote. They would stand in the centre of the room with the candidates or their representatives sitting there watching. The male voter would say out loud who he was voting for.”

In 1962 Ruby Ann Cooper Darling was the first woman to register to vote in The Bahamas . The woman’s suffrage moment fought for the enfranchisement of women They wanted human rights and social services for every Bahamian

In 1959 the general assembly elections act was established and the property qualification for voting was abolished

January 10th 1967 Majority rule day one of the most important days in Bahamian history that represented the opportunity for real democracy in The Bahamas. This was a transition from minority government to majority rule.

Deveaux Plantation

Ruins of the 18th century Deveaux Plantation in Port Howe, Cat Island.

Also found some cool old buttons on the site of the plantation 

Pompey Bay, Acklins

Pompey Bay settlement is home to the Hanna, Heastie and Tynes families. The family traces their origins to three men John Hanna, George Heastie, and Benjamin Tynes who were settlers on Acklins.

San Salvador and Cat Island name change

On May 6th 1926 under act no. 27 San Salvador’s name was changed to Cat Island and Cat Island was changed to San Salvador. This was based on historians believing it to be a more likely match for Columbus's description of Guanahani 

For 4 centuries Cat island was called San Salvador and thought by some to be the first landfall of Columbus in the new world. 

A big catalyst to the name change would be Father Chrysostom Schreiner who convinced The Bahamian Parliament to officially rename San Salvador. Father Schreiner was a history enthusiast that researched Columbus landing extensively. He was very instrumental in the island’s official renaming.  

Father Chrysostom Schreiner has an interesting story, after being saved from a shipwreck by the people of San Salvador he vowed to devote the rest of his life to them, he eventually became the first catholic priest to be permanently assigned to The Bahamas. 

Those affected by the name change are still around today, Bahamians born on Cat Island before 1926 have San Salvador on their birth certificate. Also the small island located near Cat Island still bears the name Little San Salvador 

The Bahamas 10 years after Independence 1973-1983

In the ten years after independence The Bahamas had made great progress which created an amazing foundation for the country we know today. Below I will list some of the notable events that took place during the first 10 years to celebrate 46 years of independence.

On July 10th 1973 a new nation was born when the Bahamian flag was raised at Clifford Park. This event climaxed a 3 hour pre independence celebration. The colours of the flag are symbolic, the black represents the vigor and force of a united people. The triangle pointing towards the body of the flag represents the enterprise and determination of the Bahamian people, to develop and possess the rich resources of land and sea are symbolized by the gold and aquamarine.

Between 1974-1975 The Bahamas made the Spiny Lobster a creature of the continental shelf within a twelve mile radius. This action sparked off a controversy between The Bahamas government and the Cuban American fishermen who had habitually poached in Bahamian

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‪In 1976 the national school of dance was established and placed under the directorship of Madame Lavinia Williams. During this time The Bahamas was involved in the Caribbean Cultural Exchange called Carifesta where music, songs and dance were performed by participating countries‬.

In 1978 The Bahamas emerged as the tourism giant of the Caribbean displacing Puerto Rico for the first time as the region’s leading earner of tourist dollars

On October 20th 1977 the opening of Z.N.S. T.V. 13 took place by Queen Elizabeth II ZNS has been in operation ever since

On the evening of July 9th 1973 a musical and cultural display entitled “Pages from Bahamian History” was held at Clifford park. It portrayed Bahamian Heritage through dance and music. More than 200 performers participated in the spectacular event the show was coordinated and directed by Winston Saunders. Clement Bethel was its artistic and musical director.

On July 9th and 10th 1976 the first Commonwealth Fair was held at Jumbey Village. The exhibit included native dishes, flowers, fruits and arts and crafts

Between 1977-1983 the number of industrial disputes in The Bahamas increased tremendously. In 1977 48 Bahamasair pilots went on strike for 4 days causing the National flag carrier to suspend all flight operations indefinitely. The biggest labour dispute during these years occurred in January of 1981 with approximately 3,000 teachers and their supporters marching on Bay Street for 5 hours shutting down the area around Parliament Square . There was the construction workers protest in 1979 the teachers strike in 1981, ZNS strike in 1981, the Club Med dispute and the Batelco strike march in 1982.

Dame Doris Johnson and Mrs. Janet Bostwick are 2 women that have made parliamentary history. In 1973 Doris Johnson became the first woman to be elected president of the senate and first woman to run for the H.O.A. Janet Bostwick became first woman to be elected to the H.O.A

Bahamian Firsts 🇧🇸🇧🇸🇧🇸

Frank Rutherford-first male Olympic bronze medalist

Vernice Walkine -first woman director general of The Ministry of Tourism

Erica James-first curator of The Bahamas

Sir Etienne Dupuch - first Bahamian in the Guinness Book of Records as the world’s longest serving editor

Bishop Michael Eldon- first Bahamian Bishop of the Anglican Diocese

Dr. Vernell T. Allen - first woman Chief Medical officer

Sir Franklyn Wilson- first Bahamian to establish the junior achievement programme in The Bahamas

Wendy Craigg- first woman to be appointed Governor of the central bank Of The Bahamas

Dr. Keva Bethel - first president of The College of The Bahamas

Roots in the shack

I don’t know about you but I’m definitely missing Junkanoo this year! Here’s a clip of me getting a Roots shack experience. A Behind the scenes look on the preparation for one of the most breathtaking shows, Junkanoo!🇧🇸🇧🇸🇧🇸🇧🇸

Long Island Experience

I love a good Family Island experience and Long Island a southern gem in The Bahamas didn’t disappoint, I celebrated Independence Day there and it certainly won’t be my last trip. Visit my YouTube channel Everything Bahamian for the full video and don’t forget to like and subscribe.

https://youtu.be/q7NJGGTqpPQ

A dark time for The Bahamas

Wellington Adderley, Harl Taylor, Dr. Thaddeus McDonald and Marvin Wilson all have something in common, their lives were cut short in a string of gruesome murders that took place in late 2007 and 2008. 

Three of these men were also well known for their contributions to Bahamian society so naturally these murders captured everyone’s attention and gripped the country in an unsettling way. 

‪Dr. Thaddeus McDonald at the time of his death was a COB lecturer and Dean,Wellington Adderley was a well known AIDS activist and Harl Taylor was a famous hand bag designer who used native products which caught the attention of celebrities like Naomi Campbell,the Queen and Oprah‬

These men were also all apart of the LGBTQ community  which, unfortunately is targeted violently at disproportionate rates. This left those apart of the community feeling more unsafe than usual 

The fact that these men were gay caused even more of a stir in the media with headlines claiming there could even be a “male prostitution theory” 

The first victim was Dr. Thaddeus McDonald, on November 16th 2007 he was found in his home dead after being bludgeoned in the head with an iron with no sign of forced entry 

The second victim Harl Taylor was found just 2 days later on the 18th with reports of the scene being extraordinarily gruesome, stabbed dozens of times with blood splattered everywhere. In this case there was also no sign of forced entry.

I’ll also never forget his body viewing at the funeral home, there were so many people that showed up and to this day he’s the only person I’ve ever seen sit upright on a chair for a body viewing. His body was done by Ted Sweeting who brought this new embalming trend from the US

The third victim Wellington Adderley died 6 months later, he was found in his Delancey Street apartment on May 27th 2008 with his throat slit. And still no sign of forced entry.

The final victim in this string of murders was Marvin Wilson , a waiter who was stabbed in the chest in his home just a few days after Wellington Adderley on June 3rd 2008

It was clear that the victims knew their killers and the public couldn’t help but think that these murders were all linked.  13 years later and unfortunately the murders are still unsolved. 

The Retreat

The Retreat sits on a large eleven acre estate once owned by Arthur and Margaret Langlois. They both collected some of the rarest palms in the world. Which eventually grew into one of the largest private collections of palms in the world. The retreat was established in 1977 and is now the headquarters of The Bahamas National Trust. 

Emancipation Day 2020

In the early 1800s with the prospect of emancipation becoming a reality, slave owners began to face resistance demonstrated through bold acts and through covert actions. Here are 5 acts of resistance to slavery that took place in The Bahamas.  

1. The first revolt recorded in Abaco was in 1787. The reported incident involved several black people who lived on the outskirts of the Abaco settlements rebelling against their white counterparts with muskets and other weapons . The basis behind the revolt was that many of the Africans thought that they had been free. Lord Dunmore, who was governor at the time, went to the islands and granted amnesty to the accused for the restoration of peace and to return to work. Those who could prove their freedom were declared free. 

2. Creole Case. Creole Case was the result of an American  slave revolt in November 1841 on board the Creole, a ship involved in the United States coastwise slave trade. As a consequence of the revolt, 128 enslaved people won their freedom in the Bahamas. Because of the number of people eventually freed, the Creole mutiny was the most successful slave revolt in US history.

3. Mutiny of slaves on the Johnson estate in Eleuthera. In 1831 the slaves of Mr Johnson refused to work one day stating that they were free. The  magistrate that investigated the munity found the real cause of the rebellion to be a lack of food and clothes. Which were granted by the magistrate without lashes being given 

4. Mutiny on the Farquharson estate. A mutiny on Farquharson  estate took place in the year before the British act of emancipation. A fight broke out between a slave Isaac and the slave owner's son James over mounting a mule wrong. The next day every black person on the plantation turned out with clubs and sticks in their hands shouting threats to Mr Farquharson and his son James. All of the ring leaders in this revolt were sold. 

5. Runaways Cloe, Boatswain and their 4 children.

  In the 1820’s on January 17th a man named Boatswain and his wife Cloe ran away from Clifton with their 4 children, Harriet, Phillis, Matilda and St George. It was assumed that they were Harboured by the Baptist Negros about Sambo Scriven’s Meeting House on meeting street 

Nelson Glanville Macfarlane Major

Nelson Glanville Macfarlane Major is remembered and respected as an educator who made it his life’s work to stimulate, encourage and prepare a new generation of Bahamians for their future careers

Born in burrows Harbour, Long Island In 1904 he began his schooling at the Buckley’s public school with one of his first teachers being C. I. Gibson. 

By the time NGM Major was 16 he had passed the public teacher’s exam and entered the teacher’s training school at 18. In the same year he was appointed head teacher at the school in rum cay.

After only a year of teaching in Rum Cay he moved to Inagua where he replaced his former teacher C.I. Gibson as principal there. During his time in Inagua he appointed T.G. Glover as a student monitor who then went on to become an outstanding teacher himself 

In 1925 NGM Major took a break from teaching but returned in 1941 to become head teacher at the school in deadman’s cay, this was a high point in his career and he set out to make the school not only the best in Long Island but the best in the country. 

Under Mr. Major’s leadership the school consistently hit top honours in the agricultural and general fairs for their farming efforts, top scores in examinations and captured 40% of all government school awards. the N.G.M. Major High School at deadman’s cay Long Island was named in his honour 

Outside of school N.G.M. Major was a community man who loved Long Island and devoted his entire life to its betterment. In recognition of his work he was awarded the British Empire Medal, the Queens Certificate and a badge of honour 

Mr. Major died on February 14th 1995 at the age of 90

The History behind the statue of Christopher Columbus

Many Bahamians question why the Christopher Columbus statue exists and what is the importance behind it being at Government house, and rightly so considering Columbus  didn’t discover The Bahamas  and also made no positive contribution to what this country is today.

The history of the statue is tied with Sir James Carmichael Smyth, slaves in The Bahamas and another statue the Queen Victoria in parliament square.

Sir James Carmichael Smyth was appointed Governor of The Bahamas in 1829. Smyth was a known sympathizer with the cause of slaves and a keen abolitionist, because of this he found himself to be the enemy of many influential whites. 

Smyth also worked to abolish corporal punishment for female slaves, Smyth tried without success to persuade the House of the Assembly to legislate against it.

in 1830 Smyth became aware of cruelty towards female slaves among a group of 77 runaways from the Lord Rolle estate in Exuma.The slaves, who had stolen a boat and fled to Nassau, were seized in Nassau Harbour and tried as runaways. ‬

‪The magistrates who signed the warrant for the punishment of the female slaves were suspended by Smyth. Smyth's actions caused an uproar

Smyth was described as a pre emancipation hero for attacking the atrocities of slavery and providing leniency for runaway slaves. He also dismissed the police magistrate and severalmunicipal judges for defiance of these orders. 

Carmichael Smyth frequently worshipped with the black congregation on Sundays, the ruins of this church are located at the junction of Carmichael and Gladstone road and are incorporated into the structure of St. Ambrose Anglican Church. 

To show gratitude the black people collected a great amount of funds which they gave to Carmichael Smyth to have a monument made. It is my assumption that the black Bahamians assumed that he would have a monument sculpted of himself but instead  he had a statue of Christopher Columbus sculpted. 

The statue was originally meant to be in parliament square but the rich whites were disgusted with the thought of a statue paid for by black people would be at the House of Parliament entrance. So instead the wealthy whites erected a statue of Queen Victoria where it still remains. 

As a result Sir James Carmichael Smyth moved his gift to pecks slope near Government house

Information retrieved from “The African diaspora of The Bahamas” by Keith L. Tinker

Bush Medicine

Match me if you can 

Scientific name- Acalypha godesffiana 

Medicinal uses-crush leaves and place on body parts affected by rheumatoid arthritis. Leaves warmed over fire and placed on back or chest can induce sweating and break fever 

Guinep 

Scientific name- Melicocco bijuga 

Medicinal uses- fruit is eaten for abnormal blood pressure, also taken to stimulate appetite.

Five Fingers 

Scientific name-Tabebuia bahamensis 

Medicinal uses- leaf decoction consumed for dental pains and backache. Sex stimulant and aphrodisiac also used as anesthetic and tranquilizer 

Lignum Vitae 

Scientific name-Guaiacum officinale 

Medicinal uses- flowers ingested as a laxative, effective antidote for accidental poisoning,White juice from bark used with water as a bath for body pains 

Cerasee 

Scientific name- Momordica charantia 

Medicinal uses- effective treatment for diabetes ,consumed in large dosages to induce abortion ,consume 3 times a day for 9 successive mornings to relieve asthma and other respiratory illness when boiled with a dash of dark rum.  

Bay Geranium 

Scientific name- Ambrosia hispida 

Medicinal uses- boiled leaves builds appetite, combats worms in children, used for congested lungs , colds, indigestion, weakness and externally for skin irritations. 

Gumelemi (gumbo limbo)

Scientific name-Bursera simaruba 

Medicinal uses-bark and leaves worn in shoe for rheumatism and gout, crushed leaves applied to insect stings and poison ivy, bark consumed with milk and sugar for increased physical strength. 

Life leaf 

Scientific name- Bryophyllum pinnatum 

Medicinal uses- tea used for shortness of breath , respiratory infection and kidney problems. Also applied to skin for various infections.

Shepherds needle 

Scientific name- Biden’s pilosa 

Medicinal uses-leaves boiled into a tea to cure  a variety of intestinal parasites and infections especially intestinal worms. Juice rubbed on body for dermatitis, wounds and sores 

Prickly pear 

Scientific name-Opuntia stricta

Medicinal uses- crushed plant used as a shampoo to fight dandruff, chopped leaves boiled in water in combination with sisal plant and jaundice vine and consumed as tea to get rid of yellow or black jaundice.

Love vine

Scientific name-Cassytha filiformis 

Medicinal uses-when the whole plant is crushed and boiled in water it can be used as a sex stimulant and aphrodisiac. Also used as a strong pain reliever. 

The Great Bahamian Gold Heist

The Great Bahamian gold heist of 1926 was one of the biggest robberies in the modern history of The Bahamas “ Robbery of a treasury” was the headline that was made in an Australian newspaper . The story even made front page in the New York Times . On March 17th of 1926 thieves broke into the office of the commissioners of currency in downtown Nassau blew open the safe and got away with about a ton of gold and silver. The stolen gold and silver was used to guarantee the value of Bahamian money. In 1926 anyone that was holding Bahamian notes could exchange them on demand for gold and silver. With the gold and silver missing this left the colony’s money technically worthless. Another interesting fact was that the robbery took place in Rawson Square, many wondered why the police in the central police station (which was 100 yards away) didn’t hear the explosion .Bahamians were starting to think that it was an inside job. in 1927 Spencer Williams a taxi driver , Orlando Ingraham and Ernest Hilliard Bowen who were both clerks in the audit office were sentenced to prison by the Supreme Court. They were from well known Bahamian families, one of their fathers was a member of The House of Assembly. Sir Etienne Dupuch wrote “ no one ever found out what became of the missing gold and silver. It was thought that someone else must have stolen it because the three men certainly didn’t have it when they came out of prison .“

Eleuthera Pineapples

Before Hawaii dominated the pineapple industry with pineapple canning companies such as Dole ,The Bahamas exported millions of pineapples and was the chief crop of The Bahamas. According to a Pacific history: the history of pineapple canning in Hawaii “ The Hawaiian canned pineapple had not displaced the Bahamian product from the American market . The main source of canned pineapple for the continental United States at the turn of the the twentieth century was The Bahamas. Many people preferred the taste of the Bahamian product”. in 1845 Eleuthera exported 400,000 pineapples to England and to The U.S.A by 1885 over a million pineapples were exported and was still the main crop of The Bahamas. J.S. Johnson was the pioneer in this field and set up a canning factory in Nassau with its branch plants in Eleuthera . Unfortunately the workers at the J. S Johnson factory in Governor's Harbour were exploited. All wages at the factory were paid in the form of tokens that could only be exchanged for goods initially at all local stores then eventually only at the company store during the canning season.Today Pineapples are still an important part of Bahamian culture. The pineapple is used in tarts,cakes, jams,beverages and in tropical conch salad. The pineapple is celebrated in the pineapple festival in June which has the 40-mile pineapple cycling classic, a triathlon, plaiting of the pineapple pole and Little Miss Pineapple Pageant.

Conch, the versatile Gastropod

Conch,the versatile Gastropod, is an enduring symbol of Bahamian cultural identity. There are conch festivals,conch cracking competitions,conch homecomings and a conch at the top of The Bahamian coat of arms.The delicious sea snail also brings in 3.3 million dollars a year through exports. As Bahamians we are well aware of the economical and social impact of conch but what about the ecological impact? Conch is a major player in the marine food web. Conch eggs and larvae are a part of the zooplankton in the region that feed planktivores. Species like sharks, turtles, and spotted eagle rays feed on conch. Other marine species like sea stars, triggerfish, lobster, octopus and hermit crabs also feed on conch. Hermit crabs and other opportunists use the shell of dead conchs as a habitat. Queen conchs are vulnerable to overfishing because they are relatively slow to grow and late to mature and as a result conch densities are decreasing in commercially fished areas to levels that will not sustain the population. Luckily this decline in conch has been noticed and the Conchservation national campaign aims to protect the queen conch through research and policy change. We as Bahamians must do our part as well by abiding the law which states that harvesting and possession of conch without a well-formed lip is prohibited and the bag limit at any time is 10 per person.

Facts about conch -The conch pearl is a very rare pearl (one conch pearl is found in every 10,000 shells to one in every 20,000.)

- Queen conch can live up to 30 years

- During the first year of life conchs live under the sand during the day and come out to feed on the surface of the sand at night

. - Conch is an aphrodisiac https://youtu.be/IYCsTSjc4N8

The Lost Landmarks of Bimini

The lost landmarks of Bimini The ruins of 2 hotels can be found in North Bimini, The Bimini Bay Rod and Gun club which played a major role in America’s prohibition era and The compleat Angler which ended in a tragedy. In 1920 just a year after Albert Burns Chalk began scheduled airline flights from Bimini to Miami Thomas Peters built a three-story hotel and casino called the Bimini Bay Rod and Gun Club, the hotel was the largest in The Bahamas and the casino was one of the first in the country. The Bimini Bay and Rod club was the first place to provide accommodations for visitors and employed 50 people during high seasons .The hotel was used to store liquor which would be smuggled into the U.S. In 1926 a hurricane destroyed the hotel, eventually the hotel was sold to Gene Tunney a famous boxer, and Sir Harold Christie. The Compleat angler was built in 1935 by Helen and Henry Duncomb but was damaged by a hurricane in 1936. The hotel was sold to the Brown family in 1973 after Henry Duncomb died. The Angler was an unofficial museum, with one room devoted to Ernest Hemingway's exploits and most of its pine walls decorated with decades' worth of fading photos and news clips of assorted anglers and trophy fish. On January 13th in 2006 the hotel was destroyed by fire and the owner Julian Brown died after leading a guest to safety.

Sir Durward Knowles

Did you know Sir Durward Knowles is the fourth longest competing athlete at Olympic Games by total Olympic appearances with 8 Olympic appearances. Sir Durward Knowles has earned the The nickname sea wolf for his sailing prowess. He was introduced to sailing by his father and went on to become the first Bahamian to win a gold medal at the olympics. Sir Durward’s first international competition in sailing was in 1946 when he finished third in the world championships in Cuba. With the late Sloan Farmington he won the bronze in the 1956 Olympics in Melbourne, Australia. He then teamed with the late Cecil Cooke to win the gold medal at the Tokyo Olympics in 1964. He has also attended the 1996 Olympic Games in Atlanta to participate in the presentation of medals to winners in the sailing competition. Sir Durward Knowles was also involved in charitable and civic organizations such as The Bahamas Association for the physically disabled. In 1996 Sir Durward knowles was knighted by the Queen and was awarded The Bahamas Order of Merit.Sir Durward Knowles lived to see 100 years and died a Bahamian legend on February 24th 2018