Historical Notes St Vincent and the Grenadines

Precis of Information concerning the colony of Saint Vincent – prepared by Lt. Governor George Dundas, December 31, 1879

“Kingstown, the capital, is built close to the shore of the Bay bearing that name…Substantial stone and brick buildings are taking the place of those formerly constructed of wood. The blocks of buildings destroyed by the fires which occurred in 1866 and 1872, have almost all been rebuilt in a substantial manner.{{more}}

The Court House, Prison and Police Barracks are all solidly built, and in excellent repair; as also is “Government House”, the residence, half a century ago, of the Governor, but now used as Government Offices…Besides the public buildings there are the Cathedral, a Roman Catholic Chapel, a Wesleyan Meeting House, and a Presbyterian Kirk. There are also a Grammar School, and two or three smaller school houses.

…A field of eight acres at the western end of the Town was lately presented to the Colony for a Public Cemetery by Mr. Porter, a member of the Executive Council, and the proprietor of many estates. The land is being enclosed with iron railings. The entrance gates (of iron) will be on the southern side opening on to the road leading from the town to Edinburgh and Fort Charlotte…Georgetown contains a population of 1000, inhabiting about 200 houses…Calliaqua, containing over a hundred houses and 500 inhabitants…Barrouallie… contains 300 houses with 1200 inhabitants…Chateaubelair…its population is about 700 inhabiting 180 houses…Layou is an old settlement but small and of little importance. There are about 200 inhabitants and 40 houses…

There are many…Villages which were formed…immediately after, and since emancipation. The most populous of these are Mesopotamia, Evesham, Cariere, and Reily’s Villages in the Marriaqua Valley, Victoria, Stubbs, Enham and Brighton Villages… Further east, not far off the Windward road, are the Villages called Lowmans, Chapmans, Diamond, Sans Souci and Lauders…while the Villages at Byrea, – the entrance to the Carib Country, – Dickson’s …and Overland- just Beyond Tourama Estate.

Two miles to the Leeward of Kingstown…is another Village named Lowmans…and at Coull’s Hill…there is also a Village containing about 300 persons. Besides the places above named there are many other smaller settlements scattered about the Island.”