Trinidad and Tobago's Independence - 'Our Flag' Booklet, 1962

'Our Flag' is a publication by the newly independent government of Trinidad and Tobago to explain the history of the flag, coat of arms, motto and other symbols of both Trinidad and Tobago adopted in 1962.  "This timely booklet serves as a guide to the use and display of our National Flag in accordance with the Code of Flag Etiquette adopted by Government," writes Minister of Home Affairs Patrick Solomon in its preface. "It is important that our citizens in displaying the Flag should observe the rules; indeed, their duty and loyalty to the country should urge them to do so.  As we turn a new page we must not forget the story of our historic flags and other emblems which are now part of our heritage. We need to know that story, which is told here briefly, in order that we may the more fully appreciate the value and significance of our present national emblems.  As citizens of this new Nation, let us all be proud of our Flag, preserving its honour and dignity and holding it always in reverence."

"Philippine - Children of the Sun" – Source Documents

This blog post accompanies my publication Philippine - Book First: Children of the Sun. Here, the reader will find a host of original documents that formed the basis for the various stories in the books.

[WORK IN PROGRESS - WE WILL BE ADDING TO THIS BLOG POST!]

The genesis of Philippine was quite serendipitous. I was working on the story of the Philip family when, on 2 February, 2019, by happy coincidence, Peter Redhead got in touch with me from his home in the United States. He was curious about my story about "Jeanette, Free Negro Woman" on this blog. I was working with the secondary sources by Kit Candlin and Lorna McDaniel for my draft about the family, and passed these sources on to him.

Little did I know that I would have met a kindred spirit in Peter Redhead had been born in Grenada, and lived on Petite Martinique with his grandmother for a couple of years, who told him lots of stories about the Philips. Working in the world of academia in the US, and having done extensive research himself, he knew his way around archives that housed a plethora of original documents from the Caribbean islands.

In utter generosity of spirit, Peter Redhead did me—and the readers of Philippine—an amazing service. For over two years, he emailed me hitherto very little known scans of a large number of historical documents that he himself had painstakingly searched, found, decyphered and often translated from French, in numerous repositories in the US. All throughout the COVID lockdown, we corresponded. In what must have been hundreds of emails regarding the Philip family, so many of my questions were answered, mistakes by other researchers corrected, and needless to say, his cornucopia of documents caused me to re-write and re-write and RE-WRITE a lot of the text!

It was, to say the least, the most exciting and rewarding way to work on a book. Peter Redhead, along with my local editors here in Trinidad, read many of the early drafts, and having done so he often sent me additional information that would correct either details or even large aspects of the narrative. It became my ambition to incorporate all the facts that he sent me faithfully into the book, and they now form the structure of the work to which I applied my imagination in the interpretation of the history of those times, filling in characterisations, dialogue, plot etc.

Philippine, as the printed book, carries a QR code to lead to this blog post for readers interested in a selection of the documents from Peter Redhead's treasure trove. What follows are the visuals of the documents, with  explanations as to their significance in the text, and where they formed incontrovertible proof of new insights into the Philip family, hitherto unknown to or misinterpreted by previous researchers.

Enjoy, and to my friend Peter Redhead many many thanks!" (Gérard A. Besson, 28 November 2022) 

[Note: Gérard A. Besson died on 25 July 2023. This blog post was created from a 64-page Indesign document that Jerry left behind on his computer, in which he had combined the various images of the documents that Peter Redhead had sent to him with text snippets. Since these captions were obviously taken from Peter and Jerry's email correspondence, the "I" may refer to either.)

Page 364: "Then you, Edmund and the children departed for England. I understood. The investments. Property in London. Speculation on Lime Street. Investments in the wharves being constructed at the Port of London to accommodate the importation of sugar from the Ceded Islands, now in astonishing quantities. Investments made by Edmund and James Baillie with the proceeds of father’s loot they said would pay our way for another three generations and some. I left Cécile in charge of the house at Gran’Anse and moved to Petite Anse. You appointed Duncan Campbell, James Baillie and me to be your attorneys in charge of all the estates and all our affairs here on Carriacou, on Petite Martinique and in Grenada. Honoré sulked and became increasingly absent."

Page 436: "The letter was written by a man who signed his name Magloire, whom Honorine had married. He was looking to see what they could get from us. The other letter was written on behalf of Venus Meillézande, who is originally from St. Vincent and whose child is called Betsy, who inquired if there was anything coming to her for the child, Honoré being dead these seven years. Our dear brother had, it would appear, relationships with both Anne and Venus at the same time, and from the ages of their children, who are now grown women!"

Page 213: "You, Venus Meillézande, became my secret life. Everyone thought of me as sedate, careful, a good manager, trustworthy. I am all that, of course. It is my duty to be that way. Then there was you,

Venus Meillézande. Evil woman-child."

In 1807 Judith purchased Susannah’s lot in the family estate. Here Judith was still listed as being in the UK:

In 1792 Judith Philip was mentioned in an indenture with Edmund Thornton:

Page 425: "In 1793 she purchased Honore fils part of the family land in Petite Martinique. This might have been the last purchase she made before leaving to England. The decision to return to Grenada some nine years later in 1803 was taken when Edmund pointed out the diminishing returns from the plantations on Carriacou and in Grenada. It was only Petite Martinique that was doing well, mostly thanks to young Jean-Michel, Josèphe’s son."

In 1799 Judith purchased her brother Louis Philip’s share of the family estate while living in England.

1807 Indentures mentioning Susannah and Judith in the island of Trinidad.

Page 313: "She arrived as Nicolas was dictating his will to Edward Mathews. It was altogether most

alarming. Poor Nicolas, he died there before their eyes. His last words, as best as Josèphe could have made them out, were that he “loved her”. “Who?” Josèphe asked, but Nicolas didn’t or couldn’t answer, he then said that he could see the sea. It was a sad business, made tragic by the way we had grown apart. He died about a year after mother’s passing and was buried on the day before Christmas in St. George’s."

Transcription of the Will of Nicolas-Régis:

Granade - 

Au nom de Dieu Le père Le fils Le Saint Esprit ainsi soit-il; Je soussigné sous ma marque ordinaire, en présence des témoins aussi soussignés, déclare pour ses présentes avoir appelé un ami pour écrire mes derniers volontés, étant alité et retenu dans une chambre, sain de corps, d’esprit, et d’entement, j’ai jugé à propos (de) mettre ordre à mes affaires et faire les dispositions suivantes; incertain de ma dernière heure et avant que Dieu m’appelle au nombre de ses élus, j’ai dicté de ma bouche, pure et Franche volonté les dispositions suivantes, Comme étant né dans la Religion Catholique Romaine, j’entends qu’après mon décès mon corps soit Inhumé dans le cimetière de la paroisse où je décéderai sans aucunes pompes. Purement & simplement. Mes dettes payées, mes biens seront partagés dans l’ordre suivant. 

La portion de terre de trente pieds français de façade sur environ quatre-vingt de profondeur sise et située rue de la croix de cette ville St George sera partagé par égale portion entre les enfants, nommés Edmond, Jeannette, et Madelaine actuellement à Londres, tous trois enfants de Judie Philip ma sœur naturelle de mère, La laissant mère tutrice de ses enfants jusqu’à majorité. 

Ma portion de terre de l’habitation La Gran’ance du Carénage de l’Isle de Carriacou, Je la donne à Judie Phillip & à sa fille Rachelle. La terre de la petite Martinique dépendante de ce gouvernement sera divisée par égale portion aux enfants nommé Jean Mathieu fils de ma sœur naturelle de mère Suzanne Philip.

à Michel fils de Michel Philip aussi mon frère naturel de mère. 

à Jeanne et Jean Jacque Fondringham fils & fille de Madelaine Philip, aussi ma sœur naturelle de mère. 

Ses quatre portions de terre seront partagées par égale partie, et la Jouissance aux père et mères des dits Enfants jusqu’à leurs majorités. Comme Madelaine Philip ce trouve absente hors de l’Isle, Judie Philip la représentera à son absence pour les droits de ses dits enfants ; et en cas de mort, Suzanne Philip la remplacera, ou Michel Philip.

Les Nègres & Négresses au nombre de quatorze têtes qui sont sur la terre de la petite Martinique, seront partagés entre ses enfants de Madelaine, Michel, et Suzanne Philip, par égale portion au prix d’estimation. 

Tant qu’aux meubles et effets à l’usage de ma personne, je les donne aux enfants mâles de Madelaine, Judie, Suzanne, et Michel Philip.

Et pour l’exécution du présent testament je nomme pour mes exécuteurs testamentaires Judie Philip, Suzanne, et Michel Philip. Clos le présent testament et passé en présence des témoins soussigné en la maison de Michel Philip située rue de la Croix paroisse de Saint George de cette Isle Grenade, telle sont mes dernières volontés à cinq heures après midi, le vingt troisième jours du mois de Décembre L’an du Seigneur mil sept cent quatre-vingt-neuf et dans la vingt neuvième année du Règne de notre souverain prince George trois Roy de la grande Bretagne, France, Irlande, défendeur de la foi X X X

Translation:

Grenada - 

In the name of God The Father The Son The Holy Spirit so be it. I, the undersigned under my ordinary mark, in the presence of the undersigned witnesses, hereby declare that I have asked a friend to write my last will and testament, being in bed and confined to a room, sound of body, mind, and entement , I have judged it advisable to put my affairs in order and to make the following arrangements; uncertain of my last hour and before God calls me to the number of his chosen ones, I have dictated with my mouth, pure and frank will, the following arrangements; As being born into the Roman Catholic Religion, I intend that after my death my body will be buried in the parish cemetery where I will die without any pomp. Purely & simply. My debts paid, my property will be divided in the following order.

The portion of land thirty French feet frontage and about eighty feet deep situated and lying on de la Croix Street in this Town of St. George shall be divided equally between between the children, named Edmond, Jeannette, and Madelaine currently in London, all three children of Judie Philip my natural sister of (same) mother, leaving her as guardian of her children until they come of age.

My portion of the land of the dwelling La Gran’ance du Carénage of the Isle of Carriacou, I give it to Judie Phillip & her daughter Rachelle. The land of little Martinique depending on this government will be divided equally to the children named Jean Mathieu, sons of my natural sister of (same) mother Suzanne Philip. 

To Michel son of Michel Philip also my natural brother of (same) mother.

to Jeanne and Jean Jacque Fondringham son & daughter of Madelaine Philip, also my natural sister of (same) mother.

Its four portions of land shall be divided equally, and the enjoyment to the fathers and mothers of the said Children until their majorities. As Madelaine Philip is absent from the Isle, Judie Philip will represent her in her absence for the rights of her said Children; and in the event of her death, Suzanne Philip will replace her, or Michel Philip.

The Negroes & Negresses, numbering fourteen heads that are on the land of little Martinique, will be shared between the children of Madelaine, Michel, and Suzanne Philip, by equal portion according to the estimated price.

Also the furniture and effects for my own use, I give them to the male children of Madelaine, Judie, Suzanne, and Michel Philip.

And for the execution of this will I appoint for my executors Judie Philip, Suzanne, and Michel Philip. Closed the present will and passed in the presence of the undersigned witnesses in the house of Michel Philip located in the de la Croix Street parish of Saint George of this Isle of Grenada, such are my last wishes at five o’clock in the afternoon, on the twenty-third day of December in the year of our Lord one thousand seven hundred and eighty-nine and in the twenty-ninth year of the reign of our sovereign prince George three Kings of Great Britain, France, Ireland, defendant of the faith X X X X

                                                                              

1789 - Regis Philip, a free mulatto from the island of Petite Martinique, was interred in the public burying ground of the parish in the presence of William Jackson.  

Page 258: "He was a child when the family moved to Carriacou in 1763 and, like herself, had grown up on the estates here. He married Marie-Renée Fortin, the only child of André Fortin, a well off free coloured cotton planter." 

Page 257: "In their father’s will was a bequest of several thousand pounds left to his mother Cathérine, who lived in France. At the time of his death, no thought had been given to fulfilling this instruction.

Jeannette wouldn’t hear of it, and it was simply put aside, especially when François brought news that Cathérine had died, that was six years ago."

Honoré Philip's Will - 

Honoré Philip's Value in Land:

Honoré's Value in Slaves:

Honore's Inventory of Lands:

Page 275: " Judith was saying, “We can now fulfill father’s wish, which was that his mother, your grandmother, inherit the sum of money mentioned in his will. She is now dead, but many of his brothers

and sisters are alive and should receive what is legally their due. I wondered whether you would be interested to, you know, undertake the task."

Both Jean Pierre and his wife sold their share of his father’s estate to Honoré and Jeannette in 1777. 

The rest of the estate was divided in 1788 among the eight other siblings.

Susanne Philip - Lot #1

Magdelaine Philip - Lot#2

Judith Philip - Lot#3

Honoré Philip - Lot #4

Michel Philip - Lot #5

Louis Philip - Lot #6

Joachim Philip - Lot #7

Regis Philip - Lot #8

 

 

1777 - Jeannette and Honoré Philip Jr. purchased the share of Jean Pierre Philip in the estate of his father Honoré Philip Snr. 

1777 - Jean Pierre Philip's wife, Jeanne-Rose Chaubet, also signed the agreement for the sale of his share in the estate.