Sunday, July 11, 2010

The Story In A Name Part 2.... Barbados, the names of places and the stories behind them

Bird Hill

Bird Hill is located in Haggatt Hall St Michale an elevated spot overlooking a depression immediately to its east. This depression was a fairly large swamp which attracted migratory birds. It was on Bird Hill that the shooters gathered to hunt these birds.



Fisher Pond

Fisher Pond St Thomas was originally called Fishers Pond. It was a large body of water that stretched from the bottom of the escarpment on which Fisher Pond Sits to Sweet Vale. It is said to be a a place where the Arawaks both fished and caught and ate the foul that frequented the area.

Indian Pond

Indian Pond was given its name as the pond had a cave near to it that Amerindians once occupied.

Mangrove

Mangrove in St Philip, St Peter and Mangrove Pond in St Thomas is considered to far inland for mangroves to grow. Yet it is believed that Mangroves grew in these areas years ago when the rainfall on the Island was significantly more.

Lakes

Lakes is an area in St Andrew that was and still is a catchment area for large amounts of water in the rainy season.

Bank Hall

Bank Hall was given its name because it was considered on the bank of the constitution river.

The island was divided up into 6 parishes then 11. This was done for the purpose of ecclesiastical administration, with each parish headed by a parish church. The parishes are mostly named for saints. St Michael, St James, St Peter, St Lucy, St Andrew, St Joseph, St John, St Philip St Thomas and St. George. the last is Christ Church.
Each parish have several Anglican churches and the areas surrounding them are sometimes named after them examples of this are St Davids, St Lawrence, St Martin, St Barnabas etc.

St Michaels Row

St Michaels Row is the street next to the St Michael's cathedral and close by is Church Street.

Church Village

Church Village in St Michale and St Philip are both next to churches.

Lazaretto

Lazaretto is named after Lazarus the biblical leper and was built to house lepers.

Synagogue Lane

Synagogue Lane is the lane next to the Synagogue

Shrewsbury

Shrewsbury in St Philip is named after the Methodist leader who's house was burnt down and had to escape from Barbados with his pregnant wife.

Quaker Road

Quaker Road was where the Quakers lived in the 17th century when the came to Barbados.

Fort George

Fort George which is now a residential neighbourhood was given the name Fort George because it was the site at which the construction of a fort was started in 1783. This site was later abandoned after plans where made to build the Garrison and its surrounding military buildings.




St Ann's Fort

St Ann's Fort is named for Queen Ann



Illaro Court

Illaro Court first named Llaro court is the prime ministers residence and has been since 1982.  It was designed by Lady Carter. Wife of Sir George Gilbert Carter Governor of Barbados from 1904-1982. It was originally to be a retirement home for her and her husband who unfortunately did not enjoy it. The property is named after a town in Nigeria where Gilbert had served before coming to Barbados.Govenor Carter Commissioned my great great grandfather to photograph it. It was His photos that were used by Prime Minister Tom Addams to have the house restored years later



Gun Hill

Gun Hill is one of is where one of a series of 6 signal stations which were built and used as rallying points in the event of civil disorder and also for non-military purposes. Originally called Briggs Gill after Sir Graham Briggs. It was one of the four points where guns were to be placed in the event of an invasion.

Military Road, Barracks Road, Review Road, Accommodation Road, Marine Road, Parade Road, and Civilian Road.

Military Road, Barracks Road, Review Road, Accommodation Road, Marine Road, Parade Road, and Civilian Road. All of these locations were places military exercises and operations took place.

Magazine Lane

Magazine Lane was so named because this is where they stored ammunition (magazines) A similar storage area gave the name Powder Road

Half Moon Fort

Half moon Fort is so named because of the position of the cannons formed the shape of a half moon.


Navy Gardens

Navy Gardens is now a residential area but was originally established around a Navy Dockyard built at Graves End during the Napoleonic War. A  Hospital was built in Hastings in 1825 to service this dockyard. When the troop withdrew in 1905 the property was sold for housing.



Trafalgar Square now named Heros Square

Trafalgar Square now named Heros Square was named after the Cape of Tafalgar on the southern coast of Spain where a British Fleet led by Admiral Lord Nelson, won a victory over a combined French and Spanish fleet on 21st October 1805. Nelson himself was killed in the battle.

The statue of Nelson was unveiled in Trafalgar Square Barbados in 1813. One was erected in Montreal Canad in 1808 and in  Brimingham, England in 1809. the one in Barbados was unveiled some 6 years before the one in Trafalgar Square in London.

Prince William Henry Street

Prince William Henry Street  was named to commemerate the vist to Barbados in 1786 of Prince William Henry, Duke of Clarence, later King William. While here he stayed in a hotel of the legindary coloured proprietress Rachel Pringle. In a state of drunkenness he and his party did considerable damage to the property. They even tipped Ms Pringle off her chair. She calmly accepted the indignities but presented him with a bill of £700 a massive sum in those days. The Price prompley paid it.


Prince Alfren Street

Prince Alfred street is named after Queen Victorias son and was so named on his visit in 1861

James Street

James Street is named after King James

Quees Park

Queens Park Is named after Queen Victoria.

King George the V Memorial Park

King George the V Memorial Park was named after King George the V who wa sthe reigning monarch at the time of the parks opening in 1936.

Queen Elizabeth Hospital

Queen Elizabeth Hospital is named after Queen Elizabeth who officialy declared it open.


Princess Margaret School

Princess Margaret School  was opened by Princess Margaret and so named after her likewise Alexandrea School was named after Princess Alexandra the then princess of Whales


Princess Alice Highway

The Highway was named after Pribncess Alice to commemerate her visit in 1934 Princess Mary Lane was named to commemerate her visit in 1953. Several other roads were named for Royals. The bellow mentioned were so named to commemerate the subdivision of the Bank Hall Plantation through remittances from the Panama where many locals went of to find employment in building the Panama canal.
Prince of Wales Road, Queen Mary Road, King George Road, Prince Edward Road, Queen Victoria Road, Buckingham Hill.

Jubilee Garden

Jubilee Garden was created in 1888 to commemorate the Golden Jubilee of Queen Victoria.


Provided with the compliments of your friends at Glory Tours. The #1 Provider of Sightseeing Tours in Barbados http://glorytours.org/

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