Tales from way back when…
Centenary of acquisition of Joppa Farm celebrated
THE FIRST centenary  celebrations of the acquisition of Joppa Farm on the Corentyne (29 miles from New Amsterdam)  was held on August 26. Organised by the descendants of Richard Reuben Richmond, who bought the area on August 15, 1847, one hundred years ago,  the celebrations took the form of a religious ceremony, followed by a procession through the Estate in the morning, and a public session in the afternoon, which included the laying of a tablet by two of Richard Richmond’s  grandchildren in commemoration of the purchase of the land.

The Joppa Estate is owned today solely by the descendants of Richard Richmond, and is a large coconut and rice area.

According to history, Joppa was once a cotton estate, and even now, there are a number of cotton trees still growing in the area.

Richard Richmond operated a sloop which transported goods from place to place.

When he saw the abandoned cotton estate, he thought it an ample opportunity to remove his family from Fyrish.

He therefore purchased the Estate from the late Charles Badri, and then got his friend, Jonas Bagot, to have the transport taken in his name because he felt that he might have committed some breach of the law which would have caused him to lose the land.

With his wife and seven children, Richard Richmond walked from Fyrish to Bengal, some 19 miles, and stayed there with his sister until he built his own house at Joppa.

On his death in 1907, he bequeathed his Estate to his heirs and succeeding generations.

(Guiana Graphic: September 18, 1957)

Only B.G. can boast of greenheart
THE MOST important factor to be kept before buyers in the use of greenheart is that it can only be obtained from British Guiana.

A substitute from Suriname, called ‘greenheart’, is often heard about, but this comes from a tree of a different family – Bignonia, which cannot be associated in any way with greenheart, which is a laurel.

Mr. P.A.W. Howe, General Manager of the B.G. Timbers Limited, speaking on the topic, ‘The exploitation of Greenheart’, said that the  greenheart  industry was 130 years old, and with the availability of accessible stands,  the wood would continue to provide a livelihood for the 5,000-odd people involved in it.

He stressed that the greenheart of B.G is  a timber that indeed  “stands alone.”

(Guiana Graphic: July 1, 1957)

Boysie, Boland hanged
BOYSIE Singh, alias ‘The Rajah’, and Boland Ramkissoon were executed in Port of Spain, Trinidad  yesterday morning for the murder of Guianese-born folklore dancer, Thelma Haynes.

Their appeal before the Judicial Committee for leave to appeal against the conviction was refused. A last appeal to the Governor was also turned down.

Ramkissoon, a former life guard at Maracas Bay, and Singh, his uncle-in-law, were convicted for the  murder of Ramkissoon’s 22-year-old lover, whose body has not yet been recovered.

Thelma Haynes, who lived together with Boland Ramkissoon at Ramkissoon Thrace, disappeared one evening when she went to keep an appointment with Boland.

The Crown was able to establish that Ramkissoon hired Singh to murder Thelma.

Guianese-born Crime Chief, Leslie Slater carried out the investigations.

(Guiana Graphic: August 21, 1957)

British Guiana gets younger
-Teenagers outstripping all others
IN TEN years (by 1967), more than one in two Guianese will be teenagers.  B.G. will be one of the youngest countries in the world.

This is one of the startling facts put forward by Miss Pearl Jephcott, M.A., the London economist who was invited to B.G. by the government to report on population problems.

She said that the growth of the Guianese population from 1877 was phenomenal and well known.

The death rate alone, due primarily to the control of malaria, was half that of 1943, and the population net increase of nearly 25% had taken place in eight years, from 369,000 in 1946, to 460,000 in 1954.

Of significance was the change in the structure of the population: 47 per cent aged under 20 in 1946, and 59 per cent by 1966.

She said that this meant that  by 1966, in ten years time , well over one in two of every Guianese will still be a child or teenager,  and the provision  for education, recreation and youth employment will have to be on a very large scale.

She reported that while the rate of the increase of the teenaged group was greater than that of the adult, both were exceeded by the very rapid increase in the child group.

(Guiana Graphic: July 4, 1957)

Tourist expert likes #63 beach
TOURIST EXPERT,  Captain W.V.G.S. Ewen was impressed by the possibilities of a health resort at No. 63 Beach, Corentyne, and the angler’s and hunters paradise up the Abary Creek, on the West Coast of Berbice.

Capt. Ewen, who arrived in Berbice as the guest of the Berbice Chamber of Commerce, told the Graphic that “there are all sorts of possibilities, but you have to work them; much depends on private enterprise; but government will have to give them protection for their investments. Luxury Hotels cost a lot of money.”

Capt. Ewen arrived by plane in New Amsterdam recently.

(Guiana Graphic: July 1, 1957)

‘Canje Pheasant’ for Confiari trip
A GOODWILL excursion to Nickerie for the Confiari has been arranged by the Upper Corentyne Union of Local Authorities for August 30 and 31.

The ‘Canje Pheasant’ of the T.&H.D. fleet has been booked for the trip.

The Union and the Dutch authorities are collecting trophies for competitive games between the two countries — boat racing, cricket, football and tennis.

(Guiana Graphic: July 2, 1957)

Right-side front wheel
CYCLISTS were warned on Tuesday that they are to attach the badges of their license on the right of the front wheel.

The warning was issued by Magistrate Akbar Khan, who remarked that it was not generally known that failing to do so was an offence.

He issued the warning in a case in which a cyclist appeared before him on a charge by the Revenue Officer, Mr. C.K. Franker, for failing to comply with that aspect of the law.

Mr. Franker told the Magistrate that in this particular case, the cyclist had the badge in his pocket.

He said that the case was brought for the specific purpose of the court issuing a warning.

He was not pressing for a penalty, as there were many who were no aware that they committed an offence by affixing their badges in positions other than on the right side of the front wheel of their bicycles.

(Guiana Graphic: July 11, 1957)

Colour photography for the first time in B.G.
REAL COLOUR photography can now for the first time in B.G. be reproduced from film negative.

Before, such a negative had to be mailed abroad.

This is the achievement of popular photographer, Mr. Ashraf Ali, who said that it has been his greatest ambition ever since he had completed his course in 1947 at the School of Modern Photography in New York.

Mr. Ali said that he will set up a special colour studio for indoor colour portraiture, and a colour laboratory, fitted out with the latest colour equipment, so as to facilitate the delivery of photographs at least three days after they are taken.

(Guiana Graphic: July 15, 1957)

Woman detained in fatal stabbing affray< br />UP TO late last night, the Police were still investigating the murder of Eileen Jack, who was stabbed by a masked figure on Tuesday night, July 30, on the No. 30 Village Public Road, W.C. Berbice.

A woman has been detained.

She appears to be a mental case, and has been sent to the Berbice Hospital for observation.

Eileen Jack, 28, was on her way to a shop when she was fatally stabbed.

(Guiana Graphic: August 2, 1957)

(Clifford Stanley can be reached to discuss any of the foregoing articles at cliffantony@gmail.com or by telephone: 657-2043)