The Sad History of the “Redlegs” of Barbados
Until April 23, you have the opportunity to view the fascinating documentary of Barbados’ so-called Redlegs (click here), “Barbado’ed: Scotland’s Sugar Slaves,” by Chris Dolan. Or go the Irish TV statiwww.tg4.tv, click on “documentaries” on the top of the screen, then “anamnocht” on the left side, then click on the arrow at the bottom of the screen until you see the 3-part video.
Also, Sheena Jolley who has done research on the Redlegs and photographed some of them in St. John in 2000 and 2008 has photos of them on her website http://sheenajolleyphotography.com/. She is seen on the documentary.
I thank “BajanBeauty” for making me aware of this and providing these links. You only have until April 23, 2010: please view the documentary as soon as you can. xx Jane (Below is my original post, which provides a bit of background):
I thought the lush, open ground in St John’s parish known as Little Scotland was so called because of its moist, green beauty. Last night I discovered the sad truth behind the nickname.
"Little Scotland," Barbados
The first slaves to work Barbados’ sugar cane plantations were Scottish, not African. Mostly POWs from the 17th-century civil war in England, they were shipped to Barbados by Cromwell as “indentured servants,” although the terms of their servitude weren’t honored.
The Scots were ill-adapted to the Caribbean climate and treated as poorly as the Africans who came after. Even after emancipation in 1854, they fared poorly, welcomed neither by White society nor Black. Today, many of their ancestors, most of whom live in St John’s district, don’t know about their forebears. The poor don’t leave records; their identity is lost to history.
Until now. Scottish author and broadcaster Chris Dolan is creating awareness through his documentary called “Barbado’ed: Scotland’s Sugar Slaves.” He interviews direct descendants who live here on the island and discusses why, 350 years after their families first arrived, they still have no role on the island and remain isolated, eking out a subsistence living.
Romping along the posh platinum coastline of our beautiful country, you’d never guess.
20 Responses to “The Sad History of the “Redlegs” of Barbados”
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Think he removed the vids Jane. Didn’t get to see them either.
Hi All,
Try this website for the entire programme
http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b00k7t42/Barbadoed_Scotlands_Sugar_Slaves/
Good viewing
Thank you both. I appreciate the heads-up, Ashmita.
Mark, I’m afraid the BBC iPlayer is unavailable to those of us outside the UK. Darn! If you have another idea, please let me know. Thanks!
Wow, so sorry I missed this post. I haven’t had the chance to keep up on the Net recently. As my family is from St. John, this story really interests me (have not had a chance to see the movie.) What is really interesting is how the Redlegs (which is a racial slur actually) have been able to get on in relative obscurity. Most of them have either moved on, or mixed with the Black population, with only a small population of basically in-bred remaining.
As a youth, it was unclear to me that they were any different from anyone else. Frankly, they are more Bajan than most West Coast and South Coast people. I of course, hope that more Redlegs (like COW Williams, his brother Bizzy, and Rihanna’s father) can escape from the poverty cycle too.
Might also add that the horror of the RedLegs era is not just that criminals were “Barbados’ed” but also young children– male and female and also women were taken away from Ireland for our shores.
Oh, I’m just glad there’s a post on St. John
Thank you for your comment, Baje. Yes, this is fascinating Barbadian history. The filmmaker depicts the history and the folks he interviewed with sensitivity and respect. I hope you get to see the film. I was really sorry to see it had been taken off YouTube. The marginalization of these folks – as you say, women and children as well as men – is a shameful part of Barbados’ past. Like slavery in the US, it’s a story that needs to be told.
This is a fantastic film! Was a very disappointed that the BBC only showed it in Scotland. I managed to view the film at it.truveo.com although you might have to install some free software to view it.
I remember some time back in the eighties Channel 4 broadcasting a programme called the Red legs of Barbados.
I have found a copy of the documentary located at this website
http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=8da_1247177790
How absolutely wonderful! Good sleuthing! I will go watch it again. The Redlegs are a fascinating part of Barbados’ history; their legacy lives on in this wonderful documentary. Thank you!
I am embarking on a long range project on the irish who were shipped away. I’m going to barbados for the first time next month and hope to at least get a feel for what people know about this awful history in the present day…
Nora-
If you have not already found this book;
“To Hell or Barbados, the Ethnic Cleansing of Ireland”,
you can find it here :
http://www.amazon.com/Hell-Barbados-Ethnic-Cleansing-Ireland/dp/0863222870
It is an interesting read on this very Topic, and surely there is more to tell – hope that helps.
Peace.
Kerry
i watched a documentry TG4 (irish tv station) on 28/12/09 and to my shock/horror i discovered that the ancesters of the men and women who stood against the tyrant oliver cromwell at the seige of drogheada in the mid 17th cenuary (where every 10th man was set aside for deportation and the rest were put to the sword) were to be found living abject poverty…. what in the name humanity has the irish goverment done to offer support to these unfortunite disenfranchised people………cormac cullen westport, mayo.
Thank you for writing, Cormac. The past does haunt us, doesn’t it? There shouldn’t be – but there are – innumerable shameful and horrific acts against our fellow human beings throughout history. I wish I’d seen the documentary on Irish TV that you’re referring to here ….
Hi There,
I saw the documentary on Irish TV and was very shocked; I am fairly well educated but had never even heard a whisper of the Irish in Barbados. I work for a youth organisation and would consider trying to raise funds for a youth exchange if there is a group that works with this minority. I think it would be great to bring a group of Irish young people from Irish and african backgrounds and a simular return visit by Barbadian young people.
Keep up the good work.
Sue. (Waterford, Ireland)
Thank you, Sue. No, I think most of us living in Barbados know very little about this aspect of the island’s history. Now that I do know, I notice the “Redlegs” as I drive through the countryside. I love your idea of an exchange program. What do they say about not learning from history doomed to repeat it?
I appreciate your comment, Sue. Thank you.
“The Redlegs of Barbados” produced sometime in the late 80’s by either BBC or HTV was an eye-opener for some Barbadians when it was screened on CBC back then.
I have to say, I really enjoy this website. Could let me know how I can keeping up to date with it? By the way I found your website through Aol.
Ileana, good morning. There’s a place on the front page of my blog where you can sign up to receive updates; I’ll fill it in for you with your e-mail address. Thanks for wanting to hear more!
Hello, I go to Barbados annually on my holidays and i have seeked out the redlegs on my visits there, you can certainly see them around st martins bay or a few of them collecting bottles at the oistins fish fry on a Friday night. Unfortunatly when the The National Archives of Ireland building burnt to the ground in 1922 all of the documents on file for these era were destoyed for ever. The passenger lists etc, all gone. Many of the indenture irish slaves left Barbados for Moneserrat, another tiny caribbean island, today the irish culture on this island remains intact and they are the only other country in the world to have st patricks day as their national holiday!
I should note that I was referring to the National Archives in Dublin, Ireland in my last post.
Thanks for this information, Aoife. It’s a complex and fascinating history; I wasn’t aware at all of the Moneserrat connection at all – thank you. How sad that the documents were lost in a fire at the National Archives in Ireland! I appreciate your writing. When you seek out the Redlegs on your visits to Barbados, are you taking an oral history from them? Doing so would provide a valuable addition to the history of the Redlegs in Barbados.
Thanks for writing!