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Momodou
Denmark
11512 Posts |
 Posted - 26 Jun 2022 : 23:09:08
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WAS IT CAPTAIN GRANT WHO BOUGHT KUNU SU JOYEWO IN 1816? THE JURY IS STILL OUT
By Dembo Fatty
In order not to sound repetitive or monotonous, the island now called St Mary's Island was called Kunu Su Joyewo by the locals before 1816. It is a Mandinka word for "bird sanctuary island ". We discussed this before.
We have been taught in school that it was Captain Grant who purchased the island from Tumani Bojang Senior, the then king of Kombo for a yearly tribute of about 103 bars of iron.
That is history I believed and even sold until today.
We have to understand that when Captain Grant left Goree, his orders were that he should rehabilitate the island of James Island and position military hardware and software to stop slave ships from entering or leaving the river Gambia. Remember, slavery was outlawed in Great Britain in 1807 or thereabout even though the trade continued clandestinely.
Remember too that Goree island was British territory at this time and when you hear Colony of Senegambia, it simply means the islands of Goree and James Island. This was the first political Senegambia.
The island that Grant purchased was James Island for 300 bars of iron or £75 from the king of Nuimi.
Grant actually left Goree on March 19,1816 with Ensign Adamson, an assistant surgeon, 50 men of the African Corps and 24 artisans. He first landed on the island of Kunu Su Joyewo at Banyon Point now Half DIE or Leopold during the time of the Latvians in the 17th century. Let's not digress.
Grant did like the island and approached Tumani Bojang Senior if he was willing to give up the island who six weeks earlier, on February 4th 1816 had 10 men, 2 women and 8 children of his near relations captured and enslaved by men of Spanish ship called Panchita. It was a possibility in principle and Grant then left for James Island
On April 19, 1816, Colonel Bereton left Goree for James Island to see for himself the progress of rehabilitation on the island which he was disappointed.
So on April 23, 1816 these two Officers met Tumani Bojang Senior and negotiated a treaty "and Grant, with the APPROVAL of Bereton, entered into a treaty with that Chief, whereby the Chief agreed to allow the British Government to occupy Banjol with liberty to erect such buildings and fortifications as might be thought expedient and further to surrender all his right and title to the island in exchange for an annual payment of 103 bars of iron to himself, his wife, and his principal retainers ".
Looks like Tumani had only one wife at the time and i bet she was a kaabunka#129315;#129315;#129315;#129315;. Kombonka sinaa yaa could not be possible.
It is clear that Grant was not the most senior military officer present when the island was purchased. Bereton was there who actually sailed from Goree to supervise Grant's work. The military being very regimental and surviving on the doctrine of a pecking order, Grant did not purchase the island.
2. The purchase was approved by Bereton who was in the audience and privy to the details of the negotiations.
Perhaps because Grant stayed behind as Administrator to oversee construction because he was an Engineer, it is easy to allude the purchase to him but that does not appear to be the case.
Now, knowing what you now know, who purchased the island of Kunu Su Joyewo? For me, it was Colonel Bereton, who was not only present at the time of negotiations, but also the most senior ranking officer, and in addition was the one who approved the purchase.
Captain Grant's orders were specific and they were to rehabilitate and repossess James Island as a fort to stop slave ships. The island of Kunu Su Joyewo was not part of his terms of reference and hence needed a superior officer to oversee that project. In fact, Colonel Thomas Bereton was at the time, the Lieutenant Governor of Senegal and Goree. So both administratively and rank, Bereton was in a different league.
Time to rewrite the history. Goodbye Grant; welcome Colonel Bereton.
Further readings:
1. Mccarthy to Bathurst 16 April 1816, Public Records Office C.O. 267/42
2. Grant to R W Hay 25, November 1825, Public Records Office C.O. 324/76
3.Bereton to Bathurst 18, May 1816; Grant to Mccarthy June 24 1816; Mccarthy to Bathurst July 20, 1816, Public Records Office, C.O. 267/42
When the ovaltine refuses to wear out.
#sundayrant
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A clear conscience fears no accusation - proverb from Sierra Leone |
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toubab1020
12237 Posts |
Posted - 27 Jun 2022 : 11:16:40
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Re the above posting it is obvious that the author Dembo Fatty has done very deep research ,PRESUMABLY,using access to the Public Records Office in ENGLAND,it would have been appriciated by the said office if an acknologement of their help and asistance had been made by Dembo Fatty
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"Simple is good" & I strongly dislike politics. You cannot defend the indefensible.
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Momodou
Denmark
11512 Posts |
Posted - 27 Jun 2022 : 15:21:29
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Most probably from the National Archives in Banjul. :-)
He stated:
Further readings:
1. Mccarthy to Bathurst 16 April 1816, Public Records Office C.O. 267/42
2. Grant to R W Hay 25, November 1825, Public Records Office C.O. 324/76
3.Bereton to Bathurst 18, May 1816; Grant to Mccarthy June 24 1816; Mccarthy to Bathurst July 20, 1816, Public Records Office, C.O. 267/42 |
A clear conscience fears no accusation - proverb from Sierra Leone |
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WAS IT CAPTAIN GRANT WHO BOUGHT KUNU SU JOYEWO?
