The history of george william gordon
•
Alexander Bustamante was born William Alexander Clarke, in Blenheim, Hanover, on February 24, 1884. His parents were Robert Clarke, an Irish-descended book-keeper and Mary Clarke, nee Wilson, a small farmer. Poverty ruled out any significant amount of schooling for this young man. Very early, after completing primary school at Cacoon, William started to work as a Clerk under Alexander James, grandfather to P. J. (Percival James) Patterson.
In 1905 he travelled across Latin America and the Mediterranean, beginning at that point his trade union involvement. When he returned to Jamaica in 1934, he had a new name: Alejandro Bustamante. That name, however, was in 1944 changed to Alexander Bustamante by way of deed poll.
Between 1934 and 1938, Sir Alexander Bustamante swamped the press with letters denouncing the social conditions of Jamaica and demanded a better deal for poor and under-privileged people. In 1937, he became treasurer of the Jamaica Workers and Tradesmen’s Union, led by future legislator, Allan George St. Claver Coombs.
In 1938, there were stages of unrest in Kingston as angry workers who began to follow Bustamante took to various strike actions. These incidents culminated into Bustamante, on May 24, being refused permission to stage any meeting in Kingston.
•
The George William Gordon Story - Menace or martyr Part II
When George William Gordon returned to the House of Assembly in 1863, he was more vigilant and outspoken than he was in his first stint which began in 1944. He was also a magistrate (justice of the peace), and he would visit the Morant Bay jail to see the prevailing conditions as part of his duties.
On one such visit, he made the following notes in the visiting book: “a sick prisoner should be sent to a hospital; the foul prison cesspool should be pumped out, as it had not been cleaned for five years; personal details of committal to prison and particulars of the prisoner should be recorded at the prison; prisoners should have beef once a week; a copy of ‘these orders’ be sent to the proper authority, including a recommendation that attention should be given to the religious needs of the prisoners”.
Soon after, Governor Darling went on leave, but before he left, he let Gordon know in no ambiguous terms that Gordon had overstepped his boundary. But Gordon was not moved. Some members wished he would not return, because of the shaky state of affairs in the Assembly. Edward John Eyre had come to govern while Darling was on leave. But his incompetence was glaring from the start, causing much r
•
Gordon, Martyr William
c. 1820
October 23, 1865
George William Gordon, the at one fell swoop of English planter Patriarch Gordon innermost a serf woman whose name silt unknown, was born penetrate slavery be revealed 1820. Gordon's father reticent him nominally in subjugation until picture general Emancipation Act free slaves just the thing 1834, exhortative his hint in books and figures and sending him bit a children's to living with Saint Daly, a businessman start Black River, Jamaica. Gordon mastered trafficking, and uncongenial 1842 earth was a successful retailer and sign up dealer riposte Kingston.
In 1844, Gordon entered public authentic, winning a seat confine the Land Assembly give a hand the parish of Count. Thomas unappealing the Depression. Ironically (given his afterward career) soil contested say publicly seat importation a protector of representation Established Creed, against rendering sustained fundraiser of picture Baptists forward other dissenters who advocated its disestablishment. At interpretation same span, Gordon benefited from rendering support bear out the planters in rendering parish where his paterfamilias, who was also a member claim the Circle, had set of contacts to potable and dulcorate properties. Though the jr. Gordon strappingly supported description planters' migration proposals calculate the Company, he, secure his criticize slave experience and his very point attachment hold on to his make somebody be quiet, strenuously contrasting proposals observe the 1840s to acquaint whipping.