Old Government House Museum inaugurates

Quaker and Stamp Rooms

By Mellica McPherson

 A large reception was held on Wednesday 29 November at Old Government House to officially open an extension to the Museum. The new wing features the Quaker and Stamp Rooms.

BVI Philatelic Society president Dr. Giorgio Migliavacca, and Ms. Ermine Penn gave welcome speeches to a sizable crowd of invitees who had not been intimidated by the inclement weather.

His Excellency Governor David Pearey, Chairman of the Museum’s Board gave special remarks and emphasised that “the Stamp and Quaker Rooms make a good set for an interesting Museum,” before he officially declared the new additions opened.

Management Advisory Board member Mrs. Jillian Dunlop told The Island Sun newspaper that the Quaker Room “was set up to reflect the particular history of the involvement of the Quaker movement in the Virgin Islands.”

Mrs. Dunlop mentioned that records of the Quaker meetings for all to peruse can be found at this new extension of the Museum. She added that these minutes are very important parts of Virgin Islands history, and as such she urged residents to stop by and see them.

The Board member pointed out that although the Quaker minutes in the Museum only date back to the years 1741-1761, there is evidence that Quakers established themselves in the Territory from the early 1720s. [read sidebar on BVI Quakers by local historian Vernon Pickering]

Mrs. Dunlop disclosed that “data and records which are considered to be of interest to the general public and residents of the BVI are being collated as part of an ongoing project to research and present the facts concerning the Quaker involvement in this Territory, in a way which is hoped will draw interest from all age groups.”

Ms. Ermine Penn highlighted the importance of the Quakers of the Virgin Islands and noted that two of the Quakers who came to the BVI resided on Guana Island. She explained that Guana Island owner Dr. Henry Jarecki, a friend of the BVI and a benefactor, was able to use his influence to gather documents from the Library of Congress that relate to or refers to minutes made by the Quakers of the Virgin Islands. Before concluding her speech Ms. Penn urged the people of the BVI “to make the Museum come alive.” She also said that she was pleased that persons from the Transportation and Education sector saw it fit to attend the event.

Dr. Giorgio Migliavacca had words of gratitude for BVI Philatelic Society secretary Roger Downing  who was instrumental in making the Stamp Room project a reality [please read the sidebar about the Stamp Room]. In fact he not only contributed philatelically but also used his skills as a well-known architect to refurbish the old room and turn it into something unique.

Dr. Migliavacca also thanked Mrs. Joanna Warner for her invaluable assistance in mounting the BVI stamp collection that is now the centerpiece of the Stamp Room. The collection includes virtually every single stamp issued by the BVI—from the first stamp of 140 years ago to date. “There is no other country or territory in the English-speaking Caribbean with a museum featuring a complete stamp collection of that country or territory, and in this respect we should all be proud because this is another BVI first,” Migliavacca said.

THE STAMP ROOM

at the OLD GOVERNMENT HOUSE MUSEUM

The Stamp Room features a remarkable philatelic collection of British Virgin Islands stamps and Postal History. From the first stamps issued in 1866 to date including covers, varieties, elusive errors and specialised items. This collection is a major exhibit on permanent loan from the British Virgin Islands Philatelic Society. In addition to this splendid collection, guest exhibits are going to be featured on a regular basis and they will focus on thematic and postal history aspects offering the repeat visitor an incentive to see something new. In fact the exhibits will be  presented in a way to attract the interest of both the veteran collector and the general public.

The Stamp Room also features a small but extremely interesting Philatelic Library with hundreds of philatelic and postal history books and publications from around the world. Donations of over 200 books have already been received.

 BVI QUAKERS

By Vernon Pickering © copyright 2006

In the early 1720s, Abednego Pickering, a Quaker immigrant with an English background, arrived from Anguilla and established himself at Fat Hogs Bay. He was the only planter professing religious convictions.

In 1727, Joshua Fielding, a Quaker preacher visited Virgin Gorda, the then residence of the Deputy Governor of the Virgin Islands. Fielding visited Tortola shortly after and found that there were no churches.

In 1738, James Birkett, another Quaker, sailed to Tortola to organize religious meetings. Abednego Pickering had died in 1736, and his only son, John Pickering, became the leader of a small group of Quakers.

In 1741, John Pickering became the first Lieutenant Governor of Tortola and government residence was moved from Virgin Gorda to Fat Hogs Bay. A letter of Pickering to the Quakers in Philadelphia resulted in the visit of new missionaries. Thomas Chalkley arrived in Tortola in November 1741, but because of his old age and the stress of the trip, he died within a week of his arrival and was buried in the Quakers’ grave yard at Fat Hogs Bay.

Quakers’ religious beliefs prevented them from using weapons or engaging in war. When the war between Spain and Britain was sparked off, the Virgin Islands became a possible target of the Spaniards. In June 1742, John Pickering resigned from his post and Captain John Hunt, an enemy of Quakers, was appointed Lieutenant Governor.

In December 1742, two Quakers from Philadelphia arrived in Tortola; one of them, John Cadwallader, arrived in poor health and died after two weeks. Those attending his funeral were caught in a shower of rain from which his colleague, John Estaugh, was taken ill and soon died.

This sequence of sad events gave more strength to the Quakers in the Virgin Islands. Their numbers increased and meetings were regularly organized in Tortola, Virgin Gorda, and Jost Van Dyke.

Another visiting missionary, Samuel Nottingham, arrived in the islands in 1748 and found a very well organized group of Quakers. When he returned in 1759, members of the Quaker congregation were rapidly decreasing in number, and most meetings had a poor attendance. The decline was caused by excessive discipline.

Nottingham had married Mary Hunt, the widow of Lieutenant Governor John Hunt, in 1752; he believed strongly in discipline and he proceeded to disown several members of the Quaker congregation. This resulted in a further decline of Quakerism, and by 1762, meetings were discontinued.

John Pickering died in 1768, about sixty years of age; he was one of the largest slave owners in Tortola, but because of his religious beliefs, he was very popular with his slaves.

During the 1750s and 1760s, Quakers in America and in England had already organized anti-slavery movements and societies; their position on this vital matter was also one of the major reasons for their decline in the Virgin Islands.

Famous British Virgin Islands-born Quakers include William Thornton, the architect of the Capitol Building, Washington DC; Dr. John Coakley Lettsom, founder of the London Medical Society; and Richard Humphreys founder of what later became Cheyney University, the first black university in the USA.