DR RITA PEMBERTON

SINCE THE 17th century, strong expressions of interest in the settlement of Tobago emanated from the British crown, individuals with interests in Barbados and officials and residents of Barbados.

At the beginning of that century, apart from the First Peoples, the only Europeans in Tobago were the French and English turtlers who made seasonal visits to the island. However, reports of these and of ship captains who called at Tobago to replenish their water supply and effect repairs, stimulated deeper interest in settling Tobago, which was considered an unoccupied island.

Towards the end of the century European rivalry for supremacy was manifested in a quest for tropical colonies which led to a focus on the Caribbean and to those territories which had not been effectively occupied by another European power.

Considered an open field with great potential according to the reports of visitors and not under the control of any European country, Tobago became the centre of focus by several European countries and as a result a long intense rivalry for possession of the island occurred across the 17th and 18th centuries.

Once Barbados became established as a plantation colony after British settlement in 1627, its interests spread to other islands in the region, Tobago being foremost among them. In the heyday of European rivalry, interest groups in Barbados served as the watchdogs over Tobago, keeping a close eye on developments on the island.

As a result, they engaged in activities which were aimed at preventing the island from falling into the hands of rival countries and to secure Tobago as a British possession. This undertaking involved more than fighting the official agents of the European countries because there were other groups which could impede British possession.

European settlement in the Caribbean also attracted the presence of groups of Europeans who formed bands of buccaneers, pirates and privateers who preyed on shipping in the region and attacked the young settlements, especially those of rival nations. Some of these groups worked for one or other European nation.

For these activities Tobago possessed two ideal hideouts, Man o War Bay and Pirates Bay in the north of the island, which became popular haunts of these seafaring marauders.

Lord Willoughby, governor of Barbados, took a personal interest in developments in Tobago and undertook a private venture to rid the island of these groups. When the buccaneers of Jamaica attacked the settlement in Tobago, Willoughby allied with them to destroy the Dutch settlement on the island.

Having succeeded in that effort, he turned his attention to the buccaneers with whom he formed an agreement to end their looting and in return was granted the privilege of being allowed to sell their booty in Barbados without taxation. He then engaged them to attack the Dutch settlement in Guyana.

Willoughby established a small garrison in Tobago and handed over the Dutch properties to the British crown. After this, nothing more was heard of the b