Dr Rita Pemberton
The name Charlotteville conjures up breathtaking views of the unspoilt white-sand beach which stretches along the entire village front and frames the placid blue Caribbean Sea.
Understandably, the area attracts tourists who seek to enjoy both its beauty and the strong traditional cultural expressions of the community. But Charlotteville is far more than simply a magnet for tourists. It possesses a very rich history which is entwined with the European presence in the Caribbean, and from its specific attraction to the Dutch, British, French, pirates, Americans and the resulting interaction between them.
Oral sources say the district was named after a Dutchwoman who is buried behind the great house; another story says the area was named after an enslaved woman whom the plantation owner loved and to whom he bequeathed his estate.
The other, most accurate explanation is that it was named after Queen Charlotte, the popular wife of the British King George III.
The stories, however, reflect the pattern through which women settled in the area. The first female European presence occurred under the early Dutch colonising efforts: black women were introduced to provide plantation labour by Europeans bringing enslaved people to the island, some of whom were forced into intimate relations with their owners; and the queen represents the few white women who made a permanent home in the area when plantations were established there.
Lying on the northeastern tip of Tobago, this district is geographically well endowed. It is one beautiful large bay with sections of small bays, each of which has a distinguishing name. They include Man of War Bay (Man O’War Bay), the area used by the British to house their naval security squadron; Pirates Bay, the haunt of pirates during the 16th and 17th centuries; Boat House Bay, named after the location where the coastal steamers docked to collect produce for sale in Trinidad during the 20th century; Bottom Bay, so named to caution mariners about reefs; Rest House Bay, near the government rest house; Top Bay, in the middle of the village; Corner Rock and Buccaneer (Boucari) Bay, which delineate a reef area (accessible by sea); and Walker Bay, a bathing area once only accessible by boat, but which has since been provided with 150 steps.
What is perhaps less well known is that Charlotteville also possesses two waterfalls and a bay with an unusual beach. This bay, which is known by several names – Sand Bay; Lovers Bay or Bay for Two – which is only accessible by boat and visible at low tide, is a small, beautiful pink-sand beach.
Man of War Bay is immensely calm for most of the year, and, as a safe, protected harbour, attracted Europeans. It features very prominently in Tobago’s early history of European presence because it provided easy access to ships travelling in both directions and was convenient for those seeking to establish settlements.
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