Dr Rita Pemberton
THE TERMINATION of the apprenticeship system and with it forced labour in 1838 warranted several changes to the laws of Tobago.
One area in which revision was considered essential was the management of roads.
During the era of enslavement, roads provided the main means of communication and were of critical importance for defence against both internal and external security challenges.
Up to August 1, 1838, it was the responsibility of estate owners to maintain those portions of the public roads which bounded their estates. It was simple for plantation owners to include road maintenance as a part of routine labour for their enslaved charges.
However, given the challenges to the sugar industry during the 19th century, this system never operated satisfactorily, particularly between 1833 and 1838.
The main factor which stimulated the change was that with the termination of the apprenticeship system, since free labour was no longer available, an alternative system had to be devised. The island’s administration therefore considered it necessary to replace the defective system with a new Road Act, which governed the making and repair of roads and streets.
The first striking factor of this law was that it reclassified the existing communication arteries, formerly known as estate roads, bridle or horse paths, or roads for carriages, as public roads and streets. These redesignated roads were connected to the main centres – the capital, Scarborough, and the towns of Plymouth and Milford and to the parishes – by streets.
The main thoroughfare connected the parishes from Scarborough west through Lowlands Estates to Sandy Point Bay, thence through Mt Irvine and Buccoo Estates to Little and Great Courland through the town of Plymouth; then north through to Adventure, Arnos Vale, Les Coteaux and Woodland Estates until it joins the crossroad from Scarborough via Cook’s River.
The road system then connects through Rockley Vale and Calder Hall, Government House, Cinnamon Hill and Concordia into the centre of the island, until it intersects with the North Road which links Plymouth to King Peter’s Bay. It then connects with the Charlotteville-Speyside Road and south to Scarborough, where it joins Plymouth Road through Whim and Northside Road from Fort King George, Mt Grace, to west of Government House, to intersect with the crossroad from Calder Hall Pasture and the nearby public road. This created a complete road network.
It is very striking that the public road system continued the pattern established during slavery, to have a connection road to ensure access to all estates as a security measure for swift communication and defence. This was an urgent matter for the plantation owners, who anticipated conflicts would develop with the newly freed African population and feared freedom would jeopardise the sugar industry.
Responsibility for road construction and maintenance was the portfolio of officers called way wardens, who were selected from among freeholders, rentiers, attorneys, magistrates,
