Dr Rita Pemberton

The winds of change blew over Tobago with increasing velocity across the 19th century with significant effects on the traditional land-owning class and population movements.

The century began with the disruptions caused by the continuing British/ French tussle for ownership of the island which contributed to social and economic displacement to which were added other forces as the century wore on.

The first casualties of the initial displacement were those sugar estates which were unable to recover from the destruction and financial upheaval that accompanied the French capture and occupation of the island from 1781 to 1793. In addition, there were continuing uncertainties and economic difficulties which were associated with war with France from 1793 to 1802 and French assaults on the island in 1803.

The new French taxes, the trade disruptions and French confiscation of properties resulted in the creation of a number of heavily indebted plantation owners and their disgruntled creditors in Britain. As a result, the estates located in Bloody Bay and L’Anse Fourmi ceased operations causing those areas to remain uninhabited between 1809 and the 1870s.

There were also individual estates in other parts of the island which went out of operation as they faced similar difficulties. A pattern of estate closure, changing ownership and, increasingly across the century, abandonment.

The next significant spate of changes resulted from the combination of the economic challenges that faced the island’s sugar industry, in addition to the policy of emancipation and free trade which the imperial government pursued.

After emancipation, the island’s settlement pattern began to change from the domination of plantation estate land occupation to that of village occupation which occurred with the growth of the village settlements. The pre-emancipation role of the sugar estates as the hub of activities on the island was being eroded. There was also a visible change in the population of the towns where there were more employment opportunities.

There were two towns in Tobago; Scarborough, with the larger population and Plymouth. While the population of Scarborough decreased, that of its suburbs increased but Scarborough maintained its importance as the island’s main trading centre.

However, Plymouth declined in importance because its significance was related to the fact that its naturally occurring deep-water harbour served as the port of entry solely for the Royal Mail Stem Packet Company which brought mail and European passengers to the island.

Amid protests over the continuation of this arrangement in a location which failed to attract trade and merchant activity, Plymouth ceased to be a port of entry from 1881. It reverted to the status of a fishing and agricultural village with localised trade with some of the northern villages and with few residents of political importance.

Villages grow, towns decline

On the other hand, Roxborough, which was a small unimportant village during the 19th century a