To forget one's ancestors is to be a brook without a source, a tree without a root.

Hurricane Janet, Barbados 22nd September 1953 My great-grandmother's account My great-grandmother was Lillian Lobo. She lived on the south coast in a house called "Raeburn", now demolished. She wrote to her youngest daughter about Hurricane Janet. In the letter she tells that Frank, her son who lived in Trinidad, came to visit and help her. Marylin is Frank's daughter who was staying with her grandmother at the time. Raeburn, Hastings Nov 6th 1955 My dear Freida, This is a very long overdue letter but I know you will understand, I have been through such a terrible ordeal for my age, what with the storm and a few days after we had a downpour of rain and the roof poured like a tap turned on. I lost my nerve and had a hearty cry. The hoods to the windows blew off and broke the Everite of the roof and glass window. They went in Miss Chandler’s yard. Crowds of shingles blew off, gutter-heads, down pipes all blew down and broke. The downstairs door - the break water iron and big stones dashed against the door and broke it open and the sea all came in. We did not have light for eleven days, only 2 lamps and torches. No telephone, the well to the toilets all filled up with sand and choked one. I had to pay $15.00 to 2 men to clear it. I had to put on 16 bundles of shingles. I had 3 workmen for 4 weeks from one thing to the other, but it could have been worse. The church got hit the hardest, I believe 5 out of every 6 houses were flat, thousands are homeless. Plenty of nice new houses in Marine Gardens the roofs came off and the people had to run for shelter. You remember Kenneth and Reyland Davis’s house Santa Neta opposite The Rocks, well that has only the 4 walls standing. They had to run next door, lost everything. Frank came over to see what had happened to us 2 days after, because no planes were flying during that time. He stood a day and a half and brought over plenty groceries for me knowing we may have been short and he said the water came to his eyes coming over the island to see the houses flat. He would not even go any further he said his nerves wouldn’t stand it. All the beautiful trees blown down and the leaves scorched. We are all bare now. If it had have lasted 1/2 hour longer our gallery roof started to lift. The wind was 125 miles an hour. Outside sounded just like a lot of cats howling. Poor little Marilyn threw up 3 times for the day. And then trees across the streets, telephone posts . . . Kenneth and Reyland Davis’s house "Santa Neta" opposite The Rocks

QUEEN VICTORIA'S DIAMOND JUBILEE In 1897 when Trinidad was a British colony, the Trinidad Police Force sent a contingent to London for the celebrations of Queen Victoria's Diamond Jubilee. This grand occasion marked the sovereign's 60 years on the throne in service to the people of the United Kingdom, the Realms and the Commonwealth. As a senior police officer in Trinidad, my English great-grandfather Alfred Sheppard was among the police chosen to represent the island and take part in the historic celebrations in his homeland. It must have been a proud and exciting occasion for the family. He was then forty years old and his Trinidad-born children Charles (my grandfather) and Amalia (Amy Mendes née Sheppard) were twelve and ten years old at the time. 1897 - Trinidad's colonial contingent for the Queen's Diamond Jubilee police officers on right (THE WESTERLY Issue 63, 2012) Click on the icon for a description of Queen Victoria's Diamond Jubilee The full story of Alfred Sheppard can be seen here . "People are trapped in history and history is trapped in them." ~ James Baldwin

Welcome to my site Years ago I embarked on a journey of research and discovery in writing the stories of my family through the use of oral tradition and genealogical research. I consider myself a family historian, though I am not a professional genealogist nor am I an academic. I try to provide photographs to accompany the stories, helping to bring the humanity of our ancestors alive as I attempt to document their lives. My goal is to create a legacy for future generations, recognizing the importance of knowing the people we come from, and understanding their struggles and achievements in the context of their era. The menu above will lead you to seventy-three lovingly compiled pages of family stories, photos and videos. I hope you enjoy reading them as much as I enjoy creating them. Each section contains the title story plus several others in the drop-down menu under the title. Just toggle and click. Read More THE ENGLISH SHEPPARDS INTRODUCTION This is a tale of a two brothers who came from the large family of James and Elizabeth Shepherd in Sussex, England. Their family story has been pieced together by researching many official records, and with the help of photos and personal records in a family Bible. The lives of these brothers took completely different directions, and left many descendants who would become scattered far and wide. We have followed the family in censuses which were done every ten years. Interestingly, the earlier records show the family surname as Shepherd, but as we know for sure, the brothers Alfred and Charles wrote their name Sheppard. My great-great grandfather James Shepherd (Sheppard), born abt. 1823 in Chichester, Sussex, England The handwritten identification on the back of James' photo provided a vital clue in tracing the English Sheppard family line JAMES AND ELIZABETH SHEPHERD (SHEPPARD) Our story starts in 1851, during the reign of Queen Victoria, when a Census of England, Scotland and Wales was taken. James and Elizabeth Ann Shepherd née Cole were a young married couple, living with their family at St Pancras Street, in the parish of Saint Pancras, Chichester, Susex, England. James, born in Chichester and the head of the household, was 28 years old, and his occupation was listed as Gardener. Elizabeth, 25 years old, was also born in Chichester. They were already the parents of four children: Walter (6), Harriette (5), James (3) and one-year old William. In 1861, the Census records that the family had moved to St. Martins Court, St. Martin, Chichester, in the county of Sussex, England. Ten years had passed, and four more children had been born. They were Charles (7), Alfred (5), Edward (3) and the baby Harry (1). At the time of the Census, James and Elizabeth were 38 and 36 respectively, and lived at this address with their family of 8 children. By now, the oldest child, Walter, was 15 years old, and his occupation was "Best Of Shoe Paster Apprentice". What exactly that was, one can only guess. Harriett, now 14, was the only girl of the eight children. James, at only 12 years old, was also a Best of Shoe Apprentice. All of the children after James, with the exception of one year old Harry, were 'scholars' - what we would call 'students' nowadays. During this period, James Shepherd’s occupation as recorded in the Census was Gardener/Journeyman. The word journeyman comes from the French word journée, which means a period of one day. Essentially, that meant that he had finished his learning period or apprenticeship (most youngsters were apprenticed in those days to learn a trade) and had gone onto the stage of being relatively independent. He could travel around and offer his services for a daily rate; but he had not yet reached the stage of master or head gardener. Ten years later, in the 1871 Census, we discover that James Shepherd and his family were back at their original address – St. Pancras Street, Chichester. At the time of the census, James was 47 years old, and Elizabeth 44. Their family had grown even larger with the addition of two more children. There were two more boys - Ernest who was then 9 years old, and a new baby called Stephen - just 8 months old. Those were the only two children living at home with them. Although their older brothers Charles and Alfred were just 16 and 14, they were not listed in the household; however, so far, we are unable to find them listed at any other residence. Elizabeth Shepherd’s occupation is never mentioned, but it is clear that she was a housewife all her adult life. She would have had her first child when she was 21, and her last child when she was 46 - occupation enough! By 1881 we find the Shepherd family living at 6, Guilden Road, Oving, Sussex. James Shepherd, the gardener, was now 58 years old and his wife 55. The only child living with them was their youngest son Stephen, 10 years old - a scholar. I guess Stephen was what we would call in Trinidad their "lagniappe"! At their home at the time of this Census, there was also a lady called Jane Brenner, a widow of 55 years old, who was a 'lodger' or boarder. She was a ‘needlewoman’ from Hampshire. We don't know her connection, if any, with the family, but are curious to find out why she was living with them. The final Census in which we find James Shepherd and his wife Elizabeth, was recorded in 1891; James and his wife Elizabeth were living at 2 Kingshame Terrace, Basin Road, Chichester. James was still a Gardener. Their youngest son, twenty-year old Stephen, was ‘Drapers Assistant’ and was living at this address with his parents in their golden years. From notations on the back of a photo of the brothers Charles and Stephen, we believe that James and Elizabeth had thirteen children in all; but so far we have only been able to find ten of them. Left is Charles Sheppard born 1853 and his youngest brother Stephen, born in 1862. The handwriting on the back of the photo is that of Charles' daughter Nellie, born in 189 1. This story continues with only two of James' and Elizabeth’s offspring – the middle children: Charles , who remained in England, and the brother who came right after him, Alfred Sheppard . Alfred's life would take him to the island of Trinidad. There he would marry and make Trinidad his permanent home. He became my great-grandfather and that of all the Trinidad Sheppard/Mendes families of my generation.

Family of Charles Sheppard and Mary Ellen Fisher - England This is part of a collection of photographs which belonged to my Uncle John Sheppard who lived in England. A close friend of Nell Sheppard in Wem, Shropshire, had sent them to him after she died. John had known his cousin Nell, and had visited her in Wem and kept in touch. We are most grateful to his widow Valerie, and my cousin Kathleen Sheppard (Henry) in England, who sent them to us. Because of what had been written on the backs of the photos all those years ago, they were invaluable in helping us to trace the origins of the Sheppards. (Click on the photos to enlarge them, and use the arrows to scroll through the album.) 4665.jpg Charles Sheppard, age 20 Birth Certificate of Charles 4666.jpg Back of previous photo of Charles Sheppard 4725.jpg CYRIL SHEPPARD The eldest child of Charles and Mary Ellen Sheppard 4664.jpg Cyril Sheppard Back of previous photo Cyril Sheppard Wem Born in Woolwich 16-6-1886 4663.jpg Cyril Charles Sheppard Show More

Barbados Turf Club Tony Archer John Anthony Keith Archer TONY (1939 - 1984) Tony Archer was was an avid Barbadian sportsman. He enjoyed playing water polo and tennis. He played cricket for the Wanderers Club and in the eighties he became a member of the Windward Cricket Club. But horses were his first love. He represented Barbados in show jumping and polo for a number of years. He was also a keen competitor in dressage, and sponsored many equestrian events through his family business, J.A.K. Archer & Co. Ltd. Later he turned his enormous enthusiasm and knowledge of horses to the sport of horse-racing. He served as a member of the Committee of Management of The Barbados Turf Club and was the youngest person ever to be appointed as Steward of The Barbados Turf Club. Tony Archer

 Man of the Soil The author of this tribute, Michael L. (Mike) Goddard, has been dubbed 
"the voice of horse racing in Barbados".
 Mike is a multi-award-winning Caribbean journalist who has been inducted into the
Barbados Association of Journalists’ Hall of Fame. People from all walks of life are mourning the death of Tony Archer, a man who during his lifetime became a friend of all. The large crowd which overflowed the Roman Catholic Cathedral at Jemmotts Lane was indicative of the respect and love which followed this man throughout his lifetime. The sudden death of John Anthony Keith “Tony” Archer last month, left a shocking numbness which will take sometime to wear off. However, those of us who were fortunate to come into contact with him will always remember his pleasant personality and his constant willingness to help. In the world of horse racing, Tony Archer made his mark not only as a much respected steward, but as a forward thinking person always ready to adopt new ideas. He introduced sponsorship to horse racing in Barbados when his company J.A.K. Archer & Co. Ltd. launched the Martini Vermouth St. Leger back in 1966. Since that first sponsored event this phenomenon has grown to tremendous heights in Barbados, but few remember the input of Tony Archer. When the Martini Vermouth St. Leger failed to develop into the type of race that Tony envisaged, he abandoned the event, but returned some years later, this time with a new sponsor for the island’s most historic event. The Mackeson Derby was the brainchild of Tony Archer and before the introduction of the rich Cockspur Gold Cup was the race of the year in Barbados. Tony had only one way of doing things and that was the best. With this in mind, he turned what used to be an ordinary classic into the most prestigious creole race in Barbados. He assisted in increasing the stakes, putting a valuable trophy and staging a crowd pleasing event worthy of any of the major racing centers in the world. With the backing of Tony Archer, race sponsorship reached new heights. Tony Archer had one pet peeve and that was the poor standard of riding in Barbados. He therefore in his own way set out to correct what he saw as a major stumbling block to the development of horse racing Barbados. He was the driving force behind the establishment of the Jockey School, and one of his major disappointments came when this establishment closed its doors a few years ago. Just before his untimely death, Tony Archer had once again set out towards having this school reopened as a means of improving the standard of riding. Jockeys at the Garrison will not hesitate to tell you that as long as Tony was a sitting steward for a particular day, they could expect to be summoned to be told in no uncertain way that they must be at the top of their profession. In addition, if they made a mistake during the course of that day, they would be recalled on the very next day to be shown their faults and asked to correct them. So committed was Tony to this that on several occasions when most people had missed things in a race he came up with something. For instance, toward the end of the last racing season two jockeys were fined, one for handing his whip to his colleague during the course of a race and the other for receiving it. Not only did he call up the two jockeys, but he also found the appropriate rule that they had infringed. Tony Archer served for several years as a steward of the Barbados Turf Club, and he geared himself for this learning all the rules and reading every scrap of information that would improve his capabilities. He was also an open man and was always ready to explain why he had taken a particular decision. He was a hard but fair steward and his one aim was to ensure the highest standards in the sport of horse racing. He was also one of the people responsible for introducing the filming of racing in Barbados, a move which made it easier for the stewards to review a race and see particular incidents. He made sure they got the appropriate equipment and he used it to the fullest. Tony Archer has passed on and will surely be missed, but he has left behind an excellent example for us to follow. He was a perfectionist and one must realize that his path would be a hard one to walk. However, he has shown us that to aim for the best should be our main objective, no matter what we do. For my part, I feel that I had lost not only a friend, but a confidant and one who I could always turn to for advice and support. In fact, just days before his death we had discussed a project that I was planning and I was on my way home to call him when news of his death reached me. Tony . . . rest in peace. You have done your part and all that’s left is for us to emulate you. Tony Archer died on 14 July, 1984 at the age of 45. In March 2006, he was inducted into The Barbados Turf Club's Hall of Fame in recognition of his significant contributions to the sport of horse racing in Barbados. I am pictured here with our eldest and youngest children, Paul (left)) and Philip (right) having received the certificate of induction. The occasion was reported in the Barbados Sunday Advocate of March 19, 2006 Barbados Mackeson Derby at the Garrison Savannah - Saturday August 11, 1984 My husband, Tony Archer, was Managing Director of J.A.K. Archer & Co. Ltd., agents for Mackeson Stout, and sponsors of the Barbados Derby. Tony had died just a month before the big feature race. “Generator” owned by Trinidadian Mr. Navarro, trained by Steven Jardim and ridden by top Barbadian jockey Venice Richards are pictured above. Our two eldest sons, Paul and Wayne Archer - then 17 and 16 years old - were invited to join in the lead-in by the connections, in honour of their father. It was a poignant moment. Amateur Jockey Race at The Garrison, Barbados circa 1978/79 Tony Archer took the lead and won on "September Song " Amateur Jockey Race at The Garrison, Barbados circa 1978/79 Tony Archer Tony on "September Song" being led in by son Paul Archer with Anne Marie Moore "Gilly Gilly" being led in by owner Tony Archer, son Paul - around 1977 "Gilly Gilly" being led in by owner Tony Archer, son Wayne, and Hon. Da Costa Edwards, Minister of Education - around 1977 For Gilly-Gilly's win, I received the prize of a silver coffee and tea service from Governor General of Barbados,Sir Deighton Lisle Ward GCMG GCVO. He was the 2nd native Governor General of Barbados after the island became independent in 1966 See also: J.A.K. (Tony) Archer - Barbados Polo Club The Archer Family Barbados

My father, Andrew Sheppard, was an early riser. In those quiet morning hours with his first cup of coffee he often expressed his thoughts and wrote about his memories of growing up in Trinidad. I have transcribed his writings to preserve for our family history. Valerie Sheppard

Barbados Polo Archer family POLO IN BARBADOS A Personal Memoir https://www.polobarbados.com/ My involvement with the Barbados Polo Club started the year I married Tony Archer. It was soon after we returned from our honeymoon in July 1966. The first polo match he took me to was at the Garrison, where I watched him play for the first time. Polo had been played there by British cavalry officers in 1884 when the Club was first formed. According to the late Keith Melville, who presided as President for thirty-nine years, the club became inactive between 1929 and 1939 due to the Great Depression. After 1939, the Club was revived and polo was played at the Garrison once more, mostly by the Barbadian planters. Tony was not a planter, but he had a deep love for horses and all equestrian sports. It was all new to me as an 18 year old Trinidadian girl who had never been around horses before, far less watched a polo match. I seldom missed a polo afternoon when my husband played. One by one, as our babies were born (there were five of them) they would be packed up and carted along with us to polo. In those days, it felt like a family affair and generations of polo players enjoyed the sport and the socializing afterwards. When the Polo Club moved from the Garrison to Holders, there was no clubhouse, only a tent made up of palm leaves. The bar was the back of our station wagon, as Tony was in charge of the bar. Needless to say, we were always the last to leave! Members ran up tabs and I assisted Tony in sending out the bar bills at month end, all written by hand. By the end of 1966, the clubhouse had become a reality and was ready for the first touring team from Potomac, USA. A team from Barbados had played against Potomac the year before, and thus began long and lasting friendships and competitive tournaments with the Americans. Sandwiches and cakes were made by members' wives who provided and served afternoon teas. Back then, polo wives prepared dishes for the dinners served at the club house after tournaments with visiting teams. Casette tapes provided music for dancing, and the bar which was located in the centre of the clubhouse was solid! Children of polo players loved to run barefoot and wild on the field after matches and often had little polo sticks made for them to knock balls. Many of these children became players themselves when they grew up, and now several of their children also play polo. When I came across an article tucked between Tony's scrapbook of 'horsie' stuff and read a visitor’s description of an afternoon at the Barbados Polo Club in 1969, it jogged my memory and senses. She had it exactly right. Fifty-five years ago, polo on the island was not yet the popular spectator sport it has become today. It was for many generations of Barbadians and their families simply a "polo afternoon”. Really, a wonderful afternoon. Many of us young mothers were juggling watching the kids and trying to keep an eye on the game so that we could be suitably excited when our man scored or mutter soothing commiserations when his team lost. There were spills and falls and fouls and sometimes we could hear some unmentionable language among the thundering hooves and clatter of sticks. And then there were the post-mortems of the game, the after-match banter in the clubhouse well into the dark of night, babies in their carrycots that slept blissfully throughout all the raising decibels. Over the years, Tony served as Secretary/Treasurer and was a playing member of The Barbados Polo Club. He represented Barbados in several international tournaments. After my husband's untimely passing in 1984, I was granted Honorary Life Membership for his sterling contribution. This honour I treasure, and the memories make me smile. The following article has been transcribed from these pages ‘THE POLO GROUNDS OF BARBADOS’ "Barbados is the Caribbean bastion of the very British sport of polo – developed by the ancient Egyptians and named by the Tibetans." From the Caribbean BEACHCOMBER, July/August 1969 with text by Carol Howland Nothing indicated that this grassy plain might be a polo field. The field was empty, the grass a deep healthy green, joined by a mane of trees to a sky heavily laden with violet clouds. The October afternoon was warm, tropical, languorous. To the west lay the sea, fired by the late afternoon sun to a blade of blinding silver. A gang of little Bajan boys came running up, laughing and tapping metal hoops over the rutted track that ran along the edge of the field. On the theory that where there are horses – or about to be horses – there little boys are found, I asked them if this was Holder’s Hill, home of the Barbados Polo Club. “Yeah, the horses, they goin’ to be heah soon now.” They continued on with their hoops to the end of the field. It seemed a large field to an eye accustomed to American football. But how much larger it must have had to be to accommodate a couple of thousand Egyptians performing their springtime fertility rites – the alleged origin of the game. The Egyptians, using the ball as the symbol of fertility, divided themselves into “teams” representing the opposing forces of spring and winter, these “teams” sometimes numbering as many as a thousand each. It was the Persians however, who in the first few centuries of the Christian era adapted the springtime rite of horseback. From Persia the game traveled East during the 5th century, gaining a name in Tibet as “pulu”. From Tibet it moved on to China and is first mentioned in literature of that country by the poet She Chaun Chi, who died in 713 A.D. Polo is known to have been popular in India as early as the 16th Century. By the time the British arrived in the 19th, it had almost disappeared. The British carried the game back to England, and polo was first played in the West at the Hurlingham Club of London in 1873, introduced by officers of the 10th Hussars. A year later the club men sat down and drew up the first rules of the modern game. Teams were reduced from eight or ten players to five, soon further reduced to the present-day four. The field was drawn at 200 by 300 yards. Regulation mallets were to be made of cane or rattan, measuring from 50 to 60 inches long. Balls for outdoor play were to be made of hard willow root. And the game was divided into periods called chukkers, seven-and-a-half minutes long with three-minute breaks for changing ponies. I watched the little boys, still driving their hoops, loping barefoot through the soft grass across the field. Then came the sound of a straining engine, and a horse trailer hitched to a station wagon appeared at the crest of the hill. It bounced over the track and came to a halt. A stable boy got out, lowered a ramp, and let down a sleek bay. He was a beautiful animal, gleaming in the sun, tossing his head cheerfully as the groom struggled down the ramp with saddle, bridle and other paraphernalia. As if by signal, other trucks and trailers began to arrive. In now more than ten minutes the place was aswarm with wives chatting about children, clothes, and cane. Knots of men, dashing and lean-looking in their flared riding breeches and knee-high boots polished to a fine sheen, with here and there a mallet or a helmet in hand, discussed the progress of this or that horse. Each animal, in turn, had its crowd of boyish admirers. The grooms worked unhurriedly, as though the sun would hang there an inch above the sea like a spotlight until the play was finished. What might well have been no more than a grassy pasture was now undeniably a polo field. Anxious horses, shanks bound, pawed the earth, snorted nervously, side-stepped and jostled their magnificent heads up and down in an arched motion that could only be interpreted as “let’s go.” Heavy in the air were the mingled odors of horses, leather, saddle soap, polished metal, grass, earth and sea – a good rich aroma. One by one the players began to break away from their groups to approach a slim gray-haired man who appeared to be an official. Margaret Dowding, who serves as official timekeeper for the club and is the wife of one of the players, explained that since it is always uncertain who will turn out to play, the club uses a handicap system of drawing lots so that the teams will be evenly matched. The players began to don the team weskits. One of them swung into his saddle and galloped onto the field. More followed until a round dozen or so were swinging mallets and charging up and down. “These are warm-up skirmishes,” Mrs. Dowding said. “They’ll take all the horses out for a minute or two to limber them up. Most of the players own two or three horses.” There are about 30 playing members in the club and 40 or 50 horses. Most of the horses are either race horses which haven’t lived up to expectations, or show horses, or sometimes ponies, bought very young when their previous owners didn’t believe they showed promise. Mrs. Dowding’s husband, Andrew, bought one such pony. Now, after much patient training, he is one of the best horses in the club, to the chagrin of the man who sold him. It takes four or five years to properly train a horse for the game. He must learn to respond to finger-tip control. He must learn to stop short, turn sharply, twist and weave. But most importantly, he must become accustomed to having the mallet swung close to his head. To my surprise, a woman took the field. “A lot more used to go out,” Mrs. Dowding said, “but not many now.” I asked when polo was first played in Barbados. No one seemed to know exactly, but it is known that it was played on the Old Parade Ground in colonial days by officers of the British troops garrisoned in the still-standing red barracks buildings in St. James.** Whether or not this was before James Gordon Bennet, publisher of the old New York Herald introduced it to the U.S. in Rhode Island, in 1876, is uncertain. In any case, what began in Barbados as the sport of gentlemen soldiers has become the legacy of gentlemen planters. The present Barbados Club was founded in 1937 by Henry A. Arthur, now owner of the Ridgeway Plantation in St. Thomas. (His son, Andrew, is currently a playing member.) Jamaica, with the only other club in the Caribbean, visited for a series in 1949. Barbados played a series against Caracas in 1951 and made a return visit to Jamaica in 1964. A boost came in 1965 when Janet Kidd, daughter of Lord Beaverbrook, British publishing magnate, leased a cane field to the club. The cane was uprooted, the field planted in grass and inaugurated by a visit of the Potomac Club of Washington D.C. in January, 1966. Photo on right: l/r Rachel Carpenter, John Marsh, Hon. Mrs. Janet Kidd, 1966 The Holders polo field was still planted in sugar cane, and these photos were taken when some of the members went to have a look around. The bell announced the first chukker of the day. Extra horses and players filed from the field, leaving ten men, four on each team, and the two referees. Another bell and the sharp crack of mallet against ball set the game in motion. How beautiful it was to watch – choreography as graceful as a ballet. A fast-moving, exciting sport, it had none of the monotony of tennis or the incomprehensibility of football. It features splendid animals trained to reach to man’s wishes. Aside from the fact that only a man of some means can afford to keep horses, have the leisure to train them or the wherewithal to hire trainers, it is little wonder polo found favor among the British gentry. Charging up and down the field they went, mallets held high in striking position. A long drive, the wooden ball whizzing through the grass; then the crack of a mallet would turn the pack off into a new direction. Occasionally a player riding in hard from the side would reverse the ball. Almost by synchronization the horses would wheel and charge off toward the opposite goal. Sometimes a series of short intercepted drives would draw them into a tight, twisting skirmish, to be broken by a long drive out into the clear. The bell rang again, ending the first chukker. This would give the players time to change horses. Suddenly I realized I was probably the only spectator. Everyone else was either a player, a club member, or somehow related. I asked why it was so; weren’t visitors welcome? The answer: of course. But Bajans (as Barbadians call themselves) are avid cricket fans, and as it happens, cricket matches are also played on Saturday afternoons. And so, were it not for a few die-hard devotees, an elegant sport that started as a free-for-all fertility rite in ancient Egypt would languish for lack of popularity. But in spite of the lack of glory, in Barbados every Saturday afternoon from June to January when the cane crop has been harvested and the sun is beginning its rapid descent, the planters don their helmets, grasp their mallets, mount gleaming steeds and ride out for a few chukkers in the grand old tradition of the gentlemanly sport. ** (My note: The barracks are actually in St. Michael, by the Garrison - not St. James.) BARBADOS POLO CLUB HOSTED BRITISH ROYALTY - 1973 King Charles III, formerly known as The Prince of Wales, became King on the death of his mother Queen Elizabeth II on 8 September 2022. In August 1973, the Bajan magazine published the following article about Prince Charles and the Barbados Polo Club. As my husband, Tony Archer, was one of the polo players who played matches with him, I had the pleasure of an informal chat with the young Prince Charles after chukkas in the club house at Holders. "H.R.H Prince Charles plays polo in Barbados" "One of Prince Charles' real loves is the game of polo and while here on a visit to Barbados during the month of June aboard the H.M.S. Minerva he was invited to play several chukkas on no less than two different occasions as well as an afternoon of practise with members of the Barbados Polo Club. The Prince himself a good polo player again met some of the same Barbadian players with whom he played against last summer in England. Polo fans turned out in large numbers to see the matches and several had the good fortune of talking with the charming young gentleman who has the ability of immediately putting his audience at ease." l/r Geoff Howell (backing camera), Paul Officer, the Prince's Equerry, C.O. Williams (pointing) H.R.H. Prince Charles, Ken Frost (President Barbados Polo Club), Tony Archer, Vere Davis and Owen Deane. l/r Andy Dowding, Tony Archer playing #4, Vere Davis centre, H.R.H. Prince Charles, Roger Gooding playing #2 Typical after-match in the clubhouse, sometime in the seventies. COW (Sir Charles Othneil Williams) and Tony with his boot on the stack of old-time metal chairs. Hot, sweaty polo team shirts had already been changed and it was time for socializing. I was somewhere there and our children were running around playing (running wild) on the polo field in the dark. THE BARBADOS POLO CLUB ARCHIVAL PHOTOS Photo restoration by Richard Archer TONY'S SCRAPBOOK Newspaper clippings of various equestrian events Barbados Polo Team to Jamaica - 1969 l/r: Tony Archer, Vere Davis, C.O Williams, Andy Dowding, John Kidd Above: Our son, Wayne Archer - President of the Barbados Polo Club since 2013 Below: Wayne's son Joshua Archer, current Secretary of the Barbados Polo Club Below: At the presentation of the Tony Archer Memorial Trophy in March 2017, held before the start of the Cheshire vs. Barbados match. Far left is our granddaughter Zoe and her mother Monique Archer, whose team won. Our family donated the challenge trophy to the club in the 80's. March 2017 - Margaret Dowding (referred to in the article above) and myself, with my sons Wayne and Richard Archer In February 2024 the Whitehall team lead by my grandson Joshua Archer won his grandfather's memorial trophy l/r: Richard Archer, Valerie and husband Meindert v.d. Meulen, Joshua Archer, his parents Monique and Wayne Archer, Ingrid Martinez Archer and her husband Eduardo Martinez See also: J.A.K. (Tony) Archer - Barbados Turf Club The Archer Family Barbados The Barbados Polo Club (website by Richard Archer) This page has been lovingly created in memory of John Anthony Keith (Tony) Archer 23 March 1939 - 14 July 1984

Friendships~Partnerships~Family Ties Unravelling the Connections - Part II Co-founder of Char les McE nea rney & Co. Ltd. The Ford Dealership, Trinidad Robert de Sousa, better known as Bobby, was a most interesting man. Born on July 4 1880 in Trinidad, he was educated at Boys’ Model School (later Tranquility School). In 1904 when he was 24 years old, he married Alice Fer r eira, daughter of Moses Ferreir a and Isabella de Freitas. Moses owned and ran the Vista Bella Coal Mine in San Fernando. At that young age, Bob by was already the Branch Manager in south Trinidad of a business owned by Albert Mendes . (Incidentally, Alb ert's wife Mary Periera was my great-grandmother Christina Pereira's sister.) Alice and Bobby had six children They were Leslie , Grace, Kathleen, R ichard (Neville), Lena (Joyce) and Stanley. Two of his children, Leslie and Joyce, married two Sheppard siblings, my aunt Ida and uncle Bertie. The de Sousa family lived in a beautiful home situated near the Savannah in Port of Spain. Robert was a Freemason, having joined the Prince of Wales Lodge in Alexandra Street, Port of Spain in 1918. Robert (Bobby) de Sousa was the co-founder of the Ford dealership in Trinidad, Charles McEnearney & Co. Ltd. , and became the sole own er of the firm when Charles M cEnearney left Trinidad and returned to the USA. When Bobby decided to move to Grenada, he sol d the company to brothers George and Melville de Nobriga who, like himself, were Trinidadians of Portuguese parentage. After selling his interest in McEnearneys to the de Nobrigas, he joined Geo. F. Huggins & Co. Ltd., becoming one of the Directors of that company. In Grenada, he becam e Managing Director of George F. Huggins & Co. Ltd., the largest trade and commercial concern in Grenada at the time. Bobby de Sousa purchased and managed a large group of estates in Grenada and is said to have owned a small island in the Grenadines. He had a keen interest in horseracing and owned many famous racehorses. He also became one of the founders and directors of the cinema business in Grenada. The family relates that his wife Alice did not want to uproot her family to move to Grenada, so she continued to live in their family home in Port of Spain so that the children could continue their schooling there. The couple never divorced and Robert enjoyed the rest of his life in Grenada. Robert's daughter Joyce and her husband Bertie Sheppard also moved from Trinidad to Grenada. Following in his father-in-law's footsteps, Bertie became the Managing Director of Huggins & Co. Ltd. there. Robert (B obby) de Sousa Painting of "Bagshot" - the de Sousa Family home where Alice de Sousa lived with the children in Trinidad (Courtesy Joan (de Sousa) Bodu) l/r: Bertie Sheppard, Kathleen de Sousa and her father Robert de Sousa, in his garden over looking the harbour, Grenada Robert de Sousa and his son Stanley, Grenada Robert de Sousa died in Grenada on 21 July 1966 when he was 86 years old and was laid to rest there. Alice predeceased him in 1962 and her gravesite is in Mucurapo Cemetery in Trinidad. Their descendants are now spread far and wide - from the Caribbean to as far as Peru, England, Canada and America. CHARLES McENEARNEY & CO. LTD, TRINIDAD The McEnearney - de Nobriga - Gibson Connection Melville de Nobriga married Amy Gibson, whose brothers Ralph and Robert "Bunny" Gibson also joined the firm of Charles McEnearney & Co. Ltd. In 1925 Robert was transferred to San Fernando where he ran the branch there, while his younger brother Ralph worked his way up from the bottom at the Richmond Street headquarters in Port of Spain, having started working the petrol pumps as a schoolboy during vacation time. Ralph's brother "Bunny" Gibson died in a tragic accident in 1961, and in that same year within a short space of time, his brother-in-law Melville de Nobriga also passed away. In 1962, following those unfortunate deaths, Ralph became McEnearney's Chairman and Managing Director. Ralph held those positions until his retirement in 1982. Here again we see family ties, as Ralph Gibson married Charles McEnearney's daughter. I find it interesting to note that Ralph Gibson's grandfather had come to Trinidad from England and worked with the prison service attached to the St. James Barracks where my English great-grandfather Alfred Sheppard also served, first with his Regiment and later with the Trinidad Police Force. Charles McEnearney himself was an Irish-born immigrant. The de Nobriga brothers and Robert de Sousa were of Portuguese ancestry. In Barbados, Charles McEnearney's business partner Charles MacKenzie was of Scottish ancestry, all of his children bearing the family middle name Straghan. The Caribbean is truly a melting pot of intertwined families and people from different nations. Click to see Unravelling the Connections - Part I The Synchronicity of Life . . . I find that tracing the intertwining of families and events is fascinating. This story was first compiled by me on 17 October, 2021. On 4 November, following the death of my former husband David MacKenzie on 17 September 2023, I added the chapter about him. All of the newspaper articles are from my own collection. With thanks to:- Ryan de Sousa and family for providing family photos My cousins Joan (de Sousa) Bodu, Kathleen (Sheppard) Henry, and Bernie Henry for sharing oral family history J. David S. MacKenzie who gave me the book "The History of the ANSA McAL Group of Companies – 125 Years of Business" published in 2006. (David was a contributor of information and photos for the publication.) Douglas S. MacKenzie for providing information Genealogy sites on the internet for research My father Andrew Sheppard for his handwritten memoirs about the Portuguese in Trinidad.

Lobo & St. Hill Families - Barbados ~ A Memoir ~ Lobo and St. Hill families, circa 1925 l/r back row: Colin Lobo, Garnet St.Hill, Isaac Clement Milton Lobo, Frank Lobo, Arthur Lobo. l/r middle row: Carmen Lobo (seated), behind her Freida Lobo, Esmee (Lobo) St. Hill with baby Betty St. Hill, Lillian (Boyle) Lobo, Hilda Lobo, Thelma St. Hill l/r front: Clem St. Hill, Harry St. Hill Penned by Jimmy Lawless July 8, 2011 This story was sent to me by Elizabeth Cole née Lawless, who lives in Barbados. It was written by her uncle Jimmy Lawless. Elizabeth's family and the St. Hill and Lobo family shared many family occasions, as is described in this affectionately written memoir. Dolly Lawless née Atkinson was Elizabeth's grandmother. Ivy was one of Dolly's sisters. Our families also share another connection not mentioned: Elizabeth's aunt Sylvia Boxill married my uncle Louis St. Hill, my mother's brother. Colin Lobo was my great-uncle, my maternal grandmother's brother. Dolly (Kathleen) Lawless’ sister, Ivy Atkinson, married Colin Lobo in the early 1930’s and so the Lawless and Lobo families were brought together by marriage. Colin and Ivy Lobo - 25 Nov 1933 The Lobo's home "Raeburn" is the large yellow house. Below is a photo of it from the roadside. Unfortunately, this lovely Bajan family home that held so many memories was sold has since been demolished. The Lobos lived at “Raeburn” on the sea-side of the Hastings Road about 200 yards west of the Hastings Rocks. From memory, the family consisted of the parents, Mr.& Mrs. Lobo and several children. The names I remember are: Colin, Frank and Arthur (better known as “Shortie” or “Pepper”) and Esmee, Freida, Hilda and Carmen. They were all of an out-going and friendly character and all enjoyed a good party. Their love of a good party was regularly satisfied by parties given by Colin and Ivy at their home “Windmark” in Harts Gap. There was always a Christmas dinner with a large table filling the drawing room from which all the furniture had been removed to accommodate the very large table at which the Lobo, St.Hill and Lawless families were seated. There were other parties during the year which did not involve a sit-down meal, but were what were called “cocktail” parties. The guests were drawn from a wide spectrum of Colin’s friends. These included many of the horse-racing fraternity, including some of the English jockeys who were then the elite jockeys in Barbados. These included Edgar Crossley and his wife who were regular, and Thirkell. My mother, Betty St. Hill at 15 with her cousin Denis Hart and his fiancée Gloria The drinks flowed freely, and the “itals” were the best bouchees, patties, stuffed eggs, sandwiches and other goodies which were standard fare at the best cocktail parties. I do not remember (my brother) David being at these parties and I believe he stayed with Miss Edith Hutson while Tony and I were allowed to tag along. We did our fair share of gorging on the eats! Harry St.Hill and his cousin, Norman Hart, who were teenagers, used to cheat and hit a few of the cocktails before the butlers left the kitchen area with the trays of drinks! They were not supposed to drink any alcoholic drinks, but somehow they sometimes became somewhat unsteady on their feet before the party was over. After the Christmas dinner was over, the music started. It was then that the musical talent of the Lobo and St.Hill families became evident. All had good voices. Of the Lobos, Arthur had a good tenor voice, and the ladies could give a good rendition of the carols and other popular songs which were sung. But the musicians of particular note were from the St.Hill family. The father, Garnet, impressed me immensely. He not only had a very strong tenor/baritone voice but excelled in making music on unusual instruments. First, he played the “bones”. These consisted of two pairs of actual bones about four or five inches long which were placed between the fingers of both hands and made a loud noise when the hands were shaken. Garnet used these bones as a percussion instrument and the effect was outstanding. He also played the musical bottles. A series of bottles with varying amounts of water in them were struck by a implement which produced a particular note depending on which bottle was struck. The bottles were “tuned” to produce the correct notes, and Garnet could play tunes on them. Both he and Betty played the musical saw. The handle of an ordinary carpenter’s saw was held between the knees and a violin bow was drawn across the edge of the saw which did not have teeth. This produced a musical sound which was varied by the flexing of the saw with the left hand. Betty St.Hill was a musical prodigy and would have gone far in the musical world if she had been born in some big country away from Barbados. She used to tap-dance and sing as well as to play the piano and saw. The musical talent which Betty had in abundance has been transmitted to her children, the Sheppards, who continue to play a significant part in the musical scene in Barbados. They obviously enjoyed playing their music and the pleasure it gave to those of us who shared their exuberance. It taught me that music was something to be enjoyed and appreciated. Apart from the musical talents of the St.Hill family, my own life has been greatly affected by two members of that family. The first one to have an influence on my life was Mr. St.Hill himself. Garnet St.Hill was a kite enthusiast. I too was a kite enthusiast and every Easter kite season I would make several kites. They consisted of 3-stick small kites, 4-stick round kites with one round-head and one bull, “Umbrella” kites which had the sticks bent back so as to look like an umbrella, and “Singing Angel” kites which had bulls all around the kite. But Mr. St.Hill had other kites which were not flat kites like the ones I made. Some of his kites were made of cloth instead of paper, and were in more than one dimension, not flat one-dimension kites like mine. In particular he had a four-foot box kite which he flew at a spot where the Canadian Embassy now stands. There were no houses between Bishop’s Court and Pine Hill in those days. That whole stretch of land was where the Belleville people went to fly kites at Easter-time. The box kite which Mr. St.Hill had was a very powerful thing and he had to use thick marlin and gloves to fly it. He taught me the secret of the ratios of the lengths of the sticks, the spacing between sticks, and the area of cloth necessary to make this very unlikely looking object into something which would fly like a kite. I used his formula to make a half-size box kite and subsequently made one in Antigua which caused a sensation there in 1943 as no one there had ever seen a box that would fly! I have also made one here in Burlington, Ontario, Canada and have flown it in the Central Park here. I will always be grateful to Garnet St.Hill for his tuition in kite making. Garnet St. Hill with his prize winning kite - Barbados Independence, 1966 Photographed by his grandson Peter A. Sheppard Harry St. Hill The other member of the St.Hill family who materially directed the course of my life was Harry St.Hill . This he did without ever knowing the role he played in the direction my life took. Harry had joined Cable & Wireless (West Indies) Ltd. and trained as a wireless operator and had been transferred to Antigua. He and Colin Bynoe were the two operators from Barbados who manned the only means of communication which Antigua had with the world. Antigua was one of the few islands in what was then the British West Indies which did not have a cable connection with any other island or territory. Harry never wanted to go to Antigua in the first place and asked the Divisional Manager, Mr. Douglas, how long was he going to be in Antigua. The DM told him “about a year”. When Harry had been in Antigua one year and there was no sign of a replacement for him to return to Barbados, Harry became upset. He soon developed a sickness. The DM received a message from the Officer-in-Charge of Antigua that Harry had been certified as unfit for duty and should be repatriated as soon as possible. The sickness Harry was diagnosed as having was “bilharzia”, which is usually known as “hook-worm”. This is a parasitic worm which lives in rivers and gets into the body when people bathe or wade in rivers. There are no rivers in Antigua, and none in Barbados, so Harry must have done something very strange to contract this sickness. At the time I was training to be a cable operator in a batch of probationers which included Charlie Warren. Vincent Johnson and Vernon Pilgrim. Mr. A. M. Wilson, a retired C & W man, was our teacher. Mr. Douglas came to him and asked who of his batch of probationers would he choose to learn to be a wireless operator. Mr. Wilson said, “Lawless”. Mr. Douglas told me to report to the Reef Wireless Station the next day to learn to be a wireless operator. So I became a wireless operator and was transferred to Antigua, January 1943, to replace Harry St.Hill. If Harry had not created a crisis in Antigua, I would never have had two wonderful years in Antigua and would never have gotten into the technical stream at C & W which shaped the whole of my working career. SEE ALSO: LOBO & D'AZEVEDO FAMILY

Friendships~Partnerships~Family Ties U n ravelling the Connections - Part I In October 2022 Ford celebrated 100 years in Barbado s. I was pleased to have provided some historical information to ANSA's Marketing Manage r in Barbados for commemorative promotions . Chapter 1 TRINIDAD THE FORD DEALERSHIP Charles McEnearney and Robert de Sousa Just four months after the end of The Great War, and at the height of the popularity of the Ford Model T, the operation of the Trinidad Ford dealership commenced in the name of a young Irishman. On 19th March 1919, the Charles McEnearney Ford dealership was opened at No. 25 Richmond Street in Port of Spain, Trinidad. What is not widely known is that Charles McEnearney’s partner in business and the co-founder of the well-known automobile business was Robert (Bobby) de Sousa , a member of a long-established Portuguese family in Trinidad. He was an estate proprietor who had started his working life in San Fernando as a merchant. Several years after co-founding the company that bore his name, Charles McEnearney decided to leave Trinidad and return to the United States. He sold his interest in the business to Robert de Sousa who then ran the entity at No. 25 Richmond Street as sole owner. Newspaper advertisement - 1926 TRINIDAD THE DE SOUSA - SHEPPARD CONNECTION Leslie de Sousa and Ida Sheppard Joyce de Sousa and Bertie Sheppard During that time, the Sheppard family lived at No. 30 Richmond Street , directly opposite to the McEnearney dealership and showroom at No. 25 Richmond Street. My grandfather, Charles (Charlie) Sheppard , had bought the large residence where he lived with his wife Elsie Gomez and 12 children until his untimely death in 1931. It was at the McEnearney business across t he street that Robert de Sousa's son Leslie met and fell in love with my father’s sister, Ida Sheppard . A romance ensued and they were married on 22nd July 1933 at St. Ann's Church of Scotland , Port of Spain. Ida’s parents (my grandparents) were also of Portuguese roots. The family ties between de Sousa and Sheppard families became even stronger when Robert de Sousa’s daughter Joyce married my father's brother Charles Albert (Bertie) Sheppard, in 193 8. Thus, two de Sousa siblings wed two Sheppard siblings. Chapter 2 BARBADOS THE McENEARNEY - MACKENZIE CONNECTION Charles McEnearney and Charles MacKenzie The Ford Dealership Charles E dward McEnearney was born on 29 April, 1887 in Rathfriland, Ireland and grew up in County Down. He was a Naturalized American citizen, having immigrated to the USA as a mi nor with his parents. Records show that he traveled back and forth from his home in New York to Trinidad. He brought to Trinidad two American dealerships: the Singer Sewing Machine Company and the Ford Motorcar Company. He also represented an American company seeking to purchase copra and other coconut-based products. His USA World War I Draft Registration states that he was then 30 years old, working as the Manager of the Singer Sewing Machine Company in Trinidad in 1917. It appears that he was never called to serve in active duty. Charles McEnearney’s good friend was Barbadian businessman Charles Straghan MacKenzie. born on 12 February 1897. It was through selling Singer Sewing Machines that they first met, as Charles MacKenzie had the Singer Sewing Machine agency in Barbados. It was to be the start of their lifelong friendship and business relationship. In 1918, the two young men decided to go into business together starting with the Firestone Tyre agency, founding the Barbados partnership Charles McEnearney. In October 1922 they obtained the Ford agency for Barbados, selling the popular Model T. As Charles MacKenzie's youngest son Douglas quipped to me "It seems that they both decided that sewing machines were not for them and cars were much more fun!" It wasn't until ten years later in 1932 that their partnership was incorporated into Charles McEnearney & Co. Ltd., of which Charles MacKenzie became the Managing Director. Charles MacKenzie's son John David Straghan MacKenzie joined his father in the family business in 1951 when he was 18 years old, right out of his secondary education at The Lodge School. He was known as David, but his contemporaries called him "Beaver", a nickname he acquired as a school boy. David was sent for a one-year training course in Dealership Management Administration at the Ford Motor Company Training School at Dagenham, UK. Upon his return to Barbados, he rejoined the company in 1953. At that time, the business was owned 50/50 by the McEnearney and MacKenzie families. His younger brother Douglas joined the firm in 1966 after completing his university studies in Canada. Their three siblings Dr. Ronald MacKenzie , Neil MacKenzie and Bonnie (Montagu) MacKenzie were shareholders but never took an active role in the company . What started off as a simple partnership between the two friends Charles McEnearney and Charles MacKenzie in Barbados grew into a successful conglomerate and eventually became owned by the Trinidad ANSA McAL group. The McEnearney and MacKenzie and families sold their shareholdings and have moved on to other interests. l/r Charles MacKenzie, Charles McEnearney and his wife Esther (Burton) McEnearney Chapter 3 BARBADOS THE MACKENZIE - SHEPPARD CONNECTION John David Straghan MacKenzie and Valerie Anne Sheppard l/r Valerie Sheppard, David MacKenzie and John Bellamy at a corporate event on board a ship - Barbados, 1985. David was then Chairman of McEnearney Alstons (Barbados) Ltd. In 2004 John Bellamy became Chairman of the Board of ANSA McAL(Barbados) Ltd. The Barbados Advocate - Monday, 2 December 1985 At an ANSA McAL function in Trinidad, 1992 Dr. Anthony N. Sabga O.R.T.T., Chairman and Founder of the ANSA McAL Group of Companies, presents David MacKenzie's wife Valerie with a gift of "The Book of Trinidad". David, then Chairman and CEO of McEnearney Alstons (Barbados) Ltd ., looks on. David MacKenzie took over the reins of the Barbados Ford dealership Charles McEnearney from his father Charles Straghan MacKenzie. He was responsible for relocating the business from the Chapel Street, Bridgetown site to Wildey, St. Michael in 1968. In 1980 the holding company McEnearney Alstons (Barbados) Ltd. was established, in which McEnearney Alstons of Trinidad took an equity interest. David was appointed Chairman and CEO of McEnearney Alstons (Barbados) Ltd. and held that position until he retired at age 65 in April 1998. He was then invited to remain as Chairman for a further couple of years. Through an unexpected and tragic turn of events in my life in 1984, I became a part of the MacKenzie family when I married Charles MacKenzie's third son, David. I never knew my MacKenzie father-in-law as he and his wife Ella Winston (née Cole) had already passed away in the seventies. Author Simon Kreindler, childhood friend of Charles MacKenzie's younger son Douglas (Doug), describes Charles in his book "Peddlers All" as "a tall imposing man with a deep, booming voice, he was quite deaf and communicating with him was a challenge. He smoked a pipe an d kept a double-barrel 12-gauge shotgun in the corner of his bedroom. Even as kids we understood it was meant to warn the help that burglary would have serious repercussions." David always spoke fondly of his father. I gathered that he was a larger-than-life man with a wry sense of humour. He often recalled that when his father presided over a board meeting and an important matter was tabled he would declare, "All those in favour say 'aye', all those against say 'aye' resign!". Although it was said tongue-in-cheek, I believe David admired and emulated his father's management style. He spoke about the great friendship between "Mr. Mac", as Charles McEnearney was known, and his father who was also known in Barbados as "Mr. Mac." The two partners, he said “got on like a house on fire” and went on many business-cum-pleasure trips together. David had a meticulous eye for detail - oftentimes to a fault. He was measured, determined and decisive in both his business affairs and private life. Not surprisingly then, he proposed marriage to me just a couple of months after we first met. We were introduced at mutual friends' home on 24 February 1985. Nine months later, we were married at St. Dominic's Catholic Church, with a reception at the Barbados Yacht Club. It was 30 November 1985. There were fireworks and celebrations all over the island that night as it was Independence Day in Barbados - the 19th year of Independence. Apart from family members from both sides, many of the guests at our wedding were David's Barbadian business associates and several fellow directors who had flown in from Trinidad, including Conrad O'Brien, Chairman/CEO of the McEnearney Alstons group. Since David was a director of the daily newspaper, The Barbados Advocate published a photo of us on their front page with the headlines "MacKenzie Weds Again". It was a second marriage for both of us. His first wife D r. Anne Bayl ey had died on 15th December 1 984 after a short illness of cancer, and my husband J.A.K (Tony) Archer, a well-known Barbadian equestrian sportsman and businessman, had died suddenly of cardiac arrest during an asthma attack on 16 July of that same year. I was a 37 year old widow with a family of five children ages 7 to 18 and David was a 52 year old widower with two adult children studying abroad at university. We were brave and optimistic, both of us, to undertake this merger of families with very different family roots and backgrounds. In many ways, it was an unforgettable period of my life and the lives of our families and extended families on both sides. David and I separated in 2008 and divorced in 2009. The intention of this chapter , however, is not to write about the private life we shared during a span of 22 years, nor about the character of my former husband. Nevertheless , it was within those years that the Ford business David had taken over from his father expanded, becoming one the most well-known and successful conglomerates in Ba rbados. It was during this period that he reached the peak of his business career. As the Chairman's wife, I was by his side at all the countless corporate events and social occasions associated with such a position. He was unaware that I kept newspaper clippings of some of the more important ones - special milestones that may otherwise have been forgotten. In 2001, our friend Conrad O'Brien called me to say he wanted to nominate David for a national honour in acknowledgement of his contribution to business. David and I prepared a detailed CV which was submitted to the relevant authorities under Prime Minister Owen Arthur's government and I kept a copy of it among my memorabilia. For reasons unknown to me, that honour was not granted. "Friendships~Partnerships~Family Ties" - I muse on the twists and turns of life. In 1933 my father's sister Ida married Robert de Sousa, son of the owner and co-founder of Charles McEnearney in Trinidad. In 1985 I married David MacKenzie, son of the co-founder of Charles McEnearney in Barbados. Had I known my family history back then, it would have been fun to talk with Aunt Ida about how she met her husband Leslie de Sousa at the Ford dealership across their street in Trinidad. During a visit with David a few years ago, I told him about what I'd discovered. It was then that he handed me the book "The History of the ANSA McAL Group of Companies – 125 Years of Business in the Caribbean". I should have also reminded him that my Trinidadian Aunt Ida came to our wedding. It was she who played a piano duet with her sister Jessie (Sheppard) Brash at the family party held the night before that blew him away. He said he'd never before seen the likes of it. On my last trip to Barbados in April 2023, I visited David at his home, the same home we shared from 1985 to 2008. It was soon after his 90th birthday. When we said our goodbyes at the familiar front door, we both knew it would be the very last time. I had paid my respects and left feeling that he was already at peace. David passed away on 17th September, 2023 and was interred at his family plot at Westbury Cemetery, Barbados, after a private funeral service on 24 October, 2023. October 1995 at a gala to celebrate the 100th Anniversary of the founding of The Barbados Advocate Company officials and wives at the gala: l/r Mrs Minerva Sabga, Group Chairman Anthony Sabga, David MacKenzie and his wife Valerie, Monica and Douglas Maloney, Colin Murray Click here to see newspaper articles and more photos Click here to continue: Unravelling the Connections - Part II The Synchronicity of Life . . . I find that tracing the intertwining of famili es and events is fascinating. This story was first compiled by me on 17 October, 2021. On 4 November, following the death of my former husband David MacKenzie on 17 September 2023, I added Chapter 3. All of the newspaper articles are from my own collection. With thanks to:- Ryan de Sousa and family for providing family photos My cousins Joan (de Sousa) Bodu, Kathleen (Sheppard) Henry, and Bernie Henry for sharing oral family history J. David S. MacKenzie who gave me the book "The History of the ANSA McAL Group of Companies – 125 Years of Business" by historian Gerard A.Besson, published in 2006. ( David was a contributor of information and photos for the publication.) Douglas S. MacKenzie for providing information Genealogy sites on the internet for research My father Andrew Sheppard for his handwritten memoirs about the Portuguese in Trinidad. ""People are trapped in history and history is trapped in them" - James Baldwin

Sgt. Major Alfred Sheppard (1855 - 1917) My great-grandfather Alfred's signature and a note on the back of this photo sent to his family in Wem "a perfect facsimile of your lost sheep" Alfred Sheppard's Early Life Alfred Sheppard was the sixth child in a family of ten children born to James and Elizabeth Shepherd née Cole. He was born in Chichester, Sussex on 22 August, 1855 and was baptised at St. Pancras Church, Sussex on 30 September that year. His baptism record shows his father's trade as "labourer", while his birth certificate states "jobbing gardener". In other words, he came from an English working class family in the parish of St. Pancras, Chichester, Sussex. In 1874 when he was just 19 years old, Alfred enlisted in the 2nd Brigade King’s Own, Sussex. In 1878, he was seconded to Trinidad and left his home in England. He arrived in Trinidad as Colour Sergeant with his regiment. This must have been quite an adventure for the young man, and a drastic change from life in England. In 1880, the Trinidad Police Force required two Supt. Sergeants and Alfred was allowed to resign from the army to take up one of those positions. Sgt. Alfred Sheppard in Trinidad Life in the tropics must have smiled on him, as he fell in love with a young lady of Portuguese descent, the daughter of immigrants from Madeira. Sgt. Alfred Sheppard recorded in his family Bible that he and Virginia de Freitas were married on 25th June, 1881 at the Free Church of Scotland, St. Ann’s Road, Trinidad, B.W.I., of which Virginia's father was a founding member. This was just months before Alfred's older brother Charles had married Mary Ellen Fisher in England. It was during February 1881, a few months before Alfred’s marriage, that the Canboulay Riots were staged by descendants of freed slaves in Trinidad & Tobago, against attempts by the British police to crack down on certain aspects of the celebration of Carnival. During this time, Carnival was often marred by clashes between groups of revelers carrying sticks and lighted torches. While the confrontations started in song duels between the chantwells, they often descended into physical violence. It has also been recorded that 1881, Trinidad’s police force clashed with revelers in Port of Spain who had banded together against the police. Sergeant Alfred Sheppard was a young officer of the British Constabulary contending with this social unrest in the British colony of Trinidad. One account states that policemen were armed only with cudgels and were severely beaten by rioters. Rioting was fierce in the southern cities of San Fernando and Princes Town during the carnival of 1884. This was followed by the infamous Hosay Massacre of October 30th 1884. That was the very year that Alfred and Virginia started their family. Alfred and Virginia's Children Alfred and Virginia’s first child was a son, born at 1.20 a.m. on Tuesday 8th January, 1884 in Mucurapo, Peru Estate. This was the area now called St. James, where the barracks were located. Their firstborn was named after his English father and grandfather - Alfred James. On Wednesday, October 21st the following year, another son arrived, and he was named Charles Sebastien Theodore . He was to become my grandfather. Charles was born in St. Joseph, Trinidad, and was probably named after his uncle Charles in England. His second name, Sebastien, was that of his Portuguese maternal grandfather, Sebastien de Freitas. Two years later, still in St. Joseph, a baby girl arrived. Alfred and Virginia called their daughter Amalia Elizabeth Sheppard . Amalia, affectionately called Amy, was born at 8 a.m. on Saturday 14th May,1887. Her second name was that of her English grandmother, Elizabeth. In November of 1888 a third son was born to Alfred and Virginia: Arthur Wybrow de Freitas Sheppard. It is recorded that Captain Arthur Wybrow Baker was appointed Inspector Commandant of Trinidad’s Police Force in 1887. Alfred and Virginia's son was most certainly named after him. This indicates to me that the Commandant was much respected by Sgt. Sheppard, and might even have been a personal friend. Capt. Baker was known as "Brave Baker of the Bobbies". He was said to have been a militant man by nature and decisive in his actions. He was determined to end the Canboulay as a threat to public order. It was reported in the Port of Spain Gazette of 14 June 1917 that once, while outing with Captain Baker (the then Inspector-General), Alfred Sheppard received a severe injury which left a scar on his head for life. On Easter Sunday, 6th April 1890 at 11 a.m. yet another son was born completing their family of five children. This baby was born in Princes Town, which is in south Trinidad. He was named Edward Albert James Sheppard. In those days, the Police Headquarters , completed in 1876, was situated at the corner of St. Vincent and Sackville Streets in Port of Spain. In 1881, the year Alfred and Virginia were married, the Police Headquarters was destroyed by fire which was caused by the kerosene oil lighting system. From the locations of the births of their children as recorded on their birth certificates, it is clear that Sergeant Major Alfred Sheppard and his wife lived wherever he, as an officer of the Police Force, had been posted in his line of duty. He had sent photos of himself and of his two children Charles and Amalia to his family in Wem, and these were taken at George Adhar’s Studio, San Fernando. Although the photo is undated, the children look about 8 and 6 years old. They have a sadness in their little faces - could it be that this was taken soon after the death of their baby brothers? Sadness in the family They were living in the south of Trinidad - possibly it was still Princes Town where the last two children were born when tragedy struck the family. In 1893 both of their youngest children became very sick with dysentery. Their baby boy, Albert Edward James Sheppard, just three years old, died at 4.00 on the morning of 11th June, 1893 of acute dysentery and was buried in the Presbyterian ground, Paradise Cemetery, San Fernando. Sadly, just two weeks later, on Sunday 25th June 1893 at 2.50 a.m. their four-year old Arthur also died of acute dysentery. It was the very day of Alfred and Virginia’s 12th Wedding Anniversary. Little Arthur Wybrow was laid to rest by the side of his baby brother Albert. One can only imagine the sleepless nights and anguish of their parents, and the sadness of their older siblings Alfred, Charles, and Amalia. To England for the Diamond Jubilee Years passed by, and in 1897 there were to be great celebrations in England for Queen Victoria’s Diamond Jubilee . Trinidad was a colony of England, and The Trinidad Police Force sent a contingent to London for the celebrations. As a senior officer of the Force, Alfred was among the contingent chosen to go. He was then 40 years old and his children Charles and Amalia were 12 and 10 at the time. There must have been great excitement in the family, as this was an historic occasion that Alfred was to be a part of. Though we have found no record of it, we believe that Alfred most probably visited some of his family in England on this occasion. Family life in Trinidad - 1905 to 1917 Back to Trinidad some years later, it appears that Alfred and Virginia had moved north and were living at 117 Edward Street, Port of Spain. Owing to ill-health he resigned from active duty as a Sergeant in 1905, after serving in both the Imperial Army and Local Police Force for 31 years. He then assumed an administrative position as Staff Clerk and Paymaster of the Trinidad Constabulary. In 1909, Alfred and Virginia attended the wedding of their son Charles to Elsie Mabel Gomez. It was a big, happy family occasion, celebrated in style at the lovely residence of Albert Mendes, at the corner of Shine Street and Victoria Square, Port-of-Spain. Albert's wife was Mary Pereira, Elsie's aunt, and Albert was also Elsie's godfather. Albert was the brother of Alfred Mendes Snr., great-grandfather of the British Academy award winner, Sir Samuel Alexander (Sam) Mendes CBE. Sadly, just one year after the beautiful wedding celebration, the family was once again plunged into sadness and deep grief. Alfred and Virginia's eldest son, Alfred James, succumbed to bronchitis on 19th January at 7.20 p.m., when he was just barely 25 years old. His bereaved father purchased a 12 x 10 grave for him at Lapeyrouse Cemetery, for which he paid $40.00 on 21st January, 1910. In years to come, this grave plot would become the family burial place, and remains so to this day. Three years later, there was once again a happy event to celebrate, when on 18th January 1913, Alfred and Virginia's daughter Amalia married Edward Oswald Mendes. Alfred's health continued to decline, and he died on 12 June, 1917 when he was 60 years old. The newspaper report about him and his funeral indicates that he was a highly respected man, much loved by his family and colleagues. His wife Virginia lived on for many more years, and passed away at 4 Shine Street, Port of Spain, when she was 74 years old. Alfred lived long enough to have known eight of his grandchildren before he passed away, but never knew the extent of the large family he and Virginia started.
 
 Judging from the wonderful Family Bible he left behind, Alfred Sheppard appeared to have been a man who valued his family deeply and paid great attention to detail, recording even the exact time of births and deaths. I suppose this was also indicative of his military and police training. It is curious, though, that about himself he only wrote that he was born ‘in England’ on 22nd August, 1857. It has taken years of research to trace his early beginnings. 
 This Family Bible had been passed down to his daughter Amalia (affectionally called Amy) and then to her daughter Jessie Rooks Mendes, who is still in possession of it. Thanks to the Mendes family who had it beautifully restored in Holland, and in particular to Jessie for sharing this gem, we were able to use those valuable handwritten details in our genealogy research. 
 From Alfred Sheppard and his wife Virginia, descended all the Sheppard and Mendes families from Trinidad. Thanks to the digitization of old newspapers, this article describing Alfred's funeral has been discovered in the Port of Spain Gazette of June 14, 1917. I have transcribed the article - click here or on the image below to read it. Several family members mentioned on this website were in attendance. Click here to see how the story of Alfred Sheppard led to my participation in a series called Descendants, produced and broadcast by BBC Radio 4 on 11 June, 2021. SEE ALSO: VIRGINIA DE FREITAS QUEEN VICTORIA'S JUBILEE CELEBRATIONS TRINIDAD POLICE vs. WUPPERMANN, PRAHL & CO.

Charles Sheppard My great-grandfather's brother, Charles Sheppard born in 1853 in Chichester, Sussex, England Pictured above at 20 years old Charles Sheppard was born on 26 August 1853, the fifth child of James and Elizabeth Shepherd. My great-grandfather Alfred was born two years later on 22 August, 1955. Both brothers would have military careers. St. Paul's Church, Chichester, Sussex, where Charles was baptised on 18 Sep 1853 As a 7 year old school boy, Charles was living with his family at St. Martins Court, St. Martin, Chichester, in the county of Sussex, England. Charles enlisted with the The King's Shropshire Light Infantry at a young age, as military records show that he was honoured for his service in the Afgan War ( 1878-80). In 1882, when he was 29 years old, he married 17 year-old Ellen Mary Fisher in Fullum, London. Their first child, Cyril Charles was born in Woolwich in 1886. By 1887 he was posted with his regiment at Curragh Camp in Kildare, Ireland. This was where their daughter Ivy was born. Charles and Ellen's next two children were born in Cork, Ireland - they were Nellie, born on 1 March 1991, and Charles Alec born in 1893. Charles and Ellen Mary (Fisher) Sh eppard's children right: Cyril and Nell left: Charles and Ivy After his service with the British military in Ireland, Charles and his family returned to England and settled in Wem, Shropshire. There he joined the Wem Company of the Shropshire Rifle Volunteers. The Curator of the Shropshire Regimental Museum sent us the following photo, with a note: "I attach a photo of the Wem Company of the Shropshire Rifle Volunteers in the late 1890s. This photo contains Sheppard on the front row - though we are not quite sure which one he is. The man in front, second from right is Lieut. Corke; we THINK the man to his right (as viewed) is the Regimental Sergt Major and we THINK the man to his left (as viewed) is Sergt. Major Sheppard. All three sergeants wear the Afghan medal. Which ever of those three he is - one of the three IS him !" Charles and Mary Ellen (Fisher) Sheppard lived with their family at 68 Aston Street, Wem, Shropshire. In 1911, Charles was 58 years old and had already been discharged from the military. As head of the household, he was described in the Census of that year as an army pensioner and coal merchant. His 18 year old son Charles Alec worked with him in the coal business. Both of the daughters, Ivy and Nellie, then 23 and 20 respectively, were unmarried and lived with them in the family home. Ivy was an elementary school teacher, Nell was described as a 'domestic' - she took care of the home. Their eldest son, Cyril, was no longer living with them. We have ascertained that Cyril had followed in his father's footsteps and had started a career in the military. In 1935, Charles was honoured to receive this prestigious invitation to an event that would no doubt be the crowning highlight of his life in the military for the eighty-two year old veteran and his family: Ex-R.S.M. Steward and Charles Sheppard were the two surviving seniors who “marched out the Old Colours" at The Quarry, Shewsbury, on 25th April, 1935 When the new Colours were presented to the 2nd Battalion KSLI by H.R.H. The Duke of York (Prince Albert, (Albert Frederick Arthur George - soon to be George VI) in 1935, he handed them to RSM Sheppard. This was indeed a grand occasion and honour for Charles. Unfortunately, the Curator of the Shropshire Regimental Museum has informed us that there is no photo of that part of the ceremony. An excerpt from The Regimental Journal for 1935 reads : The Commanding Officer, in his reply, on behalf of the Battalion, spoke as follows : "I thank Your Royal Highness for coming here to-day to present these Colours and also for the kind remarks you have made. You may assure His Majesty that the honour of the Colours will be fully upheld by all ranks and that the spirit of the Regiment is as proud to-day as it has ever been and should the occasion arise that this Battalion should be called upon to serve, the young soldiers you see here now wiU acquit themselves as nobly as the veterans to whom we owe the Honours already inscribed on our Colours." The New Colours were then accorded a Royal Salute as they were marched back to their position, in slow time, to the National Anthem, and the Battalion, having reformed line, marched past H.R.H., the band playing the Regimental Quick March, "The Daughter of the Regiment." The Presentation Ceremony then concluded with the Advance in Review Order, followed by three hearty cheers for H.R.H. Two thousand Old Comrades of the Regiment were next marshaled on the Parade Ground, in eight ranks, under the command of Brigader R. J. Bridgford, and H.R.H. made a tour of inspection and presented the Meritorious Service Medal to ex-R.S.M. I. Stewart. The Old Comrades were turned about to face the Battalion and the Old Colours were handed over to ex-R.S.M. C. Sheppard, ex-R.S.M. I. Stewart and Ex-Colour Sgt. E. Logan, all of whom were on parade when they were presented in 1877, who in turn gave them to ex.-R.S.M's. J. Evans, M.C., W. Griffiths, D.C.M., J. Threagd, D.C.M., G. Moore, M.C., J. Griffiths and F. Thompson, who were to escort them to the Depot Barracks. The Battlion, headed by the Bugles, left the Parade Ground flowed by the Old Comrades, with the Band. Pictured in 1936 - Charles Sheppard (rt.) with his friend and fellow member of the Old Comrades, ex-R.S.M. J. Griffiths, mentioned in the Regimental Journal of 1935 above. Evidence of Charles Sheppard's distinguished career in the military are his medals (Afghan War, 1878-80, Long Service and Good Conduct medal, Meritorious Service medal), named to him. They are on display in the Shropshire Regimental Museum at Shewsbury Castle. His NCOs peaked forage cap of c. 1890 is also on display. We have been informed by the curator of the museum that these items had been donated to the collection as long ago as 1961.