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

Mary Marjorie (Madge) Gonsalves née Sheppard This story of Madge was lovingly written in her memory by her eldest child, George Gonsalves Our mother, sister, aunt, grandmother, Mary Marjorie Gonsalves, née Sheppard (“Madge”), was born on 28 December 1910. She was the second child and second daughter of Elsie Mabel Sheppard , née Gomez, and Charles Sebastian Theodore Sheppard. She was born in Port of Spain into a very talented musical family, but she inherited none of those talents. She could not play an instrument and was unable to carry a tune vocally. As a child growing up, she remembered Sundays as being quite difficult. Her father was a wonderful mandolin player and her siblings mastered other instruments. In early days, the family observed strict sabbath laws. The day began with a cold breakfast, a walk to St. Ann’s Church , a couple of hours of church service and listening to a fire and brimstone sermon, then a walk back home to a cold lunch. The afternoon was spent singing hymns. Mum usually felt left out, since she could play no instruments and her voice did not add to the melodies of the hymns being sung. After tea, they would walk back to the church for Vespers. Then came Monday and school. Mum disliked school in her early years. She appears to have had some learning difficulties and was not treated sympathetically by her teachers. One teacher, however, took her under her wing and helped her with her penmanship. Her handwriting was beautiful. Mum, however, had buck teeth, a cause for derision by her schoolmates. Her protruding front teeth made her extremely self conscious. Her father, our Grandpa, took great pity of her. One day he spoke to a Venezuelan dentist who said he could put Mum in braces. The dentist demanded a huge sum of money in advance plus he said he needed a large number of gold sovereigns with which he was going to make the braces. Grandpa complied and Mum was fitted with the braces. A couple of weeks later, Mum’s mouth became septic and it was discovered that the braces were made of brass, not of gold. Gold could never be used to make braces. The unscrupulous dentist fled to Venezuela where, it was said, he perished in an automobile accident. In order to combat the sepsis, Mum’s entire top teeth had to be removed as well as her palate. She suffered excruciating pain and spent months in recovery. She grew very thin and was fed mainly liquids. For the rest of her life, she had to wear a false palate as well as false teeth. Mum recovered from her ailments, nurtured by what was a most caring and loving family. She also developed a very close bond with her father, who, one could say, spoilt her for the rest of his life. When she was 20 years old, she was alone in the house with Grandpa, when he had a an attack of phlebitis. His doctor came in to attend to him and gave him a shot of adrenaline. After the doctor left, the adrenaline precipitated a coronary thrombosis and Grandpa died in my mother’s arms. Years before this unfortunate event, whenever the siblings came down with mumps, measles, chickenpox or similar diseases, it was found that Mum was immune to them. She, therefore, assisted with looking after the sick ones. Later, when her parents were in England and her little brother, Arthur, developed diphtheria, it was Mum who cared for him until his sad demise. These experiences developed in Mum a profound interest in nursing and medical care. She studied nursing at the Colonial Hospital in Port of Spain, Trinidad and later became interested in midwifery. Her profession took her through all areas of Port of Spain, and she was well respected. In February, 1937, a passenger ship made an emergency stop in Port of Spain with a sick wealthy man on board. He was a Mr. Hussey whose wife had a connection with the Pillsbury Corporation. Those were very politically incorrect days and the call came for a white nurse. Mum appears to have been the only one to fill the bill and so she answered the call. The remuneration was good and the appeal of adventure was attractive, so she agreed to nurse Mr. Hussey back to Boston, It was her first trip outside of Trinidad and so she was very excited. The family treated Mum very well once they arrived in Boston and she lived a very opulent life until the return passage to Trinidad was arranged. She was shown around Boston and even lent a mink coat for a trip to New York to see a cousin who was there. History repeated itself in April the very next year when another ship docked in Port of Spain seeking a white nurse, this time for a Mr. Lord of Lord and Taylor in New York. Here too she looked after him all the way to New York and was very well treated. She was able to explore New York before her passage home was arranged, I believe there were several displaced persons on the ship and Mum must have met Mr. Wolf and informed him about Grandma’s boarding house. I found her name on this ship’s registry also. In 1936, my father had gone to board at our grandmother’s boarding house. There he met my mother and they were married in 1940. Mum brought many of her nieces and nephews into the world. Joan, Betty Helen, Bernard, Charles, Patricia, Marjorie and Stanley, she considered them to be her babies. Vin and Madge - Trinidad, 14 September, 1940

Ida Amelia Sheppard and her husband Leslie Robert de Sousa Four years into their marriage, my grandparents Charles and Elsie (Gomez) Sheppard welcomed their fourth child into their home in Edward Street, Port of Spain. They named their daughter Ida Amelia, born on 11 April 1913. She was a baby sister for Jessie who was then 4, Madge 3, and Boysie who was just 14 months old at the time. Over the next fourteen years, these four oldest children would welcome nine more younger siblings into their large Sheppard fold. As one of the older children, Ida grew up helping to care for her younger sisters and brothers. With his growing family, Charlie Sheppard bought a large house situated at the corner of Richmond and Park Streets, Port of Spain. The Sheppard family was living in this lovely family home at #30 Richmond Street when Charlie died at 45 years old in 1931. Ida had just turned eighteen. Left fatherless, Ida and her other older siblings undertook their responsibilities in helping their mother raise the younger children. In 1919 at the height of popularity for the Model T, a young Irish immigrant who settled in Trinidad acquired the country's sole Ford dealership. He was Charles McEnearney. He went into partnership with Trinidadian Robert de Sousa , an estate proprietor and entrepreneur. Together they owned and ran Trinidad's first Ford dealership, Charles McEnearney & Co. Ltd. By the time the Sheppard family was living at 38 Richmond Street, their company had established their automobile dealership and showroom right across the street from the Sheppard's residence. This is where Robert de Sousa's son Leslie would meet and fall in love with the beautiful Ida Sheppard. A romance and courtship ensued, and Leslie was warmly welcomed into the Sheppard family. Ida and Leslie were married on 22nd July 1933 at St. Ann's Church of Scotland, Port of Spain. It was the start of a long and happy marriage. Leslie and Ida presented Elsie Sheppard with her first grandchild, when their daughter Joan Elsie was born in 1934. Their family was complete by 1938 with the addition of two more beautiful daughters - Elizabeth Joyce (Betty) and Helen Jean. On the front staircase of her Richmond Street home circa 1936 Grandma Elsie Sheppard with her first grandchild, Joan de Sousa In her short memoirs "My Precious Jewels" written in later life, my grandmother Elsie called Ida her "Emerald". This is what she wrote about her: “Grandchildren started to appear because my third daughter married a wealthy estate owner. He had a wonderful country home, where he carried on a farm and raised cows, sheep, goats, chickens and ducks. Quickly babies came and their three lovely little girls were brought up among nature - the mountains, the river and the animals. It was a home that was always a nice place to go to, so my small children often spent their vacations with Emerald. Her husband was always proud to say, “My wife churned the butter, she made the jam, the cake …..” They were always very happy." My father Andrew was just ten years old when his sister Ida introduced her boyfriend Leslie to the Sheppard family. He always loved him and looked up to him with the greatest admiration. I recently discovered that he had written about him in his memoirs, in an article entitled "The Portuguese of Trinidad", dated July 1989, transcribed below: Leslie de Sousa, a perfect gentleman and a totally self-effacing, humble person, commanded great respect for his knowledge of cocoa and coffee as well as tonka beans (which are used for perfuming soaps and talcum powder). Leslie managed La Concordia Estate which occupied a large area of that part of the Northern Range known as Caura. It was all undulating land with a river and streams flowing throughout. It was rather difficult land to manage but through his quiet leadership La Concordia Estate prospered. The labourers were mostly of Carib/Indian origin with a dash of Spanish ancestry interwoven. Hard-working people who were always pleasant and docile. They worked from 5.30 a.m. to 5.30 pm. Leslie was married to Ida Sheppard and they raised three daughters between Caura and Port of Spain, where they attended school. When Caura was acquired by Government to create a dam the family moved to Diego Martin, another agricultural area near to Port of Spain. The dam idea was aborted and was the object of major scandal and corruption by Government officials. Leslie's father, Robert de Sousa, who was part owner of the cocoa estate, was also involved in the automobile business. He joined in a partnership with an Irish man, Charles McEnearney, to become distributors of Ford vehicles. They did very well until Robert (Bobby) decided to live in Grenada where he ran Geo. F. Huggins & Co.Ltd. and became a very wealthy land owner. The children were educated and lived in Trinidad with their mother in a large, stately house around the Queen's Park Savannah. Painting of the de Sousa Family home where Alice de Sousa lived with the children (Courtesy Joan (de Sousa) Bodu) Having settled into their new home in Deigo Martin, Leslie and Ida became pioneers in livestock farming, when they started Trinidad's first chicken farm. In 2012, an article about this was featured in "The Westerly". THE WESTERLY ISSUE 62, 2012 - PAGE 22 FIRST EVER CHICKEN FARM STARTED IN BLUE BASIN Information submitted by Joan Bodu (Transcribed from the article) In the 1940’s Leslie de Sousa moved from a cocoa, coffee and tonca bean estate in Caura to Blue Basin. His father had owned “La Concordia” in Caura where Leslie lived as a child and as a young man, until the land was bulldozed to make way for the Caura Dam (which incidentally never materialized). Leslie then moved to Blue Basin where he set up the first Poultry Breeder Farm in Trinidad. He built a house on 75 acres of land and set up buildings for laying, hatching and breeding. He and his wife Ida (nee Sheppard) raised a family of three daughters there. A photo of the old house is shown on left. As young girls, his daughters helped him on the farm every day by turning the eggs in the incubators before they left for school, and also later at night. In the morning, their mother used to drive them to Bishop’s High School in town, and after school in the afternoon they would walk down to the corner of Richmond Street and Arapita Avenue to get a wooden type bus, which would take them as far as the bus stop near the water wheel at River Estate. Their mother would meet them there and take them the rest of the way by car. Joan, Leslie’s daughter, remembers family and friends coming to visit them on weekends. The children would go to the back of the property which led to a spring and climb up the rocks, as high as they could go. On the other side of the Blue Basin road there was a piece of land which her father had cultivated with pink grapefruit. Behind this was the continuation of the Blue Basin stream. It was here that Joan and her sisters, along with the Salandy children, would catch crayfish. Another family who lived not far away was the Benson family. Joan remembers these years with fondness and the freedom she enjoyed as a child living in the ‘country’. After many years, her father Leslie sold the property and gave up his chicken breeding. The area nearby is now known as Blue Basin Gardens. Ida and Leslie de Sousa's daughters l/r Joan Bodu, Betty Scott, Helen Humphrey The de Sousa and Sheppard families became more entwined in 1938 when Leslie's younger sister Joyce married Ida's brother Bertie , the brother who came right after her in the family. This close family relationship continued to grow over the years. The marriages of Leslie's and Ida's daughters in 1955, 1956 and 1957 were occasions for great family celebrations - and more so when grandchildren started arriving. Leslie knew and enjoyed all five of his grandchildren, but passed away on 16th May 1974 at 65 years old. After Leslie died, Ida and her older sister Jessie who was also a widow, lived together in O'Connor Street. There they ran a preparatory school for several years, and many people who were their little students have the fondest memories of their early school days with "Auntie Ida" and "Auntie Jessie" , as they called them.. Sheppard sisters in Trinidad, February 1993 l/r Flo Johnson , Sybil Gibbon , Ida de Sousa , Audrey Clark I remember Auntie Ida as a fun-loving, beautiful lady, always stylish and erect in her bearing, lady-like and gentle in her manner. She lived to be ninety years old and to this day is very much missed and lovingly remembered by all her family. Ida and Leslie are laid to rest with Leslie's mother, Alice (Ferreira) de Sousa, at the Mucurapo Cemetery, Port of Spain, Trinidad. See also: Friendships~partnerships~family ties

Jessie Mendes wife of John Rooks and Matriarch of the Mendes Family Jessie Rooks née Mendes on her 95th Birthday Jessie, now 96, is a Sheppard descendant Jessie's parents were Edward Oswald Mendes and Amalia (Amy) Sheppard . Amy was my great-grandfather's sister. She was the youngest of their eight children, born in Port of Spain, Trinidad on 14 October 1927. On the social page "Carib Calling" in The Barbados Advocate of January 4, 1950 there was a small article headed "Trinidad Engagements". In it was the announcement of the Christmas Eve engagement in Trinidad between Mr. John Rooks, son of Major and Mrs. Courtenay Rooks and Miss Jessie Mendes, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Oswald Mendes of Port of Spain. The couple were married eight months later, on 26 August 1950. Jessie and Johnny Rooks enjoyed 51 years of marriage before John passed away in 2001. Their children are Richard, Ian and Gordon Rooks of Trinidad. This webpage is dedicated to Jessie in appreciation for her beautiful singing voice. In her youth she was a well known singer and performed at many functions and weddings. In 1958, her brother Malcolm recorded her on tape in his living room. These beautiful audio recordings from an era long gone are dearly treasured by our families. Valerie Sheppard 7 May 2024

Descendants of Alfred Sheppard and Virginia de Freitas THE SHEPPARD FAMILY - Trinidad circa 1928 Back standing: l/r: Joseph Alfred (Boysie) , Mary Marjorie (Madge) , Charles Albert (Bertie) , John Herbert Middle seated: l/r George Havelock , Ida Amelia , Charles Sebastian , (father), Elsie Mabel née Gomez (mother) with baby Arthur Vincent, Jessie Mabel with Edith Florence (Flo) , Robert Louis Front seated: Audrey Ethel , Andrew Desmond (my father), and Sybil Elsie THE MENDEZ FAMILY - Trinidad 1942 Back: l/r Frederick Herbert (Freddie), Malcolm Arthur, Oswald (Osy), Leonard Alfred, Charles Gilbert (Charlie) Front: l/r: Olga, Oswald Antonio (father), Amalia Elizabeth néeSheppard (mother), Jessie Amelia Sheppard Family Archive TODAY'S MATRIARCHS - FIRST COUSINS On Sunday 11 September 2016 in the grounds of St. Ann's Church of Scotland where their forefathers were founding members Jessie Amalia Mendes Rooks (left) (pictured in the Mendes family photo seated far right) and Sybil Elsie Sheppard Gibbon (pictured in the Sheppard family photo seated far right) (Photo credit: Sybil's daughter Jennifer MacLean.) Click on the blue links to read more about the Sheppard, Gomez and Mendes families.

Renée Anne Sheppard-Ratcliffe (11 March 1976 - 1 August 2016) My emotions for Renée expressed in art "ALL THINGS BRIGHT AND BEAUTIFUL" by Valerie van der Meulen-Sheppard My tribute to my niece Renée Anne (Sheppard) Ratcliffe delivered at her Service of Thanksgiving 11 August, 2016 - Barbados “Life is too short, if you are unhappy aim to what will make you happy. If you’re in a job that makes you miserable, find one that will make you happy to go to work. If your kids are happy you’re half way there. You are only here once, make it the best adventure and live happy, free, full of love, and life will be perfect. Basically, make sure you make the most of your life.” Those were the heartfelt words of our beloved, exuberant Renée, which she posted on Facebook just a month before her sudden passing. I keep remembering an old Dutch proverb that means, when translated: "In the concert of life, nobody receives a programme." Renée's early childhood was spent in Puerto Rico, Rochester New York, and Venezuela, while her father Peter worked with the Kodak Company. Re was a beautiful blend of Bajan, Trinidadian, Venezuelan, and Guyanese parents and grandparents, and grew up in a family environment filled with creativity and love of the arts. Her parents came back to Barbados to start their family business Sheps Photo in 1987, and 11 year old Renée started her life as a schoolgirl here. She spoke Spanish fluently and brought with her a bright and bubbly personality, eager to make new friends. Her artistic talents and love of fun and fantasy quickly became known and she took a couple of memorable starring roles in the St. Winifred’s pantomines. At 16 she went off to the Art Institute of Florida, and returned to Barbados with qualifications and skills to launch herself into the field of fashion design. Renée chose to specialize in costume design, and it became her passion. She was in her element when armed with a glue gun, surrounded by fabrics, beads, glitter and her posse of fellow creatives. Some of us present today may not know that twelve years ago, on Boxing Day, Renée suffered a very serious heart attack, followed later by a stroke so severe it left her unable to speak or move. That’s hard to even imagine of her. She was twenty-eight years old at the time and mother of twin boys, Harrison and Nicholai who, just three days earlier, had celebrated their fourth birthday. We were devastated and scared at the thought of losing her. But with excellent and swift medical care, coupled with Renée’s sheer determination to live, she made a full and complete recovery. Her life was a beautiful gift and in return, she lived a life of giving, caring and compassion. She was filled with child-like acceptance and love for everyone, and simply did not know how to hold a grudge. She was a wonderful and devoted mother to her sons, she was so SO proud of them. She adored her parents, and was forever expressing her appreciation for their love and kindness. Renée’s excitement and dedication to the Crop Over and Grand Kadooment festivals were infectious; her Halloween costumes epic! Renee loved children, and each year created and gave costumes to underprivileged children. With Re, it was all or nothing. She saw life in bright, vivid colours that are impossible to ignore. She was no pastel shades sort of person. Her imagination and creativity were expressed in so many different ways, whether she was icing cakes, designing and making costumes, painting, decorating - she was creating, always creating - with her zest for fun, humour and fantasy. Her photography was exquisite, she had an eye for detail and captured the essence of the moment. Renée made a statement, and it was hers, not to be forgotten. She gave and she loved. The overwhelming tributes that have poured in are testimony that she was loved in return. We dearly hope she knew it. Renée’s parents are touched and comforted by the heartfelt expressions of appreciation and sympathy that they have been receiving, and I share this one which encompasses what we all feel today: “Peter and Neilsa, You raised an amazing daughter, unique in every way, and who was loved and loved wildly, madly and deeply in return. It is as if the most glorious and incomparable firework display has ended and we are just standing stricken, sad and silent, utterly lost in the magnificent energy that was. There is no doubt that we will not see its like again.” Our family is spread over several different countries, but we share deeply in the loss of our vibrant, never-to-be-forgotten Renée. My sister - her aunt Audrey-Mae - now living in Scotland, has written the following that so aptly describes what is in our collective hearts. She didn’t walk – she strode Shoulders square, she was the horse she rode She didn’t laugh – she guffawed Leaving all around attentive and al’awed She didn’t sing – she squawked When everyone was quiet, she talked She didn’t whisper - she bellowed As she got older – this never mellowed She loved things lively and all things alive She didn’t paddle gently Head first she’d dive Her devotion was clear, her dedication unwavering Her loyalties true, never one for any favouring So much of a presence and so enormous a personality The enigma that was Re She was all about reality Being “gone” now – it’s utter and total disbelief All combined memories – cold comfort No release, no understanding, no relief From my heart to your soul in this difficult time of strife My darling brother and you Ning, his devoted, loyal and loving wife Her core of life, beautiful boys Oh how she loved you, her absolute pride and joys Your loss is too hard to bear alone Your families will be there to help you For the strength you need to hone For me, I am far away, but please know My love, concern, love and loss are shared As you let your beautiful, strong dragonfly go "Dragonfly" "Everything is embedded in the song. The pain, the love, the passion, the beauty, the tragedy, the hope, the hopelessness, the dream, the reality. It's all in that piece of music." - Alan Sheppard, composer. Composed and performed for Renée by her uncle Alan Sheppard, at her Service of Thanksgiving on August 11, 2016, Barbados. (live amateur recording) Renee loved dragonflies - the above picture is her last painting. The Kiss Grand Kadooment Day, Barbados - August 1, 2016 Renee's MemorialFacebook Renée the Wedding Photographer A tribute by Little Arches, Barbados (Click on the link)

ROBERT LOUIS SHEPPARD 1920 - 1999 Robert Louis Sheppard was born on 10th March 1920, the eighth child of Charles and Elsie (Gomez) Sheppard's family of 13 children. At the time of his birth, the Sheppard family lived at Stone Street, Port of Spain. But Grandpa Charlie Sheppard later bought a large property at 30 Richmond Street to accommodate his rapidly increasing family. Young Robert and his nine siblings moved in. What an exciting new place that must have been for these children to explore! My father, Andrew , was the closest brother to Robert in age, born in 1922. Knowing how lovingly he spoke of him, I feel certain that, had he not predeceased Robert by eight years, he would have written a heartfelt tribute to his brother, as he had done for other family members. They shared much of the same childhood experiences, the most traumatic of which was the death of their father in 1931 when they were young boys. Their father Charles Sheppard died when he was only 45 (my Dad was not quite 9 years old, Robert was 11), leaving their mother to raise them all. Their widowed mother took in boarders to supplement her limited finances, and the children understood that they had to help. When my father was 66 and living in Barbados, he wrote some stories about family life in the 1930s and, not surprisingly, many of the memories he recalled included his close brother Robert. They were only two years apart and were best buddies. He recalled the days when he, along with his brothers Robert and George were the bread delivery boys, using their big brothers’ bikes. George was the brother just before Robert and Andrew was the one just after him, so they were a close threesome growing up. When George died suddenly at age 43, Robert and Andrew were shocked and heartbroken. I can truthfully say that it was the first time I saw my father cry, the day he received the phone call from Trinidad with that tragic news. I've transcribed this account from my father's own handwritten stories. School Days "Trinidad was and is a predominantly Roman Catholic Country because of its Spanish and French origins. I was Presbyterian. Being the last of six sons, obtaining a place in the Government-run main secondary school was a problem for my brother Robert and me because we had four older brothers attending that college, Queen’s Royal College, and their regulations did not permit any more than four pupils from any one family. Consequently, Robert and I found ourselves at St. Mary’s College, otherwise known as C.I.C. (College of the Immaculate Conception), almost entirely Roman Catholic. We were definitely out of place. Apart from studies, the only other activities that we could perform were football, athletics, boxing. We were not allowed to join the Sea Scouts, nor could we join choirs nor drama clubs. Cadets was also on the list of restricted areas. We were also prevented from entering the school chapel. Whenever our Catholic friends attended Mass, we were obliged to remain in our classrooms for the period under the supervision of a Protestant teacher or a Head Boy. It was uncomfortable and confusing to be in this situation. It was not our imagination either that non-Catholics were the victims of discrimination. We were always severely punished for any infringement of the rules of the school. Being late or forgetting poetry or not completing homework always guaranteed us a beating by the Dean of Studies or the Dean of Discipline. “Ten boarders, 6 cousins, 12 of us, Mama and “poor” little friends (usually 2), say 28-30 people to be fed each and every day, breakfast, lunch, tea and dinner. We all ate a lot of bread, so Ma employed Harris, Barbadian baker who had a problem with testicular hernia always getting in his way. Harris would arrive home and start baking between 3:30 and 4:00 a.m. He supplied us with 100 hops loaves, and 6 pan loaves, plus other sweet breads for tea. He also baked some 30 other pan loaves which had to be delivered to the customers before 7:00 a.m. These were friends of the family who lived in the general neighbourhood. Ma had several bread bags made, some to hold one or two or more pan loaves. Each customer had a nail on the back or front porch to hold the stringed bread bag. The empty bag would be replaced by the full one. Each bag had the customer’s name. Problem – transportation. Andrew, Robert, George borrow Boysie’s, Bertie’s and John’s bicycles, surround the bicycles with bags of bread and make sure you return for the owners to get their bicycles to get to work. We “students” had to eat breakfast quickly and walk to school – and get there in time. Many times we failed as evidenced by the black and blues on our hands or backsides as administered by our school masters. But this was all part of life. We loved Mama and understood the situation.” "In spite of everything, Robert and I succeeded up to a point. Our widowed mother could no longer afford to pay the school fees of $12.00 per three month term each, so we had to leave and find gainful employment to assist in supporting our large family of twelve children. Robert got a job with a large, diverse commercial company as an office boy." Marriage and family life Robert married the love of his life on 11 April 1942. He had just turned 22 , his beautiful bride Angela de Souza was 20 years old. Like Robert, Angela's family roots were Portuguese. Her parents were Lucy Xavier and Henrique Rodrigues de Souza. Henrique was known as Henry, and was born in São Roque, Madeira. He was a merchant who ran an alcohol retail business, as well as a bakery and a couple of grocery stores in Chaguanas and Caripachaima. He owned the White Eagle Bar and Grocery, 97 Western Main Road, St. James, Port of Spain,around 1910s-1930s. Angela's siblings were Henrietta, Jacintho “Sonny”, Teresa, Monica, Henry and Sheila de Souza. The Sheppard, Gomez and de Souza families became close, as Angela's brother "Sonny" married Robert's cousin, Angela McCartney. She was the daughter of his mother's sister Edith Gomez and Thomas McCartney. Angela Lucy de Souza 1 November 1922 - 19 November 2004 Wedding Day - 11 April 1942 Standing next to Angela is Robert's bestman, my father Andrew, wearing his military uniform. Next to Robert is their sister Sybil, left is Theresa de Souza, the bride's sister Next to my father is another of the bride's sisters, Henrietta de Souza. Robert and Angela with their children l/r standing Carol, Bobby, Charlie Wayne is seated on his mother's lap and Gail is next to him Robert and Angela celebrated their first wedding anniversary with the arrival of their firstborn, Carol Ann, who was born on 12 April, 1943. Their family quickly grew with the addition of Robert (Bobby) in 1945, Charles (Charlie) in 1946, Gail in 1947 and then 12 years later in 1959, Wayne. Trinidadians would say that Wayne was the "langiappe". Robert was first and foremost a family man. I fondly remember him as charming and outgoing, with a lovable personality and infectious smile. He was quite like my father in that respect. He grew up in a home where the piano took centre stage in the living room, and where music was a part of everyday life. He must have seen his father play the mandolin. Robert loved to sing, and had a smooth velvety voice. Luckily, we have a few nice recordings of him singing some of the popular standards of his day, accompanied by his sister Jessie. He loved nothing better than a fete - family parties at his home were often held to celebrate various occasions, with everyone gathered around their piano - the very one given to Angela by her father for her eighteenth birthday. My Uncle Robert's early days of delivering the loaves of bread around the neighbourhood and his upbringing as a middle child in such a large family stood him in good stead for a business career in management of people. Robert worked for a while with the Singer Sewing Machine Company, followed by a long and successful career with the American Esso Standard Oil (S.A.) Ltd., where he was Personnel Manager, rising to become Regional Manager, with responsibility for Trinidad, Guyana. Suriname and several other West Indian islands where Esso had branches. His negotiating skills in dealing with trade unions were exceptional and recognized by the company. During his working career Esso transferred him to Guyana, where he moved to with his family for a few years before relocating back to his home in Trinidad. Guyanese people being known for their warm hospitality, Robert and Angela fitted right in, quickly making friends and enjoying a vibrant social life. While in Guyana, he quickly assimilated into the business community and became a Member of Council of the Georgetown Chamber of Commerce in 1961. After Esso closed doors in Trinidad, Robert worked for the National Petroleum Corporation up until his retirement. After retirement, he became the Manager of The Union Club located on Independence Square in Port of Spain. It was the prime social meeting place for local businessmen. Robert's charming personality and business experience made him well suited to this position. Robert made time in his busy working life to enjoy his family and the sports he loved, together with the socializing that came along with that. He played rugby and was also at one time hockey goalkeeper for the Shamrock Club. In his private life, he was a man of faith, having been raised in a staunchly Presbyterian family. He was a Freemason, and belonged to the Royal Prince of Wales Masonic Lodge in Trinidad. He was also an active member of the Lions Club. Angela was Catholic, and as required at the time of their marriage, he promised to raise their children in the Roman Catholic faith. These beliefs and values stayed with the couple through thick and thin. Robert and Angela's eldest daughter Carol grew up to be an outstandingly beautiful and talented young lady. Many of my generation would remember her on stage at the Port of Spain Jaycees Carnival Queen show, where she competed as Miss Olympia. Contestants were sponsored by local businesses, and Carol's sponsor was her uncle Sonny de Souza, whose company sold Olympia typewriters. She wore a costume and evening gown designed by John Humphrey, husband of her cousin Helen de Sousa. Her costume depicted a volcano. Click on this link for photos. Carol married Douglas Yuille in 1964 and by 1969 they had given Robert and Angela three grandchildren. The marriages of three of their other children - Bobby to Fatima, Charlie to Anna and Gail to Errol gave them ten grandchildren in all. Of these, several are distinctly musical. As we say in the Caribbean "The mango don't fall far from the tree!" But life was to deal them the harshest of blows when in 1986, their lovely Carol died after a short illness of cancer. She was just 43 years old. Heartbreak beyond description enveloped Robert, Angela and their entire family. Carol Ann (Sheppard) Yuille Robert and Angela remained a devoted couple, until Robert passed away on 16th December 1999 when he was 79. Angela lived on for another five years, passing away at age 82 on 19th November, 2004. They are memorialized together in the De Souza family plot in the Lapeyrouse Cemetery, Port of Spain. The inscriptions on their plaques aptly describe their lives together "Loving husband and father", "Loving wife and mother". In closing, I think it fitting to share a video filmed by my husband Meindert at Robert and Angela's home in Diego Martin, Trinidad. It brings to life the warmth, hospitality and family love that they so enjoyed while gathered around the piano. We remember them with love and affection as we listen to the piano music of Robert's oldest sister Jessie (Sheppard) Brash, and Robert himself singing for us "Pennies from Heaven". The clip ends with him telling his beloved Angela "For posterity, kiss me."

Family of Charles Sheppard and Mary Ellen Fisher - England Charles and Ellen (Fisher) Sheppard with their family. On the back of this photo is written by their daughter Nell, seated right in the photo, "Wem. Cordwell Villa, Aston Rd. - 1907" The original photo is quite faded - above is an AI restoration that brings this vintage family photo to life Charles Sheppard was born in Chichester, Sussex, England on 26 Aug 1853. He was my great-grandfather Alfred's brother and my paternal great-uncle. This is part of a collection of photographs which originally belonged to his daughter, Nellie Fisher Sheppard. She was, of course, sister of Charles and my great-grandfather Alfred. After Nellie's death, one of her close friends in Wem, Shropshire, where they lived, had sent them to my uncle, John Sheppard who lived in England. He had known his cousin Nell, and had visited her in Wem and regularly kept in touch. We are most grateful to John's 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 crucial in helping us to trace the origins of the Sheppards. Nellie Fisher Sheppard in 1916 when she was 25 years old (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 SEE ALSO: CHARLES SHEPPARD of Chichester, Sussex

Moses Finzi Lobo (Barbados 1834 - Philadelphia 1904) Background and Early Life in Barbados The eldest son of London-born Moses (Matthew) Lobo and Sarah Cohen D'Azevedo , was Daniel Moses Lobo, born on 24 August 1805 in Amsterdam. His younger brother Isaac, born in Suriname, was my maternal 3rd great-grandfather. Both brothers emigrated to the island of Barbados, British West Indies - now generally referred to as the Caribbean. When he was 22 years old, Daniel married his first cousin Leah Lobo on 31 October 1827 at the Nidhe Israel Synagogue, Barbados. Leah was born in St. Thomas, British Virgin Islands, and was the daughter of Matthew Lobo's brother David Lobo and his wife Rachel de Leon. On 20 September 1828, Leah and Daniel became parents of a daughter whom they named Leah Sarah. Sadly, baby Leah Sarah Lobo would never knew her mother. Barely a year after their marriage, Daniel Moses Lobo's wife Leah died on 8 October 1828 in Barbados, just eighteen days after giving birth to their child. Six years later, Daniel Moses Lobo married Sarah Finzi, born in Barbados on 9 June 1798. They were married at the Nidhe Israel Synagogue, Barbados on 5 January 1834 when Daniel was 29 years old. On 29 March 1834, Sarah's brother Abraham Finzi married Daniel's cousin, Judith D'Azevedo. That year was to be a most eventful one for the family, as on 6 December 1834, Daniel's wife Sarah gave birth to a son. They named him Moses Finzi Lobo - a half brother for six-year old Leah. My great-grandfather Daniel Lobo was Moses' younger first cousin. Moses Finzi's father Daniel Moses Lobo was a merchant and, like many other Sephardic Jews of that time in Barbados, settled with his wife and family in Swan Street, where they also traded. He operated a dry goods store on Swan Street, which was just around the corner from the Nidhe Israel Synogogue in Bridgetown. Daniel Moses Lobo took an active role in the Jewish community of Barbados, as did his Azevedo relatives. He was the Secretary of the Rebuilding Committee of the Nidhe Israel Synagogue that was badly damaged in the hurricane of 1831 and is recorded as D.M. Lobo in several of the minutes of the Mahamad. Young Moses Finzi no doubt attended the first Jewish religious school which was established, in January, 1844. It is recorded that his second cousin, Mrs. Judith Finzi was superintendent ("Occident," ii. 102). The Great Fire in Bridgetown On 3 February 1845 when Moses Finzi Lobo was just eleven years old, a great tragedy struck that no doubt impacted the course of his life. A severe fire broke out at the family's home and business place, No. 20 Swan Street. The fire ravaged his father's property and numerous houses and acres of Lower Bridgetown were burnt, becoming aptly known as Burnt District. The area was subsequently rebuilt, but three years later advertisements placed by John Montefiore appeared in the The Barbados Mercury & Bridgetown Gazette , offering the Lobo property for rent. There are also advertisements for an auction sale of all of D.M. Lobo's furniture and household articles as well as for his stock-in-trade . Sometime after the fire of 1845, Daniel Moses Lobo, his wife and children all emigrated to Philadelphia, USA, where they lived the rest of their lives as part of a steadily growing Jewish community there. Many other Jews emigrated from Barbados to America, mostly to Philadelphia and New York. In 1848 there were only 71 Jews left in Barbados, 38 of whom belonged to the congregation. Dwindling Jewish Community in Barbados Dr. Laura Liebman interviewed Barbadian historian Dr. Karl Watson in 2010. When asked about the size of the Jewish community at its peak, Dr. Watson replied: "By the middle of the nineteenth century, the minutes of the Mahamad openly lamented that the “ancient” Barbadian Jewish community was under the threat of extinction, fueled by the forces of migration and intermarriage with Christian families. In 1848, the shamash (warden), E.A. Moses, wrote poignantly to a friend about the declining fortunes of the Nidhe Israel community: “You are aware of the departure of my friend Lobo & family and also of S.E. Daniels & family for the United States. M. D’Azevedo and family will very soon follow. My anxieties & labour for our fallen Snoga (Snoga is the diminutive of esnoga, or synagogue) are necessarily increased. Heaven guard it. Amen.” Life and Career in Philadelphia Moses Finzi Lobo was a fifteen year old boy in Philadelphia when his father Daniel died in on 23 August 1849. It was the day before his forty-fourth birthday. His widowed mother Sarah lived another eighteen years, and their burials took place in Philadelphia. Young Moses Finzi grew up to be a well respected and prominent journalist with a flourishing career. He died on 17 December 1904 and is buried in the Mount Sinai Cemetery, Philadelphia. The following article was written about him by Charles J. Cohen and has been published by the American Jewish Historical Society: "Moses Finzi Lobo was born in Bridgetown, Barbados, West Indies, December 6, 1834, and died in Philadelphia November 17, 1904. He came to Philadelphia about 1845, and at twelve years of age attended the public schools, obtaining a good education, which was greatly added to in after years by close study, notwithstanding an active business career. About the year 1859 he entered the employ of the late Henry Cohen, importer of stationery in Philadelphia, and continued there until 1867, finding this position particularly attractive, as he had the privilege of the Sabbath and the holidays. Being devoted to his religious duties, he observed them with much care. After leaving Mr. Cohen's establishment he occupied several positions on different newspapers, being on the editorial staff of the North American and of the Age , and at the time of the Centennial Exhibition in 1876, through the influence of the late George W. Childs, he was appointed head of the Press Bureau established at that time, and did excellent work. His connection with the newspapers received the highest commendation, particularly from the late William W. Harding, of the Inquirer , and the Hon. Clayton McMichael, of the North American, both of Philadelphia. Mr. Lobo's knowledge of shorthand was exceptional, and he was frequently chosen to report scientific addresses, his knowledge of terms and scientific phraseology being superior to that possessed by many following the profession at that time. He was private secretary to the Superintendent of the Mint, resigning that position to engage in literary work, beginning with a complete concordance to the poetical works of Milton; this, however, was discontinued on finding that such a publication was already on the market. He wrote much on matters of local history, and was particularly interested in English grammar. In this connection it may be said he noticed that a comma had been misplaced in the fifteenth amendment to the Constitution of the United States. Writing to the Hon. Charles Sumner, the author of the amendment, regarding this error, he received in reply Mr. Sumner's statement that the criticism was justified, but that a greater object had been obtained, and that in his judgment it was unwise to again open the subject. Of a diffident, retiring nature he did not take that rank in communal affairs to which his abilities entitled him; many of his contributions to literature are not known, since they were published anonymously. He had a few close personal friends who esteemed him highly for his mental and moral worth. At the time of the Civil War he endeavored to enlist, but was prevented by physical disabilities; his pen and word, however, were always found on the side opposing slavery. In the year 1860 he became associated with the Congregation Mikveh Israel that had just removed on Seventh Street, above Arch Street, and remained a congregant until his death." Source for the above article: Author(s): Charles J. Cohen Source: Publications of the American Jewish Historical Society, No. 19 (1910), pp. 197-199 Published by: The Johns Hopkins University Press Stable URL: https://www.jstor.org/stable/43057861 Moses Finzi Lobo died on 17 November 1904 in 1524 North 8th Street, Philadelphia Pensylvania, U.S.A. and was buried on 20 November 1904. Inscription on his headstone at Mount Sinai Cemetery Philadelphia: MOSES FINZI LOBO BORN BARBADOS DECEMBER 5 1834 DIED NOVEMBER 17 1904 (Source: www.findagrave.com ) Genealogical information sourced in Holland, Barbados and Canada Other Reference sources: BARBADOS - Jewish Encylopedia Rediscovering an Important Link to American Jewish History: Field Notes from the Nidhe Israel Synagogue Complex in Barbados See also: BARUCH (BENTO) OSORIO THE LOBO & D'AZEVEDO FAMILIES

The Late Great Bridgetown Written on 19th April, 1989 by my father ANDREW DESMOND SHEPPARD (1922 - 1991) (transcribed from personal family memorabilia) Oh! Bustling, busy, affluent, happy city of Bridgetown - where are you now? We yearn for your natural, native charm. This has all but disappeared. Why? and where have all the things that made this old city gone? In a word, Barbadians have become an automotive society - one car per person - almost. See them driving down Bay Street, Belmont Road and Spring Garden all headed for Bridgetown and in most cars, only the driver may be found. Parking has become a serious problem. You may call it pride of ownership, privacy or whatever - but the fact is that we have become a selfish society. Car pools do not exist. See them pouring out of Regency Park, Sheraton Park, Navy Gardens, Rockley, St. James, every morning all heading and hoping for a space of 16' x 6' to park and spend the day, basking in the tropical sun. The occupants of these thousands of cars simply melt into the offices and banks which proliferate - there to get cool in air-conditioned comfort and stare at their computers and count their intransit cash. A far cry from those "bad" old days of bicycles, open windows and paper weights. No more time for idle talk and pleasant conversation. In spite of all the modern facilities and equipment and, we hope, improved efficiency of the population, we as a community are in danger of losing our fine sense of human compassion and our identities. Materialism and selfish greed are now imbued in most of our citizens, who are the young and growing. Pleasure and noisy music have replaced peace and serenity. Friendship is measured by your ability to spend good, hard-earned money on entertainment. Smiling has become a false effort. You have to be seriously taught to smile. Whither Bridgetown? Let us stroll down Bay Street towards Bridgetown, starting at the gap leading to the Hilton and Grand Barbados. We pass a small mall and a soft drinks factory, an old decadent club, tyre-repair shop and gas station. Janitorial service, exclusive boutique, restored old house where Captain Thorne ran his private school, other small businesses, a night snack bar - the defunct "Boys Club" and now Government Offices. Information, Prime Minister, Cabinet Office, Government Printery, and opposite, the beautiful Esplanade with its pretty band stand. Then a run of restored buildings, a large vacant spot where there existed an ice factory, now piled with building rubble - ugly. A semi-private club, gas-station, nursing home, doctors' office, tourist facility, old house, more Government offices, Child Care opposite to Family Planning and preceded by National Assistance and opposite to these, the Jemmots Lane Health and Education complex and, in the centre - St. Patrick's Catholic Cathedral. And now the Red Light District on both sides, interrupted by some offices, another gas station, another office building, an abandoned, derelict old home (the Innisses lived here), more old buildings, the Boat Yard, automobile dealer, vacant sugar warehouse, another automobile dealer, and importer-distributor of food and alcoholic products, a vacant burnt out lot opposite to old church, renovated building (now stores and offices and a club), customs broker, fast food, hardware, shipping office, record shop. Opposite to all of this and facing Independence car park is Manning's large building. The arch and bridge is faced by restaurants, boutiques, travel agents. The road leading to the left takes you to the Coast Guard Headquarters. No longer does the Swing Bridge swing. It is as stiff as an old lady. The schooners, small inter-island vessels, fishing boats have been replaced by tourist-employed marine equipment, i.e. fishing and cruising vessels, all stocked with cool and hot drinks, snacks and temporary cordiality. A great job has been done to cleaning of the Public Buildings and restoration of the Clock - thanks to Her Majesty's visit. Lord Nelson needs a good cleaning. He is turning green with envy of our clean Public Buildings and nearby fountain. The ever present taxis who remind one of the war-time cliché - "They also serve who sit and wait" - wheels were meant for moving! How truly wonderful it would be if these gracious gentlemen could think of taking people to and from work just like those enterprising mini-bus drivers. There must be over 200 taxis. If each one would convey groups of 5 passengers to and from Bridgetown every morning and evening, they would be relieving about 500 drivers of the frustrating experience of fighting traffic to get to and from work. For this convenience, the grateful passengers could pay up to $5.00 each for such a service. What they would have to pay for a car park or car-wash per day. And think of the saving on gasoline and wear and tear on engines and tyres, not to mention the damage done to the paint-work of the cars. They would remain in the cool comfort of their domestic car-port awaiting the return of their relaxed owners. This concept would provide sorely needed income for the patient taxi drivers, the cost of their getting to and from Bridgetown would not change - the rest is solid profit. This would also engender friendships and the participants would feel the happiness of sharing. Most importantly, the awful traffic situation would be eased in a dramatic way. Let us think about it and try it. The taxis could still "sit and wait" or drive our welcome visitors around. But what is most perplexing is the almost complete change which has taken place in Bridgetown. Walk with me up High Street, past Royal Bank, when we meet James Street corner with Roebuck Street. Empty buildings. Closed doors everywhere. Thomas Herbert Hardware is no more. Carter's Wildey now handles their business and Carters might close and consolidate at Wildey's. Big, imposing Barclays Bank building, almost empty, adjoined by at least three previously active businesses - all closed. Kay's House opposite and the rest of the Complex including Bajan Mall. On the ground floor, fewer than ten retail outlets have moved or closed down. Keep moving and you will see building after building closed and with more to come. Looking down on all of this is our large white building, the Central Bank, most of whose office space is vacant. Where are the drivers of all of these cars parked along the road and in any available car park? You might find most of them in insurance offices or more likely, in legal offices - one car, one person. Roebuck street is longing for those hustling bustling days of lorries and jitneys filled with sacks of flour, onions, potatoes, saltfish, liquor. Only one left and barely busy. S.E. Cole, R.L. Seale, Perkins, M.E. Bourne, Alleyne Arthur, etc. etc. all gone, all gone elsewhere, amalgamated or shut down. That street had atmosphere - and smells, but now, like the swing-bridge, it does not swing any more. Our problem is that we have more educated people than we know what to do with. More lawyers than the law should allow. More computer operators than we have computers. More boutiques and beauty shops than we can afford. Electronic gadgets and video shops abound. Idleness and "pleasure" encouraged at every turn. Let us have a long look at our system of education . . . Unedited video footage of Bridgetown, Barbados - Filmed in 1968 Captured with Super 8 film and digitized in Amsterdam in 2010. Original footage owned by the family of Andrew D. Sheppard, Barbados.

Virginia de Freitas wife of Alfred Sheppard My great-grandmother 24 January 1862 - 21 September 1936 The Register of Births in the Town of Port-of-Spain, Trinidad, for the Year 1862 The entry for Virginia de Freitas is second from the bottom of the page My great-grandmother Virginia de Freitas was born at 15 A Sussex Street, Port of Spain, on 24 January 1862. Her parents were Sebastien (also written Sebastiano and Sebastião) and Maria de Freitas née Cairus.* She was the older sister of Charlotte de Freitas, born about 1865. Records indicate that Sebastião had arrived in Trinidad from Madeira 16 years earlier with his family when he was just an eleven year-old boy. According to Trinidadian historian, Dr. Jo-Anne S. Ferreira: "The first group of 197 refugees traveled on the ship William, from Glasgow, having arrived in Port-of-Spain (the capital of Trinidad) on September 16, 1846, just 4 months after the arrival of the first Madeiran immigrants. More than two thousand left Madeira for Trinidad, St. Kitts, Antigua and St. Vincent. In Trinidad, also mostly Catholic at the time, but where freedom of worship and religious tolerance were recognised, the Church of Scotland, small but growing, welcomed them. However, they could not escape their compatriots - they faced other Madeirans who had previously settled in Trinidad and had to deal with the same prejudices they thought they had left behind in Madeira. Like their impoverished compatriots who had come in search of a better life, many Presbyterian refugees arrived in Trinidad in a state of destitution. After experiencing difficulties in finding employment - some having been forced to work under contract upon their arrival - Presbyterians were also able to take on a new life by starting small businesses." "In Trinidad, after being helped and welcomed by the community of the Greyfriars Church on Frederick Street in Port-of-Spain, they built their own church in 1854 under the leadership of Reverend Henrique Vieira. The church was called the "Scottish Church of St. Anne" (because of its location on the corner of St. Ann/St. Anne Street, now Charlotte Street, and Oxford Street). It was generally identified as the “Portuguese Church” because the Portuguese language and Portuguese Bibles and hymns were still in use 27 years after the arrival of the first refugees." Sebastião (Sebastien) de Freitas It is recorded that our Sebastião and his father Antonio were among these earliest Portuguese Presbyterian refugees in Trinidad who, despite their poverty, contributed to the building fund of St. Anns's Church of Scotland . On Virginia's birth record in the Trinidad registry, her father's occupation is "Labourer". The record shows that he registered the birth himself on 30 January, 1862. As the informant, Sebastien, was required to sign his name. Since he could not write, he put "X" next to his name, which was witnessed by William Henry Cazabon. Family stories relate that Virginia's mother Maria was a Portuguese/English interpreter for the Courts, though that has not yet been proven. We have been told by our elders that our great-grandfather, Alfred Sheppard , was looking for a church to go to when he arrived in Trinidad. One of his colleagues told him about the Presbyterian church Greyfriars. He went there but was not accepted because he was non-conformist. Somebody else told him to try the Free Church of Scotland, which was not so "stuffy". This he did, and was warmly accepted into their fold. It was there that he met Sebastien and Maria's daughter Virginia de Freitas, and it was there that they became man and wife. Virginia was nineteen years old when she tied the knot with 26 year old Alfred Sheppard from Sussex on 25 June 1881. Thus started her life as a the wife of a policeman, which was no doubt fraught with many moments of worry for his safety. The handwritten entry in the Sheppard family Bible states that Virginia's father died on 24 February, 1916. Her husband Alfred passed away the following year, leaving her a widow at fifty-five years old. They had been married for thirty-six years, and had known the anguish of burying three of their children. Virginia lived to be 74 years old and died at her home in Shine Street, Port of Spain on 21 September 1936. My great-grandparents Virginia (de Freitas) and Sergeant Major Alfred Sheppard with Virginia's elderly father, Sebastien de Freitas (my great-great grandfather) They all traveled from Trinidad to England where they visited the Sheppard family in Wem, Shropshire . * The de Freitas surname originates in Portugal. The names of Virginia's parents are recorded in the Registers of Trinidad as Sebastien, and her surname as Cairus. However, we sometimes find clerical spelling errors made at the time of registration, and we wonder about the accuracy of the surname Cairus, as it is not a recognizable Portuguese name. Could it be that the clerk entering the data in the registry misunderstood "de Caires" and wrote, "Carius"? We have also seen her father's name recorded as Sebastiano, Sebastien and Sebastian (the anglicized version).

In celebration of Sybil Elsie (Sheppard) Gibbon Centenarian, Matriarch 12 Sep. 1921 - 23 Oct. 2025 On the morning of Sunday 12 September, 2021 a beautiful arrangement of tropical flowers was delivered to our Matriarch, Sybil Elsie Gibbon from Her Excellency Paula Mae Weekes, President of Trinidad & Tobago. It was the start of an auspicious day in the remarkable life of this lady, the first in our Sheppard family to live an entire century. A day of celebration and thanksgiving followed, marked with a special service dedicated to our beloved Centenarian at St. Ann's Church of Scotland. A hundred years before, she had been baptized at this same church, as had her twelve siblings. Her Big Birthday was honoured and celebrated in word, song and prayer. It fell at a time when Trinidad and the entire world was in a cautious period during the Covid-19 pandemic. However, Sybil was lovingly wined, dined and toasted with bubbles by her immediate family, and relatives around the world were invited to join her church service via live-stream. Sybil's life started just three years after the end of World War 1 when Charles and Elsie (Gomez) Sheppard welcomed their dark haired baby girl to the world. She was their ninth child and darling baby sister for Jessie, Madge, Boysie, Ida, Bertie, John, George and Robert. Barely a year after her birth, my father Andrew came along, followed closely by sisters Audrey, Florence then their little brother Arthur. This baby brother passed away as an infant, when Sybil was just seven years old, and she has survived all of her other siblings. Not only has she survived, she has traveled abroad to visit family members and attend special occasions with them when she was well into her nineties. She continues to enjoy good health and stay active and interested in whatever life offers. The Sheppard family were all devoted Presbyterians, congregants of St. Ann's Church of Scotland where their forefathers were founding members. However, Sybil and her younger sisters went to school at the nearby Catholic St. Joseph's Convent, within walking distance from their home at 30 Richmond Street, Port of Spain. Sybil enjoyed her schooldays there and became a dearly loved favourite with the nuns, winning their hearts with her special flair for French. She remembers well the fateful day at school when a nun came to the classroom and told her she must go home right away. Ten year-old Sybil did as she was told, not knowing that she would find a home of sorrow and mourning, as her dear father had just passed away. Life carried on as it must, with her widowed mother and older siblings at the helm. Having completed her schooling and equipped with a well-rounded secondary education, sixteen-year old Miss Sybil Sheppard landed a job as Secretary to the General Manager of the Trinidad Electricity Board. In 1940 she met Patrick Gibbon and it was love at first sight. After a three-year courtship, they were married at St. Ann's Church of Scotland on 19 June 1943. Sybil gave up her job at the start of married life to devote herself to being a full time wife and mother. She and her husband Patrick had four children, and enjoyed a long and happy married life together at their home in Circular Road, St. Augustine. She enjoyed cultivating her orchids and on weekday mornings was kept busy looking after her little pupils at "Auntie Sybil's School", where she taught "The Three Rs" at their home in a converted garage. Afternoons were times for tennis with her lady friends, including her sister-in-law Joyce (de Sousa) Sheppard who lived in nearby Carmody Road. The ladies would ride their bikes to the courts and back. To read more about how Sybil and Patrick met and their life together, click here. Sheppard sisters in Sybil and Patrick's garden, St.Augustine - February 1989 l/r Ida de Sousa, Florence Johnson, Audrey Clark, Jessie Brash and Sybil Gibbon. These days, at 100 years old, Sybil stays connected with her friends and family using the latest iPad, still plays Bridge every week with her friends, and wouldn't dream of missing any family gathering or outing. She enjoys tending her beautiful blooms of orchids and anthuriums on her verandah. She is my oldest Aunt and special Facebook Friend. We women are amazed to know that she has never coloured her naturally dark hair, which is now streaked with silver. When I chatted with her earlier this week on a video call from Holland to her home in Trinidad, she exclaimed with her characteristic little giggle, "How did I ever get to be a hundred? ONE HUNDRED YEARS - imagine that!" Congratulatory greetings were sent from many corners of the world by Sybil's family and friends and tributes have been showered upon her. Some of those sentiments are expressed on this page, which I dedicate to this gracious lady who we all love and are proud to call Our Matriarch. Reflections on a Matriarch A tribute delivered by Sybil's grandson Alexander Gibbon on her 100th Birthday at St. Ann's Church of Scotland, Trinidad The word century comes from Latin, meaning ‘a group of 100 people’. With 12 siblings, 4 children, 9 grandchildren, 15 great grand children (with one more on the way!), and of course her many nieces and nephews, we certainly are a group of 100 people who come together today. We come together to celebrate another century, in my grandmother, Sybil Gibbon’s, 100th birthday! Longevity is a biblical trait. Moses himself lived to 120 years ‘with clear eyesight’ and was as strong as an ox. We certainly are among another blessed person in Granny, only 20 years his junior! She embodies other biblical traits of such as integrity, honesty, humility and gentleness. These traits undoubtably guided Granny in her life as a mother and wife. I am often reminded by my father Don, Uncle Roger, and Aunty Jennifer, about what a wonderful mother she is. She is supportive, kind, and fair. Job said ‘with age comes wisdom’, yet another trait maintained by Granny. Her life in St Augustine was the perfect place to raise a family and continue the values that we all share today. It seems a little Sheppard madness, and a little Gibbon determination, goes a very long way! Granny, like her sister Ida, can be called ‘Ever-ready’. She is always well dressed and ready for anyone to visit, or even take a Sherry filled afternoon lime. Despite her many years, she is highly vested in all her families' lives, and never forgets a birthday, and regularly phones to find out ‘what’s happening?’. Her apartment is like a club house, a comment to her welcoming personality. There is always someone visiting, and often a place for us family members to catch up with one another with our frequent midweek visits. Perhaps that is one of her secrets to long life, being warm and receptive to all, and making sure anyone who comes in is well fed and watered by the time they leave! It must be said that many friends, and family members are not able to be with us today in person, particularly Aunty Jennifer and the rest of the Australian branch of our growing clan. I can safely say that you are all sorely missed. The book of Proverbs said ‘grandchildren are the crown of the aged, and the glory of children is their fathers’. Granny, with your teachings and values, we have all flourished, and succeeded in many ways. I hope that we can continue to be examples your virtuous teachings. We hold you on the highest pedestal, and all of us have been shaped into who we are directly by you! You are our champion, and this milestone has brought you glory of the highest order! I speak on behalf of all those watching online, that we send our love and best wishes to you Granny. We celebrate with you Granny of this birthday of birthdays. Happy 100th birthday Granny! Sybil's favourite song - SPANISH EYES - "My special gift with love" from daughter Jennifer (playing in the band, end of first row) and the Caribbean Steelpan Band in Perth, Australia In younger days - Sybil and her late husband Patrick Gibbon Sybil seated next to her sons Roger and Don, with their families in Trinidad. September, 2021 Missing from the picture are daughter Jennifer and her family who live in Australia and California. What a great century! Story compiled by Valerie on 13 November, 2021, with thanks to Auntie Sybil for sharing her memories and memorabilia Sybil's family for contributing photos and information My husband Meindert for his archival collection SEE ALSO: Patrick V. A. Gibbon

Trinidad Police Force vs. Messrs. Wuppermann, Prahl & Co. Capt. Arthur Wybrow Baker Inspector Commandant of the Trinidad Police Sgt. Major Alfred Sheppard Trinidad Police Force, from 1880 - 1905 Introduction I came across an article in a 19th century Trinidad newspaper report and was fascinated by the story. I quickly realized that my great-grandfather was a key witness in an important court case. His evidence in the case was reported verbatim. Alfred Sheppard sworn: "I am a Sergeant of Police, and clerk in the Inspector’s Office in Port of Spain. I issue - that is - make out Permits for the Commandant’s signature on applications to remove gunpowder. " It's not every day that one gets a first hand peep into a day of one's ancestor's work life, unless that ancestor is a famous person. This was just a young English policeman doing his duty in the British colony of Trinidad. I could almost hear his voice and visualize him as he recalls exactly his role in each of the three charges brought against the defendants. The newspaper report dated Saturday, August 5 1882 inspired me to write the followin g short story. To see the actual article in the digital Supplement to the Port of Spain Gazette, Saturday 5 August, 1882. Click here. I have transcribed the entire newspaper article for easy reading. Click here It is early Monday morning in Trinidad, on the last day of a humid July in 1882. Sergeant Alfred Sheppard, a 27 year-old English officer of the British Constabulary is getting ready for work, but he knows this is no ordinary working day. As he carefully combs his dark hair and makes sure his uniform is impeccable, he’s tense and focussed. He is a man trained in details and precision. He had served with his Regiment in Sussex since he was 19, was sent to Trinidad as a Colour Sergeant when he was 23, and had left the army to join the Trinidad Police Force as Supt. Sergeant in 1880 when he was 25. Alfred's duty on this day is to appear in the Police Court in Port of Spain to give key evidence at a trial that has had the merchant community and influential white elite of Port of Spain buzzing for weeks. He would be the first witness called to give evidence for the Prosecution. The highly respectable family firm of Messrs. Wupperman Prahl & Co. was facing a Police charge of illegally removing gunpowder from the Powder Magazine, with three separate offenses contrary to the Ordinance No. 2 that had been passed in 1880. They were alleged to have been committed on the 11th, 20th and 21st of July 1882. On this day, they would face trial. By 1882 Trinidad had become a land of immigrants under Victorian British rule. One of the partners in the accused firm, Adolpho Wupperman, was married to Miss Marie Adele Ganteaume de Monteau - a young lady from a Trinidad upper-class French creole family. There must have been an air of anxious anticipation, as connected and concerned family members - German, French and British - colleagues and compatriates from the business community- filled the seats of the Police Court. The Port of Spain Gazette of Saturday, August 5 1882 published a full transcript of the proceedings. Among the several newspapers published in those days, The Port of Spain Gazette catered mostly to the planter and upper class of Trinidad. They reported that “The respectability of the Defendants, no doubt, was the reason for the large audience present at the trial - unquestionably, the enquiry was of considerable importance.” As he entered the courtroom filled with the "Who's Who" of the community, the Inspector Commandant, Capt. Arthur Wybrow Baker must have struck quite an imposing figure. The Englishman, then 39 years old, was already well known throughout Trinidad for his decisiveness and skilled leadership as Chief of Police. These were times of social unrest. Baker had led his force on horseback, with unflinting bravery through the difficult, tumultuous Carnival Canboulay Riots of the previous year. He has been described as a fine figure of a man, over 6 ft. tall, well-built, with dark black hair and mustache, with striking eyes. Most importantly, he was to conduct the prosecution himself. No wonder the trial attracted such a large audience. Adolpho Wupperman’s business partner, Fritz Prahl, came from Lubeck, Germany. He had first set up business in Cuidad Bolivar, Venezuela. Prahl’s wife was Adolpho’s sister, Antonia Wupperman. She and her brother were born in Angostura, Venezuela, but their father hailed from Barmen, on the banks of the Wupper river (hence their surname). Through family connections, Adolpho had first come to Trinidad in 1861 as a young man to join the firm of German immigrants Urich & Feez. Then in 1880 the brothers-in-law Adolpho Wupperman and Fritz Prahl formed their business partnership. Their retail store was located on Almond Walk, Port of Spain, a few doors down from The Caracas Hotel. It was there that an observant and curious Police Constable Brady, who happened to be on the beat near the Gunpowder Magazine, became suspicious of irregularities when he saw three deliveries of unmarked cases leave the building and be offloaded at the hotel. It appears that acting upon this, a warrant was issued and there was what we would call in today's world "a bust". The bold Irish Sergeant-Major Briefly gave testimony that, armed with the warrant, he went to the Caracas Hotel to investigate. In his statements he revealed that quantities of gunpowder were discovered in a trunk in a room in the hotel. He described in great detail what he found and seized. Despite the Defendants' pleas of Not Guilty to each of the charges, the evidence of their infringement of the law was damning enough for the Judge to find them Guilty on all three charges. The audience went home stunned and the Defendants disappointed. The Police had won their case that day. It is not known what became of the appeal filed on their behalf by their lawyer, but the firm of Wuppermann, Prahl & Co. was dissolved the following year. Fritz Prahl and his family returned to Germa ny. Inspector John N. Brierley 1871 From an historical point of view the newspaper report is valuable, as the strict regulations and system in place for removal of gunpowder from the Police Gunpowder Magazine in Trinidad under British Colonial rule are set out. Alfred Sheppard's duties in giving permission for this as a Sergeant and clerk in the Inspector Commandant’s office are explained by him. To understand why the case drew such a large audience, I researched the company involved and wanted to know more about the social atmosphere in Trinidad in that era. My sources were chiefly: "The Germans in Trinidad" and "The Years of Revolt by historian Fr. Anthony de Verteuil Caribbean History Archives by historian Gerard A. Besson Valerie Sheppard 7 January, 2023