icons of montserrat · employee of the red cross for 11 years managing shelters for the elderly....

BANK OF MONTSERRAT LIMITED 2010 CALENDAR

ICONS OF MONTSERRAT

Dear Customers and Shareholders : This year, we chose the theme “Icons of Montserrat “ for our Calendar. The choice of twelve iconic figures was not an easy task , and some deserving persons have inevitably been left out. However, we have tried to be balanced in our selections by including persons from a fairly wide range of disciplines including agriculture, education, healthcare, civil society, sports, business and the arts.

YOUR BANK YOUR FUTURE

William Henry Bramble CBE 1901-1988

Throughout a brilliant political career W H Bramble successfully pursued policies and programs always aimed at significantly raising the standards of liv-ing of the population of Montserrat. His achievements are too many and varied to be covered in this brief note. Bramble skillfully and successfully led the battle to unshackle workers from domination and exploita-tion by the plantocracy. Notably, as Montserrat's representative in the Leeward Islands Federal Legislature, he successfully moved an amendment to the Leeward Islands Land Holding Act to prohibit the demolition by landlords of the homes of landless workers who had to live on estate lands. Bramble was a visionary leader whose negotiating skills and representations to HMG resulted in the electrification of the entire island. He also set in motion the residential home building program which was the foundation of the modern Montserrat econ-omy.

Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday

31 1

New Year’s Day

2

3 4 5 6 7

Last Quarter

8 9

10 11 12 13 14 15

New Moon

16

17 18 19 20 21 22 23

First Quarter

24 25 26 27 28 29 30 Full Moon

January 2010

Major Vincent Bennett Browne OBE 1922 – 2005

Scholar, soldier, musician, playwright and

schoolmaster, Vincent Browne is a multi-talented

Montserratian who has contributed unstintingly to

social engineering in this island. He was principal of

the Montserrat Secondary School in 1957, commanding

officer of the Montserrat Defense Force in 1962, resident

playwright, deputy director of the Red Cross, president

of the Junior Chamber of Commerce and much more.

Vincent Browne was a colossus of civil society in

Montserrat. His several decorations and awards from

every respectable service organization including the

OBE bespeaks an island ever in his debt.


1

2

3

4

5 Last Quarter

6

7

8

9

10

11

12

13

14 New Moon

15

16

17

18

19

20

21

22 First Quarter

23

24

25

26

27

28 Full Moon

February 2010

Alphonsus Cassell “Arrow” 1951 – MBE

Alphonsus Cassell (Arrow) is arguably the most readily

recognized Montserratian name anywhere. He has

sung to large crowds around the world and is famous

in both the classical calypso of piercing criticism and

his more recent soca which highlights his distinctive

genre. He came under the influence of Sparrow in

Trinidad, the Mecca of calypso in 1972 and became a

phenomenal success thereafter. His universal hit Hot

Hot Hot quickly sold over 75,000 and he has been listed

with Sparrow as the two exceptions of calypsonians who

have penetrated in international markets.


1

2

3

4

5

6

7 Last Quarter

8

9

10

11

12

13

14

15 New Moon

16

17 St. Patrick’s Day

18

19

20

21

22

23 First Quarter

24

25

26

27

28

29

30 Full Moon

31

March 2010

Mary (Irene) Cooper MBE BEM 1933 –

Mary Cooper had a long and outstanding career in

nursing, spanning nearly 40 years and was in turn

General Nurse, Public Health Nurse, Family Nurse

Practitioner and Psychiatric Nurse. On retirement from

nursing, she stayed in the caring business as an

employee of the Red Cross for 11 years managing

shelters for the elderly. Cooper’s community work was

equally outstanding. She managed the Old People’s

Welfare Association for several years and has been

hosting a radio programme for the elderly for 30 years.

Mary Cooper’s work has attracted the British honours of

BEM and MBE.


1

2 Good Friday

3

4 Easter Sunday

5 Easter Monday

6 Last Quarter

7

8

9

10

11

12

13

14 New Moon

15

16

17

18

19

20

21 First Quarter

22

23

24

25

26

27

28 Full Moon

29

30

April 2010

Margaret (Annie) Dyer-Howe MBA 1940-

Margaret Dyer-Howe was the second Montserratian

woman to become a Minister of Government (1983). A

number of landmark decisions including comprehen-

sive secondary education and the opening of an Old

People’s Home are associated with her tenure. A

remarkable politician, Dyer-Howe was equally

outstanding in civil society. She was Vice President of

both the Old People’s Welfare Association and the St.

Patrick’s Credit Union and President of the Catholic

Social League. Internationally recognized, she was

drafted into the planning committee for the World

Conference on the UN Decade for Women.


30

31

1

2

3 Labour Day

4

5

6 Last Quarter

7

8

9

10

11

12

13

14 New Moon

15

16

17

18

19

20 First Quarter

21

22

23

24

25

26

27 Full Moon

28

29

May 2010

Howard A. Fergus KBE BA PhD 1937 -

A career educator, Dr. Fergus has been Deputy

Principal, Montserrat Secondary School; Chief

Education Officer and the University of the West Indies

(U.W.I.) Professor of Eastern Caribbean Studies. He is a

leading poet and historian who has published widely.

He also had an outstanding career in public life; he

was Speaker of the Legislative council for 26 years

(1975-2001) and has acted periodically as governor

between 1976 and 2009. Dr. Fergus has received

several awards for his work locally and regionally,

including a knight-hood from England.


1

2

3

4 Last Quarter

5

6

7

8

9

10

11

12 New Moon

13

14

15

16

17

18

19 First Quarter

20

21

22

23

24

25

26 Full Moon

27

28

29

30

June 2010

Professor James Alfred Irish BA PhD 1942 –

One of the most talented Montserratians of his time, Dr.

‘George” Irish has excelled in several fields. He is

scholar, teacher, trade unionist, musician cultural

activist, social engineer and author. As island

scholar, he won the 1964 BWIA Student of the Year

Award and became a UWI Lecturer. Irish’s inventions

are numerous and include The Emerald community

Singers, The Montserrat Allied Workers Union, The

Alliouagana Music Centre and the Montserrat Theatre

Group. As Director of the Medgar Evers College, of the

City University of New York. Dr. Irish continues to

make creative waves. An annual lecture has been

instituted to his honour in Montserrat.


1

2

3

4 Last Quarter

5

6

7

8

9

10

11 New Moon

12

13

14

15

16

17

18 First Quarter

19

20

21

22

23

24

25 26 Full Moon

27

28

29

30

31

July 2010

Ellen Jane Lindsey BEM 1944 –

Following a family tradition, Ellen Lindsey took to

farming seriously on leaving all-age primary school.

Her first marketing effort from a small personal plot

fetched the great sum of $47.50. Starting with a second

prize for peas, she became a constant winner at the

national agricultural exhibition. In 1980, she

climaxed with the coveted farmer of the year award.

In 1988, she was awarded the British Empire Medal for

farming and profiled in a regional volume on out-

standing women.


1

2 Emancipation day

3 Last Quarter

4

5

6

7

8

9

10 New Moon

11

12

13

14

15

16 First Quarter

17

18

19

20

21

22

23

24 Full Moon

25

26

27

28

29

30

31

August 2010

John Alfred Osborne 1936 –

John A. Osborne has distinguished himself by his

longevity in politics having served as a legislator from

1966 to 2009 with a break between 1991 and 1996. He

was Chief Minister for 18 years which makes him both

the island’s longest serving legislator and Chief

Minister. A passionate believer in entrepreneurship,

free enterprise and a high standard of living for all, he

led the island to progress socially and economically

during his tenure. It was under his leadership that the

island progressed out of British grant-in-aid. In

recognition of his outstanding leadership and service

to Montserrat, the current airport was named in his

honour. This champion of the people dominated

island politics for over a generation.


1

Last Quarter

2

3

4

5

6

7

8 New Moon

9

10

11

12

13

14

15 First Quarter

16

17

18

19

20

21

22

23 Full Moon

24

25

26

27

28

29

30

September 2010

Michael Symmons Osborne 1902-1967

M. S. Osborne served the island well as a merchant and

in shipping both as an agent and an owner of

schooners with household names as Irona, Fessidore

and Moneka. As a nominated member of Council, he

supported some important social causes. It was in the

hotel business, however, that he made the greatest

impact. In 1952, he bought the Coconut Hill Hotel and

improved it, the only quality guest accommodation on

the island. When in 1961, he built the Vue Pointe Hotel

a 24-room luxury resort, he laid the foundation for the

modern tourism industry in Montserrat. The volcanic

apart, Osborne’s Vue Pointe is still the leading hotel

complex on island.


31

1

Last Quarter

2

3

4

5

6

7 New Moon

8

9

10

11

12

13

14 First Quarter

15

16

17

18

19

20

21

22

23 Full Moon

24

25

26

27

28

29

30 Last Quarter

October 2010

Mary Rose Tuitt 1930 – 2005

Mary Tuitt, Montserrat’s first lady Minister of Govern-

ment was a successful head teacher before she entered

politics in 1970. Her ministerial term was associated

with important social initiatives such as school feeding

and the Christmas Festival committee. Mrs. Tuitt

brought a great sense of dignity to the Ministry. She is

equally known as a great netballer and played for the

Montserrat Secondary School team, captained the

national team, narrowly losing the West Indian

championship in 1959. She climaxed her career as

coach and manager of the national team and

President of the West Indies Netball Board.


1

2

3

4

5

6 New Moon

7

8

9

10

11

12

13 First Quarter

14

15

16

17

18

19

20

21 Full Moon

22

23

24

25

26

27

28 Last Quarter

29

30

November 2010

Elizabeth Wyke 1923-1994

Born at Rendezvous in 1923 Elizabeth Wyke was a

productive partner in her husband’s business, but it

was as a hardworking nurse that she won national

applause. The eulogist at her funeral described her as

“a hard worker, simple, generous, sincere, caring,

affectionate, dedicated and most of all humble”. Her

work as a nurse takes on a heroic and romantic aura.

She covered long distances by foot or horseback: two

miles from Bethel to Long Ground, St. John’s to Salem

and St. Patrick’s to Harris, some eight miles. Answering

night calls she turned up with lanterns or flambeaus,

and recalls delivering four babies in different villages

in her district in one evening. She endeavored to live

her motto: “There is no sore that I cannot cure”.


1

2

3

4

5 New Moon

6

7

8

9

10

11

12

13 First Quarter

14

15

16

17

18

19

20

21 Full Moon

22

23

24

25 Christmas Day

26 Boxing Day

27

28 Last Quarter

29

30

31

December 2010

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS The Bank of Montserrat Limited wishes to thank the following persons for willingly granting the Bank permission to compile this anthology of ICONS OF MONTSERRAT : 1. Mr. P. Austin Bramble for William H Bramble 2. Mrs. Dora Browne for Vincent B Brown 3. Mr. Alphonsus “Arrow” Cassell 4. Mrs. Mary Cooper 5. Mrs. Margaret (Annie) Dyer-Howe 6. Sir Howard Fergus 7. Dr. J.A. George Irish 8. Ms. Ellen Jane Augusta Lindsey 9. Dr. John A Osborne 10. Mr. Bertrand Osborne for Michael S Osborne 11. Mrs. Adelina E Tuitt for Ms. Mary Rose Tuitt 12. Mr. John E Wyke for Ms. Elizabeth Wyke We extend special thanks to Sir Howard Fergus for his kind assistance in the research and compilation of this collection.

BANK OF MONTSERRAT LIMITED – YOUR BANK – YOUR FUTURE

Brades Main Road, P. O. Box 10, Brades, Montserrat

Tel: 1-664-491-3843 Fax: 1-664-491-3163

E-mail: [email protected] Website: www.bankofmontserrat.ms

icons of montserrat · employee of the red cross for 11 years managing shelters for the elderly....

Documents