Historic adventures

Historic Adventures On Tobago

“Together, Getting Tobago Tourism Right!”

JULY 2016

MEDIA RELEASE

Tobago has a rich historic past having been captured more times than any other island in the Caribbean. Over the centuries it’s been fought over by the French, British, Dutch and the Courlanders and each of these nations have left their mark on the island.

In 1807 15,000 slaves were freed on Tobago following the Abolition of the Slave Trade and they too have also contributed to the rich cultural tapestry of Tobago. Prior to the discovery of Tobago by the Europeans, the island was home to three early Amerindian cultures including the Arawaks and the Caribs. Here are some suggestions to make the most of your visit to Tobago and discover more about the island’s fascinating history.

Fort King George and the Tobago Museum: Built in the early 1770s by the British, Fort King George is Tobago’s best preserved fort. It sits on the hill overlooking the island’s capital Scarborough and was used as a military prison more than a hundred and fifty years ago. Several of the fort’s buildings have been preserved including the Officers’ Mess, powder magazine and lighthouse. Cannon grace the manicured grounds which has incredible panoramic views of the Atlantic Ocean. Inside the restored Barrack Guard House is the Tobago Museum, home to thousands of artifacts relating to Tobago’s past. There are examples of early

Apt. 1 Lambeau Credit Union Bldg., Auchenskeoch Road, Carnbee, Tobago. P.O. Box 295, Scarborough, Tobago Phone/Fax: 1(868) 639-9543 E-mail address: tobagohoteltourismassoc@gmail.com Web site: www.tobagohoteltourism.com

Amerindian pottery, antique maps and coins and military relics as well as displays relating to slavery. This is a real historic highlight of your trip.

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The Battle of Scarborough, 1677: Two of Tobago’s bloodiest sea battles took place in February and December of 1677. The Dutch and French both wanted control of Tobago and when the countries’ warships met the result was the death of thousands, including French and Dutch women and children and African slaves. Three centuries later and the remains of twenty warships and their undiscovered artifacts are still in the muddy bottom of what is now Scarborough harbour. In fact, there are many dive sites around Tobago that offer various treasures from our historic past and ATDO dive members can guide you to explore them. This bloody period

of Tobago history was featured in a docudrama, Tobago 1677. Filming took place in Tobago and the production company, Oceans Discovery co-ordinated the film’s release. Visit the film’s locations including Fort King George and Parlatuvier.

“Together, Getting Tobago Tourism Right!”

Silk Cotton Tree at Runnemede: Towering some 40 meters above the Northside Road, this silk cotton tree has witnessed more than two hundred and fifty years of Tobago’s history and firmly links the island to its African roots. The folk story of Gang Gang Sara, the most well known in Tobago folklore, is the epitome of this. Gang Gang Sara was the resident village obeah (voodoo) woman in the 1700s.

She had flown to Tobago straight from Africa and settled in Les Coteaux, but after her husband died, she tried to fly

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Apt. 1 Lambeau Credit Union Bldg., Auchenskeoch Road, Carnbee, Tobago. P.O. Box 295, Scarborough, Tobago Phone/Fax: 1(868) 639-9543 E-mail address: tobagohoteltourismassoc@gmail.com Web site: www.tobagohoteltourism.com

JULY 2016

MEDIA RELEASE

back home. She launched herself from a silk cotton, but sadly she had eaten salt and could no longer fly, so she fell to her death beside the great tree. Many visitors have had their picture taken beside this extraordinary landmark.

Mystery Tombstone: Can you solve the mystery of the tombstone at Plymouth?

The tomb of Betty Stiven, who died in the 18th century, is inscribed with the strange epitaph:

Beneath these walls are deposited the body of Mrs. Betty Stiven and her child. She was the beloved wife of Alex B Stiven. To the end of his days will deplore her death, which happened upon the 25th November 1783 in the 23rd year of her age. What was remarkable of her, she was a mother without knowing it, and a wife without letting her husband know it except by her kind indulgence to him.

There are many theories about what this means, the most common is that this was an inter-racial romance between a white slave master and a black female slave. At the time this would have been taboo. Others claim that Betty gave birth to her child while unconscious. To date none of these theories have been proved although that doesn’t stop people from trying to guess.

“Together, Getting Tobago Tourism Right!”

Tobago Cocoa Estate: From the 1860s to the early 1920s Trinidad and Tobago was one of the biggest producers of cocoa in the world. It was grown on many of the larger plantations, such as Roxborough and Richmond, by individual farmers. But production virtually came to a standstill after prices collapsed and the crop developed witch-broom disease. Hurricane Flora in 1963 was the final disaster for this once thriving industry. But Tobago is once again making its mark with cocoa. Duane Dove is reviving the 47-acre Roxborough Cocoa Estate, and his crop is now in demand all over the world. Tours of the now renamed Tobago Cocoa Estate offer you the chance to get your taste buds around a piece of Tobago history.

To find out more about these and many more exciting historic adventures on Tobago or to book your stay visit the Tobago Hotel and Tourism Association’s new website at www.tobagohoteltourism.com or phone 868 639 9543.

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Apt. 1 Lambeau Credit Union Bldg., Auchenskeoch Road, Carnbee, Tobago. P.O. Box 295, Scarborough, Tobago Phone/Fax: 1(868) 639-9543 E-mail address: tobagohoteltourismassoc@gmail.com Web site: www.tobagohoteltourism.com