2

Master of Ceremony: Mr. Gary Phillips OBE, JP

Mistress of Ceremony: Ms. Tina Evans-Caines

REMARKS: The Hon. Michael Dunkley JP, MP

Premier of Bermuda and Acting Minister

of Community, Culture and Sports

PROFILES: Hamilton Parish

Furbert Family

Gibbons Family

Hill Family

Hodgson Family

Richardson Family

Smith Family

DANCE: “The Challenge” — Jaricco Dance

Choreographed by Eric Bean Jr.

The Trail of Our People

Programme

3

PROFILES: Southampton Parish

Burrows Family

Lee Family

Raynor Family

PERFORMANCE: “Didn’t My Lord Deliver Daniel”

Proclaim It

PROFILES: Southampton Parish Simons Family

Smith Family

Wilson Family

DANCE: “Tree of Life” — Jaricco Dance

Choreographed by Eric Bean Jr.

FINALE: Warwick Gombeys

Drumming Tribute

Community Heroes

Programme

4

HONOREES

THE FURBERT FAMILY The Furbert family is a sprawling clan with a major

presence in Hamilton Parish as business and property

owners, church leaders, educators and parliamentari-

ans.

The family achieved a milestone in 1933 when Ernest

Thompson Furbert was elected as the first black Mem-

ber of Parliament for Hamilton Parish. According to a

report in The Royal Gazette, on Election Day, Ernest

told his supporters they had “accomplished an event

unparalleled in the history of the parish in returning a

coloured representative.”

A grocer, farmer and exporter of produce, Ernest Fur-

bert was an enterprising man. He was a son of mason

and farmer Thomas Furbert and a grandson of Benja-

min Hill Sr., a 19th century shipbuilder who was de-

scribed in the National Trust book Bermuda’s Architectural Heritage: Hamilton Par-

ish, as “one of the new generation of highly successful black entrepreneurs and a

founder trustee of Temperance Hall…”

Ernest’s mother, Sarah Elizabeth Furbert, was a daughter of Benjamin Hill and he

came to own a house “Sea View” with an acre of land once owned by Benjamin.

He served in Parliament until his death in 1942, and was succeeded by his younger

brother Willis Benjamin Furbert.

Known as W. B. Furbert, Willis Benjamin enjoyed a reputation as one of the Island’s

best-dressed men. He owned several horses and carriages, and did a thriving business,

transporting tourists. His property holdings included Old Homestead, which is now

owned by Hamilton Parish Workmen’s Club.

He was also a founding trustee of Crawl Gospel Hall, which has played a central role

in the lives of the Furbert family for more than 100 years.

W.B. Furbert had 11 children, the most prominent of whom was Frederick Shirley

Furbert, who in 1943 became the first Bermudian headmaster of The Berkeley Insti-

tute.

F. S. Furbert studied the classics at the University of London, followed by post-

graduate studies at the Sorbonne in Paris. Headmaster at The Berkeley until 1971, he

was a driving force in the school’s development. A man of deep Christian faith, he

was chairman of Young Life and a member of the Gideon Society.

A major mentor was his older sister Bertha Hodgson Jones, a schoolteacher for 37

years, and headmistress of Temperance Hall from 1934 to 1936.

Frederick Shirley Furbert—1st Bermudian headmaster of The

Berkeley Institute

5

She was the mother of Marshalline Simons and Dr. Marion Robinson, a former per-

manent secretary for education. Bertha was also grandmother of Dr. Emma Robinson,

an obstetrician and gynaecologist who became Bermuda’s first female Rhodes scholar

in 1987.

W.B.’s other children include Celeste Simmons, Norris Furbert and Bishop Russell

Furbert of the United Holiness Church. Bishop Furbert’s grandson is Wayne Furbert,

the third member of the Furbert family to serve in Parliament. Wayne was first elected

in 1993 and is currently a PLP MP for Hamilton West.

F.S. Furbert’s wife, Eloise Furbert, is a granddaughter of Ernest Furbert. She taught

Latin and French at The Berkeley Institute. During the 1980s, she began teaching at

the Adult Education School, and subsequently became its director.

Her sister Dr. Juanita Guishard, who qualified in the United Kingdom as a registered

nurse and a registered mental health nurse, taught religious knowledge and health sci-

ence for many years at The Berkeley Institute. When barriers against black nurses

were lifted, she was of the first black nurses employed at King Edward VII Memorial

Hospital. She spent most of her career as a health professional at St. Brendan’s Hospi-

tal, now Mid-Atlantic Wellness Institute, where she was a psychiatric counsellor for

15 years.

Other Furbert relatives include principal Shangri-la Durham Thompson; LaVerne Fur-

bert, who has served the PLP in various capacities and her sisters, Cheryl Eve and

Maxine Esdaille, chairperson of the African Diaspora Heritage Trail Bermuda Foun-

dation.

THE GIBBONS FAMILY Prolific and proud, the Gibbons family trace their line

to Robert Gibbons and Pernice Walburn, who were

married at Hamilton Parish Anglican in August 1843.

According to family lore, Pernice (also known as Jane

Bernice) was a Native American who came to Ber-

muda as a slave. From this lineage have emerged Cup

Match cricketers, ministers, educators and fishermen.

The family has produced a number of cooking legends

whose talents served them well in the hospitality in-

dustry and also at family celebrations.

Notable descendants include Carl Gibbons, who in

1907 at the age of 13 discovered Crystal Caves when

he was looking for a ball he had lost while playing

cricket with his brothers.

In 1877, another descendant, Alester James Gibbons, became a founding trustee of St

John AME Church in Hamilton Parish. Alester, a carpenter and cabinetmaker, also

made the pulpit and cedar chairs for the church, which was completed in 1881.

Pernice Walburn—Matriarch of the Gibbons clan

6

Yet another descendant, Robert Newton Gibbons, was

one of six men lost at sea in 1927 when their pilot boat

was caught in a tornado off St George’s and capsized.

All six men were said to be “highly esteemed” and

“capable seamen”, according to newspaper reports.

A more recent forebear was well-known fisherman

Ethelred Gibbons. He married Frances Outerbridge and

they had 15 children, three of whom survive: Greta

Somner, Mary Smith and Gary Gibbons. Gary is a fish-

erman like his father.

Three of Ethelred and Frances’ daughters, Dorothy Ince,

Angeline Outerbridge and Winifred Outerbridge, made

their mark in the hospitality industry. The three sisters

worked for many years at Leamington Cave’s Plantation

Club.

A fourth sister, Edith Gibbons Trott, was famous for her

cakes, while their cousin Wilmont Walker was a top bar-

tender at Tom Moore’s Tavern.

During the 1950s, Dorothy and her Barbadian husband, Anderson Ince, operated a

popular restaurant Dot and Andy’s at Bailey’s Bay. They did a roaring business with

fish cakes, fish sandwiches, lemon and apple tarts and bread pudding. The eatery was

popular with taxi drivers who took that route on the way to the airport.

Cup Match cricketers with a place on the Gibbons

family tree are Terry Burgess, Noel Gibbons, Charles

Marshall, Tarryn Fray, Treadwell Gibbons and

Clarkie, Latif and Rodney Trott. Several others have

played at the county level.

Men and women of the cloth include Rev. Dr. Larry

Lowe and Rev. Allen Walker Sr., and Revs. Trevor

Woolridge, Damaris Lowe and Larry Smith.

Ainsworth Burgess was a well-known contractor as is

his brother Winters, while Captain Horace Gibbons, a

clarinetist and saxophonist, made history in 1965

when he became the first Bermudian bandmaster and

director of music of the newly formed Bermuda Regi-

ment band.

Gibbons family members have cemented their ties to

the parish where their forebears laid down roots more

than 150 years ago. Many live in the Harlem area.

Alester Gibbons was a car-penter and founding trustee

of St. John AME Church

Edith Trott, Angeline Outerbridge, Mary Smith and Cara Douglas

7

Institutions such as Hamilton Parish Workmen’s Club and Bailey’s Bay Cricket

Club have an important place in their lives.

Bermuda Day picnics and Cup Match camping recall their connection to the sea

and their culinary talents.

More recently, in response to the rise in gun crime, they organised a family reun-

ion in 2010. Like many families, they have been directly affected. They believe

that honouring the contribution made by their forebears will go a long way to-

wards reducing the risk of their children falling victim to gun violence.

The next family reunion is scheduled for 2015.

THE HILL FAMILY Benjamin Hill Sr., a leading shipwright, land-

owner and entrepreneur during the post-

Emancipation era, was the patriarch of the Hill,

Furbert, Hodgson and Richardson families.

It is not known whether he was enslaved or free

at birth, but the records leave no doubt as to his

drive and his energy.

Benjamin Sr. (1804-1866) owned a shipyard

where he built racing boats. A 41-foot yacht he

built for a British admiral and an even larger 90-

foot vessel commissioned by Orlando Hollis of

Hamilton Parish were both launched in 1859.

His many descen-

dants are continuing to make their mark both in

Bermuda and overseas. They include three Rhodes

scholars (Arthur Hodgson, Dr. Emma Robinson,

and Jay Butler), six MPs (Ernest and W.B. Furbert,

Hilton Hill Sr. and Jr., Arthur Hodgson and Wayne

Furbert), and physicians Drs. June Hill and Emma

Robinson.

Other direct descendants include Margaret Hill-

Brown who became the first black woman to win

Miss Photogenic at the 1970 Miss Universe compe-

tition; Olympic swimmer Kiera Aitken and her sis-

ter Ashley, who also swam competitively; as well as

Barbadian sprinter Obadele Thompson, winner of a

silver medal at the 2000 Olympics. Byron Hill and

Hilton Gray Hill was a grandson of Benjamin Hill Sr.

Hilton Gray Hill as a young man

8

his sons Roland and Gilbert (father of Margaret and grandfather of Kiera and Ash-

ley) followed in their ancestor’s footsteps to become leading tradesmen.

Educators include Dr. Eva Hodgson and her aunts Annie and Emily Hodgson; Carol

Hill; Alice Hill; Lois Tucker, principal of Bermuda Institute; and Mary-Beth Aitken,

mother of Kiera and Ashley.

The late Mildrette Hill, a journalist who became a lawyer and handicapped rights

activist, was a sister of Mary-Beth and Margaret. AME minister Rev. Austin

Richardson was a grandson of Benjamin Sr.

Benjamin Sr. married Miriam Steede (1792-1897), who was a legend in her own

right. Miriam, also known as Mariana and Marm, was a free black at birth. She

farmed the family’s onion fields, working alongside her sons and daughters, and

sold produce well into her old age.

The couple had 13 children, 10 of whom survived their father: Benjamin Jr., Wil-

liam Barry, Nathaniel Edward, Adolphus, Sarah Elizabeth Furbert, Julia Hodgson,

Margaret Williams Bascome, Mary Jane Burgess, Dinah Furbert and Ann Burrows.

Benjamin Sr.’s property holdings include Sea View, which he purchased in 1862

and left to four daughters: Ann, Sarah Elizabeth, Margaret and Mary Jane.

His grandson Ernest Furbert, son of Sarah Elizabeth and Thomas Furbert, came to

own the property along with an acre of land. It is likely that ownership of the prop-

erty paved the way for him to become the first black Member of Parliament for

Hamilton Parish in 1932. Land ownership was a requirement for voters and parlia-

mentary candidates.

Benjamin Sr. and Benjamin Jr. help found Temperance Hall Friendly Society and its

primary school, which was in existence for nearly a century. Father and son also

signed the 1855 petition against the importation of farm labour.

The twice-married Benjamin Jr., who was a carpenter and grocer, had six children:

Eva, Charles, Hilton Gray, Russell, Beatrice and Louisa.

Eva married Frederick Hodgson, while Hilton married Elise, a daughter of Berkeley

Institute founder Samuel David Robinson. Hilton Hill I earned success in business

as a harness maker and produce exporter. His 12 years of service as a Member of

Parliament for Pembroke ended with his death in 1928.

Hilton was the father of Hilton G. Hill II, who was a Member of Parliament, serv-

ing on Parliament’s 1953 Inter-racial committee, and Carol Hill, who was the first

speech and drama specialist in the Government school system.

Hilton I’s brother, Charles, a founding trustee of St. John AME Church, had one

child, Byron, with his second wife, Clara Novella Furbert.

Byron, a carpenter and a contractor, was an early member of the St. George’s Sev-

enth-day Adventist church and would later become a leading member of Midland

Heights SDA church in Hamilton Parish.

9

THE HODGSON FAMILY The Hodgson family legacy is extensive—they

can count farmers, tradesmen, activists, educators,

entrepreneurs, property owners and parliamentari-

ans among their numbers.

They were among the earliest members of the

Brethren church, and were instrumental in the es-

tablishment of Crawl Gospel Hall.

They are related by blood and by marriage to the

Furberts. Their common ancestor is the 19th cen-

tury shipbuilder Benjamin Hill Sr..

An early ancestor is Prince Hodgson (1812-1872).

In 1852, he purchased the land on which the

Crawl Church now stands and a pew at Holy Trin-

ity Church.

In 1855, Prince Hodgson (spelled Hodgerson on

the petition) was one of 536 black men who

signed a petition against the Government’s plan to bring immigrant farm labour to

Bermuda.

In 1835, Prince Hodgson married Nancy Nash. Robert Augustus Hodgson and

Frederick Stowe Hodgson, both masons, were two of their children.

Robert Augustus Hodgson married Julia Hill, a

daughter of Benjamin Hill Sr. Robert donated the

land for the construction of Crawl Gospel Hall.

Their only son was Robert Nathaniel Hodgson,

who along with Frederick Hodgson, other members

of the Hodgson-Furbert clan, and several others,

was a founding trustee of Crawl Gospel Hall.

Robert Hodgson became a blacksmith and operated

a business Todd and Hodgson on Victoria Street

from 1912 to 1941. In 1946, he was elected to Par-

liament in a by-election and served in the House un-

til 1953. Robert and his grandson, retired banker

Arnold Todd, were actively involved with The

Berkeley Institute — Robert as chairman of the

Berkeley Educational Society and Arnold as chair-

man of the Board of Governors.

Frederick Hodgson married Eva Hill, who was a

Arthur Claxton Hodgson (1881-1918)

Dr. Eva Hodgson

10

daughter of Benjamin Hill Jr. They had seven chil-

dren: Arthur, Annie, Oliver, Frederick, Alexander,

Harold and Emily.

Arthur and Annie Hodgson were among the first

class of students of The Berkeley Institute when the

school opened on September 6, 1897.

Arthur Hodgson was one of the first Bermudians to

attend teacher’s college overseas. He began his ca-

reer in 1900 at a school in St. David’s. In 1910, he

entered Borough Road Training College in England.

He opened his own school in Crawl upon his return

to Bermuda.

In 1917, he was appointed headmaster of a Somer-

set school that became West End Primary. This edu-

cator of great promise died unexpectedly a year

later at the age of 37.

Arthur, who was unmarried, had the foresight to lead his siblings in the purchase

of Long House in Crawl and the 15 acres of land on which it stood in 1910. Long

House is still owned by the family.

His sisters Annie and Emily both taught at Cripplegate School. Emily also con-

ducted Bible study with Portuguese women who were members of the Evangeli-

cal Church. For several years beginning in 1925, she would ride her pedal cycle

from Crawl to two homes in Smith’s Parish to lead prayer meetings of the

church’s Ladies’ Aid Society.

Arthur’s brother Harold was the father of Ruth Paynter, Dr. Eva Hodgson, Dama-

ris Smith, Harold Hodgson Jr., Grace Swan and Arthur Hodgson. In 1964, Arthur

Hodgson became Bermuda’s first black Rhodes scholar. He started his career as a

teacher and builder before going into law. Active in politics, he has been a PLP

chairman, MP and an Environment Minister.

Dr. Eva Hodgson has been a teacher and an author (Second-Class Citizens, First-

Class Men), but is best known as an anti-racism campaigner.

Ruth Paynter is a retired teacher and owner of Clear View Guest House and Land-

fall Restaurant and their sisters Damaris Smith and Grace Swan were teachers.

Their brother Harold was a taxi operator.

Alexander Hodgson, the brother of Arthur and Harold, is the father of educator

Dr. Marion Robinson and her sister Marshalline Simons. Dr. Robinson’s daughter,

Dr. Emma Robinson, was Bermuda’s first female Rhodes scholar.

The Hodgson siblings are doubly related to Marion and Marshalline as Harold

married Ilene Pearman Furbert, their mother’s first cousin.

Alexander and Harold Hodgson operated an import and retail business on Court

Street.

Arthur Hodgson

11

THE RICHARDSON FAMILY

Music, education and the AME church have fig-

ured prominently in the lives of the Richardson

family for more than 150 years.

Their forebears have been a presence in Hamil-

ton Parish prior to Emancipation and were able

to acquire property a mere 17 years after slav-

ery’s abolition.

Their musical talent can be traced back to Eva

Richardson, the daughter of Daniel Bascome

and his wife Charlotte (Mallory) Bascome.

Daniel was a shipwright who in 1851 purchased

from Englesea Seon two acres of land on which

he built a two-storey home Blythe Dale. The

property remains in the family today.

Daniel Bascome, shipwright and entrepreneur

Benjamin Hill Sr. and four other Hamilton Par-

ish men founded and built Temperance Hall in Burchall’s Cove. The six founding

trustees were members of the Hamilton Parish Temperance Friendly Society,

which taking its cue from the 19th temperance movement, promoted abstinence

from alcohol and the moral and religious education of young people. Temperance

Hall, a primary school from 1857 to 1950, was where many prominent Bermudi-

ans from the eastern parishes received their early education.

Eva married Rev. Austin Richardson, a grandson

of Benjamin Hill. Rev Richardson served at dif-

ferent times as pastor of AME churches St. Luke,

St. Philip, Bethel, Allen Temple and St. John, and

was also presiding elder at one point. A mason by

trade, Rev. Richardson also helped build St. John,

Bethel, St. Luke and St. Philip in Tucker’s Town,

such was his commitment to the development of

the AME church. A plaque at Bethel describes

him as a “ Citizen, Pastor, Churchbuilder”.

Eva Richardson was a “well-known and out-

standing personality in the eastern parishes”, ac-

cording to her obituary that ran in the Bermuda

Recorder, which also described her as an “ideal

helpmeet to her husband in his ministerial du-

ties.”

Rev. Austin Richardson

Eva Richardson

12

She was a proficient pianist who taught her

daughters Trescelia, Agatha, Cecily and

many others to play and also ran a nursery

school at Blythe Dale. All the Richardson

children attended The Berkeley Institute.

When Berkeley celebrated its centenary in

1979, Trescelia Warner was one of Berke-

ley’s two oldest surviving students, although

she died that November, at the age of 90.

Trescelia Warner played piano for silent

movies, ran a nursery school and was also a

church deaconess. Her children were Elvira

Warner, Wartlo Warner, and educators Esme

Swan and McNeil Warner. McNeil, a former

chairman of the United Bermuda Party, was

also a musician.

Agatha Burgess was a well-known educator

who taught for many years at Francis Patton

School. She was active in the AME Church as

a member of the Missionary Society, organiser of Women’s Day activities and Dis-

trict Sunday school superintendent. A political activist, she served as secretary of

the Hamilton Parish Political Association and was instrumental in helping Hilton

Hill, Walter Robinson and Gilbert Darrell win seats in the House of Assembly dur-

ing an era when odds were against blacks seeking to serve in Parliament. Her

daughter Dr. Faith Burgess Clarke was Bermuda’s first chiropractor and her son

Dwight Burgess was an educator.

Agatha’s sister Cecily Caisey was a pianist who graduated from the New England

Conservatory of Music, becoming one of the first music teachers in Bermuda with a

conservatory education. Cecily’s daughter Eva Thompson, a retired educator, and

two of Eva’s three daughters, Alicia Thompson Taylor and Dr. Maria Thompson

Corley, are professional musicians. Maria Corley, a concert pianist who received

master’s and doctoral degrees from the Juilliard School of Music, performed at the

Bermuda Festival in 2011.

Cecily’s other daughters are retired educator Ernestine DeGraff, Hilda Caisey

Thompson and Eldyne Simons.

Eva and Austin Richardson’s many descendants live in Bermuda, Canada, the Car-

ibbean and the United Kingdom, serving their communities in a variety of areas.

They include Cherie Whitter, deputy head of the Bermuda civil service, and sprinter

Obadele Thompson, winner of the 100 metres bronze medal at the 2000 Olympics.

Agatha (Richardson) Burgess

13

Others who are continuing Eva Richardson’s musical legacy are DeVaun DeGraff,

his brother music promoter Damon DeGraff, Sean Caisey and Bethel AME

Church pianist Carol Clarke.

THE SMITH FAMILY

(HAMILTON PARISH) The Smith family of Crawl has many ac-

complished members, spread across genera-

tions, among them mason, musician and ac-

tivist Seward Ethelbert Smith Sr.

Born in 1892, the son of Edgar and Melvina

Smith, he trained as a mason and worked

for the Bermuda Development Company in

Tucker’s Town before starting his own con-

struction company.

Nicknamed “Fastboy”, this talented musi-

cian sang tenor and served as choirmaster at

Bethel and St. John AME churches. A su-

perintendent also of Bethel’s Sunday

School, he played violin for the Eureka

Four, a band he formed with three friends.

As secretary of the Hamilton Parish Politi-

cal Association, he helped W.B. Furbert win a seat in Parliament during an era

when blacks were underrepresented in the House.

Seward Sr.’s concern for racial equality and community health care led him to be-

come a co-founder of the Hamilton Parish Nursing Association during the 1930s.

The Association employed Caro Spencer Wilson as a nurse-midwife for Smith’s

and Hamilton parishes after she was denied a post as a district nurse because of

her race. Nurse Spencer Wilson served the area for nearly 30 years.

Seaward was one of six children. One brother Edwin, a musician who moved to

New York as a young man, lived well into his 90s. He wrote poetry and quoted

Shakespeare, according to a New York newspaper that interviewed him on his 95th

birthday.

Edwin’s daughter Hilda Smith was a teacher and pianist who was Bermuda’s old-

est resident when she died at age 106 in January 2014. She was given the honour

of playing ‘God Save the Queen’ for Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II during her

visit to Bermuda in 2009.

Unlike his niece Hilda, Seward Sr. did not live to a ripe old age. He died in 1947,

Seward Smith Sr.

14

a month before his 56th birthday, outliving

his organist wife, the former Albertha

Irene Flemming, by three years.

Of Seward’s seven children, two survive:

Boyd Smith and Hilary Richardson, who

played the organ at St. John’s AME

Church for more than 50 years. Their

brother Seward Jr. died in 2012. Their sis-

ter Vinton Walker Pyke, who died in 2013,

trained as a seamstress. Seward Jr. and

Boyd had the responsibility of completing

the family home after their father died.

Boyd’s life story is similar to that of

countless black Bermudian men of his era.

He worked days in construction and nights

in the hospitality industry to earn enough

money to buy a plot of land. Then he

spent his weekends building his home.

Known as “Mr. Melody”, he also played piano at clubs, private parties and com-

munity events.

Boyd found a perfect spot for his dream home on Knapton Hill, Smith’s Parish.

However beautiful the location, it was not his first choice. He and his wife Moria

were interested in other properties during the 1950s. They were deemed for whites

only and thus out of reach.

Boyd is keeping the heritage of black Bermudians alive as a trustee of Loyal

Flower of the Day Lodge, president of the Hamilton Parish Temperance Hall

Friendly Society, and a member of the executive of the Bermudian Heritage Mu-

seum in St. George’s. He is also vice-chairman of Bermuda Nursing Association,

which dates back to the era of segregation and continues to provide financial sup-

port to nursing students.

Seward Sr. would be proud of the achievements of his descendants who are work-

ing in areas he could never have envisioned. They include great-grandchildren:

school counsellor Cal-Nika Bridgewater; Craig Bridgewater, managing director of

accounting firm KPMG; psychologist Dr. Shay-Coy Campbell; computer special-

ist Katrina Darrell; lawyer Paul T. Wilson; and great-great-grandchild, young au-

thor Jahmali Bridgewater. Others are successful entrepreneurs.

Asked about attributes his father passed on, Boyd said: “Honesty, a work ethic

and Christian beliefs.”

Albertha Flemming Smith

15

THE BURROWS FAMILY

The Burrows family contributed

much to sports, politics and the

church, but a major source of pride

is their achievement as pioneers in

the plumbing business.

E. J. Burrows Plumbing, which be-

gan as Burrows and Simmons, was

one of the first plumbing firms in

Bermuda.

The founders were close friends

Edgar James Burrows and Arnold

Simmons. Edgar was a Dockyard-

trained blacksmith, while Arnold

had learned the plumbing trade in New York.

Arnold taught Edgar plumbing and when they opened their business around the

turn of the 20th century, there was only one other plumber in Bermuda.

They catered to clients with a need for their services and the money to pay for

them—wealthy Americans whose homes had indoor plumbing and running water.

This was at a time when Bermudians had outside toilets and dipped water directly

from the tanks.

The Burrowses were among the first in their area to have a telephone as their cli-

ents wanted to be able to reach them.

Edgar eventually became the sole owner and re-

named the business E.J. Burrows Plumbing. At its

height, it was one of the Island’s largest plumbing

firms, with 13 plumbers on the payroll.

The company provided apprenticeships for genera-

tions of Bermudian plumbers, among them former

Bermuda Industrial Union president Ottiwell Sim-

mons.

E.J. Burrows, who was a son of Peter Burrows and

the former Emily Higginbotham of Southampton, had

three sons: Reginald Sr., Wilfred and Cleo. Reginald

Sr. took over the company in 1948.

E.J. Plumbing started out in Southampton, and later

moved to Washington Lane in Hamilton. In 1955, the

business relocated to Victoria Street.

Reginald Burrows Jr. joined the firm after graduating

Edgar James Burrows — founder of E.J. Burrows Plumbing

Louisa Gomez Burrows

16

from The Berkeley Institute in 1951. In 1953, he en-

rolled at Wilberforce University in Ohio where he stud-

ied mathematics and physics.

He rejoined the business upon graduation, worked there

for 30 years but would eventually devote much of his

time to politics. He was elected PLP MP in 1968 and

served in Parliament until 2003, when he was appointed

to the Senate. He retired from political life in 2006.

While E.J. Plumbing is no more, Cleo Jr. and Randy

Burrows are carrying on the family tradition as owners

of IEL at Wellbottom.

Cleo Jr., Randy, Marvin and Edgar are the children of

Cleo Sr. and the former Gwyneth Perinchief.

E. J. Burrows was ably supported by his wife, Louisa

Gomez, an indomitable figure in her own right. She was

a daughter of Profirio Gomez, a Cape Verdean, who arrived in St George’s on a

schooner at the age of 21, disembarked and never left.

In 1882, Profirio married Sarah Watson, a woman of mixed race whose family was

originally from St. George’s, but later moved to Tucker’s Town.

They settled in Southampton where they were given property as compensation for

land they were forced to give up to make way for the development of Tucker’s Town

in the 1920s.

The Southampton property encompassed about 14 building lots. Profirio and Sarah,

who were farmers, were able to give land to all six of their children, one employee

and the Seventh-day Adventist church.

Louisa and E. J. Burrows lived on property that Louisa inherited from her parents.

They turned a section of it into a guesthouse. Pleasant View was a popular venue for

black Americans of means who were denied accommodation in the main hotels when

Bermuda was segregated.

Marva Louis, the wife of boxing great Joe Louis, and her entourage stayed at Pleas-

ant View when a hotel refused to honour her reservation.

Louisa was a founding member of Vernon Temple AME church where her son

Reginald Burrows Sr. was a trustee.

The family was heavily involved with Southampton Rangers Club — Reginald Sr. as

a member, Reginald Jr. as president and a founding member.

Esme Burrows, the wife of Reginald Sr. and mother of Reginald Jr. and Correne

Dummett, died in 2011, one month before her 105th birthday. Reginald Jr. is related to

his long-time running mate and former Speaker of the House Stanley Lowe through

Esme Burrows’ line.

Esme and Reginald Burrows Sr.

17

THE LEE FAMILY Bermuda has the Lee family to thank for producing one

of the Island’s first black architects—Vincent Leroy

Lee.

Vincent Lee, who was born 1903 and died in 1979, was

a graduate of the prestigious Pratt Institute in New York.

He designed and supervised the construction of numer-

ous homes and buildings, including Somerset Cricket

Club, St. George’s Cricket Club, the Salvation Army

Newlands Citadel, Evening Light Tabernacle and The

Spot Restaurant.

During a career that spanned nearly four decades, he

worked for the betterment of his adopted parish, South-

ampton, and the Island as a whole. He was a Member of

Parliament for Southampton from 1951 to 1953 and

served on the Board of Trade and the Board of Works.

As a member of the Southampton Parish Vestry—the forerunner of the Southampton

Parish Council—he was Tax Collector and Overseer of the Poor for Southampton

East.

Vincent Lee was the son of Charles William Lee and his first wife, Agnes Jane Smith.

His mother died in 1905 when he was about 15 months old and his father moved to

New York the following year.

Vincent was raised in Bermuda by his uncle and aunt,

Frank and Theodosia Albuoy. In 1920, he joined his fa-

ther and stepmother, the former Lillian Outerbridge, in

New York.

In New York he attended the Brooklyn Preparatory

School followed by the Pratt Institute. He did further

studies at the Beaux Arts Atelier of New York University

Extension.

He gained work experience with the Paterson-King Cor-

poration, a firm of architects, engineers and builders be-

fore returning to Bermuda in 1931. In 1944, when he

opened his own studio in the Arcade Building on Bur-

naby Street, the Bermuda Recorder reported the venture

was the first of its kind made by a member of his race in

Bermuda.

In 1932, Vincent Lee married Belvina DeRosa, a woman

of Cape Verdean and Bermudian ancestry, at St. Mary’s

Architect Vincent Leroy Lee

Belvina DeRosa Lee

18

Church, Warwick. The couple took up residence in Southampton after their marriage.

Although he would look back on a career that saw him design hundreds of buildings,

the majority of them owed by black businesses and organisations, he had to contend

with racial barriers.

Paying tribute in Parliament following his death in 1979, his cousin Reginald Bur-

rows (through the Gomez-DeRosa line) said Vincent Lee had found it difficult to es-

tablish himself initially and had to work in hotels to supplement his income.

Still, with persistence and determination, he achieved success in his field. He devoted

much of his time to public service. He was member of the board of the Bermuda

Technical Institute and the Salvation Army Advisory Board.

He worked for 15 years to obtain better facilities for Heron Bay School, and was re-

warded in 1950 when Parliament approved funds to build a new school.

Upon his election to Parliament, he said: “I look upon myself as a man of action and

while I realise that this step into the House of Assembly will present different prob-

lems than are present in parish work, I have always been able to adapt myself to the

work before me. I will endeavour to vote right on all matters that come before the

House and to do my best for the good of the country.”

Charles Lee JP, Vincent’s son, followed in his father’s footsteps overseeing projects

throughout Bermuda as a site surveyor and project manager for construction firms

and as assistant estates manager for Public Works. Like his father before him, he was

Tax Collector for the Southampton Parish Vestry. He went on to supervise the con-

struction of Government homes and approving mortgage applications as assistant

general manager of the Bermuda Housing Corporation.

Charles Lee is married to the former Margaret Curtis, who was a teacher at The

Berkeley Institute. They are the parents of three sons, Carlos and Stanley, both ac-

countants, and Michael, an IT manager with

the Department of Education.

THE RAYNOR FAMILY The Raynor family in Southampton has left a

big imprint as business owners, musicians

and community and church workers.

Few families have matched their accomplish-

ments in cricket—six Raynors have played in

Cup Match. Several others have had success-

ful careers playing at the club level, espe-

cially at Southampton Rangers Club, whose

existence owes much to the Raynors.

The Raynors’ presence in Bermuda predates

Emancipation. Their most recent forebear

Eldon Steede Raynor

19

was Eldon Steede Raynor, who was born in

1879 and who died in 1950 at the age of 71.

Eldon’s parents were George Raynor and

Sarah Pearman Steede, his second wife.

George had 13 children, of whom Eldon was

the youngest.

Eldon and his wife, the former Dorcas Ann

Bascome, had 11 children who lived to adult-

hood: Harley, Gwendolyn (Lightbourne),

Stanley, Reginald, Adora (Alban), Leonard,

Howard, Earlston, Llewellyn, Ismay and

Eunice (Lowe). Earlston and Ismay are the

surviving siblings.

Eldon, a mason like his father, was an enterprising, ambitious and deeply religious

man. He owned a vast swath of land along Middle Road, Southampton, Camp Hill

and what is now Sunnyside Park.

His home, farm and horse and carriage business were located in the area now known

as Raynor’s Drive. The area where Raynor’s Gas Station now stands used to be a

large lawn which was the scene of twice-yearly bazaars.

Eldon later turned a part of the lawn into a cricket pitch and also converted a section

into Elray tennis courts, which he rented to black clubs. He rented out the tennis

courts at night as a dance venue.

People came from all over to dance under the stars to the sounds of big band music.

Eldon rented out a building he owned on the other side of Middle Road as a movie

theatre. In one of the ironies of a segregated society, black patrons were not able to

sit wherever they wanted — not even members of his family.

Eldon, however, took the slights of the era in stride. His hard work and dedication

paid off for him and his descendants.

His son Leonard was a mason and house-

builder. Leonard and his brother Reginald Sr.

were among a group of progressively minded

black Bermudian men who established Ber-

muda Provident Bank, the forerunner of Ber-

muda Commercial Bank. After cars were al-

lowed in Bermuda, Eldon went into the taxi

business. He owned three taxis and eventually

gave one each to his sons Leonard, Harley and

Howard.

Vernon Temple AME Church played an impor-

tant role in their lives. Eldon was a founding

Dorcas Raynor, surrounded by family members

Raynor Family

20

member and helped build the church. Leonard sang in the choir, played the saxo-

phone and also taught Sunday school, while his brother and sister-in-law Reginald Sr.

and Lucetta Raynor played the organ and also directed the youth choir.

The family’s legendary cricket talent originated with Eldon who was passionate

about the game. Reginald Raynor Sr. was the first to play Cup Match—as opening

batsman for St. George’s during the 1930s.

He passed the baton to his sons Sheridan, Lloyd and Lee and to his nephews, Eldon

and Willard, who are Harley’s sons. The five played in Cup Match during the 1950s,

60s and 70s.

Reginald and Lucetta Raynor had five sons in total. The others are Carl and Reginald

Jr. Lucetta was a schoolteacher and founder of the Socratic Literary Club. During her

summer holidays, she worked alongside her husband at Raynor’s Gas Station, which

opened in November 1958.

Reginald and Lucetta’s bid to open Bermuda’s first black-owned gas station did not

come without a legal battle. They were ultimately successful. The gas station has

been operational ever since and is now owned by Reginald Jr..

Raynor family members contributed much of their time and talents to Southampton

Rangers Club. Reginald Sr., who died in 1996, donated funds to purchase property on

which the club was built. He also helped pay off Vernon Temple’s mortgage.

Succeeding generations of the Raynor family have gone on to achieve their own suc-

cesses as business and property owners, a fitting tribute to the achievements of Eldon

and Dorcas Raynor.

THE SIMONS FAMILY The Simons family originated in Warwick,

later resided in Paget and the city of Ham-

ilton, and eventually put down roots in

Southampton when Edward Henry Simons

established his business in the parish.

Edward Simons, who was born in 1913,

was the second son of Charles and Flor-

ence Simons. Charles Simons, a legendary

figure in law enforcement, was Bermuda’s

first police detective. He established the

Police Fingerprint Section in 1924.Charles

was stationed in Hamilton, which is how

Edward, his brothers St. Clare, Leroy and

John, and his sisters Marie and Marguerite

came to be raised in the city.

Edward attended The Berkeley Institute,

but high school was no match for someone

Entrepreneur Edward Simons

21

whose entrepreneurial nature knew no

bounds. He persuaded his father to allow

him to drop out of Berkeley and Charles

Simons eventually agreed.

Edward became a mason’s apprentice. He

attended night school, played slide trom-

bone in a band, and farmed weekends with

his maternal grandfather, John Henry Sim-

mons. His first business venture was driv-

ing horse and carriage during the tourist

season.

Later, when he had mastered his skills as a

mason, he and his brother St. Clare reno-

vated their parents’ home, Charleston, in

Paget. In 1938, Edward married Olivia

Cannonier. He was 25 at the time and had

built two houses. Edward and Olivia set up

home in one of the houses. The house was

mortgage-free and furnished with brand-

new furniture imported from overseas. That achievement was an indication of the

success that Edward would have in business.

One of Charles and Olivia’s wedding gifts was a chicken and a rooster. When the

chicken and rooster began procreating, it dawned on Edward that supplying

households with fresh chickens could be a profitable venture. This was during the

Second World War when imported foods were in short supply and Bermudians

were being encouraged to grow their own food.

Edward and Olivia purchased a large tract of land in Southampton and made fre-

quents trip to New Jersey to learn the ins and outs of the poultry business. That

was the start of Hilltop Poultry Farm, which thrived for more than 15 years.

In time, demand for poultry would decrease, supplanted by the popularity of im-

ported packaged chicken. Realising that he could not compete, he moved on to the

second stage of a long-term plan and converted the stone buildings that had

housed the chickens into apartments. Soon after that, he began a partnership with

realtor Meyer Malloy and built houses throughout the island.

He later opened Simons Block Plant, which supplied block for his building pro-

jects and others’. In June 1959, while the Theatre Boycott was in progress, Ed-

ward suffered a major setback when the plant was dynamited. The culprits were

never brought to justice. Within 10 weeks, he was back in business after securing

a loan to buy new equipment.

While not a church-going man, Edward lived by a strict moral code. He did not

drink and did not tolerate alcohol on any of his construction sites. He had a strong

Detective Charles Edward Simons— father of Edward Simons

22

connection with Vernon Temple AME Church and became a close friend of Rev. Tho-

mas Wendell Foster who was pastor there during the 1950s.

A private man, Edward Simons donated quietly to people and causes he believed in.

He was very supportive of black business owners. He gave back to the community as

Chairman of the Public Service Commission. A third-generation farmer who grew

vegetables and also raised turkeys and pigs at Hilltop, he also served on the Board of

Agriculture. He received an MBE for his community service.

Because of his success, his five children Marilynn, Lynette, Judith, Edward and

Charles and grandchildren were never denied educational opportunities.

And as the family patriarch he shared his knowledge and advice with his grandchil-

dren, his nieces, nephews and their children.

Edward died in 2003, followed by his wife Olivia in 2012. Hilltop Apartments re-

main in the Simons family, a testament to Edward’s drive and vision.

THE SMITH FAMILY (SOUTHAMPTON) The Smith family of Southampton have been commit-

ted members of Vernon Temple AME Church from its

earliest days. They helped build it from the ground up

and provided financial backing at a crucial stage.

The family patriarch was John Ellis Smith, who to-

gether with his wife, the former Rosalie Darrell, was

among the founders of the Lighthouse Mission,

which was established in 1916. The Lighthouse Mis-

sion remained in existence until Vernon Temple was

dedicated in 1926.

During the lean years when Vernon Temple had to

make do without a salaried minister or a parsonage,

the Smiths hosted pastors, and on occasion the AME

church’s presiding elder, for dinner at their residence

after Sunday services. Their home was a stone’s

throw away from the railway stop.

John Smith had little formal education, but he was an enterprising businessman. He

owned a large tract of land on Camp Hill, where he cut stone to build his homestead,

a stable and three other houses. He also burned and sold lime.

A farmer whose main crop was bananas, he cultivated land in Warwick and South-

ampton and operated a grocery store. John Smith also owned a profitable cycle

rental business which catered to tourists who would stay for several weeks at a time

at guesthouses in the Riddell’s Bay area.

John Ellis and Rosalie Smith

23

When the U.S. Naval Base at Mor-

gan’s Point was under construction, a

temporary hospital was erected at

Burnt House Hill. On many occa-

sions, the cycle shop was completely

empty — such was the demand from

base personnel attached to the Mobile

Hospital for bikes on their days off.

John and Rosalie had one son, Chris-

topher Cecil “Tapping” Smith, for

whom boats were a passion. Christo-

pher may have inherited his interest in

boats from John’s brother, James

“Dewey” Smith, who was a fisher-

man. John and Rosalie also raised their godsons Joseph Simons and Harold Smith.

During the pre-war years in the 1930s, Chris, who became a licensed pilot at an

early age, operated a water taxi business from Riddell’s Bay with two speedboats.

They were an efficient way for tourists to get around the island. Chris also offered

sightseeing tours and waterskiing.

During the Second World War, Christopher sold the bigger boat to the U.S. Gov-

ernment and became the skipper for the Base commander. He got back into the

water taxi business after the Second World War, ferrying tourists to and from Dar-

rell’s Island airport in his cruiser, the Valiant.

With the opening of Kindley Field airport and the arrival of motorcars, Chris be-

gan a new line of work—charterboat fishing. In 1958, he became a founding

member of Blue Waters Anglers Club. He was also a founding member of the

Brunswick Company. He was a long-time treasurer of Warwick Lyceum Benefit

Club, a savings club which has been in existence for more than 100 years, and is

now based at Vernon Temple.

Like his parents, Chris was committed to Vernon Temple’s survival. He was a

church trustee and organist. During its early years, the church struggled with a

large mortgage—his father was one of the signatories of the mortgage document

in 1929. Things reached the point where the building would have to be sold. With

financial assistance from Chris, Joseph Simons, Reginald Raynor Sr., and Rev.

T.B. Price, as well as the Foreign Missionary Society, the church was able to pay

off its mortgage in 1949.

Christopher married Pauline Agnes Hurst in 1931. The couple had three children,

John, Ruth Dill and Cecil. John is a retired painting contractor, while Cecil is a

retired teacher and long-time organist at St. Paul AME Church. Ruth Dill is a

Pilot Christopher Smith

24

stewardess and missionary at Vernon Temple, where her son Rev. Howard Dill re-

ceived his call for the ministry as a young man. He is currently pastor at Allen

Temple AME Church.

THE WILSON FAMILY The Wilson family has produced health profes-

sionals, educators, religious ministers, entre-

preneurs, and singers—and eleven generations

of Seventh-day Adventists.

The Wilsons have had a presence in Sinky Bay

ever since a slave owner named Robert Bassett

was said to have left a large estate in South-

ampton to his enslaved male descendants.

The deeds were apparently lost by one descen-

dant, according to oral history, but Frances

Bassett Rowling, who was believed to be

Robert Bassett’s granddaughter, staked her

claim to a section of the property by moving

there.

She lived in a small stone cottage near the cliff-

side between Sinky Bay and Cross Bay and

never left.

Frances had one son, William Thomas Bassett, who left Bermuda, never to be

heard from again. Frances raised his only child Benonie. Benonie had six chil-

dren, three as a single mother: Ellen Wilson, Granville Trimingham Wilson and

Thomas Smith. She then married Charles Henry Jones, with whom she had Kath-

leen(Jones) Palin, Anita (Jones) Armstrong and Alexandria (Jones) Williams.

It was through the efforts of Granville Trimingham Wilson that the property his

grandmother insisted rightfully belonged to the family was secured. He had as-

sumed responsibility for running his grandmother’s household as a teenager and

successfully claimed squatter’s rights, which gave the family full title to the Sinky

Bay property.

The property was shared with his siblings, which gave them a start in life and a

lesson in how perseverance and determination, as demonstrated by their grand-

mother, can pay off.

The Wilsons’ connection with the Seventh Day Adventist (SDA) church goes back

more than 100 years, almost as long as the faith has been in Bermuda. Although

Frances was an observer, she was never baptized.

The first converts were Benonie and her children, Granville, Ellen Wilson and her

Granville and Lillian WIlson

25

husband Josiah A. Wilson. They became mem-

bers between 1908 and 1913.

According to author Nellie Musson, a daughter

of Granville Wilson, those four became the

backbone of the SDA Southampton church,

which was established between 1914 and 1915.

Granville Wilson was an exceptional man. A

fisherman, farmer, whaler and marathon runner,

he had left primary school unable to read, but

later taught himself to read the Bible and be-

came an SDA elder.

He and his wife Lillian Wentworth lived in a

small apartment at Hog Bay during the first

years of their marriage. As his family grew, he

needed a bigger home. Writing in Mind the On-

ion Seed, Nellie Musson (1926-1989) said he

would walk “the few miles to Sinky Bay and there by the light from his lantern

and a fading moon, began digging the foundation for a home for his family.”

Granville later sold his home at Sinky Bay to purchase another property in

Smith’s. Granville’s gift of two lots of land in Smith’s to the SDA church in 1950

made it possible for the church to buy property for a school, the Bermuda Insti-

tute.

Members of the Wilson-Jones-Williams clan also helped to build the first SDA

church in Southampton—a chapel constructed on land at Jews Bay donated by

Profirio Gomez, a native of Cape Verde Islands who settled in Bermuda. The

chapel was dedicated, free of debt, in 1928, Nellie Musson writes in The Missing

Mr. Reed.

Other family members are Nellie Musson’s brother Mack Wilson, an SDA minis-

ter who is based in the US, and Sheila Wilson Holder, who retired as principal of

Bermuda Institute. Sheila is a granddaughter of Benonie’s daughter Ellen.

Warren Williams, founder of the musical group the Warrennaires, is a son of Alex-

andria and John Williams. They were also members of the Southampton SDA

church, and were noted for their musical talent.

Warren’s sister is Lois Scott. Her cousin Nellie Musson wrote that she was the

most well-known church worker in the Williams family.

Over the years, succeeding generations have sold portions of the property and

moved elsewhere, but family members still have a presence in the area—and re-

tain the rights to Sinky Bay and Cross Bay beaches.

Author Nellie Musson

26

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

Meredith Ebbin - Writer and Researcher of Family Profiles

Retired journalist Meredith Ebbin is founder and editor of bermudabiographies.bm,

which compiles biographies of people who have made a significant contribution to

Bermuda. She also edited the commemorative publication Bermuda 1609-2009: 400

Years—400 Portraits, which was published by Bermuda’s 400th anniversary commit-

tee in 2009. She is a member of the board of the St. George’s Foundation and is a

member of the Department of Community and Cultural Affairs’ Historical Heartbeats

Committee.

Jamie McDowell — Graphic Designer,

Department of Communication and Information

Amir X and GIN O Group

Shirley Pearman — Historical Advisor and Creative Support

Liz Campbell — Period Attire

Rockfire Productions — Videography

Keishunda Curtis — Film Interviewer

Great Sound — Audiovisual

Jaricco Dance under the direction of Eric Bean Jr.

Proclaim It

Warwick Gombey Troupe

Paul Smith

Corporation of Hamilton

Bermuda Society of Arts

Ushers – Gilda Furbert, Sandra Furbert, Marva Bridgewater, Cecily Smith,

Linda Brangman and Violet Tucker

Artefacts courtesy of:

Joy Wilson-Tucker and the Bermudian Heritage Museum

Jeannie Olander and the St. George’s Historical Society and Museum

Norbert Simmons

Llewellyn Hollis

Shirley Pearman

27

The Department of Community and Cultural Affairs wishes to thank

descendants of the 12 families being honoured for their willingness to

share their family stories and acknowledges the use of the following

works in the preparation of the profiles:

Bermuda’s Architectural Heritage—Hamilton Parish, the Bermuda Na-

tional Trust.

Bermuda Institute of Seventh-day Adventists—Origin, Philosophy, Growth

by Leslie C. E. Holder, Ed. D.

“Centenary Journal—The Berkeley Educational Society 1879-1979”

The Evangelical Church of Bermuda: The first century 1890-1990 by Linda

DeSilva

Heritage by Dr. Kenneth E. Robinson

Mind the Onion Seed by Nellie E. Musson

The Missing Mr. Reed by Nellie E. Musson

MOSAIC — A Collection Celebrating Bermuda’s Cultural Heritage by

Ruth E. Thomas, MBE, JP

19th Century Bermuda Wills 1835-1913 compiled by C.F.E. Hollis Hallett

19th Century Church Registers of Bermuda indexed by A. C. Hollis Hallett

28

EMANCIPATION COMMITTEE Mrs. Heather Whalen (Chairperson)

Ms. Renee Thomas (Recording Secretary)

Mrs. Juanae Baker

Mrs. Valerie Dill

Dr. Kim Dismont-Robinson

Mrs. Maxine Esdaille

Mr. Stephan Johnstone

Mr. Adrian Kawaley-Lathan

Mrs. Shirley Pearman

Miss As-Utchamet Stovell

Mrs. Louise Tannock

Mrs. Joy Wilson-Tucker

PROGRAMME SYNOPSIS

The purpose of celebrating Bermuda’s Emancipation is to commemorate the abo-

lition of slavery. However, the Emancipation Act passed on August 1, 1834 of-

fered much more to the black community than freedom. It gave each individual

the opportunity to make a difference and affect their personal area of influence.

Thus, it is appropriate that this year’s Emancipation programme is centered on the

theme “The Trail of Our People: Community Heroes”.

Our objective for the last three years has been to generate awareness about our lo-

cal heroes who have made significant and lasting contributions in their communi-

ties, all in the spirit of progress. The Emancipation Committee is of the view that

it is necessary and vitally important to recognize and honour such persons. To-

night’s programme will pay particular attention to families of the Southampton

and Hamilton parishes; however, this is an ongoing project through which we will

continue to honour and celebrate our local heroes in other parishes as well.

The families honoured tonight contributed generously and selflessly, and continu-

ously demonstrated perseverance and persistence, to build up their local commu-

nities. These community heroes and others like them encourage us to be “Proud

to be Bermudian”.