Dr Rita Pemberton

The matter of Tobago’s connectedness with the rest of the world erupted as a major issue when it was made a British possession in 1763 and since, has remained of central importance to its development. One of the first requests from the first planters and merchants which was made through the acting governor, was a call for Tobago’s sea communication to be regularised and be brought on par with the twice per month mail/passenger service which operated in Barbados and Grenada with which Tobago was administratively related. Despite several requests, the situation remained unchanged causing severe communication challenges to the new crop of planters and merchants who were anxious to establish their operations on favourable arrangements.

When made, the first arrangement was with private boats which delivered official and private mail to Tobago every two months with a quick turnaround time which did not facilitate time for immediate responses to be sent. In addition, there were no arrangements for the delivery of internal mail causing planters to have to pay couriers to collect their mail from the island’s lone post office in Scarborough. This was challenging given the poor state of roads in Tobago and residents had to pay private schooners to take mail and passengers to Barbados up to 1794. This was an additional cost that had not been factored into their original plans and was considered onerous by new planters who were anxious to get their businesses fully operational with haste. The time lag encountered in this arrangement affected the timely supply of goods and information to the new planters and merchants.

The Barbados based governor in chief supported a bimonthly arrangement by which three vessels which plied between Barbados and Tobago carried Tobago’s mail to and from Barbados, were allied to the Tobago post office. However, during the early years of British possession when the French continued to harbour intentions on repossessing Tobago, French soldiers and privateers attacked the ships and captured the mail which stimulated serious security concerns about highly confidential matters falling into enemy hands. Instructions from the imperial government were that when such attacks occurred, the mail was to be dumped into the ocean. War with France again broke out in 1781 causing an interruption to mail delivery to and trade disruption in Tobago. The situation was aggravated by the French occupation of Tobago between 1781 and 1793. In addition to the losses caused by French destruction of estates, there were uncertainties of ownership of estates, new regulations were imposed by the French authorities and businessmen encountered difficulties to access credit and trading arrangements with British agents were totally severed. All residents of Tobago were made to swear allegiance to the French monarch and those who refused lost their properties. The Tobago business community was thrown into total disarray and absentee owners who lost interest in Tobago, sought to cut their losses which decisio