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kondorong
Gambia
4380 Posts |
 Posted - 06 Nov 2006 : 20:37:05
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You are right it may have been used as a slave house before the island was bought. But how come this structure never got mention by the expedition force nor in the House of Commons. Why would they build a mud building as Fort George in 1785 instead of using a more modern building like this one.
If it was a slave house, then the British would not have bought the island from a local chief but from a western owner who would have been there. Besides conditions on the island then(1785) could not been an organised place to sustain a large slave trading center. Only 200 people were on the island. Islam came to the Senegambia mainly through Fulani people or those who had connections with them.
Infact, my theory is that the slave house is actually Fort Cambell, the second fort built on the island. The description says it was located on a point with a short crossing. Certainly Lamin Koto is a short crossing point.
Well November can be History month for Bantaba. |
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njucks
Gambia
1131 Posts |
Posted - 06 Nov 2006 : 20:59:15
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Good that you agree to be unilateral Declaration.
but if we are to guess it can it can go on with many theories. i think the mistake you are making is to assume that the sequence of events is continuous . this might not be the case.
for example the building would have been used from 1650-1750 and abandoned thereafter. you also have to ask how the british got to know of the Island in the first place, there are many suitable islands before if you come from Banjul. there is a big on at Sapu eg.
Maybe the presence of the building as a single structure 300km from Barthurst was the attraction to buy it in the first place. The island must have had some history to make it a suitable place for thier intended activities.
all guess work but believeable.
i think the presence of the building and previous history of commercial activity is what made it a suitable location!!! |
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kondorong
Gambia
4380 Posts |
Posted - 06 Nov 2006 : 21:55:51
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| well your guess is as good as mine. But we need facts for it to be on our historical list |
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kondorong
Gambia
4380 Posts |
Posted - 06 Nov 2006 : 22:55:30
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quote:
Originally posted by njucks
Good that you agree to be unilateral Declaration.
for example the building would have been used from 1650-1750 and abandoned thereafter. you also have to ask how the british got to know of the Island in the first place, there are many suitable islands before if you come from Banjul. there is a big on at Sapu eg.
Maybe the presence of the building as a single structure 300km from Barthurst was the attraction to buy it in the first place. The island must have had some history to make it a suitable place for thier intended activities.all guess work but believeable.
i think the presence of the building and previous history of commercial activity is what made it a suitable location!!!
The problem no mention of this building or slave trading activity was ever mentioned in the expeditions before it was bought and alos during the inquiry to buy the island.
I have my doubts |
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Sister Omega
United Kingdom
2085 Posts |
Posted - 07 Nov 2006 : 11:18:45
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| So Kons what nation do you think built the Slave House? |
Peace
Sister Omega |
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kondorong
Gambia
4380 Posts |
Posted - 07 Nov 2006 : 18:02:27
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quote:
Originally posted by Sister Omega
So Kons what nation do you think built the Slave House?
I dont believe that it was a slave house in the first place and therefore, dont think i should answer that question. |
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kondorong
Gambia
4380 Posts |
Posted - 07 Nov 2006 : 20:38:57
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quote:
Originally posted by njucks
Good that you agree to be unilateral Declaration.
for example the building would have been used from 1650-1750 and abandoned thereafter. you also have to ask how the british got to know of the Island in the first place, there are many suitable islands before if you come from Banjul. there is a big on at Sapu eg.
i think the presence of the building and previous history of commercial activity is what made it a suitable location!!!
The reason why they went that far can be found in London. There was the saying of a "seven year journey" for felons meaning they needed to be sent so far that returning would be almost impossble. Stationing them in Banjul would make it easy for them to get on ships back home and might even proof useful to slave merchants since they would know the territory. However on an inhabited island, they will loose contact with the world. Thats why they went far inland. |
Edited by - kondorong on 07 Nov 2006 21:53:22 |
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Sister Omega
United Kingdom
2085 Posts |
Posted - 08 Nov 2006 : 00:47:55
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| Does anyone know the original name for the island? |
Peace
Sister Omega |
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kondorong
Gambia
4380 Posts |
Posted - 08 Nov 2006 : 01:25:21
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| The earliest name that existed was Lemaine Island in 1700. (Lemaine is a corrupted word for Abdul Lamin).However it was called Jang jangbure by the locals. Later changed to Georgetown in 1823 after the fort that was built there called Fort George, then Maccarthy after Sir Charles Maccarthy. Before it was changed to Georgetown in 1823, it was called MoroKunda. However it maintained Georgetown in official documents when it became the head Quarters of the region called Maccarthy Island Division. After the coup of 1994 it became Jang Jangbureh again. |
Edited by - kondorong on 08 Nov 2006 01:34:58 |
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Alhassan
Sweden
813 Posts |
Posted - 08 Nov 2006 : 17:49:28
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quote:
Originally posted by kondorong
The earliest name that existed was Lemaine Island in 1700. (Lemaine is a corrupted word for Abdul Lamin).However it was called Jang jangbure by the locals. Later changed to Georgetown in 1823 after the fort that was built there called Fort George, then Maccarthy after Sir Charles Maccarthy. Before it was changed to Georgetown in 1823, it was called MoroKunda. However it maintained Georgetown in official documents when it became the head Quarters of the region called Maccarthy Island Division. After the coup of 1994 it became Jang Jangbureh again.
Kondorong,
Du you have an idea if the said "the trial of Maarafang Busumbala" actually took place at Bakanjato bridge? or is it just fiction. We used to here about the play only. |
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kondorong
Gambia
4380 Posts |
Posted - 08 Nov 2006 : 18:15:48
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quote:
Originally posted by Alhassan
quote:
Originally posted by kondorong
The earliest name that existed was Lemaine Island in 1700. (Lemaine is a corrupted word for Abdul Lamin).However it was called Jang jangbure by the locals. Later changed to Georgetown in 1823 after the fort that was built there called Fort George, then Maccarthy after Sir Charles Maccarthy. Before it was changed to Georgetown in 1823, it was called MoroKunda. However it maintained Georgetown in official documents when it became the head Quarters of the region called Maccarthy Island Division. After the coup of 1994 it became Jang Jangbureh again.
Kondorong,
Du you have an idea if the said "the trial of Maarafang Busumbala" actually took place at Bakanjato bridge? or is it just fiction. We used to here about the play only.
Honestly i have not heard of the name of Marafang Busumbala. Is he from Busumbala Village. I know that the other name for Busumbala was BANTAMBILO. Where is Bakangjato Bridge.
Behind Busumbal is MAKASUTU which is believed to hold the crown and clothes of King of Busumbala and is guarded by NINKINANKA. He was killed by Foday Sillah in marabout wars. The vilage moved from there to the road side to Brikama. You might talk to Jatta Kunda people who are the alkalos. |
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kondorong
Gambia
4380 Posts |
Posted - 08 Nov 2006 : 19:01:03
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Alhassan
I now know what you are talking about. The Trial of Marafang Busumbala was a play written by Gabriel Roberts former IEC Chairman in 1971. It was about a trial between a character called Maxwell Armitage who was Principal of Armitage High School and also a member of Parliament and Marafang Busumbala for the theft of his radio.
The play is about campus life and how high placed officials abuse their office. The Principal used to turn on his radio loud disturbing teachers and students. Marafang stole the radio for prevent the excessive noise. Marafang was in court for stealing, however, during the trial, evidence came up that the Principal (Maxwell) was not an honest person. Marafang eventually won the case.
Remember Gabriel Roberts was once Education Director under PPP and i think was fired. He however left office in some controversy. I may be wrong about that.
Whilst the character Maxwell Armitage which was the name of Principal of Armitage in this play does not really exist, there is evidence that a former Principal of Armitage Mr. Sallah did serve as Member of Parliament around Independence. Whether that is a coincidence or not remains unclear.
It was a play and not a true history.
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njucks
Gambia
1131 Posts |
Posted - 08 Nov 2006 : 22:20:07
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quote:
Originally posted by kondorong
Historical evidence showed that, the island was purchased in 1785 from a local chief for the sum of 1000.00 pounds.
maybe you got your dates wrong. this might explain the building. I read that the island was bought in 1823 (from the King of Lower Niani) not 1785 as you said.
''By 1823, the next stage was reached. An allotment was granted on MacCarthy Island by the King of Lower Niani, and in 1826 and 1829 further allotments were granted in the Niumi and Fatatenda areas.''
one of my sources. also NRS
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MacCarthy_Island |
Edited by - njucks on 08 Nov 2006 22:21:32 |
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kondorong
Gambia
4380 Posts |
Posted - 08 Nov 2006 : 22:49:39
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quote:
Originally posted by njucks
quote:
Originally posted by kondorong
Historical evidence showed that, the island was purchased in 1785 from a local chief for the sum of 1000.00 pounds.
maybe you got your dates wrong. this might explain the building. I read that the island was bought in 1823 (from the King of Lower Niani) not 1785 as you said.
''By 1823, the next stage was reached. An allotment was granted on MacCarthy Island by the King of Lower Niani, and in 1826 and 1829 further allotments were granted in the Niumi and Fatatenda areas.''
one of my sources. also NRS
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MacCarthy_Island
The land was bought in 1785 and not 1823. It was in 1823, that they built the fort there called Fort George. The entourage included one British Sergeant and 12 junior officers accompanied by 2 Wesleyan Missionaries.
Certainly, the House of Commons in London and more specifically at the Public Records office has copies. In addition, i would like to advice you that Wikipedia is an encyclopedia that anyone can add information into. Its not as authoritative as Britannica or the likes.
However, to give you a more recent study which was conducted in the Gambia between 1982 to 1988 will quench your thirst of the history of this island. Its titled:
Guests of the Crown: Convicts and Liberated Slaves on McCarthy Island, the Gambia
Geographical Journal, Vol. 160, No. 2 (Jul., 1994), pp. 136-142
I dont write sensational materials. If you look at your source, it says ''By 1823, the next stage was reached. What was the previous stage. The previous stage was that 1785, the island was bought but serious activity started in 1823 when fort George was built there.
When Mungo Park was doing his travels in 1796, this island was already bought. Infact he stayed a few miles away from this island in a place calle Pisania which is a corruption of PISA NIARR. As a young man, i herded goats and sheep in the area. This is familiar territory.
Your source starts from 1823. I an starting from 1700 a difference of 123 years. By 1700 this island was already on the map called Lemaine Island. By 1823, it was Moro Kunda then changed to Fort geroge which became georgetown. Maccarthy was recent.
Try again. This does not change my mind. THE CHALLENGE IS STILL OPEN. |
Edited by - kondorong on 09 Nov 2006 00:16:38 |
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Momodou
Denmark
11516 Posts |
Posted - 09 Nov 2006 : 20:20:35
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I think the Island was only a trading post by 1785.
Captain Grant who established the settlement in Kombo in 1816 stated that a treaty was signed with the King of Kombo to get the permission to settle. They paid him 103 bars of iron annually. This shows that up to 1816 the kings had effective control over their territories. They accepted the settlement to promote trade.
Since the settlements appeared as centres for the promotion of trade in the eyes of the kings, the representatives of the monarch in England could be allowed to settle in MacCarthy Island in 1823 by the King of Lower Niani; one square mile was allotted at Barra point in Niumi in 1826 by the King of Niumi and Fatatenda in 1829 by the King of Wuli.
The British monarch saw these territories as colonies. Laws like the Imperial Act of 1843 were established to enable the British monarch to establish a government to govern the settlements. These settlements were to serve as the stepping stone to take full control of The Gambia. |
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