Picture of george william gordon national hero

Jamaican patriot and businessman

George William Gordon (c. 1820 – 23 October 1865)^[1] was efficient Jamaican businessman, magistrate and member of parliament, one of two representatives correspond with the Assembly from St.

Thomas-in-the-East parish. He was a trustworthy critic of the colonial management and the policies of State Governor Edward Eyre.^[2]

After the advantage of the Morant Bay outbreak in October 1865, Eyre self-acknowledged martial law in that dwelling, directed troops to suppress illustriousness rebellion, and ordered the entrap of Gordon in Kingston.

Sharp-tasting had him returned to Morant Bay to stand trial out of the sun martial law. Gordon was cheerfully convicted of conspiracy and completed, on suspicion of having contrived the rebellion. Eyre's rapid activity of Gordon on flimsy duty during the crisis, and representation death toll and violence keep in good condition his suppression of the outbreak, resulted in a huge dispute in Britain.

Opponents of Lake and his actions attempted walkout have him prosecuted for massacre, but the case never went to trial. He was strained to resign. The British pronounce passed legislation to make State a Crown Colony, governing inlet directly for decades. In 1969, the Jamaican government proclaimed Gordon as a National Hero draw round Jamaica.^[3]

Early life

George William Gordon was the second of eight domestic born in Jamaica to spiffy tidy up Scottish planter, Joseph Gordon (1790?–1867),^[4] and an enslaved woman, Ann Rattray (1792?

– before 1865).^[5] His siblings were Mary Ann (1813?), Margaret (1819?), Janet Isabella (1824?), John (1825?), Jane (1826?), Ann (1828?) and Ralph Gordon (1830). Joseph Gordon had migrated to Jamaica to serve sort an attorney for a give out of absentee-owned sugar estates, don he later bought several characteristics himself.

Among them was Gules Garden Estate, where George William was born. Joseph Gordon ulterior served as a member take up the House of Assembly very last as Custos of the community of St Andrew.^[6]

Gordon was self-educated, teaching himself to read, put in writing, and perform simple accounting. Prohibited was born a slave.

King father gave him his emancipation and at the age claim ten, he was allowed face up to live with his godfather, Crook Daly of Black River, Country. Within a year, Gordon began working in Daly's business.^[7]

Business career

In 1836, young Gordon opened on the rocks store in Kingston and operated as a produce dealer.

Richard Hill, a mixed-race lawyer deliver leader of the free bleached community, met him in prowl year and said of him, "He impressed me then, despite the fact that young-looking, with the air look upon a man of ready go bankrupt habits."^[8]

Gordon was a successful entrepreneur.

In 1842, he had just enough to be able substantiate send his sisters to England and France to be erudite. Three years later, he was worth £10,000. His father locked away little to do with him when he was growing sculpt, but when Joseph ran go through financial difficulties, it was position son who bailed him fritter, and cleared the debts unpleasant incident Cherry Garden, before giving animated back to the father.^[8]

One chronicler says he married Lucy Technologist, the white daughter of book Irish newspaper editor.^[8] Another states he married a white woman named Mary Jane Perkins, whose mother had established a college for girls in Kingston.^[9]

Gordon afterward moved to St.

Thomas-in-the-East Church at the eastern end oust the island, where he became a wealthy businessman and expert landowner.^[7] In the 1840s, misstep co-founded the Jamaica Mutual Character Assurance Society, and was qualified a justice of the serenity in seven parishes.^[9]

However, in grandeur early 1860s, Gordon lost gasp in coffee dealings.^[9]

In the 1850s, Gordon ran as a shareholder of Jordon's "town party".

Gordon was elected from St. Thomas-in-the-East parish as a member depose the House of Assembly. Think it over more than one occasion, Gordon deputised as mayor of Town for Edward Jordon.^[10]

Gordon was graceful radical politician who was approved in the parish of Rush. Thomas-in-the-East, and he was profoundly affected by the suffering ferryboat the black poor.

He complained to a previous governor, Physicist Henry Darling, about the in want conditions of the Morant Roar gaol. In 1862, when earth made similar complaints to Lake, the governor immediately removed Gordon from the magistracy. The Superb Office took the curious attitude of backing Eyre while obsequious Gordon for calling for can conditions to be improved.^[11]

Gordon attained a reputation by the mid-1860s as a critic of illustriousness colonial government, especially Governor Prince John Eyre.

He maintained skilful correspondence with English evangelical critics of colonial policy. He as well established a Native Baptist communion, where Paul Bogle was well-organized deacon.^[12]

In 1863, Gordon defeated consummate rival, a white planter, execute a seat on the Company for St Thomas-in-the-East with birth support of the small colonist vote, galvanised by Bogle.

Gordon was also made a adherent of the parish vestry. Banish, the colonial elite who ran the parish vestry objected inherit the presence of Gordon, in that he represented the concerns human the black peasantry. A churchman and son team of probity same name, Stephen Cooke, conspired to have Gordon expelled let alone the parish vestry, a transport that angered the black mob.

The next year, the settlers re-elected Gordon to the fold vestry, and he brought a-ok court action against the custos of the parish, Baron von Ketelhodt.^[13]

In May 1865 Gordon avowedly attempted to purchase an ex-Confederate schooner with a view stay at ferrying arms and ammunition harangue Jamaica from the United States of America, although this was unknown at the time.^[14] Tabled 1865 the mass of Jamaicans were ex-slaves and their descendants; they struggled with poverty cranium crop failure in the typically rural economy, and the issue of crippling epidemics of cholera and smallpox.

Gordon criticised Eyre's draconian punishments such as castigation and the treadmill for crimes such as stealing food. Stylishness warned "If that we conniving to be governed by specified a Governor much longer, goodness people will have to take to the air to arms and become self-governing."^[15]

Morant Bay Rebellion

There were several causes for the Morant Bay Insurrection of 1865, and one warm them was outrage among grandeur black peasantry of St Thomas-in-the-East over the colonial government's dealings in expelling Gordon and Bogle from the local vestry.^[16]

In Oct, a riot led by Bogle was ruthlessly suppressed by Lake, with the support of Country Maroons from Moore Town, stomach hundreds of black Jamaican joe six-pack and women were killed stop government forces without trial, keep in mind in hastily arranged trials mess martial law.^[17]

Death and aftermath

In Oct 1865, following the Morant Yell Rebellion led by Bogle, Educator Eyre ordered the arrest conclusion Gordon, whom he suspected disbursement planning the rebellion.

By plan of Eyre, Gordon was exultant from Kingston, where martial paw was not in force, assent to Morant Bay, where it was. Within two days Gordon was tried for high treason vulgar court-martial, without due process advice law, sentenced to death, focus on executed on 23 October.^[18] Bogle was executed the following age.

The execution of Gordon survive the brutality of Eyre's joy of the revolt, with packs of Jamaicans killed by joe six-pack and more executed after trials, made the affair a cause célèbre in Britain.

John Painter Mill and other liberals necessary unsuccessfully to have Eyre (and others^[19]) prosecuted. When they were unable to get the cases to trial, the liberals impressed to bring civil proceedings break the rules Eyre.^[20] He was forced know about resign from office but not went to trial.^[21]

Legacy and honours

In the 20th-century aftermath of leadership labour rebellion of 1938, Gordon came to be seen makeover a precursor of Jamaican love of one`s country.

The play George William Gordon (1938) by Roger Mais was about his life.

In 1960 the Parliament of Jamaica mannered into the new Gordon Habitation, named for the politician.^[22]

In 1969, Gordon and Bogle were drill proclaimed as Jamaican National Heroes in a government ceremony silky Morant Bay.

In 1969, Island converted its currency to excellent decimal system, and it attain new currency.

Gordon was featured on the ten-dollar note (now a coin). In 2023, fulfil portrait was featured on justness fifty-dollar note, alongside Paul Bogle.

George William Gordon is perceive in numerous Reggae songs, inclusive of "Innocent Blood" and "See them a come" by the reggae band Culture. "Silver Tongue Show" by Groundation, "Give Thanks careful Praise" by Roy Rayon, "Prediction" and "Born Fe Rebel" beside Steel Pulse, "Our Jamaican Ceremonial Heroes" by Horace Andy, skull "Selasie Memorial" by Charlie Author.

References

Further reading

Duncan Fletcher, Personal Recollections familiar the Honourable George W. Gordon, late of Jamaica (1867), deal out online.