History · St. Mary · written in Patois with an English translation
Easter time, April 1760, one a di biggest uprising gainst slavery inna di whole British Caribbean start right ya inna St. Mary. Di leader name Tacky. Back a Africa im a did chief among di Fante people, inna di land wi call Ghana tideh; slave trader-dem tief im weh an sell im inna Jamaica. Tacky an im lieutenant-dem plan good. Fus, dem rise op pon Frontier an Trinity estate, near Port Maria. Den dem march go a Fort Haldane, weh di soldier-dem did keep gun an powder, an dem tek weapon deh. Hundreds a enslave people join di fight. I spread from St. Mary go a odda parish, an i gwaan fi more dan a year, right into 1761. Di British bring soldier, an dem call een Maroon fighter-dem fi help put i dung. Tacky dead inna di fighting. Ova one tousan a di rebel-dem lose dem life, an hundreds more get ship weh sell inna odda island. Afta di war done, di planta-dem did so frighten dat dem pass new law an even ban obeah. I hard fi hear, but wi haffi know i: dem ya man an ooman did a fight fi freedom, an dem shake di whole island. Tideh people memba Tacky as a freedom fighter, an schoolpickney inna St. Mary learn im name wid pride.
At Easter time, April 1760, one of the biggest uprisings against slavery in the whole British Caribbean started right here in St. Mary. The leader was named Tacky. Back in Africa he had been a chief among the Fante people, in the land we call Ghana today; slave traders stole him away and sold him into Jamaica. Tacky and his lieutenants planned well. First, they rose up on Frontier and Trinity estates, near Port Maria. Then they marched to Fort Haldane, where the soldiers kept guns and powder, and took weapons there. Hundreds of enslaved people joined the fight. It spread from St. Mary to other parishes, and it went on for more than a year, right into 1761. The British brought in soldiers, and they called in Maroon fighters to help put it down. Tacky died in the fighting. Over a thousand of the rebels lost their lives, and hundreds more were shipped away and sold in other islands. After the war ended, the planters were so frightened that they passed new laws and even banned obeah. It is hard to hear, but we have to know it: these men and women were fighting for freedom, and they shook the whole island. Today people remember Tacky as a freedom fighter, and schoolchildren in St. Mary learn his name with pride.
Easter taim, April 1760, wan a di bigis opraizin gens slievri iina di uol British Caribbean staat rait ya iina St. Mary. Di liida niem Tacky. Bak a Africa im a did chiif among di Fante piipl, iina di lan wi kaal Ghana tide; sliev chrieda-dem tiif im we an sel im iina Jamieka. Tacky an im leftenant-dem plan gud. Fos, dem raiz op pon Frontier an Trinity istiet, nier Port Maria. Den dem maach go a Fort Haldane, we di suoja-dem did kiip gon an pouda, an dem tek wepan de. Onjredz a ensliev piipl jain di fait. I spred fram St. Mary go a ada parish, an i gwaan fi muor dan a ier, rait intu 1761. Di British bring suoja, an dem kaal iin Maroon faita-dem fi elp put i dong. Tacky ded iina di faitin. Uova wan touzan a di rebl-dem luuz dem laif, an onjredz muor get ship we sel iina ada ailan. Afta di waar don, di planta-dem did so fraitn dat dem paas nyuu laa an iivn ban obiya. I aad fi ier, bot wi afi nuo i: dem ya man an uman did a fait fi friidom, an dem shiek di uol ailan. Tide piipl memba Tacky az a friidom faita, an skuulpikni iina St. Mary laan im niem wid praid.
The history and the figures come from the sources above. The Patois is mine.
Hear this read aloud in St. Mary →