The Tribune

EDITOR, The Tribune.

The people of Fox Hill celebrated a successful Fox Hill Day on the 9th August. The celebrations were marred only by the actions of one idiot, but apart from that isolated incident it was a successful day.

Fox Hill, like several other communities in New Providence, was settled by freed slaves in the early 19th Century following the abolition of the slave trade in 1807. It is named after Samuel Fox who himself was a freed slave. Fox was granted some twenty-three and a half acres of land. The estate developed by Fox is thought to have been in the vicinity of where the present St Augustine Monastery is located.

The name Fox Hill was changed to Sandilands by Governor John Gregory in 1849 in honour of Judge Robert Sandilands. Judge Sandilands came to the Bahamas in 1830 and bought a large swathe of land, some 1,200 acres, which was the total acreage of existing Fox Hill. In 1850 Judge Sandilands was forced to sell Sandilands as he had defaulted on a loan. Before selling all the property he sold a portion of the land to freed slaves for £10 or the equivalent in labour.

Judge Sandilands also made provision for roads, a burial ground which is now Freedom Park, a market place thought to be located at the site of the Fox Hill Parade (round-about) and a site for a school where Sandilands Primary was built.

Fox Hill was divided into four towns; Burnside Town, Nango Town, Joshua Town and Congo Town where my family’s homestead is located. These towns only exist now in the memories of the older population and in folklore. By 1888, some six hundred people were living in Fox Hill.

Fox Hill Day has been celebrated in Fox Hill since 1870. It evolved because the churches in Fox Hill, particularly the Baptist churches, agitated for a day separate and apart from Emancipation day to celebrate their Sunday schools’ Party Day. There is no question regarding the nonsense of the big lie that the people of Fox Hill received the news of the emancipation of slavery a week later than everybody else.

The second Tuesday in August was chosen as the day to be celebrated as Fox Hill Day.

In 1890 the following was published in the Nassau Guardian: Fox Hill Day holiday was observed yesterday by a crowd of persons who assembled at that village from several districts. They had a very bright day for their pleasure, and for a wonder escaped the rain which as a rule gives some people a drenching before they reach home on such occasions. Carriages were plying along the streets throughout the day and afternoon conveying passengers to and from Sandilands. The annual gatherings of the Sunday Schools in connection with the Baptist Churches viz: St Mark’s, St Paul’s and Zion, took place from which great pleasure was derived by those who were present.

The celebratory events during Emancipation Day and Fox Hill Day were merged into the Fox Hill Festival by Eric Wilmott Sr in 1988. Eric had the vision to bring organisation to the activities of the two days and the days in between to maximise the benefits to Fox Hillians.

The Fox Hill Festival was established to bring some structure to the activities of the festival. Eric Wilmott was the first chairman of the committee. Planning the activities of the festival is a massive undertaking. Provision, including financial provision, has to be made for a junkanoo parade where all of the major groups participate, an ecumenical service and a seniors’ luncheon, entertainment for two parks for two days, including climbing the greasy pole, plaiting the maypole, DJ and live bands electrical and other infrastructural works. These are only some of the activities.

In the past the committee also organised a tour on Fox Hill Day of historical sites in Fox Hill, inclusive of visits to the Ocean Hole, Blackbeard’s Tower and the ruins of Judge Sandilands’ house. The committee also held a raffle when the grand prize was a vehicle. The committee has also sponsored contest for Miss Fox Hill, held youth debates and town hall meetings where the Member of Parliament expounded on the state of the Fox Hill community and fielded questions from residents.

Fox Hill Day is important as it represents probably the last repository of the culture of freed slaves. Fox Hill Day and all the activities of the Fox Hill Festival are outward and public expressions of that culture. It is essential that Fox Hill Day in all its iterations be retained, and continually refreshed and resourced.

Fox Hill Day is also very important to the economy of Fox Hill. Many residents depend on the revenue they take in on Fox Hill Day. It serves as an investment in their children. The earnings from their investment in food, fruits toys or games which they offer for sale are used to prepare their children for the school year in terms of the purchase of uniforms and other essential school supplies.

Fox Hill Day is also a time of re-connections for the Fox Hill diaspora. Persons who moved to other areas of New Providence and the family islands, as well as those who relocated to the United States plan their vacations around Fox Hill Day. They use the occasion to re-acquaint with family and friends, talk about the old days while reconnecting spiritually with their ancestors.

The people of Fox Hill have a rich and proud history. Fox Hill is the only community in the Bahamas that has celebrated the emancipation of slaves continuously since the mid-1800s. It is an achievement they are justly proud of and are committed to continuing and passing on to the next generation.

I would recommend that the committee planning the activities for the 50th independence anniversary seriously consider including some aspect of the Fox Hill Day activities in the planning for the anniversary celebrations.

Without EMANCIPATION there would be no INDEPENDENCE.

MAURICE TYNES

Nassau,

August 22, 2022.