The First Church

-
If you have ever visited St. James Parish Church, then you will definitely understand why this church and its grounds are referred to as "God's Acre". The grounds are so pristine and picturesque. I actually asked my partner if it seemed odd to be taking family photos in a cemetery, but it was just too beautiful to resist.
The first church to be established in Barbados, the originally wooden structure was erected in 1628. 
Why St. James? Well, it is a stone's throw away from Holetown where the first English settlers set foot on this idyllic soil. As such this church is a storehouse of early Barbados' who's who. Tombstones dating back to the 1600s litter the yard's perfectly manicured lawn. Many of the original settlers and various noted Barbadians were laid to rest within the Church and its yard. The dates on the grave stones, vaults and memorial plaques reflect this history.



I took the drive down to the church today after a friend informed me that its bell shares a similar history with that at Harrison College, being made by the same company.........back in 1696!
 Inscribed on the back end of the bell are the words "God bless King William".
It fell from the belfry in 1881 and was badly cracked but a benefactor donated a new bell. However, considering its historic value the old one was retained as a monument, which predates the American "Liberty Bell" by 56 years.
As stunning as the exterior may be, the church's interior is a rich walk down history lane. Because the church is small, the dark mahogany pews and fixtures, the giant organ, the unique chandelier, sporadic pieces of art work and intermitent graves underfoot, lend to an overall feel of antiquity.
The organ was built at a cost of 320 pounds and arrived in January 1876.
Ethiopian Hunger Veil 
....... its and description.

Exquisite examples of stain glass work.
Documents related to slavery which were unearthed in the cemetery.
This picture does no justice to the spectacular fiber optic chandelier at the rear of the crucifix.

I was very impressed by the fact that the church has an area dedicated to beauty and elegance which stands out quite notably in the grounds


This was such a great outing. I implore you to make time to visit. Til next time..tah tah from St. James Parish Church.

I leave you with a family pic.


Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Looking for bush

-
Image
What is it with this woman and bush, you may be wondering, but I love me some greenery! I love bush tea, I could eat bush rice everyday (seriously, I could), I study bush (herbology), I plant bush, I bathe with bush sometimes, a brother calls me Bushwoman as if it were my real name and I even call myself Wonderworld Bush for goodness sake! I am known to carry a camera and a plastic bag with me everywhere just in case the opportunity presents itself to take cuttings or at the very least to capture a pic of new plants for later research. My "condition" is so well known, that last summer I was asked by the Nuwaubian members of my community to accompany them on a walk to identify wild plants in our area. We walked for a good hour or so and it was quite amazing to note the many things I myself discovered for the first time. In fact I was so impressed that I wanted to see what I would unearth a little closer to home. I literally went on a ten minute walk around my house and wow
Read more

Ball Bush

-
Image
Two weeks ago, my son developed a major sinus drip. The poor child has apparently inherited the health issues of my lactose intolerant, respiratorily-challenged (is that even a word?) family and had started that annoying snorting noise that all sinus suffers make and which I absolutely detest. I hate to administer medicines (they call me Bush woman for a reason) but had to resort to over the counter meds to stave off any dripage into his lungs. Well, old Bajans have a saying," God don't bring, but he sends " which kinda loosely translates as whatever your needs, they will be met from even unexpected sources, and such was the case with this situation. I stepped out (Bajan parlance meaning I went out for a brief while on an errand!) and on my return I found my partner sitting in the verandah - a custom which many have relegated- but we still like to sit out and people watch, speak to the neighbours and exchange pleasantries with passers-by. Well, my partner was sitting ou
Read more

Bush Tea

-
Image
All week I have found myself gathering herbs for bush tea. I grew up on bush teas! I don't know about you but growing up I hardly ever visited a doctor outside of vaccine schedules. Bush teas were our cleansers, healers, tonics, nourishment and much more. They were also a part of our culture. When we had colds we were instructed to pick cerasee, mosquito bush, soursop and pear (avocado) leafs. For stomach aches, we had ginger, bayleaf, aloes or sweet basil. Heads were wrapped in oil leafs (castor oil plant) for headaches or rubbed with coconut oil for head colds. We drank fitweed, flower fence, lemongrass and a host of other "cooling teas". With development, a lot of our local bushes are all but gone and very hard to find, so when I come across an old familiar bush I make a point of bringing cuttings or saplings home to transplant. Today I am so happy to have a few essential Bajan bushes in my yard.     Cerasee is definitely a must have bush despite its
Read more