Recently, I discovered a writing by my father, Charles Snaith, entitled Cup Match and Freedom written on the back of a faded Esso calendar. He wrote: “On August 1, 1834, about three thousand six hundred slaves were Emancipated or Freed. The British Government sent about £125,000 to the Colonial Local Authorities to give to the slaves who never received the money. Emancipation or Freedom was first celebrated at large picnics until 1902 when the Odd Fellows started the first Cup Match; therefore, all Cup Matches have actually been a celebration in honour of the slaves who struggled before us.”

Today, 122 years later, Cup Match remains the most significant and important event in the heritage of Black Bermudians.

Oral history handed down by our elders recalled that no holiday was given in 1834 and by 1835 the formerly enslaved decided they were going to remember the occasion by refusing to go to work. By 1870, it had grown into a two-day work stoppage, a situation that continued for another 76 years. Surprisingly enough, the White employers did not know how to handle this blatant, unsanctioned work stoppage by their newly freed Black employees and it seems they had very little choice but to just “let it slide”.

The late Larry Burchall, the veteran journalist, in his 2014 Cup Match writings, described these events as the 111-year strike, noting significantly that “Cup Match won”.

In the beginning, they celebrated with religious gatherings that eventually evolved into picnics. They were usually gatherings that included brother lodge members from Somerset and St George’s.

Lodges were the first social institutions in the Black community during an era when Blacks were voteless and landless. It should also be remembered that in 1835 the lodges were instrumental in freeing the 78 slaves who arrived on the Enterprise, a slave ship travelling from Virginia to Charleston, North Carolina, which was blown off course here in a hurricane.

Cricket was the sport enjoyed by all, and the men entertained themselves and the picnickers by playing. The game of 1901 between the two Grand United Lodges was so exciting that they decided to play for a trophy. In that particular game, St George’s won by one run with the last man in.

Meetings were held in Market Square, St George’s; rules were decided and each lodge member gave six pennies for purchasing the trophy, which was ordered by Henry Cann from Benson & Co, England, at a cost of 20 guineas (the equivalent of £1.05 today).

The sterling silver cup arrived in 1902, formalising the game between the two lodges from both ends of the island. The cricket clubs we know today were formed and thus began a tradition that has been interrupted only once — in 2020 by the Covid-19 pandemic. Before this, not even two world wars and the Spanish flu pandemic of 1918 could put a halt to Cup Match.

In 1902, there were three games. The first game was played at the Royal Naval Field in Somerset on June 12. The second game was played at the Garrison Field in St George’s on July 10 and the final game at the Royal Naval Field. According to the late Ira Phillip, noted journalist and historian, there was a major altercation between Nicky Calabrass, the St George’s wicketkeeper, and George Trott, of Somerset.

Trott was declared out but accused Calabrass of knocking off the bails. Calabrass then accused Trott of threatening to attack him with his bat. The spectators witnessing the altercation, including Trott’s mother, lost all sense of decorum and flooded on to the field. Trott’s mother hastily approached her son and demanded he behave himself, do as he was told and leave the field as requested. The disruption was so great that the umpires had little choice but to declared the match abandoned!

By 1903, the game was reduced to a two-day event.

In 1928, the decision was made to charge a one shilling entry fee (five cents today). Before this, a collection was taken to support the 1914 First World War Charities. In subsequent years, a portion of the gate receipts went to the War Fund.

During the Second World War, the match was played on Friday and Saturday because the Dockyard workers had a bank holiday on the Friday and did not want to slow the pace of work required for the War Effort. Saturday was a regular work day, but cricket lovers simply did not turn up to work and many lost their jobs. Work was plentiful at that time and new jobs were quickly acquired. Eventually, both clubs petitioned the Governor for a two-day public holiday and, after much discussion, in 1947 the holiday was granted. We are the only country in the world that celebrates emancipation with a two-day holiday for the playing of cricket.

Today, the first day of the holiday is Emancipation Day, the second day is Mary Prince Day in honour of National Hero Mary Prince, the first Black Bermudian to publish her experiences during enslavement.

Cup Match colours originate from the lodges. St George’s colours of light blue and dark blue originated from the Somers Pride of India Lodge No 899. The colours of Somerset, originating from the Victoria and Albert Lodge No 1027, are scarlet red and royal blue. Originally, the two dark blues were slightly different but sometime between the 1950s and 1960s, the clubs were unable to acquire the different shades and settled for the same dark blue.

Last July, I had a memory lapse and I turned up at the Somerset MarketPlace in a light blue and dark blue outfit. I was barely out of the car before even strangers suggested I quickly return to my abode and get my colours correctly co-ordinated. We Bermudians take our team colours very seriously, and so we should. They are an ever-present reminder of our culture and our rich history.

The late Somerset Cricket Club historian Dianne Hunt once wrote: “The idea of Cup Match was the combined ingenuity of skilful, imaginative and far-sighted players, supporters and administrators of whom all of Bermuda should be proud.”

• Cecille Snaith-Simmons is a retired nurse, historian, writer and author of The Bermuda Cookbook

References:

The Story of Cup Match (Ira Philip)

The History Behind Cup Match (Larry Burchall, Bernews 2014)

Joy Wilson-Tucker (Bermuda Heritage Museum)

Michael Bradshaw Ed.D

Reginald Pearman