Not for the first time, there have been public comments, and expressions of anguish, made about the migration of Bermudians from the Tucker’s Town area in the 1920s. Indeed, the majority of these words have been expressed in a negative light: comments like “forced removal” and “stolen” being paramount in some of the inflammatory language.

I thought that the following story, told to me some years ago, might help shed some light on the subject and, just maybe bring a fresh perspective to the subject.

My predecessor as President of Fidelity Investments in Bermuda was the late Hon Arnott Jackson, who for many years sat as an independent Senator in Parliament. Senator Jackson was well known for his independent mind, and logical thinking. It would not be an exaggeration to say that he was held in high regard in the general community. For his services in the Senate, and to Bermuda, he was awarded the OBE.

In the 80s, when he was in great health and “at his best” in Parliament, Senator Jackson told me this story (which he repeated years later, when I visited him in hospital some time before he died of cancer).

The story goes as follows:

As a well educated and respected Bermudian of colour, he could not but be upset at what he believed was the terrible treatment of the people of Tucker’s Town when they were cruelly “forced out of their homes” in a “land grab” by foreigners, aided and abetted by a majority white Parliament.

As luck would have it, Senator Jackson had, at that time, an elderly aunt who had been a teenager in the 20s and living with her parents in Tucker’s Town: she was in excellent health, physically and mentally, and he felt that her story of the “theft” would make a first-class example of what really happened to those unfortunate blacks who were chased off their land.

Arnott intended to make a major speech in the Senate on the subject and his aunt’s personal recollections of this injustice would be central to his argument. He would offer the country the facts as told by one “who was there at the time” of this outrage (on Bermuda’s black community).

Armed with the latest tape recording material, he made an appointment see his aunt. He made it clear to her that that he wanted her to feel free to talk about that “horrible time” in the life of her family and that of their neighbours.

When the day came, the Senator set up the equipment at his aunt’s home, made his aunt comfortable, and opened the discussion by asking his aunt to recall those days, and give some idea of the reactions of the community to the “seizure” of their properties, and explain how awful her parents felt about the wickedness of the whole scheme.

Arnott spoke of his initial shock and amazement when his aunt leaned forward and asked: what in the world he was talking about? What “seizure? What “theft”?

Image his surprise when she said the majority of the community welcomed the project with open arms. Why did he think that anyone would have objected to a proposal that brought so much good to the community at large?

Like many people today, these were not the words that the Senator wanted to hear: he was incredulous and, despite his initial annoyance, he asked his aunt to explain herself.

To start with, she commented, her parents came home from an initial meeting, where the proposed plans were laid out for the community, thrilled to report that the people living there were (i) to be offered cash for their land (most had never had much money per se, as most goods were bartered between families) and (ii) arrangements were being made to assist any who needed help, should they so wish, to move to the Devil’s Hole/John Smith’s Bay area to live.

Devils’ Hole was the nearest commercial area, where goods, especially the all important kerosene (fuel for their stoves) were sold. His aunt remarked that to live closer to that area would be so convenient for everyone, as Tucker’s Town was isolated. She herself told Arnott that she found it a real chore to walk “all that way” carrying a full can of kerosene.

However, his aunt went on to confound the Senator even more: she remarked that there was a second meeting planned, and her mother had invited her to go along, as all the females in the community were bubbling with excitement at “more good news”.

As it turned out, the optimism was justified.

At the second meeting two wonderful announcements were made: all of the men were guaranteed employment on the construction sites for the new hotel that was planned, and, what is more, they would learn the skills of fine construction work on a large project, as opposed to being paid for just for manual labour alone. Furthermore, more jobs would be available in building the many homes planned for Tucker’s Town.

In addition, almost permanent employment was offered for those who might so wish, to maintain both the hotel structure, and the many new homes themselves: for example, painting the roofs, walls, and ground maintenance of the many estates that grew up in the area. The American owners would prove to be extremely generous employers.

But, in the words of the aunt, the fact that all the females would also be offered jobs left them speechless. There was general amazement when it was explained that among the many opportunities that would follow the development would be an offer of jobs to the ladies in the community, thereby affording them the ability to earn cash for themselves. Many would be earning a regular salary for the first time in their lives.

There would be a need for cooks, domestic work, sewing, and the myriad to other tasks required by foreign residents of Tucker’s Town, when they were in Bermuda, and when they were abroad. This work would carry on for generations. The women would benefit, just like their husbands. They would have real jobs.

In short, Senator Jackson’s aunt completely destroyed his preconceived notion that held that “theft” and “expulsion” had been foisted on the “innocent people of Tucker’s Town”. Suddenly Arnott began to think that all such talk might well have simply become a myth.

Instead of rebelling against the plan to develop Tucker’s Town, the residents of the area saw the whole scheme as a “win-win” proposal that would be a financial godsend for all.

They, the people of the area, as well as Bermuda as a whole, might well benefit from the redevelopment of the area. The tourists, and the wealthy foreigners that would follow, might well provide a source of countless millions of valuable foreign currency for the island, and as a result, provide employment for Bermudians for generations to come.

Arnott, needless to say, never gave his speech in the Senate: his aunt’s “facts” certainly calmed his “fire”. He said that he drove home that day a more sober man.

Years later I asked Arnott what he had done with the tape he made of his aunt’s story. He said that he had given it to his son, or maybe his daughter, for safe keeping. As they both had moved away to Canada or the US, the tape had left Bermuda, and unfortunately, not even a copy remains in the National Archives.

What a pity we do not have access to that tape today.

If any Bermudian has kept in touch with Arnott’s children, it would be wonderful if they could be contacted, and the tape recovered. Its contents might do much to help heal a great deal of the anxiety and concern of those of the current generation who, today, continue to feel the anguish that Arnott, in his ignorance, felt so many years ago.

I present this story, as told by Senator Arnott Jackson to me decades ago, simply to assist clear-thinking Bermudians of the fact that there might well be another side of the story — one that might give a more positive side to the story of the Tucker’s Town development.

I shall close with an apt quote from St. John …“..and the truth shall set you free.”