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  • The Salt Industry Begins
 

The Salt Industry Begins

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Help preserve the history of the islands.

Turks Islands Salt

The First African slaves were brought to the Islands by the Bermudans to work the saltpans.

At this time each British Citizen had a right to work a part of the salt ponds (known as the headright system) Each adult was given one share with the slave’s shares transferred to their owners.

Slave development here was completely different to the sugar plantations one could find in the Caribbean. On sugar plantations it was generally accepted that for every one female slave there would be seven males. This meant that no “normal” family life could exist, and that the slave population was not self-sustaining, requiring more people to be taken from Africa. This had two main effects – It kept the African slave trade going, and those slaves that came to the West Indies were more aggressive about gaining their freedom.

For the salt industry, it was a different story. Generally, equal numbers of men, women and children were required: men to rake, women and children to bag and carry salt. This set up meant that more “normal” nuclear family lives were allowed to develop, which meant that with children being born the slave community was generally self perpetuating. Of course additional new slaves would have been introduced and these would have included ones from Africa.

Among the early documents, written between the Kings Agent, Andrew Symmer and the British government, one can find the first regulations that were produced to manage the salt ponds. Amongst these regulations written in 1767 (CO23/16) are several references to the management and involvement of the slave population and include:
7.  In order to prevent the great number of negroes sent annually to these Islands & where masters reside in Bermuda, for the future, no persons will be allowed to Land negroe’s in order to work in his Majesty’s Ponds unless the owner of such negroe’s actually is an inhabitant of Turks Islands, and all owners of negroe’s to be accountable for the actions of their slaves, in case they damage any of the inhabitants or settlers at Turks Islands

11. All persons arriving at Turks Islands with a design of becoming inhabitants are to give in their names to the proper officer, with the number of servants & slaves belonging to them upon oath, in order that their slaves may be duly proportioned

13. No black person or molatto allowed to settle on Turks Islands as free people unless it can be proved by sufficient evidence that such blacks or molattos were born free.

In the early days of 1767 there was clearly a concern about absentee slave owners and the numbers of slaves allowed per owner. Regulation 7 above followed the threat of many slaves being sent to the salt islands from Bermuda to work without their owners and was designed to limit the number of slaves working in the Turks Islands.

The salt regulations of 1767 also clearly indicate the position of the slave:
“Slaves not permitted to work on their own in any of the ponds under such penalty as the General Board shall think proper”.

“Persons going into the bounds of others in the ponds, or making use, or destroying the salt utensils of others without the consent of the owners, to suffer a penalty, and if any Negro is guilty of the above offences the master or owner of such Slave to make good the damage & the Negro or slave to be punished”

“Persons buying or receiving salt from servants or Negro’s with leave of their masters shall pay ten fold, to the master of such servant or Negro”

“Masters of vessells, obliged in 24 hours after their arrival (weather permitting) to enter their vessells with Ephraim Gilberth, & give a joint bond with some substantial settler in the sum of one hundred pounds (or deposit their register by way of security) they will not depart from the Islands without satisfying on discharging all just debts due to the inhabitants, that they carry off no servant or slave, without the consent of their masters, and they will give a true account upon oath, of the quantity of salt, taken on board their vessells, the names of the persons, from whom they purchased & the price paid for each bushell of Salt taken on board”

The real concern voiced was that they needed to increase the number of white residents who could keep control of the slaves and also act as defenders of the Islands if it was attacked by the French or Spanish.

This led to restrictions being placed on the number of slaves that could be employed: “ That no inhabitant of these Islands, holding Town Lot of ground shall be allowed to work or employ in the Salt Ponds of these Islands for his or their benefit in any of the Islands called Turks Islands more than six slaves, which slaves shall be their own property, and those inhabitants who are only allowed one third of a Town Lot, to be allowed only two slaves, & so in proportion….”

The commissioners, along with the King’s Agent, supervised slaves, which were “borrowed” from owners to carry out work on the ponds infrastructure, which would benefit all the salt rakers, as well as other public work, for example, The King’s Agent, Murray, forced the salt proprietors to supply slave labour to build Murray’s Fort to defend Grand Turk in case of attack from Haiti in the late 1790s. Murray also set up a slave militia, comprising of 50 trusted slaves, to help defend the Islands.

We must also remember that the salt industry was also linked to the slaves throughout the Caribbean. The staple diet of the slaves on the French sugar plantations was salted fish, salt from the Turks Island often being used.

In John Wilson’s survey of the Bahamas in 1783 to assess the Islands for suitability for the transfer of some of the Loyalists from Florida (Kozy p.66) he recorded 29 heads of households, and 20 slaves on the Turks Islands. Wilson, however, explained the numbers were not accurate as the Turks islands received seasonal workers from Bermuda. Wylly in his “Short Account of the Bahamas” of 1789 estimated that prior to the Loyalists arrival there were only 18 resident white heads of families and 40 slaves on Grand Turk in 1788 (Saunders, 1985, p 20). Even though this appears to be a contemporary account one must question its validity. In real terms there were lots more salt rakers and slaves present, especially during the salt raking season; we know a letter sent to England in 1769 requesting that the Islands be placed under Bermudan rather than Bahamian rule was signed by 102 men (heads of households), with a further 7 refusing to sign it (the names include Coopers, Darrells and Friths). This suggests that he was only counting the permanent residents and not the seasonal workers.

Culture & History

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The Museum is a publicly funded not for profit organization.

It is not a part of the Turks & Caicos Islands Government and receives no regular support from the Government. Only your Support makes it all possible. Become a supporter today — we can’t do it without your help.

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Click here to view a timeline of important events and dates in the history of the islands

The Colors of the Turks and Caicos Islands

RED was chosen to represent the nation’s capital, Grand Turk. The color is taken from the red/pink fruit found on the national plant, the Turks Head Cactus. They were once found in abundance on Grand Turk before they were removed to accommodate the salt ponds.

WHITE was chosen to represent Salt Cay. The color came from salt. The salt industry was largely responsible for populating the islands of Salt Cay, Grand Turk and South Caicos.

ORANGE was chosen to represent South and East Caicos. The color comes from the Spiny Lobster and fish and reflects the fishing industry in the “Big South.”

TAN was chosen to represent Middle Caicos. The color is taken from the raw material (thatch) that once covered the roofs of the houses. It is also used to make straw hats, baskets and brooms. Middle Caicos is known for the superior quality of native craftwork.

GREEN was chosen to represent North Caicos and Parrot Cay. The color is taken from the fruit trees and other types of trees that flourish in the most fertile of all the islands. North Caicos is also home of Wade’s Green Plantation, the most successful of Caicos Islands cotton plantations.

TURQUOISE was chosen to represent the islands of Providenciales, Pine Cay and West Caicos. The color is taken from the beautiful turquoise waters that surround these islands on which our famous Caicos fishing sloops sail. These turquoise waters also contribute to our newest industry, tourism.

PINK was chosen to represent the beautiful conch shell, flamingoes and the numerous uninhabited cays that make up our chain of islands.

YELLOW represents God’s glory as the sun shining down on all our beautiful islands and cays. The sun also contributes to our newest industry, tourism.

View a timeline of important events and dates in the history of the islands

View Timeline

A Few Artifacts You’ll See at the Museum

Our collections represent the rich historical, cultural and natural heritage of the Turks and Caicos Islands and its people.

Lucayan Duho

Photo courtesy of Joanna Ostapkowicz. The Duho is one of the rarest artifacts in the museum’s collections. It was used a ceremonial seat for the cacique or chief of the Lucayans, the first inhabitants of these islands.

Fresnel Lens

The Grand Turk Lighthouse was erected in 1852 and was originally designed to burn whale oil and had an Argand reflector lamp. In 1943 the lighthouse was converted to a Fresnel Lens one of these lenses is now on display at the Museum.

Swivel Gun

The Molasses reef wreck, an early Spanish Caravel was equipped with three types of breech-loading swivel guns, one type is shown above. The swivel guns are thought to be anti-personnel weapons placed wherever convenient along the ship’s rail.

Salt Industry Post Card

The museum has diverse collection of early postcards of the Turks and Caicos Islands. Most post cards depict scenes on Grand Turk, the capital and from the salt industry.

Take a Look
TCI Governor

Governor of the Turks & Caicos Islands

H.E. Nigel Dakin CMG

The Turks & Caicos Islands National Museum on Grand Turk surely stands in one of the most majestic settings of any museum, anywhere! Perched on the edge of the Columbus Landfall national park. The 200-year-old building, “Guinep Lodge”, which houses a multitude of artifacts covering everything from the pre–Columbian Indians to the modern age, is a museum in its own right. The west facing building has stood firm and witnessed 200+ years of incredible TCI sunsets and has withstood every major hurricane since before records began.

The National Museum plays a vital role in recovering, preserving, recording and displaying the history of these island for all to see, enjoy and learn from. The museum’s archive is a veritable treasure trove of information, with enough information to fill two museums. With thousands of pre-Columbian artifacts from multiple archeological digs from around the TCI over the last 50 years, un-displayed artifacts from ancient warships, parish records or births, deaths and marriages dating back over 200 years; a veritable gold mine of information, just waiting to be discovered.

The museum is not only an exhibition facility for local history and artifacts, but also undertakes important work in the community with multiple events throughout the year and supports all the TCI schools, has a regular summer camp and kids club for our budding historians and archeologists of tomorrow.  The Grand Turk location includes a “science building” which is a fully fledged restoration facility to stabilize artifacts before they are displayed or stored in the archive. All of this work has been quietly undertaken since the museum was founded 30 years ago. There is also a campus on Provo and there are exciting plans underway to construct a new, multimillion dollar purpose-built facility for the wider enjoyment of our fascinating history. The Governor’s Office is proud to have supported the TCNMF over the years with vital capital projects.

Whether you are a local, or a visitor to our beautiful shores; I encourage you to visit and support the Turks & Caicos National Museum and absorb our colorful and surprisingly diverse local history.


H E Nigel Dakin CMG

Governor of the Turks & Caicos Islands

Minister for Tourism, Heritage & Culture for inclusion on the museum website

Hon. Josephine Connnolly

"It is a pleasure as Minister with responsibility of Heritage to welcome you to the Turks and Caicos Islands National Museum website. This Gem of an operation is perhaps the most notable establishment in regards to sites of historical interest. Since its establishment in 1991 it has always been an intricate part of our tourism product.

As a supporter, I believe the National Museum’s success depends on all resident and visitors; and as Minister I am committed to strengthening our tourism product through the infusion of authenticity and the increase in awareness of the National Museum in the development of heritage assets for sustainable tourism development.

Visit and explore the Grand Turk and Providenciales locations and experience our heritage and culture through interactive displays and exhibits. Special thanks is extended to the National Museum, a tangible product, a repository for artefacts and documents, providing a true island experience.".

Hon. Josephine Connnolly
Minister for Tourism, Heritage & Culture for inclusion on the museum website

President of Turks and Caicos Islands Community College

Dr. Hubert A. Fulford

"My interest in history and research goes back to my years as a student at the then Grand Turk Secondary School, where my teacher and later mentor, the late Helena Jones Robinson instilled a curiosity in me to appreciate context.  At that time, not fully appreciating the impact that curiosity would have on me, I sought only to please my teacher.

Pursuing tertiary education at various institutions, in various countries and at various levels, my initial foundation of inquiry was further stimulated.  Libraries and museums would form a very important part of my education, specifically during my studies in Jamaica, Canada and the United Kingdom.

Returning home after my studies abroad, my first visit to the Museum so captivated me that I began to tell all persons, visitors and islanders alike, that a visit to the museum was a MUST! The quaintness, yet thorough organization and presentation of artifacts of various kinds avowed me.

I found tremendous joy in taking my TCI Studies students to the Museum, standing back and listening to their expressions of excitement and curiosity as the curators and assistants would walk them through the various displays and presentations.

The Jamaican expression “likkle but tallawah” (small but strong) aptly fits our Museum.  The significance of this institution to our history and culture cannot be over stressed.

Welcome to The Museum.  A combination of history, culture and enchantment awaits you."

Dr. Hubert A. Fulford

President of Turks and Caicos Islands Community College

Historic Photo Gallery of the Turks and Caicos Islands

All images and the design of this Web site are protected under federal copyright laws. Any downloading, duplication or reproduction of any part of this Web site by any method whatsoever without the expressed written permission of the Turks & Caicos National Museum Foundation is strictly prohibited. Photos and/or usage rights are available for purchase please contact us for details.

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Locations

Guinep House, Front Street

Grand Turk, Turks & Caicos Islands, British West Indies (BWI)
Tel (01 649) 247-2160
From the US (786) 220-1159
Hours Vary - See our schedule under Locations

The Village at Grace Bay

Development Office and Caicos Heritage House
Providenciales, Turks & Caicos Islands, British West Indies (BWI)
Tel (01 649) 247-2161
Grace Bay Hours: See Hours For This Location

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