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24-626: In 1772, the population rebelled. Led by Chatoyer, the First Carib War forced the British to sign a treaty with them in 1773. This was the first time Britain had been forced to sign an accord with non-white people in the Caribbean since the Maroon treaty of Jamaica in 1739. By 1795, it became apparent to the local population that Britain had no intention of obeying the treaty. The people of

48-404: A party of the 31st Regiment of Foot led by Ralph Walsh was ambushed and killed by Garifunas, becoming the highest-ranked loss of the war. Despite their large numbers, disease and the hot and wet weather on the island led to many soldiers dying shortly after arrival, with half of the 14th Regiment's contribution having died before any fighting occurred. By the end of the hurricane season, much of

72-578: A result of the 1763 Peace of Paris . The commission was under instructions to create model colonies, which would learn from the success of others but which would avoid their problems of depleted fertility and environmental degradation . In late 1764, Young and his group sailed for Barbados , spending eight years away from his family during the period of 1764 to 1773, though in fact he made at least two return journeys in 1767 and 1770. James Harris reports on attending concerts at Young's residence in those years. Of particular note during this time, Young employed

96-555: A survey party supported by the 32nd Regiment was taken hostage, having crossed into Garifuna land to construct roads. Concerned that further encroachment could lead to an invasion, Garifuna leaders under Joseph Chatoyer made contact with the French government in Martinique , where they negotiated the sale of weapons. In September of that year the crew of an American ship were massacred when it went aground. Supplied with firearms from

120-696: The British colony of Antigua c.  1724 . He was the son of William Young, a doctor who had fled from Scotland after the suppression of the Jacobite rising of 1715 as a result of his pro- Jacobite sympathies. He was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society in 1748, his candidature citation reading " Residing at Chalton near Canterbury, A Gentleman well versed in Natural and Experimental knowledge, and alwaies ready to promote whatever may tend to

144-637: The Byera River in the east. Sir William Young, 1st Baronet, of North Dean Sir William Young, 1st Baronet ( c.  1724 – c.  1788 ) was a British colonial administrator and planter. He served as President of the Commission for the Sale of Lands in the Ceded Islands, and was appointed the first non-military governor of Dominica in 1768. William Young was born in

168-591: The Caribbean coast of Central America and became known as the Garifuna people; he is considered to have been a Garifuna warrior. After a major push led by the National Youth Council of St.Vincent and the Grenadines and other groups, Chatoyer became the nation's first National Hero on March 14, 2002. Since then, March 14th has been celebrated as National Heroes Day, a time when many can remember

192-535: The Caribbean then rose in rebellion and were joined by a group of French radicals, inspired by the ideals of the French Revolution , who saw Britain as a traditional enemy of France. In the Second Carib War , Chatoyer divided the island with his brother Duvalle , who was another chieftain. Duvalle had a Guadeloupean lieutenant by the name of Massoteau . Working his way along the coast, Chatoyer

216-571: The Improvement of Arts and Sciences ". He was the author of Considerations which may tend to promote the settlement of our new West-India colonies: by encouraging individuals to embark in the undertaking, published in 1764. Early in 1764, Prime Minister George Grenville nominated Young and he was appointed in the same year to be President of the Commission for the Sale of Lands in the Ceded Islands. The islands included Grenada , Tobago , Dominica , and St Vincent , acquired from France as

240-518: The Summer approached, the garrison on St. Vincent was bolstered by additional companies of the 32nd , 68th and 70th Regiments , being redeployed from Dominica, Antigua and Grenada, respectively. Additionally, the 6th and 14th Regiments were deployed from the Province of Massachusetts under orders from General Thomas Gage . Admiral Robert Mann was tasked with leading a Royal Navy squadron to

264-438: The artist Agostino Brunias to record Young's progress and the visual context of his Commission's work. Young was also a diarist and illustrator and documented his own time in the Caribbean islands. He recorded "110 voyages of a like nature performed in the course of nine years amongst the ceded islands on the service of the Commission for the sale of lands." In 1768, Young was made Lieutenant Governor of Dominica . In 1769 he

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288-435: The deadlock, in 1772 Governor William Leyborne Leyborne requested aid from Britain, and was answered by the colonial secretary, Wills Hill, 1st Marquess of Downshire . Despite concerns of the approaching hurricane season being raised by the secretary for war, William Barrington, 2nd Viscount Barrington , plans were drawn to rapidly re-deploy several regiments to the island with the intention of swiftly crushing resistance. As

312-472: The island to cut off any communication with Martinique. Under orders from Major-General William Dalrymple , the invasion began in September, with the main force pushing north from Kingstown and supported by additional beach landings further up the coast, including at Grand Sable Bay, now Georgetown. The main priority of the invasion was capturing the mountains in the centre of the island. In January 1773

336-631: The island's food stores were spent, and the expeditionary force was dependent on American food shipments. The roughly 1500-3000 Garifuna fighters lasted out the invasion through ambushes and attacks on plantations to starve out the expeditionary force. The war was unpopular in Britain, with multiple debates in the House of Commons critical of the North ministry 's handling of the situation. Richard Whitworth , Thomas Townshend and Isaac Barré each questioned

360-483: The leadership of Duvalle, Chatoyer's death led to the desertion of the French supporters and without their aid, the tide of the war turned in favour of the British. As a national hero of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Chatoyer is recognized with a monument on Dorsetshire Hill, where he died. Although Chatoyer died before the remainder of the rebels were deported to Roatan in Honduras , from where they spread along

384-703: The nearby French islands, the Garifunas in particular became a problem for British colonial ambitions in the region, and in November 1770 three infantry regiments were shipped out from Cork to the West Indies to protect planters in Dominica, St. Vincent and Tobago. In late 1771 a letter was intercepted by Sir William Young confirming ties between the Garifunas and the Governor of Martinique . Frustrated by

408-465: The need for war, seeing it as British encroaching in recognised foreign territory, and a waste of men who had more important duties elsewhere. With military matters reaching a stalemate, a peace agreement was signed in 1773 that delineated boundaries between British and Carib areas of the island. The Caribs were to have the northern third of the island from the Wallilabou River in the west to

432-420: The oil painting, The Family of Sir William Young, Baronet (ca.1766) by Johann Zoffany . His eldest son, Sir William Young, 2nd Baronet (1749–1815), was the Governor of Tobago from 1807-1815 as well as serving as a Member of Parliament. Sir William purchased some of the best pieces of real estate on Antigua, St Vincent, and Tobago. Despite this, he was seriously in debt and after his death in 1788 he left

456-823: The struggle against British and French colonialism. A play based on his life, The Drama of King Shotaway , was written by William Henry Brown , an African American from the West Indies, and Director of the African Theatre . It was the first play written in the United States by a black man. The play was produced by the African Company at the African Grove Theatre in New York City in 1823, but no manuscript survived. First Carib War The First Carib War (1769 – 1773)

480-451: Was a military conflict between the Carib inhabitants of Saint Vincent and British military forces supporting British efforts at colonial expansion on the island. St. Vincent was subject to multiple colonisation attempts by Britain and France throughout the early 18th century, with efforts primarily focused on establishing plantation settlements. Along with Dominica and Tobago, St. Vincent

504-526: Was back in England at the end of 1773, and his office of Receiver and Governor ended, and it was concluded by his family that "the adventure in the ceded islands had proved so expensive and indeed ruinous" to him. Young and his second wife, Elizabeth (1729–1801), the daughter of the mathematician Brook Taylor , had several children, including Sarah Elizabeth, William, Portia, Elizabeth, Mary , Henry, John, and Olivia. He and ten family members were featured in

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528-484: Was ceded to Britain in the Treaty of Paris (1763) and placed under the joint-authority of Governor Robert Melvill. Under Melvill and his successor, William Leyborne Leyborne, the islands saw considerable advancement in their economies, and land acquisition became a driving force in island policy, putting them at odds with their respective native populations. Relations between the British and Garifuna broke down in 1769 when

552-574: Was made Baronet Young of North Dean. In 1770 he was chosen to be the first Governor of the new government, being sworn in on 17 November 1770. He was responsible for building the main military stronghold of Dominica in Roseau , Fort Young (now a hotel ) in 1770 and for Government House, Dominica , his residence near the fort. He left Dominica in 1772, rushing to St Vincent to "assist with the Carib War" and to protect his estates there. Sir William Young

576-419: Was met by his French supporters at Chateaubelair , and together the forces worked their way to Dorsetshire Hill, from where they would launch their attack on the capital city, Kingstown . On March 14, a battalion of British soldiers led by General Ralph Abercromby , marched toward Dorsetshire Hill. That night, Chatoyer was killed by Major Alexander Leith. Though the rebellion continued until October 1796 under

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