The Bahamas Historical Society enjoyed a pre Christmas gathering with a talk on the Cemeteries of San Salvador by Dr Jane Baxter and Michael Marshall (pictured below with President Jim Lawlor - left)
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Nassau, Bahamas - The Bahamas Historical Society held a Talk on
December 3rd with Jane Eva Baxter, who spoke on
"Cemeteries in San Salvador".
Jane Eva Baxter is Associate
Professor and Chair of Anthropology at DePaul University. She completed
her doctorate degree in 2000 from the University of Michigan where she
wrote her dissertation on the archaeology of childhood, a topic on which
she continues to publish. Dr. Baxter began working on the island of San
Salvador in 2004 with her project co-director John Burton where they
have excavated at Polly Hill Plantation, Kerr Mount Plantation, and
most recently at Prospect Hill (Farquharson's) Plantation. She also
has an ongoing project on historical and industrial archaeology of the
Pullman Community in Chicago. Her most recent book is Archaeological
Field Schools: A Guide for Teaching in the Field (Left Coast Press 2009)
and she is a regular contributor to the Journal of the Bahamas Historical
Society.
Co-presenter was Michael Marshall, a senior Anthropology Major at DePaul University. He is an active
researcher on Bahamian archaeology and on the Chinese Community of Chicago.
He already has several conference presentations and publications to
his credit. He is applying to doctoral programs for the fall of 2010.
A fair sized audience including two visitors from USA, who happened to pass the Museum just before the commencement of the talk.
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Most people have some degree
of anecdotal familiarity with cemeteries and graveyards. They pass by
them in their daily commutes, perhaps stroll across their grounds on
the way to church, and/or attend services for friends, family, and community
members within their boundaries. Rarely, however, do people think
of cemeteries as important historic sites that contain valuable information
about community history, and even more rarely do people undertake the
systematic investigation of cemeteries and graveyards to learn about
the unique history of these sites.
Historians and archaeologists
are notable exceptions as they have long been interested in the study
of cemeteries and burial sites as ways of learning about the past.
Historians have recognized the written information contained on grave
stones and other markers as useful sources of information to study family
and community histories, demography, and systems of social networks
and beliefs. Archaeological approaches to cemeteries emphasize
the material nature of graveyards and cemeteries focusing on the landscape
and layout of the sites as well as the materials, shapes, and sizes
of the grave markers. The combination of historical and archaeological
information that is very well dated and fixed in place has made the
study of historic cemeteries an important area of investigation in historical
archaeology.
Members of the Society, Leonard and Chrissie Smith enjoyed the food and fellowship following the talk.
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This described
a project that has brought these historical and archaeological approaches
to the systematic study the headstones and grave markers in cemeteries
on San Salvador. All five of the official, municipal cemeteries
on the island were the focus of investigation. Undoubtedly, people
who live on San Salvador have their own sense of history around these
special places in their communities; however, the goal of this study
was to use approaches from historical archaeology to offer an understanding
the island’s cemeteries from a different perspective. It is
hoped that this approach will allow visitors to the island to gain an
appreciation for these sites, and to offer insights that may be useful
for the study and preservation of cemeteries throughout the archipelago.
Substantively, this analysis points to individual community identities
being formed during the historic period, offers evidence for the interconnectedness
of these newly founded settlements, and demonstrates the various cultural
influences on historical burial practices on the island.
We have moved into the 21st Century thanks to Robert Dorsett, who now records the talks on YouTube!
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Below are the links to Dr Jane Baxter's
lecture at The Bahamas Historical Society on 3rd December 2009.
www.youtube.com/watch?
v=N_tOmJc2qiE
www.youtube.com/watch?
v=NwmtHXhp-3A
www.youtube.com/watch?
v=IKSplPdteOY
www.youtube.com/watch?
v=tgWcrPghnB4
www.youtube.com/watch?
v=HW9r4YwfVP8
www.youtube.com/watch?
v=OvR9UUwGyt0
Our next talks are:
Thursday 28th
January 2010 at 6pm Talk Sir Randol Fawkes by Rosalie Fawkes
Thursday 25th
February 2010 at 6pm Talk ‘Over-the-Hill’ Grants Town by Sir
Orville Turnquest.
Prince George, Duke of Kent
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INQUIRY to BHS regarding
Audrey Haldeman
Dear BHS,
I am a British writer and biographer, currently at work on the life of
Prince George, Duke of Kent (1902-42), younger brother of the Duke of Windsor.
I would be most grateful for your expert guidance.
One close friend of Prince George was
Audrey Haldeman, (b. 1895 Audrey
Gretchen Wilmot, m.(i) Jack Coats, (ii) Captain Donald Carmichael
Haldeman).
Mrs Haldeman took up residence in the Bahamas upon the outbreak of the
Second World War, but died in November 1941 in what has been described to me by
a member of her family as 'unusual circumstances'. Because of her
closeness to Prince George prior to his marriage, I am naturally keen to learn more about Mrs Haldeman's days in the Bahamas. I
know little more of this short period of her life, only that when her husband
Capt Haldeman died in 1952, he was buried next to her.
I wonder if you know of some expert on this period of Bahamian history
who might be able to flesh out this very rudimentary
information? I would be very much obliged for any advice or
information you may be able to offer.
With best wishes and thanks,
Christopher Wilson
Ordnance House
West Dean
Salisbury SP5 1JE
United Kingdom
www.christopherwilson.info
