Queenstown – a village rich with history and culture

By Lakhram Bhagirat

Situated in the county of Essequibo and sandwiched between the communities of La Union and Plantation Little Alliance, the village of Queenstown is a history lover’s paradise.
Queenstown is believed to be the oldest and largest village on the Essequibo Coast with an estimated population of over 10,000. The village’s history is rich and its people are proud keepers of that history.
However, like many communities in Guyana, the history is not adequately documented and the oral knowledge that is passed down from generation to generation is being lost. When I was told that Queenstown is among the first sets of villages in which emancipated African slaves purchased lands, I knew I wanted to explore it a bit more in an effort to understand and appreciate its history.
So, I got up at 12:30 am on Wednesday, prepared myself and then took the hour-long drive from my home to the Parika Ferry Stelling. My colleagues and I were going to the Essequibo Coast on the first ferry out, which was scheduled to leave at 5 am, but in order for us to get a spot on the boat for our car, it meant sacrificing some hours of sleep.
Like many people travelling over to the Essequibo Coast, we had to be at the stelling at least two hours before boarding time to book our vehicle. Even though vehicles are booked hours and sometimes days before, you are not guaranteed a spot on the ferry.
At about 4 am we were allowed to board the MV Sabanto with our vehicle and waited for the others to come on board. We departed the Parika Stelling just after 5 am and began our approximate one hour and thirty minutes journey to the Cinderella County.
The ferry ride was very smooth and we were treated to sunrise on the mighty Essequibo (remember, Essequibo is we own!) and along the way, we passed our evergreen MV Malali on her first run. We also saw the MV Kanawan along the way too, some of her passengers waved at us when they saw the cameras.
We arrived at the Supenaam Stelling at about 06:45 am and by the time we disembarked the ferry, it was about 7 am. It was then we began our journey to a village I was visiting for the first time and I was both excited and tired from not sleeping in over 24 hours.
We drove leisurely, allowing ourselves to enjoy the peaceful morning on the picturesque Essequibo Coast.

I was meeting up with one of Queenstown’s older residents, Winston Christiani, who was going to explain, to the best of his knowledge, the history of the village. Ironically, our meeting place was at Queenstown’s most historic building – the St Bartholomew’s Anglican Church and when we arrived, we were greeted by the parish’s priest, Reverend Garfield Develler and Mr Christiani.

Queenstown got its name by paying homage to the then Queen Victoria and was established in 1841. However, it is believed to be among the first proprietary villages in Guyana meaning that emancipated African slaves could have purchased plots of land and establish homes so they could live.
The village is about 400 acres, according to Reverend Monsel Alves – a Queenstown native – and has about 765 lots and legally became Queenstown on September 25, 1841.

It is believed that Queenstown was one of the first established villages in Guyana since records show that persons started owning lots there from as early as 1838 but the village would become legally recognised in 1841 after the recognition of Victoria in 1839 and Buxton in 1840.
Mr Christiani, in our conversation, related that the village is a combination of three plantations – Mocha, West Field and Dageraad and from the knowledge he has, it has always been a place of social cohesion.
“There is almost half and half of the races living in this village and everybody live as one. It has been that way from long and it still is that way. We have all races living in here and we live in peace,” the elder gentleman said.
Based on historical records, the plantations of Mocha, West Field and Dageraad was owned by one Mr Carberry who was among the first individual slave owners. He was the founder of the first proprietor village in British Guiana and would sell lots to the emancipated slaves for $100, $150 and $200 depending on the size and location.
In examining the history of the village, Reverend Alves said that in 1908 the heir of a former slave master who came to the colony had advertised the village for sale. However, the then inspector of the District HR Cameron brought the issue to the village Chairman’s attention and the sale was opposed.
Mr Christiani told me that at first about 150 persons lived in the village along with former slave masters. But now it is home to persons of all ethnicities and the population has grown from about 150 to well over 10,000 as the village enters its 180th year.
As we sat on a pew in St Bartholomew’s Anglican Church, Mr Christiani related that a lot of the village’s history is now being lost because the older generation is dying out and the younger ones moving away from the traditional knowledge.
“Back in the day, this church used to be full but now we don’t have that. A lot of the young people are doing their own things and the history we have about this village is not passed on. I remember back in the days August Monday (Emancipation) was a big thing for everybody. We used to have a whole week of celebration and then everybody would cook and we have one big thing. Now it is not like that,” he said.
Life in Queenstown has always been regarded as a paradise and over the years, the village has developed. It houses several churches, a mosque, a temple, businesses, schools and other amenities to make residents’ lives more comfortable.
Education in the village started through the Anglican Church and back then it did not discriminate between the religious denominations.
Queenstown remains rich in history and culture and there are many residents there dedicated to protecting and preserving the history of the village.
At the end of my discussion with Mr Christiani and other residents there, I realised that they are proud of their village’s history, and they should be. Queenstown is rich not only economically but also culturally and historically.