May 1st is the day Indians first arrived in Grenada. The island faced labour shortages after the Emancipation Act of 1833 freed African slaves from the plantations. Many ex-slaves acquired land that took away from the holdings of estate owners or fled to Trinidad and Guyana.
While indentureship was underway elsewhere, from 1836 to 1852 over 4000 formerly enslaved Africans came to Grenada. Some were from Malta and Madeira. By 1854, the Grenadian planters heard about “bound coolies” over in Trinidad and Guyana doing the same work but for lesser wages.
An initial ‘shipment’ of Indians was ‘ordered’ in 1855 but rejected by the Indian government who felt the labour ordinances in the West Indies needed some more provisions to protect workers. After modifications were made, emigration was legalized in Grenada the following year.
As a result, the “Maidstone” later landed in Gouyave Bay on May 1st, 1857. From the start, it was clear that indentureship would not be a system without consequences. Of the 375 Indians who made the maiden voyage, only 289 survived.
When the “Fulwood” then docked in 1858, 362 out of the 402 total passengers lived. 299 of the 344 Indians who embarked aboard the “Jalawar” in 1859 made it to the end. This quote references the violence and disease that ravaged those onboard during the journey.
Between 1856 and 1885, about 3200 Indian men, women, and children came on these ships, all from the port in Calcutta. Along with St. Vincent and St. Kitts, Grenada also had one of the three smallest populations of labourers.
Correction: The Maidstone landed at Irwin’s Bay in St. Patrick, Grenada.
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