SIR RALPH WOODFORD
GOUVERNEUR CHAPEAU
PAILLE
Newsday
Historical Digest
© Paria Publishing Co. Ltd. 2000
April 30, 2000
Pages 29 & 30
Despite the fact that Spain controlled Trinidad for more than two
hundred years, no public buildings and no churches were left behind from that
era built of stone.
Those
were the days of a thatch and wood culture in Trinidad, conveying a sense of
impermanence.
The
French settlers introduced a timber style in the late 18th century,
particularly in the estate houses, which had timbered frames and thatch
roofs. The English on the other hand,
started to build in stone and brick. It
was their way of demonstrating political strength, especially in public
buildings.
Philip
Reinagle, a British architect, lived in Trinidad during the early 19th
century, and worked for governor Sir Ralph James Woodford's administration
(1813-1829). This was a period of both
construction and re-construction, in that the town of Port of Spain was being
rebuilt after the devastating fire of 1808, as well as being extended and
enhanced.
Philip
Reinagle was responsible for the design of both the Holy Trinity Cathedral and
the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception.
History tells us that originally Trinity Church was built of wood and
stood on the corner of Prince and Frederick St. It had been built around 1801 and burnt down in 1808. A new church was built in Woodford Square,
then called Brunswick Square, taken down and re-erected in its present
position, since it should not have been placed in the square in the first
place! There were petitions presented
to protest against its erection.
The
petitioners complained that the square was private property, and in order to
compensate the owners for taking it as public grounds, the owner was allowed to
charge an extra heavy price for the lots bounding the square. They felt they had a vested interest in the
square, and they also felt that the placing of a protestant church there was
not in keeping with the original arrangements.
It spoilt their view! They
appealed to His Majesty's Council to prevent this breach of their privileges
and rights. They were successful:
Trinity Cathedral was dismantled and rebuilt where it stands today.
The
Catholic Cathedral, on the other hand, is possessed of a somewhat more docile
past. In 1757, the new governor Don
Pedro de la Moneda decided to leave the dilapidated old city of San Jose de
Oruna (St. Joseph) and to establish himself in the swampy, makeshift 'port town
of Spain', where things for various reasons were looking up.
In
those days, Port of Spain had one church, which stood on the site now occupied
by Tamarind Square. Standing not far
from the 'puntilla', the landing place, it was built of wood and clay, had a
shingled roof, was painted white on the outside and prettily decorated on the
inside. This early church was dedicated
to the Virgin Mary under the name of the Immaculate Conception.
With
the conquest of Trinidad by the British in 1797, the importance of the town
grew, and its population increased.
With Governor Woodford's administration in place, Philip Reinagle was
instructed to design and build a church for the catholic congregation. On the 24th March 1816, with
rites fitting the occasion, the Governor laid the foundation stone of the Roman
Catholic Cathedral.
Both
sites chosen for these churches could not be easily bettered. The catholic one stands on the main axis of
the main square, and the Anglican in a large area near to the seat of
government, bordering the other principle square in the city. Architect John Newel Lewis, H.B.M., observes
in his book 'Ajoupa' that they "seem to avoid visual demonstrations of
authority, so that instead of two great, imposing, solemn monuments, we have
two churches, sincere and charming, but which do not dominate."
The
city of Port of Spain grew and improved under Sir Ralph's administration. In 1813, just after his arrival, he ordered
the foot walks of the town to be paved with macadam. He straightened the streets and their paving was done under the
direction of the Surveyor General. Each
householder was being assessed for the amount of paving cost he had to
bear. There was much grumbling and
discontent by the people who were taxed!
The work done, however, has stood the test of time. Woodford turned our capital into the most
stately town in the West Indies. As
traveler Henry Colridges wrote in 1825:
"Port
of Spain is by far the finest town I saw in the West Indies. The streets are wide, long and laid out at
right angles; no house is now allowed to be built of wood, and no erection of
any sort can be made except in a prescribed line. There is a public walk embowered in trees (…), and a spacious
market place with a market house or shambles in excellent order and cleanliness. The Spanish and French females, their gay
costume, their foreign language, and their unusual vivacity give this market
the appearance of a merry fair. In France."
Under
Woodford's direction, both Brunswick Square and Marine Square were laid out in
1816. He even imported trees! Baron Schack, the town engineer, was made
responsible for this.
Woodford
was a handsome man of only 29 years of age when he took up his post in
1813. An old lady whom I interviewed
more than 20 years ago told me that he attracted much attention from the pretty
little society ladies of the day. She
went to relate how these ladies would promenade in front of his new residence
at St Ann's and "shake their bustles" for his attention.
Woodford
supervised the work being done in the town.
Mounted and wearing a large straw hat, he became a familiar sight, getting
the name 'gouverneur chapeau paille'. He
was responsible for the purchase of Paradise estate in 1818, which gave us the
Queen's Park Savannah. David Lockhart
was appointed as the first curator of the Botanical Gardens, and he and
Woodford laid it out. By the time of
his death in April 1829, after fifteen years of service, the economy, the
efficiency of the militia, the regular and open administration of justice, the
general health of the town and the cleanness of the streets, buildings and
markets all bore testimony to his endeavour.