Barbados Cricket Buckle
Encyclopedia
The Barbados Cricket Buckle is a repoussé engraving on a belt buckle of a slave playing cricket in Barbados
circa 1780-1810.
It is believed to be the only known image of a slave playing cricket and the oldest known image depicting cricket outside the British Isles.
"That the belt buckle depicts the slave, unmistakably in bondage, with bat in hand, suggests that the creator must have detected in their cricketing endeavours the germ of the quest for self-expression, if not liberation." Professor Clem Seecharan
, Muscular Education.
in 1979 and depicts a “well-muscled mulatto probably the offspring of a white overseer and a black slave mother” at the wicket being bowled out. He is carrying a spliceless bat and has a navy slave chain collar around his neck. To his left a wattle and daub slave hut can be seen and to the right a cane crushing windmill by an Roystonea oleracea
cabbage palm tree.
The engraving is believed to be portraiture although the identity of the slave is unknown.
Metallurgical analysis of the Buckle by Oxford University placed its manufacture in the "early Victorian period or before".
The earliest dated reference to cricket in Barbados is 1806 however cricket had been played in “all the West Indian islands from a quite early time”. Freed slaves played cricket from mid 18th century and there are reports of plantation owners encouraging slaves to play cricket.
Barbados suffered a huge hurricane
in October 1780 which obliterated most palms, windmills and slave huts. The Buckle engraving predates that event. However the three stumps indicate a date after 1777 when the middle stump was added to the wicket.
Early references to cricket matches in the press (alongside notices for slave sales) in Barbados were specific to the British military who “played at cricket as a principle stress relieving activity – one that allowed them to ‘play being at home’ whilst being away from home.”
The location of the Buckle in the River Tweed suggested that it may have been owned and originally commissioned by a member of the Hotham family whose estate was upstream. Notably William Hotham
, the first baron (1736-1813) who had been stationed in Barbados 1779-1780. The Hothams were also noted cricketers known as “the lucky hits of Westminster”.
In 1838 James Kelly noted the significance of “mutual confidence and familiarity” between sailors and slaves. So much so that “In the presence of the sailor the Negro feels a man.”
recognised that: “In play the slave could become master; the powerless could become powerful. Athletic competition or a mere athletic feat … cutting cane ….was a free space where bodies bound and scarred by chains could soar.” Although focused on US slaves Rhoden's comments are apposite for the experience of slaves in all nations.
In the first chapter of his book "Muscular Learning", Professor Clem Seecharan
reflects at some length on the importance of the Barbados Cricket Buckle recognising that its depiction on a Barbados postage stamp on the 60th anniversary of West Indies cricket was appropriate given cricket’s role as a “political instrument” from slavery through emancipation to independence.
Although references to slavery and cricket are extremely rare they do exist. In reference to a diary entry by Jamaican slave owner Thistlewood that cricket was played in June 1778, Professor R Burton was prompted to wonder if the slaves tasked to retrieve the ball when it went beyond the boundary were becoming drawn into the game. This was echoed by Seecharan who notes that in Barbados, cricket was played in clearings in cane fields and slaves were tasked with retrieving the ball and throwing it back into play and points out that “there are accounts of planters too encouraging slaves to play cricket.”
This encounter of slaves with cricket is supported by former Jamaican Prime Minister the late Michael Manley
in his extensive History of West Indies Cricket, writing that: “the young sons of the slaves were required to bowl at the young sons of the slave owners or to the army officers” adding “of course the sons of the slaves practised batting in their spare time.”
The engraving on the Barbados Buckle depicts the point when slaves moved not merely within the boundary but to the batting crease itself. The point when they became, as C.L.R. James put it in Beyond a Boundary
, “that genus Britannicus, a fine batsman.” Although the Buckle batsman is depicted as being clean bowled Seecharan highlights the Buckle slave’s role as batsman; noting that his possession of bat not ball is subversive.
The Central Bank of Barbados
authorised the Royal Mint
to strike a limited number of proof coins to mark the discovery of the Barbadian Buckle. The coins were minted at the Royal Mint in London.
The reverse of the coin bears a representation of the Barbados Cricket Buckle. A surrounding inscription reads “International Cricket Buckle”. The obverse features the Barbados’ Coat of Arms. The central element of this official emblem is a shield supported by a dolphin and a pelican. Two Pride of Barbados (Caesalpinia pulcherrima) flowers and one of the island’s Bearded Fig Trees (ficus Citrifolia) are depicted on the shield. Above the shield is a crest consisting of a raised forearm holding crossed sugar cane stalks above a helmet and mantling. A ribbon bears the inscription “pride and industry”, the national motto. The coins were finished with a proof with frosted relief.
, Jamaica
and Trinidad & Tobago on June 6, 1988.
101 of the 50c stamp were issued featuring a photograph of Edward Lawson “Barto” Bartlett
instead of Herman Griffith
. These errors were issued through Parcel Post Office in Bridgetown Barbados. All other postal counters had their stocks recovered before 9am on Monday 6 June 1988 and the corrected 50c stamps depicting Griffith were issued on 11 July 1988.
West Indies captain Desmond Haynes
presented with silver gilt depiction of the Buckle. Presentation was made by Lord Sharp, chairman of Cable and Wireless at Kensington Oval
Barbados. April 3, 1990.
Barbados
Barbados is an island country in the Lesser Antilles. It is in length and as much as in width, amounting to . It is situated in the western area of the North Atlantic and 100 kilometres east of the Windward Islands and the Caribbean Sea; therein, it is about east of the islands of Saint...
circa 1780-1810.
It is believed to be the only known image of a slave playing cricket and the oldest known image depicting cricket outside the British Isles.
"That the belt buckle depicts the slave, unmistakably in bondage, with bat in hand, suggests that the creator must have detected in their cricketing endeavours the germ of the quest for self-expression, if not liberation." Professor Clem Seecharan
Clem Seecharan
Clem Seecharan, BA, MA, PhD is a writer historian of the Indo-Caribbean experience, who was born in Guyana, and grew up in East Berbice-Corentyne. He obtained his doctorate at the University of Warwick, and taught the University of Guyana for some years...
, Muscular Education.
History
The Buckle was found in a gravel spit in the River TweedRiver Tweed
The River Tweed, or Tweed Water, is long and flows primarily through the Borders region of Great Britain. It rises on Tweedsmuir at Tweed's Well near where the Clyde, draining northwest, and the Annan draining south also rise. "Annan, Tweed and Clyde rise oot the ae hillside" as the Border saying...
in 1979 and depicts a “well-muscled mulatto probably the offspring of a white overseer and a black slave mother” at the wicket being bowled out. He is carrying a spliceless bat and has a navy slave chain collar around his neck. To his left a wattle and daub slave hut can be seen and to the right a cane crushing windmill by an Roystonea oleracea
Roystonea oleracea
Roystonea oleracea, sometimes known as the Caribbean Royal Palm, palmiste, Imperial palm or cabbage palm, is a species of palm which is native to the Lesser Antilles, northern South America and Trinidad and Tobago.-Description:...
cabbage palm tree.
The engraving is believed to be portraiture although the identity of the slave is unknown.
Metallurgical analysis of the Buckle by Oxford University placed its manufacture in the "early Victorian period or before".
The earliest dated reference to cricket in Barbados is 1806 however cricket had been played in “all the West Indian islands from a quite early time”. Freed slaves played cricket from mid 18th century and there are reports of plantation owners encouraging slaves to play cricket.
Barbados suffered a huge hurricane
Great Hurricane of 1780
The Great Hurricane of 1780, also known as Hurricane San Calixto, the Great Hurricane of the Antilles, and the 1780 Disaster, is the deadliest Atlantic hurricane on record. Over 20,000 people died when the storm passed through the Lesser Antilles in the Caribbean between October 10 and October...
in October 1780 which obliterated most palms, windmills and slave huts. The Buckle engraving predates that event. However the three stumps indicate a date after 1777 when the middle stump was added to the wicket.
Naval Connection
Analysis by Oxford University revealed the Buckle to be made of “navy brass” (90:10 copper:zinc) British troops were, for the most part responsible for exporting cricket out of the UK and around the Empire. Acccording to Bowen: “ Recreation had to be found for troops and sailors; cricket was an ideal source of it.”Early references to cricket matches in the press (alongside notices for slave sales) in Barbados were specific to the British military who “played at cricket as a principle stress relieving activity – one that allowed them to ‘play being at home’ whilst being away from home.”
The location of the Buckle in the River Tweed suggested that it may have been owned and originally commissioned by a member of the Hotham family whose estate was upstream. Notably William Hotham
William Hotham
Two admirals of the Royal Navy were named William Hotham:* William Hotham, 1st Baron Hotham * Sir William Hotham...
, the first baron (1736-1813) who had been stationed in Barbados 1779-1780. The Hothams were also noted cricketers known as “the lucky hits of Westminster”.
In 1838 James Kelly noted the significance of “mutual confidence and familiarity” between sailors and slaves. So much so that “In the presence of the sailor the Negro feels a man.”
The Buckle, Cricket and Slavery
There has been much debate about the origins of cricket in the West Indies and the role that cricket (a game exported with a "made in England" hallmark ) has played in subjugation and emancipation. In his book 40 Million Dollar Slaves, William C. RhodenWilliam C. Rhoden
William C. Rhoden is a sports columnist for The New York Times. He has been in his current role since March 1983. Previously, he was a copy editor in the Sunday Week in Review section since October 1981 when he joined the newspaper....
recognised that: “In play the slave could become master; the powerless could become powerful. Athletic competition or a mere athletic feat … cutting cane ….was a free space where bodies bound and scarred by chains could soar.” Although focused on US slaves Rhoden's comments are apposite for the experience of slaves in all nations.
In the first chapter of his book "Muscular Learning", Professor Clem Seecharan
Clem Seecharan
Clem Seecharan, BA, MA, PhD is a writer historian of the Indo-Caribbean experience, who was born in Guyana, and grew up in East Berbice-Corentyne. He obtained his doctorate at the University of Warwick, and taught the University of Guyana for some years...
reflects at some length on the importance of the Barbados Cricket Buckle recognising that its depiction on a Barbados postage stamp on the 60th anniversary of West Indies cricket was appropriate given cricket’s role as a “political instrument” from slavery through emancipation to independence.
Although references to slavery and cricket are extremely rare they do exist. In reference to a diary entry by Jamaican slave owner Thistlewood that cricket was played in June 1778, Professor R Burton was prompted to wonder if the slaves tasked to retrieve the ball when it went beyond the boundary were becoming drawn into the game. This was echoed by Seecharan who notes that in Barbados, cricket was played in clearings in cane fields and slaves were tasked with retrieving the ball and throwing it back into play and points out that “there are accounts of planters too encouraging slaves to play cricket.”
This encounter of slaves with cricket is supported by former Jamaican Prime Minister the late Michael Manley
Michael Manley
Michael Norman Manley ON OCC was the fourth Prime Minister of Jamaica . Manley was a democratic socialist....
in his extensive History of West Indies Cricket, writing that: “the young sons of the slaves were required to bowl at the young sons of the slave owners or to the army officers” adding “of course the sons of the slaves practised batting in their spare time.”
The engraving on the Barbados Buckle depicts the point when slaves moved not merely within the boundary but to the batting crease itself. The point when they became, as C.L.R. James put it in Beyond a Boundary
Beyond a Boundary
Beyond a Boundary is a memoir on cricket written by the Trinidadian Marxist intellectual C. L. R. James. It mixes social commentary, particularly on the place of cricket in the West Indies and England, with commentary on the game, arguing that what happened inside the "Boundary Line" in cricket...
, “that genus Britannicus, a fine batsman.” Although the Buckle batsman is depicted as being clean bowled Seecharan highlights the Buckle slave’s role as batsman; noting that his possession of bat not ball is subversive.
Coins
| Specification | Gold coin | Silver coin |
|---|---|---|
| Denomination | 50 dollars | 10 dollars |
| Alloy | 22 carat gold | Sterling 0.925 silver |
| Diameter | 29.40mm | 38.61mm |
| Weight | 15.98g | 28.28g |
| Issue limit | 500 (50 minted) | 5,000 (100 minted) |
The Central Bank of Barbados
Central Bank of Barbados
The Central Bank of Barbados is the national monetary authority responsible for providing advice to government of Barbados on banking and other financial and monetary matters. The Central Bank of Barbados, was established by Act of parliament on 2 May 1972...
authorised the Royal Mint
Royal Mint
The Royal Mint is the body permitted to manufacture, or mint, coins in the United Kingdom. The Mint originated over 1,100 years ago, but since 2009 it operates as Royal Mint Ltd, a company which has an exclusive contract with HM Treasury to supply all coinage for the UK...
to strike a limited number of proof coins to mark the discovery of the Barbadian Buckle. The coins were minted at the Royal Mint in London.
The reverse of the coin bears a representation of the Barbados Cricket Buckle. A surrounding inscription reads “International Cricket Buckle”. The obverse features the Barbados’ Coat of Arms. The central element of this official emblem is a shield supported by a dolphin and a pelican. Two Pride of Barbados (Caesalpinia pulcherrima) flowers and one of the island’s Bearded Fig Trees (ficus Citrifolia) are depicted on the shield. Above the shield is a crest consisting of a raised forearm holding crossed sugar cane stalks above a helmet and mantling. A ribbon bears the inscription “pride and industry”, the national motto. The coins were finished with a proof with frosted relief.
Stamps
Stamps featuring the Barbados Buckle (aka International Belt Buckle) and key cricketers were issued by the respective Postmasters General for the countries of BarbadosBarbados
Barbados is an island country in the Lesser Antilles. It is in length and as much as in width, amounting to . It is situated in the western area of the North Atlantic and 100 kilometres east of the Windward Islands and the Caribbean Sea; therein, it is about east of the islands of Saint...
, Jamaica
Jamaica
Jamaica is an island nation of the Greater Antilles, in length, up to in width and 10,990 square kilometres in area. It is situated in the Caribbean Sea, about south of Cuba, and west of Hispaniola, the island harbouring the nation-states Haiti and the Dominican Republic...
and Trinidad & Tobago on June 6, 1988.
Barbados
- 15c - Manny MartindaleManny MartindaleEmmanuel Alfred Martindale was a West Indian cricketer who played in ten Tests from 1933 to 1939. He was a right-arm fast bowler and a lower-order right-handed batsman....
- 45c - George ChallenorGeorge ChallenorGeorge Challenor was a West Indian cricketer who was part of the first West Indies Test side. He was recognised as the first great West Indian batsman, his obituary in Wisden Cricketer's Almanack ending with the words "His admirable batting did much toward raising cricket in West Indies to Test...
- 50c - Herman GriffithHerman GriffithHerman Clarence Griffith was a West Indian cricketer who played in West Indies' first Test match in their inaugural Test tour of England and was one of the leading bowlers on that tour....
- 75c - Harold AustinHarold AustinSir Harold Bruce Gardiner Austin OBE was a West Indian politician and cricketer. He was known as H.B.G.....
- $2.00 - Frank WorrellFrank WorrellSir Frank Mortimer Maglinne Worrell is sometimes referred to by his nickname of Tae and was a West Indies cricketer and Jamaican senator...
101 of the 50c stamp were issued featuring a photograph of Edward Lawson “Barto” Bartlett
Edward Bartlett (cricketer)
Edward Lawson Bartlett was a West Indian cricketer who played in West Indies' inaugural Test tour of England in 1928.He was born in Flint Hall, St. Michael, Barbados....
instead of Herman Griffith
Herman Griffith
Herman Clarence Griffith was a West Indian cricketer who played in West Indies' first Test match in their inaugural Test tour of England and was one of the leading bowlers on that tour....
. These errors were issued through Parcel Post Office in Bridgetown Barbados. All other postal counters had their stocks recovered before 9am on Monday 6 June 1988 and the corrected 50c stamps depicting Griffith were issued on 11 July 1988.
Jamaica
- 25c - Jackie HendriksJackie HendriksJackie Hendriks was born John Leslie Hendriks on 21 December 1933, in St. Andrew, Kingston, Jamaica. He played as a Test wicket-keeper in the West Indies cricket team from 1962 to 1969. After his career as a well-respected player he moved to cricket managing...
- 55c - George HeadleyGeorge HeadleyGeorge Alphonso Headley was a West Indian cricketer who played 22 Test matches, mostly before the Second World War. Considered one of the best batsmen to play for West Indies and one of the greatest cricketers of all time, Headley also represented Jamaica and played professional club cricket in...
- $2.00 - Michael HoldingMichael HoldingMichael Anthony Holding is a former West Indian cricketer. One of the fastest bowlers ever to play Test cricket, he was nicknamed 'Whispering Death' by umpires due to his quiet approach to the bowling crease...
- $3.00 - Karl NunesKarl NunesRobert Karl Nunes was a West Indian cricketer who played in West Indies' first Test in their inaugural Test tour of England as wicketkeeper and captain....
- $4.00 - Allan Fitzroy Rae
Trinidad and Tobago
- 30c - George JohnGeorge JohnGeorge John was a West Indian fast bowler.George John was a very fast bowler in his prime and could cut the ball into the batsmen. He toured England with West Indies side in 1923 but by then was past his best. He claimed 90 wickets at 14.68 in all matches, 49 of them at 19.51 in first class matches...
- 45c - Learie ConstantineLearie ConstantineLearie Nicholas Constantine, Baron Constantine MBE was a West Indian cricketer who played 18 Test matches before the Second World War. He took West Indies' first wicket in Test cricket and was the team's leading all-rounder and opening bowler for the entirety of his career...
- 75c - Sonny RamadhinSonny RamadhinSonny Ramadhin was a West Indian cricketer, and a dominant bowler of the 1950s. He was the first West Indian cricketers of Indian origin, and was one of the five Wisden Cricketers of the Year in 1951.- Biography and career :...
- $1.50 - Gerry GomezGerry GomezGerry Ethridge Gomez was a West Indian cricketer who played 29 Tests for the West Indies between 1939 and 1954, scoring 1,243 runs and taking 58 wickets. He captained in one match for the West Indies when England toured in 1947/8.Gomez was born in Port of Spain, Trinidad...
- $2.50 - Jeff StollmeyerJeff StollmeyerJeffrey Baxter Stollmeyer was a Trinidad and Tobago cricketer and footballer. He played 32 Tests for the West Indies, captaining 13 of these....
Trophy
Representations of the Buckle provided the centrepiece of 3 trophies for the Cable & Wireless West Indies-England Test matches and One Day Internationals 1990:Winners of the Buckle Awards for Man of the Match (Test matches)
- Allan LambAllan LambAllan Joseph Lamb is a former England cricketer and captain who played for the first class teams of Western Province and Northamptonshire, the latter as an Overseas player...
, Sabina ParkSabina ParkSabina Park is the home of the Kingston Cricket Club, and is the only Test cricket ground in Kingston, Jamaica and is often referred to as "The Holiday Home of Cricket"....
, Kingston, Jamaica 24 Feb – 1 March 1990 England win. - 2nd Test abandoned Georgetown, Guyana
- Devon MalcolmDevon MalcolmDevon Malcolm is a former English cricketer.Malcolm was one of England's few genuinely fast bowlers of the 1990s. Born in Kingston, Jamaica, he settled in England, making his first-class debut for Derbyshire in 1984, and qualifying to play for England in 1987...
, Queen's Park Oval, Port-of-Spain, Trinidad 23–28 March 1990. Match drawn. - Curtly AmbroseCurtly AmbroseCurtly Elconn Lynwall Ambrose is a former West Indian cricketer. His skill was as a right-arm fast bowler, especially in partnership with Courtney Walsh...
, Kensington OvalKensington OvalThe Kensington Oval is located to the west of the capital-city Bridgetown on the island of Barbados. "The Oval" is one of the major sporting facilities on the island and is primarily used for cricket...
, Bridgetown, Barbados 5–10 April 1990. West Indies win. - Desmond HaynesDesmond HaynesDesmond Leo Haynes is a West Indian cricketer and cricket coach. He was a Wisden Cricketer of the Year in 1991. Haynes formed a formidable partnership with Gordon Greenidge for the West Indies cricket team in Test cricket during 1980s. Between them they managed 16 century stands, four in excess of...
, Antigua Recreation GroundAntigua Recreation GroundAntigua Recreation Ground is the national stadium of Antigua and Barbuda. It is located in St. John's, on the island of Antigua. The ground has been used by the West Indies cricket team and Antigua and Barbuda national football team...
, St John’s, Antigua 12–16 April 1990. West Indies win.
Winners of the Buckle Awards for Man of the Match (One Day Internationals)
- Queen’s Park Oval, Port-of-Spain, Trinidad. No result.
- Queen’s Park Oval, Port-of-Spain, Trinidad. No result.
- Richie RichardsonRichie RichardsonRichard Benjamin Richardson is a retired West Indies cricketer and a former captain of the West Indian cricket team.Richardson was born in Five Islands Village, Antigua. He began his career with the Leewards Islands in 1982 as an opener and after his second season he was called up by the West...
, Sabina ParkSabina ParkSabina Park is the home of the Kingston Cricket Club, and is the only Test cricket ground in Kingston, Jamaica and is often referred to as "The Holiday Home of Cricket"....
Kingston Jamaica March 3, 1990. West Indies win. - Carlisle BestCarlisle BestCarlisle Alonza Best played eight Tests and 24 One Day Internationals for the West Indies.Best hooked his third ball in Test cricket for six off the bowling of Ian Botham at Kingston, Jamaica, in February 1986....
, BourdaBourdaThe Bourda is a cricket ground in Georgetown, Guyana, used by the Guyanese cricket team for matches with other nations in the Caribbean as well as some Test matches involving the West Indies. Located in Bourda in Georgetown, Guyana, between Regent Street and North Road, it is home to the Georgetown...
, Georgetown, Guyana. March 7, 1990. West Indies win. - Richie RichardsonRichie RichardsonRichard Benjamin Richardson is a retired West Indies cricketer and a former captain of the West Indian cricket team.Richardson was born in Five Islands Village, Antigua. He began his career with the Leewards Islands in 1982 as an opener and after his second season he was called up by the West...
, Kensington OvalKensington OvalThe Kensington Oval is located to the west of the capital-city Bridgetown on the island of Barbados. "The Oval" is one of the major sporting facilities on the island and is primarily used for cricket...
, Bridgetown, Barbados. April 3, 1990. West Indies win. - Gordon GreenidgeGordon GreenidgeCuthbert Gordon Greenidge MBE is a former member of the West Indies cricket team.Greenidge was an opening batsman for the West Indies. He began his Test career against India at M. Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bangalore in 1974 and continued playing internationally until 1991. He was half of the West...
, Replacement ODI BourdaBourdaThe Bourda is a cricket ground in Georgetown, Guyana, used by the Guyanese cricket team for matches with other nations in the Caribbean as well as some Test matches involving the West Indies. Located in Bourda in Georgetown, Guyana, between Regent Street and North Road, it is home to the Georgetown...
, Georgetown, Guyana.
Buckle Award for winners of One Day International Series 1990
West Indies captain Desmond Haynes
Desmond Haynes
Desmond Leo Haynes is a West Indian cricketer and cricket coach. He was a Wisden Cricketer of the Year in 1991. Haynes formed a formidable partnership with Gordon Greenidge for the West Indies cricket team in Test cricket during 1980s. Between them they managed 16 century stands, four in excess of...
presented with silver gilt depiction of the Buckle. Presentation was made by Lord Sharp, chairman of Cable and Wireless at Kensington Oval
Kensington Oval
The Kensington Oval is located to the west of the capital-city Bridgetown on the island of Barbados. "The Oval" is one of the major sporting facilities on the island and is primarily used for cricket...
Barbados. April 3, 1990.