Joseph Matthew Sebastian
Encyclopedia
Joseph Matthew Sebastian (7 July 1891 – 25 June 1944) was a Caribbean
trade union
leader and politician.
. He became a young Pupil Teacher. Upon completion of this part of his education, he attended the Mico College in Jamaica
from which he graduated in first in position and with first class honours (he was 15 years old). He pursued a long career as an educator before he left that profession to pursue the cause of the workers in St. Kitts.
some years earlier. All three had been inspired by Marcus Garvey
(in 1916), and started spreading Garvey's message: of new hope for poor Blacks. Mr. Nathan was already established in St. Kitts as a merchant, and he decided to help establish and pioneer a movement whose goal was to eradicate hunger and poverty of the working class, and establish an acceptable standard of living. The association that these men formed was the Universal Benevolent Association. In addition, the Universal Benevolent Association was responsible for teaching reading, writing, and the rudiments of arithmetic. In addition, The Association encouraged saving and banking, and a death benefit plan.
In 1918, J. M. Sebastian became the President of the Universal Benevolent Association.
Together, Solomon, Wilkes, and Nathan founded an organization called the "Union", to help the poor, disenfranchised, marginalized, and underprivileged, in particular, those working in the sugar cane fields and at the Sugar Factory, in St. Kitts. F. Solomon was the President, J. Nathan was the Secretary, and G. Wilkes was the Treasurer.
that was used at The Union Messenger. Upon Sebastian's death, ownership was passed to his widow, Mrs. Inez Veronica Sebastian, who then allowed the newspaper to continue to use the printing press (in perpetuity), and she appointed Joseph Nathaniel France
the editor of The Union Messenger.
In fact, Sebastian had been with the movement since 1917, however, being thrust into the limelight as Managing Editor of The Union Messenger and President of the movement, made it appear as if his involvement was a sudden one, but it was not.
Sebastian always put at the top of The Union Messenger, the famous lines from Abraham Lincoln
's second Inaugural Address, 1865:
In addition, the following dedication also appeared on every issue of The Union Messenger:
Through The Union Messenger, Sebastian placed special emphasis on the problems faced by the disenfranchised population of St. Kitts and Nevis - housing, health and sanitation, education, and exploitation of children. Joseph Matthew Sebastian was its editor, and the newspaper exists today as The Labour Spokesman". His editorials were destroyed when the Courthouse at East Square Street burned down some years ago. However, some copies exist in private collections. The Union Messenger was widely read in the West Indies, the U.S.A, and Great Britain
.
and for a second time in 1943. He was also appointed member of the Executive Council of the Leeward Island Colony, which sat in Antigua
, which was the Headquarters of the Leeward Islands
. In addition, Sebastian was elected to the Federal Executive Council of the colony in that same year. Because he sat on these two bodies, his title was The Honourable Joseph Matthew Sebastian.
In addition, in 1940, Sebastian was among those who launched the Trade Union. That April the Sugar Factory workers went on strike. Sebastian, seeing the difficulties they were going to have to face, appealed to them to return to work. The response of the workers was very antagonistic; the workers sought out Sebastian with machete
s and knives. However, they did not hurt him.
In 1942, Sebastian succeeded Manchester as President of the Workers' League, and in 1943 - with an impending general strike, and following Challenger's resignation from the Union - Sebastian once again found himself at the forefront of the Union leadership. However, Sebastian suddenly died on June 25, 1944.
In 1995, the only surviving son of The Honourable Joseph Matthew Sebastian and Mrs. Inez Veronica Sebastian (née Hodge), Dr. Cuthbert Sebastian
. O.B.E., was appointed Governor-General
of St. Kitts and Nevis, and on January 1, 1996, he was sworn in. In 1996, he was knighted by Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth II.
Caribbean
The Caribbean is a crescent-shaped group of islands more than 2,000 miles long separating the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea, to the west and south, from the Atlantic Ocean, to the east and north...
trade union
Trade union
A trade union, trades union or labor union is an organization of workers that have banded together to achieve common goals such as better working conditions. The trade union, through its leadership, bargains with the employer on behalf of union members and negotiates labour contracts with...
leader and politician.
Early life
Joseph Matthew Sebastian was born in 1891 in Johnson's Point, in the Parish of St. Mary, AntiguaAntigua
Antigua , also known as Waladli, is an island in the West Indies, in the Leeward Islands in the Caribbean region, the main island of the country of Antigua and Barbuda. Antigua means "ancient" in Spanish and was named by Christopher Columbus after an icon in Seville Cathedral, Santa Maria de la...
. He became a young Pupil Teacher. Upon completion of this part of his education, he attended the Mico College in 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...
from which he graduated in first in position and with first class honours (he was 15 years old). He pursued a long career as an educator before he left that profession to pursue the cause of the workers in St. Kitts.
Family life
On January 8, 1913, Sebastian married Miss Inez Veronica Hodge, which resulted in 12 children.Universal Benevolent Association
In 1917, two Kittitian men returned to St. Kitts: Frederick Solomon and George Wilkes (who both lived in the U.S.A.). They were joined by Joseph Alexander Nathan, who had left New YorkNew York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
some years earlier. All three had been inspired by Marcus Garvey
Marcus Garvey
Marcus Mosiah Garvey, Jr., ONH was a Jamaican publisher, journalist, entrepreneur, and orator who was a staunch proponent of the Black Nationalism and Pan-Africanism movements, to which end he founded the Universal Negro Improvement Association and African Communities League...
(in 1916), and started spreading Garvey's message: of new hope for poor Blacks. Mr. Nathan was already established in St. Kitts as a merchant, and he decided to help establish and pioneer a movement whose goal was to eradicate hunger and poverty of the working class, and establish an acceptable standard of living. The association that these men formed was the Universal Benevolent Association. In addition, the Universal Benevolent Association was responsible for teaching reading, writing, and the rudiments of arithmetic. In addition, The Association encouraged saving and banking, and a death benefit plan.
In 1918, J. M. Sebastian became the President of the Universal Benevolent Association.
Together, Solomon, Wilkes, and Nathan founded an organization called the "Union", to help the poor, disenfranchised, marginalized, and underprivileged, in particular, those working in the sugar cane fields and at the Sugar Factory, in St. Kitts. F. Solomon was the President, J. Nathan was the Secretary, and G. Wilkes was the Treasurer.
Union Messenger
In 1921, the Union acquired its own newspaper, The Union Messenger, which became the mouthpiece for its message of social reform and reconstruction. However, the newspaper needed an editor. It was at this point that J. M. Sebastian resigned his teaching position, joined the three pioneers, and became the newspaper's Managing Editor, and President of the Union. In addition, before his death, Sebastian bought the rights to the newspaper, and he owned the printing pressPrinting press
A printing press is a device for applying pressure to an inked surface resting upon a print medium , thereby transferring the ink...
that was used at The Union Messenger. Upon Sebastian's death, ownership was passed to his widow, Mrs. Inez Veronica Sebastian, who then allowed the newspaper to continue to use the printing press (in perpetuity), and she appointed Joseph Nathaniel France
Joseph Nathaniel France
Joseph Nathaniel France, KCMG, CBE was a Saint Kitts and Nevis trade union leader and politician. He served as a representative in the National Assembly, Minister of Social Services under Chief Minister Paul Southwell, and was General Secretary for the St...
the editor of The Union Messenger.
In fact, Sebastian had been with the movement since 1917, however, being thrust into the limelight as Managing Editor of The Union Messenger and President of the movement, made it appear as if his involvement was a sudden one, but it was not.
Sebastian always put at the top of The Union Messenger, the famous lines from Abraham Lincoln
Abraham Lincoln
Abraham Lincoln was the 16th President of the United States, serving from March 1861 until his assassination in April 1865. He successfully led his country through a great constitutional, military and moral crisis – the American Civil War – preserving the Union, while ending slavery, and...
's second Inaugural Address, 1865:
"With malice towards none
With Charity for all
With firmness in the right."
In addition, the following dedication also appeared on every issue of The Union Messenger:
"Dedicated to the service of the people,
that no good cause shall lack a champion,
and that wrong shall not thrive unopposed."
Through The Union Messenger, Sebastian placed special emphasis on the problems faced by the disenfranchised population of St. Kitts and Nevis - housing, health and sanitation, education, and exploitation of children. Joseph Matthew Sebastian was its editor, and the newspaper exists today as The Labour Spokesman". His editorials were destroyed when the Courthouse at East Square Street burned down some years ago. However, some copies exist in private collections. The Union Messenger was widely read in the West Indies, the U.S.A, and Great Britain
Great Britain
Great Britain or Britain is an island situated to the northwest of Continental Europe. It is the ninth largest island in the world, and the largest European island, as well as the largest of the British Isles...
.
Workers' League
In 1932, the Workers' League (St. Kitts) was formed with Thomas Manchester as President. Sebastian was a founding member of the Workers' League and a member of its Executive Council.Political career
In the 1940s, Sebastian was elected to the Legislative Council of Saint Kitts-Nevis-AnguillaSaint Christopher-Nevis-Anguilla
Saint Christopher-Nevis-Anguilla was historically an overseas territory of the United Kingdom located in the Caribbean Sea. This entity later became a province to the short lived West Indies Federation in 1958...
and for a second time in 1943. He was also appointed member of the Executive Council of the Leeward Island Colony, which sat in Antigua
Antigua
Antigua , also known as Waladli, is an island in the West Indies, in the Leeward Islands in the Caribbean region, the main island of the country of Antigua and Barbuda. Antigua means "ancient" in Spanish and was named by Christopher Columbus after an icon in Seville Cathedral, Santa Maria de la...
, which was the Headquarters of the Leeward Islands
Leeward Islands
The Leeward Islands are a group of islands in the West Indies. They are the northern islands of the Lesser Antilles chain. As a group they start east of Puerto Rico and reach southward to Dominica. They are situated where the northeastern Caribbean Sea meets the western Atlantic Ocean...
. In addition, Sebastian was elected to the Federal Executive Council of the colony in that same year. Because he sat on these two bodies, his title was The Honourable Joseph Matthew Sebastian.
In addition, in 1940, Sebastian was among those who launched the Trade Union. That April the Sugar Factory workers went on strike. Sebastian, seeing the difficulties they were going to have to face, appealed to them to return to work. The response of the workers was very antagonistic; the workers sought out Sebastian with machete
Machete
The machete is a large cleaver-like cutting tool. The blade is typically long and usually under thick. In the English language, an equivalent term is matchet, though it is less commonly known...
s and knives. However, they did not hurt him.
In 1942, Sebastian succeeded Manchester as President of the Workers' League, and in 1943 - with an impending general strike, and following Challenger's resignation from the Union - Sebastian once again found himself at the forefront of the Union leadership. However, Sebastian suddenly died on June 25, 1944.
In 1995, the only surviving son of The Honourable Joseph Matthew Sebastian and Mrs. Inez Veronica Sebastian (née Hodge), Dr. Cuthbert Sebastian
Cuthbert Sebastian
Sir Cuthbert Montraville Sebastian, GCMG, OBE , is the Governor-General of St. Kitts and Nevis. He was appointed Governor-General in 1995 and was sworn in on 1 January 1996....
. O.B.E., was appointed Governor-General
Governor-General
A Governor-General, is a vice-regal person of a monarch in an independent realm or a major colonial circonscription. Depending on the political arrangement of the territory, a Governor General can be a governor of high rank, or a principal governor ranking above "ordinary" governors.- Current uses...
of St. Kitts and Nevis, and on January 1, 1996, he was sworn in. In 1996, he was knighted by Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth II.
Sources
- Marthol, Elise Sebastian; Meet My Father : A Short Walk Through the Life of Joseph Matthew Sebastian, July 7, 1993.
- McColman, Dorette; The Sebastians - A Family Portrait April 2000.
- Rogers, Althea C.; Conversations About My Father 1994.