William Henry Bramble
Encyclopedia
William Henry Bramble also known as Willy B, was a union leader
and a political-party leader
from Montserrat
; from his Montserrat Labour Party, he was the first Chief Minister
of the country, serving from January 1960 to December 1970.
Owing to his social compromise for the poor
and political action, Bramble is generally regarded as a "national hero", and the former national airport of Montserrat
had been named after him until it was destroyed by the 1997 eruption
of the Soufriere Hills volcano which virtually buried half the nation.
By the 1920s
, William Bramble had joined the Seventh-day Adventist Church
, initially as an enthusiastic member, then with a waning participation. In those years, he lived of peddling
religious books round Montserrat and Dominica
.
In 1930, Bramble got married to Ann Daly, who was a strict Adventist
instead. They begot five children (Austin, Doris, Laurel, Howell, and Olga), of whom the oldest would get into politics as well. For supporting his large family, Bramble had forcibly to start further economic activities; he acquired a small boat and smuggled between the island nations of the Leeward Islands
: animals, cooking oil
, and vegetable
s of Montserrat, and salt
of Anguilla
.
, although he would earnestly start in it just later in 1951, when joining the incipient Montserrat Trades and Labor Union (MTLU), in the years of its most virulent actions.
William Bramble became a local leader, against the alleged economic oppression of the planter owners and the political rulers; reportedly, by then the agricultural wage
s were well below the level of subsistence
. Hence, Bramble adopted such causes, particularly organizing periodic strike action
s; in a speech for the 1951 election
eve he stated: "Listen to me, you landless people, you people, the industrial machinery of this country, arise, and throw off the yoke that binds you like slaves to the Wade Plantation."
and income
for enfranchisement
. In 1952 the country allowed the universal adult suffrage
for the first time, and then Bramble capitalized it, forging his own political power since then. For the elections, Bramble participated actively, as the MTLU formed the Montserrat Labour Party , winning the majority of the legislature then.. Bramble would eventually take the reins of the party.
Bramble found appreciation and support nationally and abroad including England
; even the rivaling popular leaders joined the most pragmatic
Bramble in his causes against social oppression. However, in 1958 the Malone Commission of Inquiry, which attended labor disputes, accused Bramble, as he would have been attempting just to gain political power for himself through his political actions.
During his entire political career from 1952 to 1970, William Bramble would win five general elections, until being defeated by Eustace Dyer. Additionally, in 1958 Bramble won the elections for representative of the short lived West Indies Federal Parliament.
project, with three objectives: the diversification of the exploitation of the rich soil of the country for exporting regionally, the development of the industry of tourism
, and the development of a strong offshore bank
ing through taxation exemption.
For the development of the tourism, in 1961 William Bramble founded the Montserrat Real State Company, which built about 100 buildings for the foreign tourism. This effectively boosted the national income, forging a new, positive character of the nation which lasted until the eruption of the Soufriere Hills, in the 1990s with the massive destruction of the country. Indeed, until such nefarious event Bramble was regarded as the father of the modern Montserrat.
William Bramble also supported the establishment of the powerful Radio Antilles
; Bramble had to insist for convincing the British authorities for it, and the powerful station finally started operating in 1963, successfully broadcasting news for the whole Caribbean region. Also for 1963, William Bramble managed negotiating with the British government, so the 12,000 inhabitants of Montserrat got electric supply with affordable fees for the first time; Bramble had pledged the regular acquisition in advance of a determined quote of energy, and so the local plant was granted.
reforms particularly for the poor people, as both his party and his trade union worked almost as a single entity.
In particular, William Bramble interceded with the owners of the Wade
plantation company, for the development of housing for their workers; initially just within some parcels of that company, then throughout Montserrat, both the employers and their workers helped erecting new neighborhoods. This directly ensued in the formation of a middle class
, whose residences have reportedly been of the best ones in Caribbean region.
By 1957, William Bramble was expressing concern about the countryside children of Montserrat, whose broad majority was illiterate; by 1969, he instead stated that by his administration all those children were already attending school.
functioned as opposition, although it wouldn't ever pose much hindrance to the official policies. It was by 1970 that Bramble and his Montserrat Labour Party faced actual political troubles. Boosting the tourism industry, William Bramble was allegedly too enthusiastic for the building of new establishments either for vacationing
or retirement
, but the Progressive Democratic Party
of his son P. Austin Bramble was opposed to it. People agreed with the latter providing a landslide triumph, and so William Henry Bramble lost the Chief Minister's office, while his MLP was left without representatives in the legislature.
Still, William Bramble underwent some criticism, particularly about his authoritarian demeanor amongst his intimates. Another source of controversy were the investments of tourism, which allegedly would have removed lands from agricultural projects. Another setback was due to the Canadian Leeward Islands Company Limited, which settled in 1960, eventually exploiting the tomato
production almost without economic reward for the locals.
and he has the honour of being Montserrat's first National Hero. In 1995, the international airport
of Montserrat was renamed, after him.
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...
and a political-party leader
Political party
A political party is a political organization that typically seeks to influence government policy, usually by nominating their own candidates and trying to seat them in political office. Parties participate in electoral campaigns, educational outreach or protest actions...
from Montserrat
Montserrat
Montserrat is a British overseas territory located in the Leeward Islands, part of the chain of islands called the Lesser Antilles in the West Indies. This island measures approximately long and wide, giving of coastline...
; from his Montserrat Labour Party, he was the first Chief Minister
Chief Minister of Montserrat
The Chief Minister of Montserrat is the head of government of Montserrat, an island in the Caribbean that is an overseas territory of the United Kingdom, appointed by the Governor of Montserrat on behalf of Queen Elizabeth II, Montserrat's head of state. The current Chief Minister of Montserrat is...
of the country, serving from January 1960 to December 1970.
Owing to his social compromise for the poor
Poverty
Poverty is the lack of a certain amount of material possessions or money. Absolute poverty or destitution is inability to afford basic human needs, which commonly includes clean and fresh water, nutrition, health care, education, clothing and shelter. About 1.7 billion people are estimated to live...
and political action, Bramble is generally regarded as a "national hero", and the former national airport of Montserrat
W. H. Bramble Airport
W.H. Bramble Airport, also known as Blackburne Airport, was a small international airport on the east coast of the island of Montserrat, a British Overseas Territory in the Caribbean....
had been named after him until it was destroyed by the 1997 eruption
Types of volcanic eruptions
During a volcanic eruption, lava, tephra , and various gases are expelled from a volcanic vent or fissure. Several types of volcanic eruptions have been distinguished by volcanologists. These are often named after famous volcanoes where that type of behavior has been observed...
of the Soufriere Hills volcano which virtually buried half the nation.
Early life
William Bramble was the son of J. T. Allen, a famous social activist, and Mary Ryan, a conventional lower class woman. William had started primary school, yet he was economically unable to finish it. It was the mother who mostly took care of him during those early years; William worked the soil of their poor farm, while learning for trade activities as well.By the 1920s
1920s
File:1920s decade montage.png|From left, clockwise: Third Tipperary Brigade Flying Column No. 2 under Sean Hogan during the Irish Civil War; Prohibition agents destroying barrels of alcohol in accordance to the 18th amendment, which made alcoholic beverages illegal throughout the entire decade; In...
, William Bramble had joined the Seventh-day Adventist Church
Seventh-day Adventist Church
The Seventh-day Adventist Church is a Protestant Christian denomination distinguished by its observance of Saturday, the original seventh day of the Judeo-Christian week, as the Sabbath, and by its emphasis on the imminent second coming of Jesus Christ...
, initially as an enthusiastic member, then with a waning participation. In those years, he lived of peddling
Peddler
A peddler, in British English pedlar, also known as a canvasser, cheapjack, monger, or solicitor , is a travelling vendor of goods. In England, the term was mostly used for travellers hawking goods in the countryside to small towns and villages; they might also be called tinkers or gypsies...
religious books round Montserrat and Dominica
Dominica
Dominica , officially the Commonwealth of Dominica, is an island nation in the Lesser Antilles region of the Caribbean Sea, south-southeast of Guadeloupe and northwest of Martinique. Its size is and the highest point in the country is Morne Diablotins, which has an elevation of . The Commonwealth...
.
In 1930, Bramble got married to Ann Daly, who was a strict Adventist
Adventist
Adventism is a Christian movement which began in the 19th century, in the context of the Second Great Awakening revival in the United States. The name refers to belief in the imminent Second Coming of Jesus Christ. It was started by William Miller, whose followers became known as Millerites...
instead. They begot five children (Austin, Doris, Laurel, Howell, and Olga), of whom the oldest would get into politics as well. For supporting his large family, Bramble had forcibly to start further economic activities; he acquired a small boat and smuggled between the island nations 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...
: animals, cooking oil
Cooking oil
Cooking oil is purified fat of plant origin, which is usually liquid at room temperature ....
, and vegetable
Vegetable
The noun vegetable usually means an edible plant or part of a plant other than a sweet fruit or seed. This typically means the leaf, stem, or root of a plant....
s of Montserrat, and salt
Salt
In chemistry, salts are ionic compounds that result from the neutralization reaction of an acid and a base. They are composed of cations and anions so that the product is electrically neutral...
of Anguilla
Anguilla
Anguilla is a British overseas territory and overseas territory of the European Union in the Caribbean. It is one of the most northerly of the Leeward Islands in the Lesser Antilles, lying east of Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands and directly north of Saint Martin...
.
Union and party leader
So traveling, William Bramble got first acquainted with the regional efforts for unionismTrade 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...
, although he would earnestly start in it just later in 1951, when joining the incipient Montserrat Trades and Labor Union (MTLU), in the years of its most virulent actions.
William Bramble became a local leader, against the alleged economic oppression of the planter owners and the political rulers; reportedly, by then the agricultural wage
Wage
A wage is a compensation, usually financial, received by workers in exchange for their labor.Compensation in terms of wages is given to workers and compensation in terms of salary is given to employees...
s were well below the level of subsistence
Subsistence economy
A subsistence economy is an economy which refers simply to the gathering or amassment of objects of value; the increase in wealth; or the creation of wealth. Capital can be generally defined as assets invested with the expectation that their value will increase, usually because there is the...
. Hence, Bramble adopted such causes, particularly organizing periodic strike action
Strike action
Strike action, also called labour strike, on strike, greve , or simply strike, is a work stoppage caused by the mass refusal of employees to work. A strike usually takes place in response to employee grievances. Strikes became important during the industrial revolution, when mass labour became...
s; in a speech for the 1951 election
Election
An election is a formal decision-making process by which a population chooses an individual to hold public office. Elections have been the usual mechanism by which modern representative democracy operates since the 17th century. Elections may fill offices in the legislature, sometimes in the...
eve he stated: "Listen to me, you landless people, you people, the industrial machinery of this country, arise, and throw off the yoke that binds you like slaves to the Wade Plantation."
1952: Wining the free elections
Originally, William Bramble had been unable to vote in Montserrat, never fulfilling the requirements of propertyProperty
Property is any physical or intangible entity that is owned by a person or jointly by a group of people or a legal entity like a corporation...
and income
Income
Income is the consumption and savings opportunity gained by an entity within a specified time frame, which is generally expressed in monetary terms. However, for households and individuals, "income is the sum of all the wages, salaries, profits, interests payments, rents and other forms of earnings...
for enfranchisement
Suffrage
Suffrage, political franchise, or simply the franchise, distinct from mere voting rights, is the civil right to vote gained through the democratic process...
. In 1952 the country allowed the universal adult suffrage
Universal suffrage
Universal suffrage consists of the extension of the right to vote to adult citizens as a whole, though it may also mean extending said right to minors and non-citizens...
for the first time, and then Bramble capitalized it, forging his own political power since then. For the elections, Bramble participated actively, as the MTLU formed the Montserrat Labour Party , winning the majority of the legislature then.. Bramble would eventually take the reins of the party.
Bramble found appreciation and support nationally and abroad including England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
; even the rivaling popular leaders joined the most pragmatic
Pragmatist
Pragmatist may refer to:*A person who subscribes to pragmatism, a field of philosophy*A person who subscribes to pragmaticism, Charles Sanders Peirce's post-1905 branch of philosophy...
Bramble in his causes against social oppression. However, in 1958 the Malone Commission of Inquiry, which attended labor disputes, accused Bramble, as he would have been attempting just to gain political power for himself through his political actions.
During his entire political career from 1952 to 1970, William Bramble would win five general elections, until being defeated by Eustace Dyer. Additionally, in 1958 Bramble won the elections for representative of the short lived West Indies Federal Parliament.
Regional policies
Since early, William Bramble was pledged for rejecting any integration into any of the regional federations of West Indies nations, which were in vogue during those years. Instead, Bramble preferred the conventional financial support of a British colony, manifesting doubts that the so tiny Montserrat might survive as an independent territory; to share the government with the royal authorities it wasn't a practical problem for the national development.National development
William Bramble was invested as the first Chief Minister of Montserrat in 1960; by then the cotton production was in a decline, as the workers were rather emigrating to United Kingdom. Coping with this situation, he formulated an economicEconomy
An economy consists of the economic system of a country or other area; the labor, capital and land resources; and the manufacturing, trade, distribution, and consumption of goods and services of that area...
project, with three objectives: the diversification of the exploitation of the rich soil of the country for exporting regionally, the development of the industry of tourism
Tourism
Tourism is travel for recreational, leisure or business purposes. The World Tourism Organization defines tourists as people "traveling to and staying in places outside their usual environment for not more than one consecutive year for leisure, business and other purposes".Tourism has become a...
, and the development of a strong offshore bank
Offshore bank
An offshore bank is a bank located outside the country of residence of the depositor, typically in a low tax jurisdiction that provides financial and legal advantages. These advantages typically include:...
ing through taxation exemption.
For the development of the tourism, in 1961 William Bramble founded the Montserrat Real State Company, which built about 100 buildings for the foreign tourism. This effectively boosted the national income, forging a new, positive character of the nation which lasted until the eruption of the Soufriere Hills, in the 1990s with the massive destruction of the country. Indeed, until such nefarious event Bramble was regarded as the father of the modern Montserrat.
William Bramble also supported the establishment of the powerful Radio Antilles
Radio Antilles
Radio Antilles was a radio station founded in 1963, located on the Caribbean island of Montserrat. The station operated at 930 kHz AM and covered the entire Caribbean region. It aired programmes in the English, Spanish and French languages. English programming was broadcast all day on...
; Bramble had to insist for convincing the British authorities for it, and the powerful station finally started operating in 1963, successfully broadcasting news for the whole Caribbean region. Also for 1963, William Bramble managed negotiating with the British government, so the 12,000 inhabitants of Montserrat got electric supply with affordable fees for the first time; Bramble had pledged the regular acquisition in advance of a determined quote of energy, and so the local plant was granted.
Social reforms
This occurred with radical socialSocial
The term social refers to a characteristic of living organisms...
reforms particularly for the poor people, as both his party and his trade union worked almost as a single entity.
In particular, William Bramble interceded with the owners of the Wade
Wade
- Places :* Wade, California* Wade, Maine* Wade, Mississippi* Wade, North Carolina* Wade Township, Clinton County, Illinois* Wade Township, Jasper County, Illinois* Wade County, Choctaw Nation, former political subdivision-Surname:...
plantation company, for the development of housing for their workers; initially just within some parcels of that company, then throughout Montserrat, both the employers and their workers helped erecting new neighborhoods. This directly ensued in the formation of a middle class
Middle class
The middle class is any class of people in the middle of a societal hierarchy. In Weberian socio-economic terms, the middle class is the broad group of people in contemporary society who fall socio-economically between the working class and upper class....
, whose residences have reportedly been of the best ones in Caribbean region.
By 1957, William Bramble was expressing concern about the countryside children of Montserrat, whose broad majority was illiterate; by 1969, he instead stated that by his administration all those children were already attending school.
Politics
During Bramble's tenure, the small Progressive Labour PartyProgressive Labour Party
The Progressive Labour Party is a minor political party in Australia. The party is a broad left-wing party started by, among others, dissident former members of the Australian Labor Party in 1996. The party alleges that Labor has abandoned its traditional working-class supporters as it has moved...
functioned as opposition, although it wouldn't ever pose much hindrance to the official policies. It was by 1970 that Bramble and his Montserrat Labour Party faced actual political troubles. Boosting the tourism industry, William Bramble was allegedly too enthusiastic for the building of new establishments either for vacationing
Resort town
A resort town, sometimes called a resort city or resort destination, is a town or area where tourism or vacationing is a primary component of the local culture and economy...
or retirement
Retirement
Retirement is the point where a person stops employment completely. A person may also semi-retire by reducing work hours.Many people choose to retire when they are eligible for private or public pension benefits, although some are forced to retire when physical conditions don't allow the person to...
, but the Progressive Democratic Party
Progressive Democratic Party
Progressive Democratic Party may refer to:*Progressive Democratic Party , political party established in June 2006 in Gibraltar by lawyer Keith Azopardi*Progressive Democratic Party of Guadeloupe*Progressive Democratic Party...
of his son P. Austin Bramble was opposed to it. People agreed with the latter providing a landslide triumph, and so William Henry Bramble lost the Chief Minister's office, while his MLP was left without representatives in the legislature.
Still, William Bramble underwent some criticism, particularly about his authoritarian demeanor amongst his intimates. Another source of controversy were the investments of tourism, which allegedly would have removed lands from agricultural projects. Another setback was due to the Canadian Leeward Islands Company Limited, which settled in 1960, eventually exploiting the tomato
Tomato
The word "tomato" may refer to the plant or the edible, typically red, fruit which it bears. Originating in South America, the tomato was spread around the world following the Spanish colonization of the Americas, and its many varieties are now widely grown, often in greenhouses in cooler...
production almost without economic reward for the locals.
Death
William Bramble died in 1988; he was the first national figure to have a state funeralState funeral
A state funeral is a public funeral ceremony, observing the strict rules of protocol, held to honor heads of state or other important people of national significance. State funerals usually include much pomp and ceremony as well as religious overtones and distinctive elements of military tradition...
and he has the honour of being Montserrat's first National Hero. In 1995, the international airport
International airport
An international airport is any airport that can accommodate flights from other countries and are typically equipped with customs and immigration facilities to handle these flights to and from other countries...
of Montserrat was renamed, after him.