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British Guiana – Guyana history

Damon – Freedom fighter – hanged October 13, 1834

 The Damon Monument is located in Anna Regina on the Essequibo Coast, and honors an African laborer called Damon, who was executed October 13, 1834 for his role during a protest against the system of apprenticeship. The bronze sculpture was created by Ivor Thom and erected July 31 1988.

The Damon Monument is located in Anna Regina on the Essequibo Coast, and honours an African labourer called Damon, who was executed October 13, 1834 for his role during a protest against the system of apprenticeship.The bronze sculpture was created by Ivor Thom and erected July 31 1988

On the Essequibo coast workers protested the apprenticeship scheme and there were sporadic stoppages of work throughout the week starting Sunday, August 3,1834.

On that Sunday, Charles Bean, proprietor of Plantation Richmond, joined with other planters to kill sixty-five pigs belonging to his workers. They slaughtered the animals because they claimed the pigs destroyed the roots of the young canes. But the real reason was to cut off any alternative livelihood for their workers so that the apprentices would remain bound to estate labor.

On Saturday, August 9, 1834 the labor situation worsened dramatically on the Essequibo Coast. About seven hundred workers (ex-slaves) on the plantations between Richmond and Devonshire Castle stopped work and gathered in the Trinity Churchyard at La Belle Alliance.

Planters called for troops, and about forty armed soldiers of the West India Regiment under Captain Groves arrived from Capoey and took up their positions around the churchyard. In the meantime, a Richmond laborer, Damon, who by now was one of the leaders of the workers, ran up a “flag” on a pole as a sign of their freedom and independence from the planters.

When the minister of the church appealed to the crowd to disperse, they argued that since they were free they did not wish to return to the plantations to be forced to work. They stated that they were taking refuge in the churchyard which belonged to the King.

Charles Bean next tried to address the workers on behalf of the planters, but he only succeeded in inflaming them further by his threats and display of arrogance. He ordered two rural constables who were present to arrest two of the “ringleaders” (Damon was not one of them), but the two were immediately rescued by their friends. Bean and his fellow planters then called upon the soldiers to open fire on this unarmed crowd. Captain Groves, showing good control, declared that he would take no such action and would await the Governor’s arrival.

The soldiers also did not act because they recognized that this was no mob, but just a crowd of peaceful workers gathered under their make-shift flag in order to show they were free people.

Governor Smyth arrived on Monday August 11, 1834 and the crowd quickly and peacefully obeyed his orders to end the seizure of the churchyard. Damon’s “flag” which flew proudly for a few days in the churchyard was pulled down.

The Governor addressed the workers the next day at Plantation Richmond. He explained the Apprenticeship period which was in force, arrested the leaders of the demonstration, and ordered the rest back to work. Damon, by this time, was being referred to as the “Captain” and hence leader of the unrest.

He and a number of others were taken to Georgetown, tried and found guilty of rebellion. None of these men had threatened a single planter or his property and had not attacked anyone. They had simply stopped working for a few days and assembled under their own flag. Four of them were sentenced to terms of imprisonment and severe floggings while two were sentenced to transportation (to New South Wales, Australia). Damon was sentenced to be hanged.

At the trial one of the judges protested against the trial proceedings but Chief Justice Wray insisted on the death penalty for Damon. He ruled that the hoisting of a flag, though by persons unarmed, was an act of rebellion, and though all were equally guilty, under the Roman-Dutch law, some might be punished more and some less.

At noon, on Monday October 13, 1834, Damon was hanged on a scaffold specially erected in front of the new Public Buildings. The Public Buildings – which now house the Guyana National Assembly had earlier been declared open on 3 April 1834.

Source: The Damon Monument  – by Fitzroy Younge  youngefitzroy@gmail.com

The Public Buildings - now the Parliament Buildings opened in 1834 , christened with the blood of Damon. He was executed for demanding JUSTICE for his African brethren in the "Apprenticeship system", after slavery was abolished .... the Spirit of Damon lives on .