Union Island’s 100th Anniversary

Tuesday 1st June, 2010 marked the 100th anniversary of the purchase of Union Island by the British Government.








Union Island was initially owned by Samuel Span, a British merchant, who after nearly a century of control sold the Island to Major Collins of St. Vincent in 1850. Collins then leased the Island in 1863 to the Scotsman, Charles Mulzac, the grandfather of Hugh Mulzac. But after nearly forty years of occupation, Mulzac gave up the lease in 1900. In 1901 Union Island was again sold to a Mr Richards also of St. Vincent, who sold it nine years later to the British Government on 1st June 1910.

Union Island was purchased for the sole purpose of undertaking a land redistribution programme in an attempt to maintain the residents’ interest in agriculture.  The Island was subdivided into family-owned 3 and 4 acre plots which, hopefully, would have generated greater interest among the new land owners in adopting progressive farming techniques and help to raise the standards of living. 

Despite the Government’s efforts and best intentions, the land owners were very reluctant to grow Sea Island cotton. The yearly problems of drought, the uncertainty of prices, a weak and shrinking market, coupled with the low cotton yields per acre, the destruction of the crop by parasites, farmers’ lack of interest in farming and in observing the Cotton Protection Ordinance, were among the major factors that led to the ultimate destruction of cotton cultivation in Union Island in 1970.

Source of article:
The Vincentian
06/04/2010
www.thevincentian.com