By Margery Kirkpatrick
This is an edited version of a column which was first published by Stabroek News on July 7, 1991 under the caption ‘The Charlestown fire and its effect on the Chinese community.’
After the Chinese had completed their terms of indentureship on the sugar estates, they left the estates. Those who had been landowners back in China opted to make their homes in the Chinese agricultural settlement at Hopetown, in the hope that one day they would be granted title to the land. The others had banded together in an area from Leopold Street to Harel street, bordered by High and Cornhill Streets, where they formed their own “country within a country,” in a closely knit community much like those that have been established all over the world.
With the failure of Hopetown, many of these settlers had come to Georgetown, in the hope of establishing themselves there, and this ‘Chinatown’ was teeming with more lives than it had been designed to support.
The fire started at 7.30 am on December 22, 1913, at the grocery belonging to Chin-A-Yong and John Pait, in Lombard Street. These men carried on a wholesale and retail grocery where they sold foodstuff, provisions, and Chinese goods, as well as Chinese curios and skills, and the inevitable squibs, firecrackers and gunpowder. John Pait was married to Sarah, the eldest of Sic You Chea’s daughters. Both died in the fire, but their two sons went back to their father’s family in China.
The squibs and firecrackers were much a part of Chinese life, as they were used to welcome the New Year, to chase away the Old Year, at weddings, funerals, christenings and the like; any time, in fact, that the Chinese felt it expedient to drive away the devil or the evil spirits which may have been lurking around. Because of this, every Chinese grocery kept a good stock of these for sale, usually in open barrels.
The fire destroyed all the buildings on both sides of Cornhill Street, Werk en-Rust, east nearly to High Street and west to the river; extending north it reached Bugle Street and south it raced to De Roy and Harel streets.
The effects of the fire were immediately felt, since the area had been destroyed, and what had not been destroyed had been severely damaged by water or had been blown up to make fire breaks. Before the flames had been extinguished some families, in an attempt to find alternative living accommodation, had already moved what little had been salvaged and were trying to rent homes which could only be found away from the area.
Looking back now, it was probably the best thing that ever happened to the Chinese in Guyana, for now, with individual families being thrust out on their own, no longer under the dictates of a “Clan,” individual preferences and ideas surfaced. Many of the ideas were introduced by their children, most of whom had been educated at the Ursuline Convent, the Woodside School (Bishops’ High School) or Queen’s College.
These children now had the opportunity to practise what they had been taught by the European races into whose hands their education had been entrusted. Very quickly they assimilated the culture and manners of the Western community of which they were now very much a part. They cast aside their Chinese clothing and wore Western clothes. They were quick to join clubs and associations with other members of the cultural community with whom they shared the same basic affinity. Girls quickly learnt to sing and dance and play games (tennis), but were prevailed on to attend social functions with Chinese escorts, for to stray away was tantamount to being completely ostracised from the community. In spite of this, finding themselves now members of a multiracial society, some of these young people did integrate, taking partners and forming friendships with other races in the community, especially those in the country areas who were more cut off from the central hub of Chinese society.
Thus today, we find Chinese descendants in all races living in Guyana. Some examples: Some of M U Hing’s descendants have become Samaroos and Greenes. Descen-dants of Wong-Yan-Cheoung carry the names Lashley, Baptiste, Allin and Edun.
The descendants of John Chin-A-Chee are Burnhams (Viola), Harpers (Herbie), Moores, Bryants and Ashbys. The descendants of Timothy Chen-Cheong Shoo, the Chinese medicine-maker carry the names of Da Silva, Gonsalves, Campbell and Mendonca. Rebecca Yhap’s descendants number amongst many others, Frank Narain (formerly clerk of the National Assembly), Beekies, Sparrocks, Mohabirs and Kilkennys. Poons are now Amerindians.
Leus carry the names Edghill, Fitt, Willems. Walter Loo’s grand-daughter is Darlene Harris, (former economic adviser to the president).
The grandfather of Wainwright McKenzie, former Chairman of R G Humphrey & Co Ltd, was Wong. Then there are those who carry the Chinese name but whose appearance is that of another ethnic extraction, for example, Wongs, Chins, Lees, etc.
Thus have the local Chinese integrated, making the ‘Guyanese Chinese’ unique. Perhaps, because of this, they took a wider view of the country in general, and in an effort to work for the benefit of all races rather than their own interests, they took up public office.
