Dear Editor,
The letter from Mr Alfred Bhulai entitled ‘What’s in a name?’ in Sunday Stabroek, 6th September, 2015 I found quite interesting in its presentation but more so arresting in the implications of its content. I read it twice.
Having been satisfied on the accuracy of the quote from Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet, I was moved to contemplate the seriousness of his message with the hope that my individual concern would be exceeded by institutions like our Ministry of Foreign Affairs, in particular, along with all right-thinking nationalists of our society.
But since this was Sunday, the Sabbath, I decided to calm the mind, ease the pressure and contemplate another aspect of ‘the name’ which has occupied my concern for the past two decades or so. I refer to one or two government-sponsored instances of internal interference with our geographical nomenclature. On account of my personal interest in land titles, I was not slow to notice Transports by the state in respect of lands at “Non Pariel”, East Coast Demerara instead of Non Pareil, the latter being the French term for ‘Not Equal’. Similarly Klien Pouderoyen, West Bank Demerara instead of “Klein Pouderoyen” the word Klein being the Dutch term for ‘little’. Tuschen de Vrienden, East Bank Essequibo has been shortened to just Tuschen, thereby eliminating the friendly flavour of the initial Dutch term ‘Vrienden’, which means ‘Friends.’
But all is not lost. There is Hope! As a matter of fact there are at least 5 of these in Demerara, 2 in West Coast Berbice, and 3 Hopetowns, one in each county. In case you are not satisfied, there is an ample supply of ‘Good Hopes’ (including the original name of ‘Lethem’). So there!
And what of our Halls of Fame? The ‘Hall’ was at one season the geographical description of a rural estate holding in the country. There are in Essequibo Walton Hall, Bounty Hall and Bank Hall. Demerara tops the list with 13. The popular Peters Hall (embracing Republic Park and Co) on the East Bank and on the East Coast Graham’s Hall, six miles from Georgetown, allied eastly with Bladen Hall, Elizabeth, Mosquito, Spring, Tranquillity, Harmony, Carlton, Broom, Quakers, Planters Yorkshire and Airy, all Halls in name, if not in fame. Berbice was contented with two only, viz Rose Hall, Canje, the sugar estate and the equally famous community near Port Mourant, the Corentyne Coast.
I anxiously await the settlement between the central government and city council in relation to that massive portion of the legal city of Georgetown situated between the Railway Embankment on the north and the Lamaha canal on the south, communally referred to as ‘Sophia’ but actually comprising greater portions of the Plantations Sophia, Liliendaal, Pattensen and Turkeyen, formerly owned by the (Bookers) East Coast Estates Limited sugar estate and inherited by the state after nationalization.
Finally on this particular theme, I could do no less than acknowledge the usefulness and recommend the acquisition by every family or organization of repute of at least one copy of that most valuable source of geographical information namely The Gazetteer of Guyana published and sold by the Guyana Lands and Surveys Commission, D’Urban Backlands, Georgetown, at the most charitable price of $5,000.
Yours faithfully,
Leon O Rockcliffe
