The British Windward Islands was an administrative grouping of British colonies in the

Windward Islands french: Îles du Vent , image_name = , image_caption = ''Political'' Windward Islands. Clockwise: Dominica, Martinique, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, and Grenada. , image_alt = , locator_map = , location = Caribbean SeaNorth ...

of the

West Indies The West Indies is a subregion of North America, surrounded by the North Atlantic Ocean and the Caribbean Sea that includes 13 independent island countries and 18 dependencies and other territories in three major archipelagos: the Greater A ...

, existing from 1833 until 31 December 1959 and consisting of the islands of

Grenada Grenada ( ; Grenadian Creole French: ) is an island country in the West Indies in the Caribbean Sea at the southern end of the Grenadines island chain. Grenada consists of the island of Grenada itself, two smaller islands, Carriacou and Pe ...

St Lucia Saint Lucia ( acf, Sent Lisi, french: Sainte-Lucie) is an island country of the West Indies in the eastern Caribbean. The island was previously called Iouanalao and later Hewanorra, names given by the native Arawaks and Caribs, two Amerindia ...

, Saint Vincent, the

Grenadines The Grenadines is a chain of small islands that lie on a line between the larger islands of Saint Vincent and Grenada in the Lesser Antilles. Nine are inhabited and open to the public (or ten, if the offshore island of Young Island is counted): ...

Barbados Barbados is an island country in the Lesser Antilles of the West Indies, in the Caribbean region of the Americas, and the most easterly of the Caribbean Islands. It occupies an area of and has a population of about 287,000 (2019 estimate). ...

(the seat of the governor until 1885, when it returned to its former status of a completely separate colony),

Tobago Tobago () is an List of islands of Trinidad and Tobago, island and Regions and municipalities of Trinidad and Tobago, ward within the Trinidad and Tobago, Republic of Trinidad and Tobago. It is located northeast of the larger island of Trini ...

(until 1889, when it was joined to

Trinidad Trinidad is the larger and more populous of the two major islands of Trinidad and Tobago. The island lies off the northeastern coast of Venezuela and sits on the continental shelf of South America. It is often referred to as the southernmos ...

), and (from 1940)

Dominica Dominica ( or ; Kalinago: ; french: Dominique; Dominican Creole French: ), officially the Commonwealth of Dominica, is an island country in the Caribbean. The capital, Roseau, is located on the western side of the island. It is geographically ...

, previously included in the

British Leeward Islands The British Leeward Islands was a British colony from 1671 to 1958, consisting of the English (later British) overseas possessions in the Leeward Islands. It ceased to exist from 1816 to 1833, during which time it was split into two separate ...

Administrative history

The seat of government was

Bridgetown Bridgetown (UN/LOCODE: BB BGI) is the capital and largest city of Barbados Barbados is an island country in the Lesser Antilles of the West Indies, in the Caribbean region of the Americas, and the most easterly of the Caribbean Island ...

on Barbados, from 1871 to 1885, and thereafter St. George's on Grenada. The islands were not a single colony, but a confederation of separate colonies with a common

governor-in-chief Governor-in-chief was a title used in the British Empire for certain colonial governors, usually where authority was held over more than one colony. The title gave way in the 19th century to that of Governor-General, although it remained in use as ...

, while each island retained its own institutions. The Windward Islands had neither legislature, laws, revenue nor tariff in common. However, there was a common audit system, while the islands united in maintaining certain institutions of general utility.

Judicial history

In 1859 a common court of appeal for the group was established, composed of the chief justices of the respective island colonies. Under the '' West Indian Court of Appeal Act 1919'' this court was replaced by the

West Indian Court of Appeal The West Indian Court of Appeal (WICA) was a court which served as the appellate court for the British colonies of Trinidad and Tobago, British Guiana, Barbados, the Leeward Islands, Grenada, Saint Lucia, and Saint Vincent from 1919 until the c ...

, responsible for appeals from not only the Windward Islands but also the Federal Colony of the Leeward Islands, Barbados,

Trinidad and Tobago Trinidad and Tobago (, ), officially the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago, is the southernmost island country in the Caribbean. Consisting of the main islands Trinidad and Tobago, and numerous much smaller islands, it is situated south of ...

, and

British Guiana British Guiana was a British colony, part of the mainland British West Indies, which resides on the northern coast of South America. Since 1966 it has been known as the independent nation of Guyana. The first European to encounter Guiana was S ...

. In 1939 the Windward and Leeward Islands Supreme Court and the Windward and Leeward Islands Court of Appeal were established, which was replaced in 1967 by the

Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court The Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court (ECSC) is a superior court, superior court of record for the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States, Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS), including six independent states: Antigua and Barbuda, t ...

which provides both functions. ;Chief Justices of the Windward and Leeward Islands * 1940–1942

James Henry Jarrett James Henry Jarrett, King's Counsel, KC (31 March 1895 – 7 April 1943) was a British colonial administrator and judge. He was Chief Justice of the Windward and Leeward Islands from 1940 until his death. Biography The son of Henry and Caroli ...

* 1943–1950 Sir Clement Malone * 1950–1957 Sir Donald Jackson * 1958–1963 Sir Cyril George Xavier Henriques * 1963–?1967 Frank E. Field

References

Sources

External links

Queen and Commonwealth: Other Caribbean realms
for the official website of the British monarchy

* ttp://www.worldstatesmen.org/Grenada.html#Windward WorldStatesmen.org {{DEFAULTSORT:British Windward Islands .Windward Islands Windward Islands

Former countries in the Caribbean Former colonies in North America Former federations History of British Grenada History of the Colony of Barbados History of British Dominica History of British Saint Lucia History of British Saint Vincent and the Grenadines History of Trinidad and Tobago States and territories established in 1833 States and territories disestablished in 1958 1830s establishments in the Caribbean 1833 establishments in the British Empire 1960 disestablishments in the British Empire 1833 establishments in North America 1960 disestablishments in North America

Administrative history

Judicial history

See also

References

Sources

External links