Saint Christopher-Nevis-Anguilla (or Saint Christopher, Nevis, and Anguilla) was a British colony in 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 ...
from 1882 to 1983, consisting of the islands of
Anguilla
Anguilla ( ) is a British Overseas Territory in the Caribbean. It is one of the most northerly of the Leeward Islands in the Lesser Antilles, lying east of Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands and directly north of Saint Martin. The territo ...
(until 1980),
Nevis
Nevis is a small island in the Caribbean Sea that forms part of the inner arc of the Leeward Islands chain of the West Indies. Nevis and the neighbouring island of Saint Kitts constitute one country: the Federation of Saint Kitts and Ne ...
, and
Saint Christopher
Saint Christopher ( el, Ἅγιος Χριστόφορος, ''Ágios Christóphoros'') is veneration, venerated by several Christianity, Christian denominations as a martyr killed in the reign of the 3rd-century Roman Empire, Roman emperor Deciu ...
(or Saint Kitts). From 1882 to 1951, and again from 1980, the colony was known simply as Saint Christopher and Nevis. Saint Christopher and Nevis gained independence in 1983 as the
Federation of Saint Kitts and Nevis
Saint Kitts and Nevis (), officially the Federation of Saint Christopher and Nevis, is an island country and microstate consisting of the two islands of Saint Kitts and Nevis, both located in the West Indies, in the Leeward Islands chain of ...
, while Anguilla would remain a British overseas territory.
History
The islands of Saint Christopher and Nevis had been British colonies since the 17th century, though were always administered separately. A union of Saint Christopher and Nevis had been proposed as early as 1867, when Captain
James George Mackenzie
Rear-Admiral James George Mackenzie (1803? – 25 February 1879) was a Royal Navy officer. He was Governor of the Falkland Islands from 1862 to 1866 and Lieutenant Governor of Saint Christopher
This is a list of viceroys in Saint Christopher (Sai ...
was appointed
Lieutenant-Governor of Saint Christopher with a mandate to seek an amalgamation of the administrations of the two islands. This proposal met with strong opposition, however, and was withdrawn the following year. In 1871, Saint Christopher and Nevis became presidencies within the
Federal Colony of the Leeward Islands, with Anguilla being attached to Saint Christopher as a dependency in the same year. However, in 1882, the legislature of the Leeward Islands passed legislation merging the two presidencies, forming a combined Presidency of Saint Christopher and Nevis.
[Phillips, p. 129]
In 1951, the name of the colony was changed to include Anguilla. The Leeward Islands Colony was disbanded in 1958, due to frequent tension between its members. From 1958 to 1962, Saint Christopher-Nevis-Anguilla formed a province of the
West Indies Federation
The West Indies Federation, also known as the West Indies, the Federation of the West Indies or the West Indian Federation, was a short-lived political union that existed from 3 January 1958 to 31 May 1962. Various islands in the Caribbean that ...
,
electing two members to the House of Representatives and also having two senators, appointed by the
governor-general
Governor-general (plural ''governors-general''), or governor general (plural ''governors general''), is the title of an office-holder. In the context of governors-general and former British colonies, governors-general are appointed as viceroy t ...
. In 1967, the territory of Saint Christopher-Nevis-Anguilla was granted full internal autonomy, as an
Associated State
An associated state is the minor partner in a formal, free relationship between a political territory (some dependent, most fully sovereign states) and a major party—usually a larger nation.
The details of such free association are contain ...
of the United Kingdom. The UK retained responsibility for defence and external affairs, while a new judicial system was established, the
West Indies Associated States 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 ...
(although the
Privy Council
A privy council is a body that advises the head of state of a state, typically, but not always, in the context of a monarchic government. The word "privy" means "private" or "secret"; thus, a privy council was originally a committee of the mon ...
remained the highest court of appeal). Later in 1967, Anguilla's leaders expelled the federation's police from the island, and declared its independence as the
Republic of Anguilla
The Republic of Anguilla was a short-lived, unrecognised independent state on the island of Anguilla. It lasted from 11 July 1967 until 19 March 1969, when British control was re-established.
Background
On 27 February 1967, Britain granted the ...
. On 7 November 1970 commission led by
Hugh Wooding
Sir Hugh Olliviere Beresford Wooding (14 January 1904 – 26 July 1974) was a lawyer and politician from Trinidad and Tobago.
Legal career
Hugh Wooding was born in Trinidad and Tobago into a family that hailed from Barbados. In 1914, he was a ...
, former
Chief Justice of Trinidad and Tobago The Chief Justice of Trinidad and Tobago is the highest judge of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago and presides over its Supreme Court of Judicature. He is appointed by a common decision of the President of Trinidad and Tobago, president, the Prim ...
, published report which unanimously refused both the idea of independent Anguilla and the return of the status of British colony and recommend that the island should instead remain a part of Saint Christopher-Nevis-Anguilla.
[Milutin Tomanović (1971) ''Hronika međunarodnih događaja 1970'', ]Institute of International Politics and Economics
The Institute of International Politics and Economics ( sr-cyr, Институт за међународну политику и привреду) is one of the oldest research institutes in South Eastern Europe specialised in the field of inter ...
: Belgrade
Belgrade ( , ;, ; Names of European cities in different languages: B, names in other languages) is the Capital city, capital and List of cities in Serbia, largest city in Serbia. It is located at the confluence of the Sava and Danube rivers a ...
, p. 2461 (in Serbo-Croatian
Serbo-Croatian () – also called Serbo-Croat (), Serbo-Croat-Bosnian (SCB), Bosnian-Croatian-Serbian (BCS), and Bosnian-Croatian-Montenegrin-Serbian (BCMS) – is a South Slavic language and the primary language of Serbia, Croatia, Bosnia and ...
) The report was welcomed by
Robert Llewellyn Bradshaw
Robert Llewellyn Bradshaw (16 September 1916 – 23 May 1978) was the first Premier of Saint Kitts and Nevis, and previously served as Chief Minister, legislator, and labour activist.
Early life
Bradshaw was born in the Saint Paul Capisterre ...
while the Council of Anguilla rejected it.
Foreign and Commonwealth Office
The Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) is a Departments of the Government of the United Kingdom, department of the Government of the United Kingdom. Equivalent to other countries' Ministry of Foreign Affairs, ministries of fore ...
Minister
Joseph Godber
Joseph Bradshaw Godber, Baron Godber of Willington, (17 March 1914 – 25 August 1980) was a British Conservative Party politician and cabinet minister.
Background
Godber was educated at Bedford School, between 1922 and 1931, and became a n ...
stated in the
House of Commons of the United Kingdom
The House of Commons is the lower house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Like the upper house, the House of Lords, it meets in the Palace of Westminster in London, England.
The House of Commons is an elected body consisting of 650 me ...
that his government will analyze the report in light of discussions with all interested parties and that no decision unacceptable to people of Anguilla will be made.
A series of interim agreements followed that resulted in direct rule of the island from Britain, although it was not formally separated until December 1980, when it was made a separate
Crown colony
A Crown colony or royal colony was a colony administered by The Crown within the British Empire. There was usually a Governor, appointed by the British monarch on the advice of the UK Government, with or without the assistance of a local Counci ...
.
Nevis had also attempted to separate from the federation on several occasions, but the island's leaders were unsuccessful in their efforts. However, they did manage to secure greater autonomy for Nevis in the years leading up to independence, which occurred in September 1983 after a delay of several years to allow for negotiations. Sir
Frederick Albert Phillips, the first governor of Saint Christopher-Nevis-Anguilla, wrote in 2013:
Politics
List of administrators
From 1882 to 1958, the federation's administrator was under the wider jurisdiction of the
Governor of the Leeward Islands. From 1958 to 1962, the administrator was responsible to the
Governor-General of the West Indies Federation
The governor-general of the West Indies Federation was a post in the government of the West Indies. The federation, also known as the British Caribbean Federation, consisted of Antigua (with Barbuda), Barbados, Cayman Islands, Dominica, Grena ...
.
;President
* 1882–83:
Alexander Wilson Moir
Alexander is a male given name. The most prominent bearer of the name is Alexander the Great, the king of the Ancient Greek kingdom of Macedonia who created one of the largest empires in ancient history.
Variants listed here are Aleksandar, Al ...
* 1883–88:
Charles Monroe Eldridge
Charles is a masculine given name predominantly found in English and French speaking countries. It is from the French form ''Charles'' of the Proto-Germanic name (in runic alphabet) or ''*karilaz'' (in Latin alphabet), whose meaning was " ...
(acting to 1885)
* 1888–89:
Francis Spencer Wigley
Francis may refer to:
People
*Pope Francis, the head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of the Vatican City State and Bishop of Rome
* Francis (given name), including a list of people and fictional characters
*Francis (surname)
Places
* Rural ...
(acting)
;Commissioner
* 1889–95:
John Kemys Spencer-Churchill
John Kemys George Thomas Spencer-Churchill (27 December 1835 – 9 August 1913) was an administrator in the British colonial service serving as Governor of Montserrat and Commissioner of St Kitts and Nevis.
Spencer-Churchill was the second son o ...
;Administrator
* 1895–99:
Thomas Risely Griffith
* 1899–1904:
Charles Thomas Cox
* 1904–06: Sir
Robert Bromley
Robert Bromley (1815 – 30 December 1850) was a British Conservative Party politician, the eldest son and heir apparent of Admiral Sir Robert Howe Bromley, 3rd Baronet.
He was elected unopposed as a Member of Parliament (MP) for Southern divi ...
* 1906–16:
Thomas Laurence Roxburgh
Thomas may refer to:
People
* List of people with given name Thomas
* Thomas (name)
* Thomas (surname)
* Saint Thomas (disambiguation)
* Thomas Aquinas (1225–1274) Italian Dominican friar, philosopher, and Doctor of the Church
* Thomas the Ap ...
* 1916–25:
John Alder Burdon
* 1925–29:
Thomas Reginald St. Johnston
* 1929–31:
Terence Charles Macnaghten
Publius Terentius Afer (; – ), better known in English as Terence (), was a Roman African playwright during the Roman Republic. His comedies were performed for the first time around 166–160 BC. Terentius Lucanus, a Roman senator, brought ...
* 1931–40:
Douglas Roy Stewart
Douglas may refer to:
People
* Douglas (given name)
* Douglas (surname)
Animals
*Douglas (parrot), macaw that starred as the parrot ''Rosalinda'' in Pippi Longstocking
*Douglas the camel, a camel in the Confederate Army in the American Civil W ...
* 1940–47:
James Dundas Harford
* 1947–49:
Leslie Stuart Greening
Leslie may refer to:
* Leslie (name), a name and list of people with the given name or surname, including fictional characters
Families
* Clan Leslie, a Scottish clan with the motto "grip fast"
* Leslie (Russian nobility), a Russian noble family ...
* 1949:
Frederick Mitchell Noad
* 1949–56:
Hugh Burrowes
* 1956–66:
Henry Anthony Camillo Howard
Henry Anthony Camillo Howard (3 March 1913 – 15 October 1977) was a British journalist, military officer, and Colonial Office, colonial leader in the Caribbean.
Early life and family
Howard was the son of Esme Howard, 1st Baron Howard of Pe ...
* 1966–67: Sir
Frederick Albert Phillips
;Governor
* 1967–69: Sir Frederick Albert Phillips
* 1969–75: Sir
Milton Pentonville Allen (acting to 1972)
* 1975–81: Sir
Probyn Ellsworth Inniss
* 1981–83: Sir
Clement Athelston Arrindell
Sir Clement Athelston Arrindell (19 April 1931 – 27 March 2011) was the first governor-general of Saint Kitts and Nevis, serving from 1983 to 1995, and also served as the country's final colonial governor, from 1981 to 1983.
Arrindell was b ...
List of heads of government
;Chief Minister
* 1960–66:
Caleb Azariah Paul Southwell
* 1966–67:
Robert Llewellyn Bradshaw
Robert Llewellyn Bradshaw (16 September 1916 – 23 May 1978) was the first Premier of Saint Kitts and Nevis, and previously served as Chief Minister, legislator, and labour activist.
Early life
Bradshaw was born in the Saint Paul Capisterre ...
;Premier
* 1967–78: Robert Llewellyn Bradshaw
* 1978–79: Caleb Azariah Paul Southwell
* 1979–80: Sir
Lee Llewellyn Moore
Sir Lee Llewellyn Moore (15 February 1939 – 6 May 2000) served as Premier of Saint Kitts and Nevis from 20 May 1979 to 21 February 1980. He was a member of the Saint Kitts and Nevis Labour Party. He graduated with an LLB from King's Colleg ...
* 1980–83:
Kennedy Alphonse Simmonds
Sport and culture
The national football team debuted in 1938, in a friendly against
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 ...
, but played only sporadically. It has played more regularly since independence. In
cricket
Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of eleven players on a field at the centre of which is a pitch with a wicket at each end, each comprising two bails balanced on three stumps. The batting side scores runs by striki ...
, the
Anguilla
Anguilla ( ) is a British Overseas Territory in the Caribbean. It is one of the most northerly of the Leeward Islands in the Lesser Antilles, lying east of Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands and directly north of Saint Martin. The territo ...
,
Nevis
Nevis is a small island in the Caribbean Sea that forms part of the inner arc of the Leeward Islands chain of the West Indies. Nevis and the neighbouring island of Saint Kitts constitute one country: the Federation of Saint Kitts and Ne ...
, and
Saint Kitts national teams competed separately at regional level, although combined teams were occasionally fielded in the past. Delegations from Saint Christopher-Nevis-Anguilla were sent to several editions of the
CARIFTA Games
The CARIFTA Games is an annual athletics competition founded by the Caribbean Free Trade Association (CARIFTA). The games was first held in 1972 and consists of track and field events including sprint races, hurdles, middle distance track event ...
, winning medals
in 1977 and
1983
The year 1983 saw both the official beginning of the Internet and the first mobile cellular telephone call.
Events January
* January 1 – The migration of the ARPANET to Internet protocol suite, TCP/IP is officially completed (this is consid ...
. At the
1978 Commonwealth Games
The 1978 Commonwealth Games were held in Edmonton, Alberta from 3 to 12 August 1978, two years after the 1976 Summer Olympics were held in Montreal, Quebec. They were boycotted by Nigeria, in protest at New Zealand's sporting contacts with apar ...
in
Edmonton, Alberta
Edmonton ( ) is the capital city of the Canadian province of Alberta. Edmonton is situated on the North Saskatchewan River and is the centre of the Edmonton Metropolitan Region, which is surrounded by Alberta's central region. The city anchor ...
, Canada, the federation sent four competitors (two runners and two cyclists, all male), but failed to win a medal.
[Glenn Osborne competed in the 100 metres, running the slowest time in any of the seven heats, Ezzard Wilson competed in the 800 metres, and Vincent Benjamin and Cedric Maynard competing in various cycling events. "Medals won by St. Kitts & Nevis"]
1978 Commonwealth Games
– The Commonwealth Games Federation. Retrieved 25 April 2016.
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Saint Christopher-Nevis-Anguilla
History of Anguilla
Former countries in the Caribbean
Former British colonies and protectorates in the Americas
Former colonies in North America
British Leeward Islands
History of British Saint Christopher and Nevis
British West Indies
West Indies Federation
States and territories established in 1882
States and territories disestablished in 1983
1880s establishments in the Caribbean
1882 establishments in the British Empire
1882 establishments in North America
1983 disestablishments in North America
1983 disestablishments in British Overseas Territories
20th-century disestablishments in the Caribbean