St. John Historical Society
Promoting an appreciation and deeper understanding of the history and cultural heritage
of the island of St. John in the U. S. Virgin Islands since 1974.
Article Collections
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A glimpse of Christmas Past was available to the public on Saturday December 12th, 2009.
On display in the Lutheran Church yeard in Cruz Bay was a collection of historical items, mostly from the 1930s through the 1950s, an era when St John residents, with quiet industry and self-sufficiency, handmade their own gifts and toys for Christmas gift-giving, as well as, items for everyday use …more…
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All the Fault of Peter Fink, by Nancy Flagg Gibney [1978 memoirs].
…On our first footsore tour of inspection, Gibney had fallen hard for St. John. I had tacit misgivings; I knew I’d be bored, but I knew I could stand it for a few months, in a good cause. And surely it was an island of heart-breaking beauty, with a tradewind sky blowing above it, and wild green mountains folded down to dazzling empty beaches, dazzling sea. No over-population or visible poverty here: most of the seven hundred inhabitants lived the life of landed gentry on twelve thousand acres of gorgeous bush. …more…
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The Testimony of William Blackstock [A True Story of Piracy and Buried Treasure on Norman Island], by David W. Knight.
…It was evening by the time the sloop slipped quietly into a deserted cove on the lee of Norman Island. Weary as the crew may have been, no sooner had the sails been furled and the anchor set than all hands went about the task of inspecting their mysterious cargo. The first items to emerge from beneath the hatch were sixty bundles of moldy tobacco, which the crew disgustedly piled in a heap on the shore. Their spirits soon rose, however, when seventeen bags of indigo were hoisted from the hold, followed by one hundred and twenty bale of cochineal, each weighing some two hundred and thirty pounds, and all in good order. With the bulk of the vessel’s cargo removed, a tight-packed stack of heavy wooden crates were all that remained in the bowels of the hold. As the men crouched expectantly around the boxes, Trevet, the mate, leaned forcefully on an iron bar and peeled back the lid of the first container. Inside, the box was divided into three compartments, and in each compartment was a coarsely-woven sack secured by a pressed-lead seal. His heart pounding, William Blackstock pulled a knife from his boot and drew its blade across the top of one of the sacks. In an instant, the hold fell as silent as death, until someone uttered, “silver, bloody pieces-a-eight!” …more…
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Ladies’ Storytelling at Bethany Church Hall, Novemember 10, 2009 , an event moderated by Andromedia Childs, recorded by William Stelzer, and written by Robin Swank.
“There is no gift so small that it cannot be given.” This is the sentiment that rang out clearly from the Ladies’ Storytelling at the Society’s November 10th Membership meeting. I am very grateful to the articulate and engaging Storytellers; as we enter the holiday season (many of us with less holiday in our season due to the economy), they reminded me that having only what you need, and sharing it with others creates happiness.…more…
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Estate Zootenval’s Papilleau Bay , by David W. Knight.
…Little is known of Jan Papilleau except for what can be gleaned from the St. John tax records; but, from his name it may be assumed that he was among a number of French Huguenots who emigrated to the Danish West Indies during this time frame. When the former Hendrichsen plantation was first listed in the name of Jan Papilleau in 1736, it was noted that Papilleau was employed on the Company plantation as a masterknegt, and that he was married to “the daughter of Ole Henningsen’s widow”. Ole Henningsen had been a carpenter and mason on St. Thomas, who was also an employee of the Danish West Indies and Guinea Company. Upon Henningsen’s death his widow and step children had been left destitute, unable to pay even their yearly “head tax” to the Company [STLL, 1730]. As was the policy of the time, women without the means to support themselves were encouraged to marry new immigrants to the colony. This was most likely the situation that led to Marie Elizabeth Papilleau (born: deRuyter) and her twice-widowed mother, Mary Magdelane Henningsen, finding themselves the mistresses of a parcel of stony ground that lay along the arid northeast shoreline of Coral Bay: a property worked by only two capable field slaves [SJLL, 1736]..…more…
| Date | Title | Author |
|---|---|---|
| 1977-03 | History of the Moravian Church | Pront, Williard |
| 1982-06 | Emmaus Moravian Church: 200 Year Anniversary | Emmmaus Moravian Church |
| 2009-01 | Botany Bay Notes | Knight, David |
| 2008-03 | Lovango Cay Historical Timeline | Knight, David |
| 2008-02 | Hassel Island Chronology | Gjessing, Fredrick |
| 2008-02 | Estate Retreat Chronology | Knight, David |
| 2001-10 | How Sugar Was Made on St. John during the Danish Colonial Period | Knight, David |
| 2001-03 | Brief History of Sugar and Sugar Production in the West Indies | Knight, David |
| Date | Title | Author |
|---|---|---|
| 2009-11 | Ladies’ Storytelling at Bethany Church Hall, Novemember 10, 2009 | Swank, Robin |
St. John Historical Society, P.O. Box 1256, St. John, US Virgin Islands, 00831
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