Group seek tombstones investigation by police
Police have been asked by a group of concerned individuals to investigate the desecration of historic tombstones at Tucker’s Town.
Five people have jointly filed the complaint with the Bermuda Police Service and have been told, they say, that the matter is being considered by the Department of Public Prosecutions.
The desecration of the tombstones in October 2012 at the Marsden Methodist Memorial Cemetery has already been the subject of an inquiry by the Ombudsman, which resulted in a highly critical report, published in January this year, of the decision to remove them.
Then Ombudsman Arlene Brock recommended that nine tombs be reconstructed and that interested parties work together to come up with a fitting memorial to those buried there prior to 1920, when the community was forced out to make way for a hotel.
Ms Brock’s successor Victoria Pearman asked stakeholders to attend a meeting at Bermuda College on July 3 to discuss the way forward, but The Royal Gazette understands that little progress was made and no further talks have been held.
One of the five individuals who filed the police complaint told this newspaper that the group did not want to be identified. They said the individuals had close ties to the former community at Tucker’s Town, felt the Ombudsman lacked the power to take any action over the desecration of the tombs and were disappointed by the July 3 meeting.
They alleged to the police that the removal of the tombstones broke the law under section 442 of the Criminal Code, which relates to wilfully and unlawfully destroying or damaging monuments. Those convicted of such an offence can face jail time of up to three years or a $1,250 fine.
Ms Brock’s report ‘A Grave Error’ said the Island’s “premier” archaeologist Edward Harris oversaw the razing of the stones, which was done by Tucker’s Point hotel at the request of cemetery custodian Marsden First United Methodist Church.
Dr Harris and the church trustees have declined to comment on the report, while Rosewood Tucker’s Point manager Paul Telford has never responded to repeated requests for comment from this newspaper.
We tried to reach all three parties again yesterday without success. Dr Harris is believed to be off-Island.
The graves at Tucker’s Point, which lie beneath the hotel’s golf course, are the final resting place of an unknown number of mostly black residents who lived at Tucker’s Town from the early 19th century, around the time of Emancipation, onwards.
When the community moved out, some of those evicted resettled at Devil’s Hole and relocated Marsden Church there.
The cemetery eventually fell into disrepair but was rededicated in 1996 by Marsden Church and renamed the Marsden Methodist Memorial Cemetery. It became a Historic Preservation Area in 2008.
Ms Brock concluded after her inquiry that the Department of Planning was guilty of maladministration for not implementing an earlier recommendation of hers to give the cemetery an “extra layer of protection”. Such action, she insisted, would have prevented the demolition of the stones.
In ‘A Grave Error’ she recommended that a “robust community consultation” be conducted before any decision was taken on how to memorialise the cemetery and suggested that Janet Ferguson and Glenn Fubler be the “facilitator team”.
A source told this newspaper that Ms Brock, who finished her term as Ombudsman in March, led the July 3 meeting but there were objections to the fact that she had chosen the facilitators without consultation.
Asked to comment, Ms Brock said on Tuesday: “Ombudsman Pearman should respond, if she cares to.”
Police have confirmed they are conducting an investigation.
Ms Pearman did not provide a response by press time.
Mr Fubler could not be reached and Dr Ferguson, executive director of the college’s Seniors Learning Centre, said it would be inappropriate for her to comment as a neutral facilitator.
A Ministry of Community, Culture and Sports spokeswoman confirmed that a representative attended the July 3 meeting “but only as an observer to listen to the comments being made and the issues being raised”.
The spokeswoman added: “The Ministry of Community, Culture and Sports is encouraged by the fact that dialogue has taken place among the interested parties and is ongoing.”
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The Bermuda National Trust says Government should drive a plan to restore the desecrated tombstones at Tucker’s Town to “ensure it does not drop by the wayside”.
The charity confirmed it attended a meeting at Bermuda College on July 3 to discuss plans to restore and preserve the history of the Marsden Memorial Cemetery.
Historic tombstones were removed from the cemetery in October 2012 by Tucker’s Point hotel, at the request of the graveyard’s custodian Marsden First United Methodist Church and under the guidance of archaeologist Edward Harris.
A National Trust spokeswoman told The Royal Gazette: “The meeting was a good start. However, the follow-up was left in the stakeholders’ hands when, as a Historic Protection Area, it would be better for the resolution of the matter to be driven by the government bodies responsible for them to ensure that it does not drop by the wayside.”
The July 3 meeting was organised by Ombudsman Victoria Pearman, who sent an e-mail invitation to various organisations, in which she wrote: “As a key stakeholder, you are invited to attend a preliminary meeting with Dr Janet Ferguson and Mr Glenn Fubler, who will facilitate and co-design with you a plan for moving forward to restore and preserve the history of the Marsden Memorial Cemetery in Tucker’s Town.
“This site is not only unique but also in some ways is emblematic of the core of Bermuda’s history — especially around the dynamics of race and power.”
Ms Pearman referred to her predecessor Arlene Brock’s report on the desecration of the stones, ‘A Grave Error’, which recommended that the tombstones be reconstructed.
“The report recommended that other projects be undertaken to reconcile the continuing angst and celebrate the uniqueness that the graves represent,” the e-mail said, adding that 2020 would mark the 100th anniversary of “one of the most controversial events in Bermuda’s history” when the Tucker’s Town community was forced to move to make way for a hotel.
“The graves were the last remaining physical reminders of the purchase and expropriation of surrounding land in order to firmly establish the tourism industry in Bermuda.
“Your interest, specialist knowledge and vision can work toward this anniversary by rallying the entire Island toward truth, reconciliation and unity.”
Those invited included several government departments, Rosewood Tucker’s Point hotel, Marsden Church, Tucker’s Town Historical Society, Citizens Uprooting Racism and the National Museum, of which Dr Harris is director.
The National Trust said it was considered a stakeholder because it cares for the memorials in 13 historic cemeteries — ten of which are Government-owned — and looks after 128 Commonwealth war graves located in graveyards throughout the Island.
The spokeswoman said the meeting was to “discuss a way forward to resolve what occurred at the cemetery and agree upon how best to restore and preserve the historic site in as much as is possible”.
She added: “We believe that the way forward for the cemetery is for all the stakeholders to work together to ensure the site is appropriately memorialised and that all known graves or burial sites are commemorated.”
CURB vice-president Lynne Winfield said a number of representatives from the group attended.
“The meeting was a preliminary one and it is hoped there will be further meetings moving forward,” she added.
Marsden Cemetery became a Historic Preservation Area in 2008, giving it protection under the Development and Planning Act 1974.
The Department of Planning currently falls under the Ministry of Home Affairs, but Ms Brock proposed that the Department of Community and Cultural Affairs, the Bermuda Archives and the National Library be involved in “facilitated community conversations” about the restoration.
A spokeswoman for the Ministry of Community, Culture and Sports said: “A representative of the Department of Community and Cultural Affairs did attend the meeting, but only as an observer to listen to the comments being made and the issues being raised.
“The Ministry of Community, Culture and Sports is encouraged by the fact that dialogue has taken place among the interested parties and is ongoing.”
