For Black History Month (remembering King Ja Ja)

King Ja Ja Arrives (as reported by the Sentinel of Friday, June 15, 1888)

Unfortunately, we in SVG know little about Ja Ja. He was in exile in StVincent from June 9, 1888 to May 1891. He died in July of that year in the Canary Islands, after spending a couple months in Barbados. But we have allowed Barbados to claim Ja Ja. Kerwyn Morris had written about Ja Ja in one of the issues of the Flambeau magazine. Henry Williams also did a manuscript on Ja Ja, based on his findings in the British Archives, but had never published it. I am currently embarked on producing a book on Ja Ja, so that the Ja Ja story can be told. He is of no major significance to the history of St Vincent, but he was part of that history. What should be of interest to us is our participation in two exiles centred on the greed for lands as is the case with the Caribs and with Ja Ja, the rush to exploit the palm oil market.

Ja Ja is a remarkable man. He was born a slave and sold to the chief of one of the leading trading houses, the Bonny House of Anna Pepple. He won his freedom and moved into the palm oil trade and was so successful that he became Chief of the Bonny House, despite not being a member. The difficulties and competition existing in that area forced him to move elsewhere where he founded a new city, Opobo, of which he became King. Ja Ja was able to become the most dominant trader and attracted the hostility of the British, who in their bid to get control of Africa and of the palm oil trade, conspired to get rid of Ja Ja. He was tricked into believing that the British were willing to come to some understanding with him over the trade. Instead, his exile had been planned and he was sent to St Vincent, although the original intention seemed to have been to send him to Grenada.

The story of his stay in St Vincent waits to be told. The Sentinel newspaper of October 19, 1888 reprinted an article about Ja Ja from the Glasgow Herald which stated: “Ja Ja is idolised by the coloured population, who treat him with all the honours due to royalty, and he is regarded as an acceptable member of St Vincent society, being a frequent guest at Government House and at private dinner parties…Ja Ja is…frequently molested by the attention of ladies of less secure position…”

Dr Adrian Fraser is a social commentator and historian.