Jamaica Anansi Stories/Index to Informants

by Martha Warren Beckwith

1. Alexander, Emily, aged 15. She came to my room in the evening after her work was done at the hotel and recited to me more than twenty stories which she had from her father, who was a native of Mandeville, and with which she was in the habit of entertaining the other young people employed at the hotel.

See 108, 109, 110, 111, 130.

2. Archibald, Alexander, aged 62. He was "tea-meeting chairman" in the district of New Green, near Mandeville. I visited him at his home one late afternoon. Seated on his own door-step in the midst of a circle of his neighbors, he recited six stories with much wit and good humor.

See 32b, 36.

3. Bailey, Vivian, a lad, also of Mandeville.

See 1b.

4. Baker, Maud, aged 21. She called upon me with her stories, which she had from her father, a native of Dry River, though she herself had been educated in Kingston.

See 102, 106.

5. Barrett, Eliza, aged 30. She was one of a group of women who were friends of the colored housekeeper at Harmony Hall.

See 92b (1).

6. Barrett, George, aged 60 or over. He visited me at Harmony Hall with a group of men from Maroon Town. They would spend a whole morning or even all day telling stories in this way, first one and then another taking his turn and each making way for the other with a fine sense of fair play.

See 57b (2), 76a, 84a.

7. Brown, Arthur, aged 23. He was a friend of the chauffeur for the hotel at St. Ann's Bay and took me down to his mother's house at Steeretown, where he gathered a group for story-telling, each one reciting one or two stories in turn.

See 127a.

8. Brown, Margaret, aged 55, mother of Arthur.

See 47a.

9. Brown, Philip, aged 19, a jolly contingent of Caledonia, near Mandeville.

See 75, 76b.

10. Brown, T., another contingent, a Claremont lad who had picked up a quantity of stories but recited them in a slovenly way, without wit or point.

See 117.

11. Christie, Samuel, over 60. He was one of the group at Steeretown, near St. Ann's Bay, and a good story-teller.

See 5b, 12a, 14.

12. Collins, Benjamin, a crippled lad of George's Valley, near Mandeville.

See 11a.

13. Daley, Edward, part East Indian. He was in the prison-gang whose overseer I was interviewing.

See 132.

14. Dodd, Emiline, under 30. She visited the house at Lacovia where I was staying.

See 86b.

15. Doran, Grace, very old. She was from Whitehall, near Harmony Hall She interpolated her stories with songs in the old style, but talked so rapidly I was unable to follow except in snatches.

See 27a.

16. Edwards, Vassel, over 80. His father and mother had been slaves in the same district, one at Retirement, where he himself had lived all his life and was now deacon in the Scotch Presbyterian church.

See 134 and the first two witticisms,

17. Falconer, Simeon, aged 47. He was an intelligent and resourceful man, a church member but nevertheless a frequenter of wakes, where he learned his stories. He dictated his stories to me at his home, without audience, and on various visits. His little sitting-room held a mahogany table set against the wall, at each end two mahogany chairs, in which we sat, and a curiously carved chair which a friend had brought him from Africa.

See 10a, 16, 17a, 50, 62, 64.

18. Findley, Sarah, "over 50." She was mother to one of the house-girls at Bethlehem, in the Santa Cruz Mountains, an old-time woman and quite illiterate.

See 146.

19. Forbes, William, over 75. He came from Dry River and was one of my best story-tellers. He had been song-leader and "Tea-meeting chairman" for his district and was much respected for his intelligence and sense of order. He came at several different times and sang or told stories with equal case and with a freshness and delight which was contagious, never failing to bring a small gift from his garden and never arguing over the pay. He had a very long-shaped head and beaming eyes.

See 2a, 3, 7, 8, 11b, 24, 25b, 46, 70, 85c, 86a, 101, 140, 141, 142.

20. Ford, May, a young girl. She was of the better class, daughter of the lodging-house keeper at Newmarket, in Westmoreland.

See 44.

21. Foster, Alexander, aged 40, one of the Maroon story-tellers.

See 88.

22. Gentle, Julia, over 70, She came to me twice at Bethlehem in the Santa Cruz mountains and recited the stories with great rapidity as if she knew them by heart in a fixed form, among them some English ballads of second rate interest.

See 18, 60b, 61, 69b, 77, 112.

23. Hall, Matilda, aged 50, one of the women who came to me at Harmony Hall, and a good singer and story-teller.

See 57c, 771a, 85b, 148.

24. Harris, William, a young man. He came from a shop at Maggotty and was scarcely able to speak from bashfulness.

See 73b.

25. Hendricks, Moses, over 60. He was a white man, but lived with his negro family like one of the race; an excellent story-teller, dictating some fifteen stories to me at three different visits to his house.

See 13b, 15, 25a, 26, 29, 35, 48, 69a, 99, 138.

26. Hilton, Elizabeth, aged 41. She was care-taker at Harmony-Hall and a fine intelligent type. In the evening when her work was done, she recited to me some thirteen stories learned from her mother who was brought up at Harmony Hall, and from an old school-master at Retirement.

See 37a, 40b (1), 84b, 104, 105.

27. Hilton, Norman, aged 13, son to Elizabeth.

See 5.

28. Hilton, James Anderson, aged 33, one of the Maroon men.

See 149.

29. Iron, Adolphus, about 50. A reputed humorist from Golden Grove near Claremont, but disappointing in frock coat at the lodging house.

See 20, 37b.

30. Johnson, Emanuel, about 40, from Orange Hill near Brownstown.

See 30c, 97a.

31. Jones, Stanley, aged 27, one of the Claremont group.

See 21c, 133.

32. Macfarlane, Joseph, aged 14. He was a natural clown, long and loose-jointed. It was in the evening after work at Moneague and he stood in the middle of the group and acted out the story he was telling in rapid, unintelligible dialect, and with excellent mimicry of both speech and gesture. Afterward he recited it to me more slowly, possibly more in detail.

See 5a, 129.

33. Macfarlane, Rennie, aged 11. He was employed at the hotel in Mandeville.

See 27b, 38a, 59.

34. Morgan, Richard, about 50. He was an entertainer in the Santa Cruz district and came over to Falconer's for two days to give me these stories

See 6, 17d, 19, 21a, 34, 45, 52, 54, 55, 57a, 85a (1), 87a, 89, 92b (3), 93, 98, 119, 120, 121, 122, 123, 124, 136, 137.

35. Morris, Margaret, aged 85. Her memory wandered unless prompted by her son-in-law, at that time captain of the Maroons.

See 74.

36. Morrison, Vincent, aged 20, He was a Mandeville lad and claimed to "compose" his stories.

See 94.

37. Parkes, George, over 40. This blind man had lived in different parts of the island and been over-seas in Africa. He had picked up stories wherever he went, and he took great pleasure in reciting them to me. He gave me fifteen at different visits, all very full and accurate. He was an indifferent singer and made no attempt to act out the story.

See 1a, 2b, 4, 21b, 22, 23, 30a, 31, 32a, 33, 38b, 65, 87b, 91, 92a, 95.

38. Pottinger, Henry, over 70. We were gathered one evening in his son's cottage near Claremont for story-telling when the old man made his appearance chanting a nonsense line as he came. It seemed to be a kind of formal prelude to the occasion, but I could not get the words.

See 103.

39. Pottinger, Richard, over 40. He was son to Henry, with a great local reputation. A group gathered in his house two evenings after work and told stories in turn as seemed to be the custom.

See 40a, 78c, 115.

40. Ramtalli, (Mrs.) about 30. She was of the better educated class, from St. Mary's parish, and wife of the East Indian school-master at Maggotty.

See 39, 90.

41. Roach, David. He was at Lacovia with a company of strolling players at Christmas-time, but he came from Savannah-la-mar.

See 43a, 79.

42. Robinson, Howard,from Retirement.

See 97b.

43. Roden, Mary Jane, over 80. She was bedridden. The cottage had one room and the floor was partly broken through. Her daughter was ironing, the little grandchild danced to the songs she crooned.

See 143, 144, 145.

44. Roe, Charles, aged 50, one of the Maroons.

See 28, 125.

45. Roe, Martha, aged 74, also a Maroon.

See 81, 82b.

46. Roe, Richard, aged 55, another Maroon.

See 139.

47. Samuels, Etheline, aged 14, from Claremont.

See 63.

48. Saunders, William, a lad employed at the hotel in Mandeville.

See 17b.

49. Smith, James. He belonged to the group who gathered at Pottinger's near Claremont, a younger, better educated man, who claimed to be a "composer."

See 113, 127b.

50. Spence, Henry, "over 50." He was song-leader for the workmen oil the Bog estate in Westmoreland and recited some twenty stories at two different interviews, all briefly and with wit.

See 10b, 12b, 41, 42, 43b, 47b, 92b (2), 118, 128.

51. Tathum, Clarence, aged 20, from Mandeville.

See 114, 116.

52. Thompson, Charles, aged 18, a Maroon.

See 32c.

53. Tomlinson, Florence, aged 54. She was formerly house-servant on the Cornwall estate and was accustomed to entertain with stories and dancing.

See 78b, 87c, 126.

54. Townsend, Alexander, over 65. He was father of the penman at the Flamstead ranch and was invited up to the house on Christmas afternoon to sing and tell stories.

See 100.

55. Tulloch, aged 22. He was from Higginstown and acted as chauffeur at the hotel at St. Ann's Bay.

See 17c.

56. Vassel, Sarah, a girl employed on the Bog estate.

See 49, 131.

57. Watkins, Susan, aged 23, from Claremont.

See 13a, 147.

58. Watson, Ethel, aged 32. She told stories one morning while tending her sick child at Roseberry Bush, in the Santa Cruz Mountains.

See 13c.

59. White, Thomas, about 40. On my first visit to Maroon Town in the cock-pit country, he was selected as the leading Maroon story-teller to recite stories for me in the church vestry, where half the town gathered as audience. Others he gave me at Harmony Hall. The music he dictated to Miss Roberts at a later visit. He was one of my best informants, though an adroit padder with an eye to compensation.

See 5c, 66, 67, 68, 78a, 80, 82a, 83, 87a (note), 93, 96.

60. Williams, Alfred, his friend. He was the Maroon song-leader and, with White, led the games and sports. A good singer, but an indifferent story-teller.

See 40b (2), 60a, 72, 73a.

61. Williams, Ezekiel, aged 43. At the time of my first visit to Harmony Hall, he was head-man on the estate. He was brought up at Retirement, a big man, very black, timid through superstition, but full of genuine delight in acting and music.

See 30b.

62. Williams, Thomas, about 70. He was a good entertainer, a man of the old type, living near Harmony Hall.

See 56, 58, 107.

63. Witter, Oliver, a lad. He was a school-boy at Bethlehem, and wrote out for me the text of six stories.

See 71b.

64. Wright, Charles, aged 44. He was one of the group at Harmony Hall, but not a Maroon.

See 9.

65. Wright, Eliza, aged 30. From Maroon Town.

See 57b (1).

66. Wright, Samuel, aged 28, a Maroon.

See 53.