Times of the Islands Fall 2021

astrolabe newsletter of the Turks & Caicos National Museum
the ocean. As the town developed into an important commercial
center, several government buildings and offices
were created in the vicinity, particularly on Front Street.
Salt was the lifeblood of Grand Turk. It single-handedly
transformed the island into an economic hub.
From as early as the 18th century, the French showed
interest in the Turks & Caicos Islands because of the profitable
salt trade. At the end of the Seven Years War in
1764, the French Admiral Comte d’ Estainy briefly occupied
Grand Turk. The British did not take kindly to this
aggressive move. They were reluctant to see another
European power amassing wealth from the proceeds of
salt. In order to stamp their dominance on the island, the
British made Grand Turk the capital in 1766 and introduced
the position of King’s Agent, with Andrew Symmer
being the first to hold this new-found office. It was also
an attempt by the British to maintain a strong physical
governmental presence on the island to safeguard all proceeds
from the salt trade for the British Crown.
The British presence, however, did not deter the
French. They returned in 1783. This return trip was historical
as it made Grand Turk more famously known for
the Battle of Grand Turk which transpired on March 9,
1783 during the American Revolutionary War. The French
captured the Bermudians along with their salt workers
before proceeding to exercise their political and military
might over residents in the Caicos Islands. In response to
the actions by the French, the British deployed a 28-gun
frigate HMS Albermarle with a force of 100 men under
the command of Captain Horatio Nelson. Their mission
was to rescue the Islands from the French. Unfortunately,
this military mission ended in total failure.
In the end, it took diplomatic action by both parties
through the Treaty of Paris to formally conclude the war
after six months. This raid by the French caused the
British to exercise closer oversight of the island and its
important role in the international salt trade.
Another important historical feature of Grand Turk is
Waterloo, constructed in 1815. It was later purchased by
the British Government in 1857, eventually becoming the
home for the British resident governors in the territory.
In 1898, the first cable was landed on Grand Turk
by Halifax Cable Company, later called Direct West India
Cable Company Limited of Canada. This investment made
Grand Turk an important cable station linking the island
with the rest of the world.
These 1965 aerial views of Grand Turk show (at top) its capital
Cockburn Town, which includes many of the structures that are standing
today and (at bottom) the vast salinas that made the salt industry
a thriving business for many years.
Built in 1815, Waterloo served for many years as the residence for
British governors in the territory. Ironically, in 1975 members of the
Junkanoo Club marched on Waterloo to demand social, economic and
political reform. Their protest secured a new constitution and the
start of TCI ministerial government in 1976.
In 1921, the first high school was opened in Grand
Turk providing secondary education for students on all
of the Turks & Caicos Islands. This was in addition to the
TED PHILIPPONA–TURKS AND CAICOS NATIONAL MUSEUM COLLECTION
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