St Helena Island, Its History & Its People
John Tyrrell
- Region:
- North West
- Notice Period:
- Short (maybe less than one month's notice)
- Type:
- Hobby
- Fee:
- Paid: £30-£100 fee to Shape, St Helena Charity
- Category:
- Travel
- Updated:
- 3rd February 2023
- Tagged:
- St Helena
An illustrated talk, with a large number of photos of contemporary and historic St Helena.
A self-governing overseas territory, St Helena is the home of an ageing population of some 4,000 “Saints”, a mixed race people from the British isles, Asia and Africa. It now faces severe challenges to its way of life. Since 1997 the Saints have received recognition as British citizens with full rights to settle in the United Kingdom, and thousands are now scattered around the world. Many also work on Ascension island and in the Falklands where wages are much higher.
The talk will cover St Helena's history - its discovery by the Portuguese in the early days of empire, its settlement and rule by the East India Company, the role of slavery on the island, its use from the time of Napoleon until the late 1950's as a prison for enemies of the British state, and its economic challenges.
It will also introduce Jonathan, at 190 the oldest land animal in the world.
Views: 454 | Enquiries: 1About John Tyrrell
Retired Academic.
Fees given to SHAPE, a charity on St Helena
Member of Friends of St Helena. Contributor to their publications.
- "The Legend of the Slaves of Maldivia", Wirebird, The Journal of the Friends of St Helena, Number 43, November 2014
- "The Belle Poule and the Exhumation of Napoleon", Wirebird Number 40, 2011
- "Longwood House: Towards the Bicentenary", The St Helena Connection No 15, November 2013
- "The British Government and Napoleon: From Elba to St Helena" The St Helena Connection, No 18 June 2015
- "From Elba to St Helena aTimeline of 1815" The St Helena Connection, No 18 June 2015
- "Napoleon and the British Opposition during the Captivity" The St Helena Connection No 19, November 2015
- "Napoleon and St Helena Exhibition at Les Invalides, Paris" No 20 June 2016
- "Napoleon's Representative on Earth: "I am the keeper of the empty tomb" - a review of "Je suis le gardien du tombeau vide" by M. Dancoisne-Martineau. The St Helena Connection No 23 November 2017
- "St Helena in Transition" No 14, May 2013
- "Who is, when is, what is St Helena Government", The St Helena Connection No 33, December 2022
Blogging on Napoleon and St Helena since 2008. https://johntyrrell.blogspot.com
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