This is part of the sense of gratitude I feel for a number of relatives. Thus this effort is dedicated to the lives and in loving memory of my most beloved ancestor, Muriel Eleese Burchelline Sancho (1914-1990), the daughter of Alexander Gustavus Sancho (1873-1945), the son of Lambert Tuckness Sancho (1849-1924), my brother Colin Patrick Ross (1954-1981), Aunt Elsa Sancho (1908-1966), Uncle Oswald Sancho (1922-1984), and my beloved Cousins Gwendolyn Ralph (1912-2008), and Brenda Abrams (1941-2008), the daughters of Emma Francina Ralph (1880-1918) and Eileen Esme Abrams (1899 -1966), the daughters of Lambert Tuckness Sancho (1849-1924), Bouya Sharper(1915-1977), and Sheila Sharper(1925-1977), son and daughter of Edith Sancho (1890-1952), the daughter of Lambert Tuckness Sancho (1849-1924).
These two letters written by Lambert Tuckness Sancho (1849-1924) afford me and other relatives the opportunity to glimpse at his thought process, academic abilities, intellect, ideology and his advocacy. It is remarkable to note that the struggle in the last two decades of the nineteenth century bears strikingly similarities to the struggle in the twentieth and twentieth-first centuries. I am ecstatic. I am proud of the efforts of my great-grandfather. I am also happy to note the coconut rarely falls far from the tree. The letters could have been written by me. They reflect a mind set which is of the consciousness and the advocacy of the struggles of the underprivileged working class people of the colony of British Guiana. Long live Tuckness Sancho, long live the people of Sancho everywhere.
THE VILLAGERS GRIEVANCES: A CONTRADICTION - TO THE EDITOR: “DAILY CHRONICLE”
Sir, - Permit me through this medium of your columns to make a few remarks with reference to certain statements, contained in a letter published in your issue of the 28th inst., bearing the signature of “Not a Villager”.
Whoever this person may be he asserts that the lease of the Golden Grove empolder “did not make proper efforts to thoroughly put into order the dams which he had already seen were not trust-worthy,” and further on, that it was owing to the slip-shop manner in which the dam was made up. Now these statements are quite untrue. I, as, Village Overseer, have actually paid to labourers for working at the said dam during the early part of the present year, the sum of $4,000, on behalf of Mr. Jose Ferreira, the Lessee. I had orders from the Superintendent of villages to supervise the dam aback daily, which I always did, and to show that Mr. Ferreira used every possible means to secure the dam, I will just mention this: in the month of January, “in consequence of the heavy rainfall, on going aback, I found that the dam was washed over, and this being brought to Mr. Ferreira’s notice, he lost no time in making a sniouse around the dam, and since then it resisted the pressure of water up to the time of this accident. On the 18th instant, whilst on my way to Georgetown, I received information, to my great astonishment that the dam which I had left safe had broken away, and the water was rushing with great force. I hurried to the spot and found the dam cut across in two places; one cut was ten feet in width, and the other was eight feet. I suspect that these breaches were made by some enemy of Mr. Ferreira, for there was not a leak on that spot to cause a breach. The breach in Mr. Ferreira’s empolder did not damage the other empolder at all, and the villagers have no cause of complaint. If the villagers had any grievance, or sustained any damage, they are quite intelligent enough to lay it in the proper quarter.
I am Sir, and c.,
Lammy Tuckness Sancho
Nabaclis, June 3rd, 1882
Source: June 4, 1882: page 3 column 7.
A VILLAGER’S SUGGESTION - TO THE EDITOR: “DAILY CHRONICLE”
Sir, - on the evening of the 24th inst., a lecture was delivered at the Golden Grove Wesleyan Chapel, by the Rev. Mr. Adams. It is very seldom that we villagers are afforded an opportunity of listening to lectures, and therefore, I was heartily glad to be present. In the rural districts when evening comes the villagers, many of whom are intelligent, have no place of resort to obtain intellectual food, and it is with a desire to impress this necessity which exists on the minds of those amongst us who are capable of doing this, that I write this letter, the villagers have nowhere to go, and wander. I would throw out the suggestion to the Rev. Mr. Tabraham, especially as he is striving hard for the Temperance cause amongst the villagers, that he would be conferring an inestimable boon on myself and the others, by treating us to a few hours’ address in the evening, of a similar character to the one Mr. Adams gave us.
Mr. Tabraham happened to meet several persons in a drunken condition on the road at Golden Grove, a few Sundays ago, and he remonstrated with them.
Mr. Tabraham would find his efforts crowned with success if he delivered periodical addresses to people.
It is of no use trying to reform a man in a drunken condition.
I am Sir, and c.,
L. T. Sancho
Golden Grove, East Coast October 1st, 1883
Source: October 21, 1883: page 5 column 1.
These two letters written by Lambert Tuckness Sancho (1849-1924) afford me and other relatives the opportunity to glimpse at his thought process, academic abilities, intellect, ideology and his advocacy. It is remarkable to note that the struggle in the last two decades of the nineteenth century bears strikingly similarities to the struggle in the twentieth and twentieth-first centuries. I am ecstatic. I am proud of the efforts of my great-grandfather. I am also happy to note the coconut rarely falls far from the tree. The letters could have been written by me. They reflect a mind set which is of the consciousness and the advocacy of the struggles of the underprivileged working class people of the colony of British Guiana. Long live Tuckness Sancho, long live the people of Sancho everywhere.
THE VILLAGERS GRIEVANCES: A CONTRADICTION - TO THE EDITOR: “DAILY CHRONICLE”
Sir, - Permit me through this medium of your columns to make a few remarks with reference to certain statements, contained in a letter published in your issue of the 28th inst., bearing the signature of “Not a Villager”.
Whoever this person may be he asserts that the lease of the Golden Grove empolder “did not make proper efforts to thoroughly put into order the dams which he had already seen were not trust-worthy,” and further on, that it was owing to the slip-shop manner in which the dam was made up. Now these statements are quite untrue. I, as, Village Overseer, have actually paid to labourers for working at the said dam during the early part of the present year, the sum of $4,000, on behalf of Mr. Jose Ferreira, the Lessee. I had orders from the Superintendent of villages to supervise the dam aback daily, which I always did, and to show that Mr. Ferreira used every possible means to secure the dam, I will just mention this: in the month of January, “in consequence of the heavy rainfall, on going aback, I found that the dam was washed over, and this being brought to Mr. Ferreira’s notice, he lost no time in making a sniouse around the dam, and since then it resisted the pressure of water up to the time of this accident. On the 18th instant, whilst on my way to Georgetown, I received information, to my great astonishment that the dam which I had left safe had broken away, and the water was rushing with great force. I hurried to the spot and found the dam cut across in two places; one cut was ten feet in width, and the other was eight feet. I suspect that these breaches were made by some enemy of Mr. Ferreira, for there was not a leak on that spot to cause a breach. The breach in Mr. Ferreira’s empolder did not damage the other empolder at all, and the villagers have no cause of complaint. If the villagers had any grievance, or sustained any damage, they are quite intelligent enough to lay it in the proper quarter.
I am Sir, and c.,
Lammy Tuckness Sancho
Nabaclis, June 3rd, 1882
Source: June 4, 1882: page 3 column 7.
A VILLAGER’S SUGGESTION - TO THE EDITOR: “DAILY CHRONICLE”
Sir, - on the evening of the 24th inst., a lecture was delivered at the Golden Grove Wesleyan Chapel, by the Rev. Mr. Adams. It is very seldom that we villagers are afforded an opportunity of listening to lectures, and therefore, I was heartily glad to be present. In the rural districts when evening comes the villagers, many of whom are intelligent, have no place of resort to obtain intellectual food, and it is with a desire to impress this necessity which exists on the minds of those amongst us who are capable of doing this, that I write this letter, the villagers have nowhere to go, and wander. I would throw out the suggestion to the Rev. Mr. Tabraham, especially as he is striving hard for the Temperance cause amongst the villagers, that he would be conferring an inestimable boon on myself and the others, by treating us to a few hours’ address in the evening, of a similar character to the one Mr. Adams gave us.
Mr. Tabraham happened to meet several persons in a drunken condition on the road at Golden Grove, a few Sundays ago, and he remonstrated with them.
Mr. Tabraham would find his efforts crowned with success if he delivered periodical addresses to people.
It is of no use trying to reform a man in a drunken condition.
I am Sir, and c.,
L. T. Sancho
Golden Grove, East Coast October 1st, 1883
Source: October 21, 1883: page 5 column 1.
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