Hartley Neita, Gleaner Writer

In Jamaica's parliamentary history, the first father and son to sit in the Legislature were Phillip Redwood, who was a member of the House of Assembly from 1756 to 1781, and his son Stephen, who served in the House from 1790 to 1803.

Another father and son who served in the Parliament was the Percival Brodericks. The elder Broderick represented the People's National Party (PNP) in North East Clarendon and his son the Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) in later years. A father and son, also, were Andrew Ross and his son Alva, who served as succeeding members of the Legislature for the East and South East St. Mary constituencies.

Wills O. Isaacs was another father; his son, William. The elder Isaacs was the member of the House for Central and East Central Kingston from 1949 to 1967. In the elections in the latter years, he moved to and won the North East St. Ann seat. Later, in 1975, the younger Isaacs won the East Kingston and Port Royal constituency.

Active politics

Then there was N. Cleveland Lewis and his son Neville, who were succeeding members of the legislature for North West St. Elizabeth, and Patsy, Neville's sister, who served as the Member of Parliament for South East St. Ann from 1983 to 1989. Ernest Peart was also a father who was succeeded by sons in Parliament. The elder Peart was the Member for West Manchester from 1959 until his retirement from active politics in 1978. His elder son Dean became the member for the same constituency, and his brother Michael became the member for South Manchester in 1993.

A father and daughter also served in the House. He was Rudolph Robinson of Western Westmoreland. More recently, his daughter Heather was the Member for South Central St. Catherine Brothers have also been members of the legislature. Bruce Golding, the present Leader of the Opposition, and his brother Anthony, represented neighbouring constituencies in St. Catherine during the 1980s. Their father, Tacius Golding, was a member of the Legislature during the 1960s and was the Speaker of the House for some time. Two other brothers, Edmund and Dr. St. Aubyn Bartlett are now Members of Parliament, the former representing the constituency of East Central St. James and the latter the constituency of Eastern St. Andrew - which the former represented from 1980 to 1993.

Three husbands and wives have served in the Parliament. The first were Rose and Arthur Leon, the second were Captain Glen Webley and Joan Gordon-Webley, and the third, Paul and Karlene Kirlew-Robertson. Two pairs of brothers-in-law are now serving in the House, Bruce Golding and Pearnel Charles, and Dr. Kenneth Baugh and Dr. Horace Chang.

More Sangsters

There have been more Sangsters who have served in the Legislature than any other family. The first was Peter Watt Sangster, who was the member for St. Elizabeth in the Legislative Council from 1920 to 1935. Donald Sangster was the next, representing Southern St. Elizabeth from 1949 to 1955 and North East Clarendon in the House of Representatives from 1955 until 1967. Later, their relatives, Astil, Kingsley and Derrick, also became Members of Parliament.

Interestingly, too, is that Jamaica's first five heads of Government, Sir Alexander Bustamante, Norman Manley, Sir Donald Sangster, Hugh Shearer and Michael Manley, were related.