Sr Anthony Musgrave

On the occasion of this year's awards of the Musgrave medals, University of the West Indies Professor of History, Verene Shepherd has treated Gleaner readers to a lovely series of articles on 'The Life and times of Sir Anthony Musgrave', in whose memory the medals are named. Musgrave who was colonial Governor of Jamaica from August 23, 1877, to April 20, 1883, is, of course, most remembered today for the establishment of the Institute of Jamaica (IOJ) which has been awarding medals of achievement in his name since 1889. Governor Musgrave, Verene notes, improved the social and physical infrastructure of the island, including the acquisition of the previously privately held Railway company by the Government.

New railway technology

The railway was purchased by the Government of Jamaica on April 1, 1879 for £93,932 from the private company which had owned and operated it since its inception in 1845. Jamaica was one of the first places in the world outside of Europe to make use of the new railway technology after its invention in the early 19th century. When the railway was introduced to Jamaica in 1845, the first line was laid down between Kingston and the Angels just outside Spanish Town, a distance of 15 miles.

When Musgrave returned to the island on June 4, 1880, after a 10-month leave of absence in Britain, the Handbook of Jamaica records, an address of welcome was delivered to him at the Town Hall in Kingston in which the leading citizens of the city expressed their gratitude to him for "the institution of many enlightened measures, including the promotion of higher education, the extension of railways, the electric telegraph and other kindred improvements."

The electric telegraph bit is seldom recalled as part of the Musgrave legacy.

Establishment of the IOJ

The first law enacted by the Legislative Council in 1879, that watershed year in the Musgrave governorship, was the Telegraph Law on January 3. The establishment of the IOJ and the purchase of the railway by the Government, as we have seen, also took place that year. Law 1 of 1879 earmarked the sum of £7,500 "to be applied in the first instance to the construction of lines of telegraph extending from Kingston to St Ann's Bay, and from Montego Bay to Port Antonio."

Once the law was passed by the Legislature for the establishment of a domestic inland telegraph service, work proceeded rapidly. The Gleaner of September 6, 1879 reported that, "stamps to be used in payment of telegraphic messages round the island have arrived. The lines will very shortly be in full operation. The low price named: one shilling for 20 words."

Internal communication

The first transmission of a telegraph message between Kingston and St Ann's Bay took place on October 20, 1879, only 10 months after the telegraph law had been passed. A few days later, The Gleaner was reporting on October 29 that, "another step toward the perfection of internal communication has been taken. Yesterday, the telegraph lines hence (Kingston) to Spanish Town and Linstead, joining with St Ann, were in working order, and business was conducted steadily throughout the day. The intermediate station of Moneague will open soon".

Within 18 months of the passing of Law 1 of 1879, an all-island telegraph system connecting the main towns was in operation.

Unlike the start of telegraphic service in Britain and the United States which was by private enterprise, the colonial government of Jamaica took charge of the domestic telegraph service from the very start. The Telegraph Law of 1879 said: "Subject to the directions of the Governor, the laying out, construction, erection, maintenance and altering of the telegraphs and of the buildings and erections used in connection therewith and the control of the expenditure of all sums allotted thereto shall be vested in the Director of Roads."

'Telegram posts'

The actual operation of the telegraph service "and the control and management of telegraph business (was) vested in the post master for Jamaica. The post and telegraph department was born. So, also, were the familiar posts and wires along roadways. Before the age of electricity, the posts were 'telegram posts', not 'light posts'.

Kingston had been linked to the rest of the world for telegraphic communication by undersea cable connecting through Cuba from 1869, but there was no domestic service before Governor Musgrave saw to it in 1879, a decade later.

But, from as early as 1859, the Government had considered "establishing communication by electric telegraph throughout the island". On November 1 that year, the Governor, Sir Charles Darling, in an address to the Legislative Council, told members of the Council : "I venture to recommend to your consideration as a public work, which would, I think, fall within the reach of our financial resources and prove of advantage to the interests of commerce, and the conduct of public affairs, while conducing to the protection and convenience of the inhabitants generally, the establishment of communication by electric telegraph between the harbours of Port Morant and Lucea, with the intermediate connection of the principal towns and shipping ports of the island."

Independent postal service

At the time, plans were afoot for the transfer of the ownership and management of the postal service from the British Post Office to the colony. The Jamaica Post Office was established as an independent postal service the following year, 1860.

The governor had addressed the Assembly at the start of November, 1859. But on November 30, he sent a letter to the Legislative Council to advise that while the effect of the transfer of the post office on public revenue is still unascertained, he thought it inadvisable "to propose to the House of Assembly to sanction any expenditure for the purpose of establishing such telegraphic communication."

It would be another 20 years before the matter of a telegraph service would be successfully reactivated by the energetic Governor Musgrave on the recommendation of the postmaster for Jamaica, Mr Fre.