MY COUSIN, RAYMOND JAMES, ASKED ME TO PASS ON THIS FASCINATING ACCOUNT OF AN IMPORTANT OF PIECE COMMUNITY HISTORY; WHICH I'M ONLY TOO HAPPY TO DO!


Not too many years ago, there was no running water in the entire South St Elizabeth area, and specifically in and around Treasure Beach. The residents got their water supply from public wells that dotted the region from Great Bay in the east to Fort Charles in the west. People of the districts in the elevated regions starting from the Police station and northwards, had to provide their own private water catchment like tanks, to store water for domestic usage. Government provided public water tanks for those unable to build their own tanks.
Water wells were once a popular place to meet and greet members of the community. It was a daily chore inflicted on children mainly to visit the well and to bring home water for the family’s daily needs. Very few adults did this “menial” task, but if there were no children in the family, adults had to do it. Animals had to be provided water on a daily basis also, so cisterns were built adjacent to wells so that they could be herded to the well and given water. It was not a light task to draw hundreds of buckets each day to feed a fair sized herd of cows, horses, goats. The residents were careful to keep the wells clean because we were all drinking this unfiltered water. There were exceptions, however; some unthinking, irresponsible individual would defecate in the well. If this became known, and I am sure it was not usually known, the word would spread quickly and members of the district would wring their hands in mourning. I cannot recollect what steps were taken after such an incident.
Wells exit where there is water underground. It is difficult to comprehend that an extensive aquifer sits below Treasure Beach and the surrounding region, but it does. Trace the location of public wells that existed some years ago, and there is one or more in Great Bay, one called Ballads well, Lennon’s Well, Gilpin’s well, Fred Ebanks well, Bluntas well, Moxam well , wells in Frenchman, Black Spring well, and several other privately owned wells in residents’ yards that dot the region. The quality of the water from these wells is quite good, and some are better than others. With the advent of water pipes supplying the districts, there was no need for wells to exist, but they are part of the heritage of the region. The lands around these wells were deemed public property.
Well water was not popular for laundry purposes, it is said they are hard water and not sudsy, so rain water was the preferred medium. The people with private tanks used that water for bathing and laundry, and others used water from the ponds around to do their laundry.
Unlike wells, ponds are above ground, but they followed the same line as water did below ground. Starting in Great bay, there is Long Pond, Pen pond, Great pond, Ginny pond, Snakker pond, Fish pond, Shaw pond, and smaller ponds in Billy’s Bay. If one traced these catchment areas, the relationship with the underground reservoir would be quite evident. When the ponds dried up, the wells were not quite as productive either. That verified the connection to underground reservoir.
Certain protocols existed at the wells: young men would volunteer to pull up the water for teenage girls, older women and children. The filled buckets, ‘kerosene tins’, or whatever vessel was used were quite heavy, so help was needed to hoist these containers onto to the heads of the water carriers. There was always someone to ‘help you up’. To prevent the water from sloshing out of the vessels as they were carried along, there was a practice of putting small branches of lignum vitae leaves in the water. To cushion the load on the heads of the bearers, a cotta was placed on top of the head and the bucket positioned on top of this cotta. Cotta is an Arabic word that was used exactly for load carrying in the Middle East even today. It ended up as a donut shaped coil of cloth.
Wells served a useful purpose in earlier times and it would be a wonderful idea to restore a few of these abandoned sources of water, even just for posterity. They would come in handy during times of water shortages.
As a small boy the writer was lowered into a well along the laneway that runs south of the Sandy Bank School. Fortunately it was a shallow well but nevertheless quite a traumatic experience.
A goat had fallen in and if it was not rescued would have died and polluted that well for a long time. After much coaxing I agreed to go in, unfasten myself, tie my harness around the goat so they could pull it out, with me left down that well without a lifeline. That was a frightening experience, and I still shiver when I recall it. There were two or three huge colourful crabs with giant claws that sat undisturbed as I worked and some giant sized bullfrogs that gave me nightmares for weeks afterwards. I have always hated bullfrog.
When it was all over and they pulled me up I was congratulated and praised for being brave, but I was still shaking and I felt much abused.
- Raymond James

Thanks Raymond and Earl.
I must add a little misfortune here.
We lost the moxam's well from the flood waters
of hurricane Ivan, It just implode.
Did you know that the Bluntas well was built by the Tianos,? and do you guys remember the story of Hilton who fell in that well twice and live to talk about it.
Bluntas well is 76 ft. deep.
In both case he went to draw water and "fits take him".He was going down head ways hit his forehead on the wall of the well this spin him to go down foot first. with the air in his loose shirt this break the speed of his fall like a parachute.

Thanks for sharing this story.
I took these pictures in Feb. 2010 at Back Seaside. Is this one of the wells? I was told it was for the animals to drink from and the land used to be all around it but a hurricane washed it away.

Earl up to this day I have night mares when I think about those wells especially the one in Bluntas. I often say to myself I still can't believe no one fell into those wells. Those wells I don't want to remember

To add to the wells, there was "Uncle John Well" in Billy's Bay and "Uncle Joe Joe Well" in Frenchman. It would be interesting if someone would say whatever happened to them.

Thanks for sharing, Earl. I love hearing that history.

Hi guys, I'm happy that you are all enjoying the history and thanks, Bowl and Jeannieb, for the additional input; but the credit here goes principally to Raymond. Ray is a treasure house of information about the old days and I'm just happy he is so willing to share with us. I'm simply the conduit in this case.
All the best!
Earl

Neville Reynolds well,Br Steven well the one where most people watered their cattle when I was a little girl very near the (famous cassia tree). It later was told that well belonged to the James family.....Cecil James (White Bud)as he was called then.
There was a well also where Sam Hill lived.

Wells,wells everywhere. Those were the good old days.

This is great, I remember when my cuz Gurvan Parchment and I would run cow down to Br Steven well when we were boys. Never forget Dem Good Ole Day's. Would anyone know when and who made that well? Is it as obvious as Breda Steven or the Government. I never new my father but was told he was in the area to find water and dig wells. His last name is Sobocan and his first name might be Atso and my Mom is Genette Stephenson, her maiden name is Ebanks. Daughter of Miss Attily and Septi Ebanks. I was told by my Mom that he was from Yugoslavia or maybe Czechoslovakia. She was never quite sure bless her soul. She was 19 at the time and worked at the Treasure beach hotel when they met, Dr. Brown ran or owned the hotel at the time. The year would be 1966, I was born in 67. If any of the older gents have any input that would be much appreciated. Thanks and keep the stories coming, love to hear what my Elders have to say. Much Respects

I wonder whether any of these wells would have sufficient water to merit being further developed to serve the needs of the community?

The water in some of them was saline (salty), I have been told, because of their proximity to the sea; but it is possible that one or two could be good enough for commercial operation.

That's something that the Parish Council or the National Water Commission could explore; I suppose.

Re Wells stories from jenny.My father and his sister Iris were oral historians.One story that fascinated me was that at the abolishment of slavery each family was given a cow and the well was given to the families.I recall this well being in front of the lane to the Beach and is used for parking.I recall a cousin wanting to utelise this land for some kind of building over my fathers objections.He solicited support from the community.I recall many stories.Is this one a fable? comments please.I am of the Reynolds and James families

Jenny, I heard the story about someone wanting to erect a building there as well and the objectings. I also heard that it does not belong to any one person or family.

The older people are dying and there is so much history that they knew that most of us younger ones do not know.

Keep it coming cuz.

Love and God bless.

Carol.

Jenny, Carol,Nigel S & Meex

Weren't there two wells, one in Uncle Stephens yard and one under the big cassia tree(not as big as I used to remember it). What was the name of the well? I remember the story Jenny mentioned, and Uncle Pepper would have none of it.He was the original community activist! I think Shiela inherited his genes in this regard.
This piece of land belongs to the community, and maybe in the future, it could be used for some community project. I have some ideas, and I am going to 'knock head' with Earl Moxam, who I met on Friday. He seems to be a genuinely nice person.
Who built that well on the beach? Wouldn't the water be very salty?

Carlton,

Yes, you are correct. There was a well on uncle Stephen's property and one at the big cassia tree. I do not remember the name of the well.

One Love.

God bless.

jenny responding to Cuzs Carol and Carlton.Thanks for info. on wells I recall two wells in addition to that of Brother Stephens.Love the memories but would not want to draw and carry water.What a blessing to reach for a bottle and sip.Yes I recycle and yes the wells were bracish.Today our children and grandchildren could not survive the lives we had but look how much we have learned and how far we have come with grace to lead us on.LUV you dear cousins and all of wonderful TBeach and its wonderful residents.

Hi Jenny,

I am really enjoying the bit of history that I gather from this very well appreciated website.

Love you too cuz.
Take care and God bless.

Meex, the two names you mentioned in your August post are both my uncles. One on my mother's side and one on my father's side.

Jenny Reynolds responds to Meex its so great to be aware of all the cuzs I have. I hope that one of you bright smart young people will research and doccument our history.A best seller and movie of travelers survivors preachers teachers and scoundrels.I awaiting to purchase my copies.LOVE all of YOU cuzs out there and a big SHOUT OUT TO ALL OF TREASURE BEACH where we all began. May GOD bless us all. jenny.

yes uncle john" Well is still there and in very
good drinking order, thanks to his granddaughter who does the upkeep, in remembrance
of her Grandfather.

That is great news about "Uncle John Well"! I never thought it would be still in useable order. I have vivid memories of that well but sadly of how I almost lost a close relative to it.
Thanks to that granddaughter.

Is there any other well in the area that is still useable. What about blunts well.?

Thanks Ray/Earl for this fantastic stories of wells in t/b this brings back memories of trip to billys bay by my self, Leartise,Danley will not proclaim to be our finest hour in youthfull exuberance we had infact defile uncle john well to the great displeasure of some of the locals who had chased us ,years later we all became good friends with the other youths that had been so irritated and was able to reflect on that incident that shamed us to this day.

perhaps someone could organise a well tour. I grew up on a small farm in illinois. Before a well was dug there, someone would use a willow branch and "witch" for water to tell where to dig.I remember going deep into a dried up well with my father, and even that was frightening, but interesting. well, well. what a deep subject