Merry-Go-Rounds in Jamaica in the 1890s
The merry-go-round craze continued through the 1890s, although a Gleaner correspondent wrote from Savannah-la-Mar in 1895, with some optimism, that
At last there appears to be some chance of a quell in the “merry-go-round"
craze which has for so long been going, without restriction, the round of
various districts, to the annoyance of peaceful householders.
An attempt was made by the police in Chapelton in 1892 to stop the merry-go-round nuisance by charging Hugh Augustus Rose for creating a Common Law Nuisance with his Merry-go-round. When Rose was sentenced to pay a fine of 20s., or in default 14 days hard labour in the St. Catherine's District Prison, the magistrate remarked that this was apparently a test case in which the prosecution was not asking for a heavy penalty. However, the verdict was reversed on appeal and Rose proceeded to sue, without success, the police inspector concerned, for ‘malicious prosecution and false imprisonment on a charge of creating a Common Law Nuisance with the Merry go round.’ The failure of this ‘test case’ by the police meant that H A Rose and others were free to operate their merry-go-rounds without fear of prosecution. So a correspondent in Old Harbour complained in December 1892 -
The Merry-go round, that abominable public nuisance, has again visited us; and
Mr. Rose, the proprietor, laughs while, attracted by that most atrocious drumming,
the idle and ignorant feast on "rides and drives" and have their "tin" all spent.
The merry-go-rounds continued on their parallel courses through the decade. Race meetings and other sporting functions often included a merry-go-round among their attractions; at the Montpelier Sports in 1898 it was reported
. . . there were, as before, all sorts and varieties of sports besides the racing.
As on the former occasion a “Merry-go-round ;" " Bow-so-roe ;" " John Canoe"
- Cow head dancing, perfectly indescribable as before, and other fancy dancing,
all going on with the greatest good order and good temper.
The association of the merry-go-round with ‘Bow-so-roe’, ‘John Canoe’ and ‘cow head dancing’, all ‘folk customs’ with a long history, seems to indicate a perception that it had become an accepted part of the culture of working-class Jamaicans.
On the other hand the complaints and adverse connotations continued. In August 1894 a murder occurred among a group of people leaving a merry-go-round at Temple Hall and later that year, in December, a letter in the Gleaner complained of
the very unseemly conduct of quite a large number of the rowdy element that
congregate nightly at a merry go round at the corner of Oxford and Beeston
Streets where the unwashed indulge in most disgusting language, much to the
annoyance of respectable residents.
Appeals to the authorities produced no results and the writer despondently asked
Is it possible that quiet and unoffending citizens should be made to suffer nights
of torture without the slightest consideration from the authorities? Of course
the Mayor who sanctioned this lives away from the city, consequently it is no
nuisance to him. I think the Race Course is the proper place for such amusements.
Chapelton continued to have problems; in May 1895 it was noted that
The Merry go Round made its appearance on Wednesday evening and at once
started its hideous noise. With the riff raffs and the beating of the drum, it
makes things unbearable. It is said they will be here for two weeks.
In 1895 also the situation in Sav-la-Mar continued to cause concern:
A fight took place amid one of these [merry-go-round] scenes on Saturday
evening last, and it is reported that one of the two parties in question (a woman)
was struck and seriously hurt, occasioning the arrest of the guilty parties who
are now in the jail awaiting further developments of the case. These
"merry-go-rounds" as conducted among the peasantry are certainly no reasonable
form of enjoyment, and the sooner something is done to at least restrict the
hours of riot arising therefrom the better Between the happy family of
Salvationists and the equal[ly] riotous riders of the "merry-go-round" the peace
of quiet homesteads is seriously interfered with.
The Salvation Army itself tried to take on the merry-go-rounds; they held, as one of their meetings, a ‘Trial of the Devil’, in Savanna-la-Mar, and one of the charges laid against the devil was that he ‘owned a merry go-round in the town of Sav la-Mar, which very nearly occasioned a murder some few months ago.‘ Nevertheless complaints of the nuisance caused by both ‘merry-go-rounds’ and Salvation Army meetings continued, and the point was raised that on occasions those who complained confused the merry-go-round drums with those of the Army. In defence of the Army it has to be said that some of the problem was caused by bogus ‘Salvation Army’ groups with no connection to the official organization.
In 1898 an interesting complaint, also from Sav-la-Mar, throws some light on the question of how merry-go-rounds were transported:
. . . all day on Sunday the merry go-round people were engaged in pulling
down their machine to pieces prior to its removal by the coastal steamer
on Wednesday.
The writer complains of
this desecration of the Sabbath day and says it took place on a piece of land
in the main street which belongs to the Municipal Board and is not far from
the Parish Church.
In general, however, it seems that, as the decade and the century drew to a close, the ever-popular merry-go-round, became an increasingly respectable form of entertainment, and its money-earning potential roused increasing interest.
In 1899 Sunday School children at Mile Gully were entertained at the Rectory with merry-do-rounds and swings. In January 1900 a merry-go-round at Hope Bay drew a small crowd in the evenings and all day Saturday though ‘on account of the little money in circulation it is not likely to be long here.’ In May a picnic at Buff Bay went well except that - ‘During the operations of the merry go round the pole broke in two, causing the occupants to fall to the ground.’ Fortunately they were, however none the worse for their fall.’ In June the Mechanics Association, a popular Friendly Society, put on a Gala Day at Kendal, for which special trains were run; along with sports and games, and a band and dancing, a merry-go-round was a special attraction.
Perhaps most significantly, the merry-go-round became an established attraction at Rockfort Gardens, a venue for popular entertainment which was just beginning its decades-long career when it was opened on July 18, 1899. The Gardens were served by the Windward Road street car line, which ended just beyond their gates. The site of the Gardens was owned then (and still is today) by the electricity company that ran the street cars.
In June 1900 a patron of the Gardens complained of ‘the poorness of the entertainment at Rockfort gardens on Wednesday evenings’. On the previous Wednesday
…it seemed particularly bad; the lights were wretched, the band was worse, the
instruments being much out of tune, and the Merry go round making its hubbub
while the band was playing. Allow me to say that that kind of thing it not likely
to attract the public. The vendors of sweeties and pindars [peanuts] are also
objectionable as they block the entrance to the gardens and offend one by their
most unmusical cries. I beg to make a suggestion which I hope those who manage
affairs will act upon.
Rockfort gardens is a very desirable place of resort in the afternoon much more
so than in the evening when the mosquitoes are often unbearable, I would suggest
that the band play once a week from 4.30 to 7 p,m. It is then that mothers and
children, and nurses and children would very much appreciate it, and I am sure
that there are many who would take a drive to the gardens in the afternoon who
will not do so at night. Then a rule might be made that the merry go-round only
make "music" when the band is not playing.
But in the same month a two-day Garden Party organised in aid of the Roman Catholic Church was very successful and a merry-go-round was a well-patronised amusement.
It had become clear that the merry-go-round was a serious money-making venture. From Sav-la-Mar in October 1898 ‘Inquirer’ wrote
The steam merry-go-round is having a prosperous career in Savanna la-Mar, and
bringing in, it is said, about forty pounds a week. Of course, it is a legitimate
business, and I have nothing to say against the owner or owners who are working
for their money. But here is an object lesson. Destitution and semi-starvation are
seen on every hand. Some would say that it cannot be really so, or so much money
could not be spent in this way night after night. If appearances go for anything, the
people who patronize the merry-go-round are people who pay no taxes, and are
neither house holders nor land owners. Then the question arises, should they not
be taxed? It is evident that they can afford to pay
In the following years the sales of merry-go-rounds drew attention to their value as business ventures. In October 1899 there was an advertisement for ‘An American Merry-go-Round with Steam Engine and all appliances complete. A safe and profitable investment for the approaching Races and Xmas Holidays.’ In August 1900 the Auctioneers Messrs Alexander Berry and Son offered for sale at their auction room at 109 Harbour Street a ‘Merry Go Round, Engine and Boiler and all the appurtenances belonging thereto’; according to the advertisement ‘Anyone who is desirous of running the business themselves can make a handsome living.’ A news item stated that this was the ‘merry go round which has attracted thousands to the Race Course for several months past’ and that
It has been alleged that hundreds of pounds have already been earned by this
very amusing sport and the only reason why the present owner is parting with it
is on account of his inability to attend to it himself. Evidently a good living is in
store for any one who is desirous of going after the investment.
From 1898 Montego Bay comes a glimpse of the way in which merry-go-round barkers may have drummed up business, including that of D A Corinaldi, the long-time Member of the Legislative Council for St James:
" Walk this way sir! Step this way! Pon my word we'll make you giddy for threepence
and sea-sick for sixpence. Mount the wooden horse and play gee gee all for two tups.
This is the only original roundabout and whirligig and patent way of wasting money.
You haven't got threepence? Well bless my soul! can't you steal a bunch of bananas
and sell them and then come along. The money isn't yours my child. Never mind!
jump on and tell your father you owe it. Now she starts on her longest journey --
all for a quattie and two naggins - all of two jills and a tup. You too heavy sir?
Nonsense! the hon. member has been on many times and we don't broke yet. Right
away and the wonderful horses go round and round to the music that Kingston loves
so well - and somebody pays the piper.”
[naggin/noggin = farthing/¼d/quarter of a penny
gill/jill = three-farthings/¾d/three-quarters of a penny
quattie/tup = penny-half-penny/1½d/a quarter of sixpence
fip/fippence = three pence/3d]
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Rockfort Gardens, Kingston's favourite amusement park
for at least three decades, was on the road to the Rock Fort. It was opened in 1899.
