Editor’s note: Dominica celebrated Heritage Day on Sunday in the village of Warner. Below is a short history of the community.
Warner is a village in the parish of St. Paul, situated at the edge of an extensive plateau that lies between the Belfast and Layou River valleys. This flat land was formed by the early eruptions of the Trois Pitons volcano, which stands to the east of the community. Before the time of Christopher Columbus, the area was an Amerindian settlement for the Kalinago people and several pre-Columbian artifacts such as stone tools have been found here. It was fertile farming area for the indigenous people, who grew and processed cassava, corn, beans and other crops.
When the British took over Dominica in 1763, they surveyed the island and cut it into lots for sale. Many planters from the ‘old colonies’ of the Leeward Islands came here to buy land as pioneers on this newly acquired island. Charles Warner of the Antigua was one of these. He was a descendant of Sir Thomas Warner, the leader of the first English group to colonize St. Kitts in 1624. He was related to the Kalinago chief, Thomas ‘Carib’ Warner, who was killed at Massacre in 1674. Charles Warner purchased several properties around Dominica in the parishes of St. Andrew, St. David, St. Joseph and St. Paul, where he had his main estate and this estate was named “Warner” after him. Warner’s plantation here produced sugar, rum, molasses and coffee. In the parish of St. David his name also survives in the Charles Warner River, which is a tributary of the Pagua River, flowing through part of the Kalinago Territory.
The main French road across the island from Layou to Hatton Garden went through Warner. It was called “La Grand Chimen,” it started by the sea at Hillsborough Estate in the area known as “Bord La Mer Gweg” and then climbed up behind Tarreau Cliffs. From there it continued along the Warner ridge to come out at Saulton and then straight across the flat to Penrice. This road became neglected after new roads were built such as the “Imperial road” from Canefield to Pont Casse and also up the Layou Valley after 1902. As a result Warner became a backwater, “Deyey dos Bondyay” as people would say.
Charles Warner was an absentee landowner who did not live in Dominica but left managers to run his plantation. After full slave emancipation in 1838, the estate was abandoned and the ex-slaves and their descendants just continued to occupy the land. Various subdivisions took place in the late 19th century so that in certain parts of the old estate the landholding situation was confused.
For years it remained an isolated settlement with a rough road leading down a ravine from the village to Belfast valley. The coastal village of Mahaut was the commercial and social centre for Warner and there are close ties between families in those two communities. The area is still known for the production of sweet potatoes, yams and vegetables.
In the 1960s, a motor able road to the village was cut through from the Layou Valley near to Saulton so that although it was quite a long way around, vehicles at least could get to Warner. Gradually other developments came to the village. Piped water, electricity and telephones, a village school, health centre and various churches were established. The big change came in the late 1990s, when a steeply cut road was constructed from Jimmit across the flat plateau to connect the village directly with the coast. This created a connection form Jimmit through Warner to Pont Casse and to roads to the north and east of Dominica.
Once more there was a major thoroughfare across the island through Warner, just as the old “Grand Chemin” had been. It opened up some three hundred acres of land mainly for housing. New suburban homes continue to be built across the Warner flat and a new neighbourhood is developing as people get to know each other and join with the original villagers to create a strong community, therefore, the transformation of Warner that has been stimulated by these recent developments is still in action as we celebrate Heritage Day 2012.
I would love it if the Government would try and follow all the slave tracks on the island. For example in the Belles area there are still horse tracks which were built long ago. The conditions of the stone tracks tells it all. I have tried following the tracks from the Stone Hill area leading to the 99 steps in the Jacko flats, but some farmers have moved the stones to plant. I will continue to cherish those tracks on my property, to me they have sentimental values.
Dr Honychurch, thank you for preparing this information. For those who are interested it was published in the Heritage Day programme booklet. A few copies are availabe from any of the people involved in the planning, just ask anyone from Warner. This year’s Heritage Day was reportedly one of the best.
The building in the photograph still stands along with three other similar buildings. The general public is encouraged to visit. A truly vintage part of the history of Warner.
Thank you for that bit of history. I was born and raised in Warner but don’t recall being taught the history. Perhaps this is something that needs to be done for each village and taught in the primary school.
I am really very thankful for this.
Great job. I hope DNO will publish such excellent expose on other villages and towns around Dominica, on a regular basis.
Great job, my parents lives in warner and i grew up there, i live in the US now but just brought back soo much memories.
thants DNO
people you ever wonder where are the old tools and artifax found on Dominica….we are so full of history and our artifax are no where to be seen..i wonder what lennox knows about them hmmm…like the clay pot which was one of it kind found in galion..it now sits in a museum in france and its worth millions….
thats y there is a museum
It is not a “clay pot”. It is a stone zemi or religious object that was found in the cave near the Soufriere RC Church over 100 years ago when the church was being built. The workers brought it to the French priest and he sent it to France and that is how it found itself in the museum in Paris.
Lennox gave a talk in Soufriere about it some time ago. He also put a panel about it in the Soufrier Sulphur Springs visitor centre where you can read about it.
Just thought I would help to get the facts straight.
THESE HOUSE ARE MUCH MORE STRONGER THAN THE HOUSE THAT PEOPLE BUILD TODAY…WOOD WAS PUT IN TO KEEP THE WOOD IN PLACE ,VERY FEW NAILS ARE USED IN THOSE DAYS…THE CRACKING SOUNDS THAT IT MAKES HAPPENS ONLY WHEN IT IS SUNNY BUT WHEN IT RAINS THE WOOD TIGHTENS AND GO BACK IN PLACE …MUCH MORE RESISTANT TO HURRICANES AS A MATTER OF FACT..
Age of that house?
How young is that house?
Lennox, thanks for cataloging Dominica’s history in such brilliant fashion that a novice can sort of feel they are on a journey. I hope we can have a history musium, where you can have audio recordings of our history to match pictorial scenes. I really hope this happen soon to preserve our history. It would be a same if we don’t have a musium like that, because we have a rich history. Thanks again and may God bless you with long life to share more with us.
thanks for the history have never been there will visit on my next trip to DA, more info on other villages would be welcomed, dont wait for heritage day..
WHAT A PRETTY PIC.WHY DOSE IT LOOK LIKE THERE IS SNOW IN THE BACK GROUND?
just the black n white image man not colored, its good to see we still have some of those to showcase uh.
great piece on our history,hope its being implemened in our schools
Thanks DNO for the piece of history, wish i had that information last year when i represented Warner in the CDOA madam wob Dwiyet show. I will save it for future reference