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| Home of Robert Bradshaw at Fortlands |
BASSETERRE, ST. KITTS, SEPTEMBER 20TH 2006 - The life-size statue of the St. Kitts and Nevis' First Premier and First National Hero, the Right Excellent Sir Robert Llewellyn Bradshaw is to erected in his home village of St. Paul's and his home is to be transformed into a museum.
The announcement has come from St. Kitts and Nevis' Prime Minister, the Hon. Dr. Denzil Llewellyn Douglas in his address to the Federation to mark the 23rd Anniversary of Independence on Tuesday.
Noting that September 16th was celebrated as National Heroes Day " the birthday of Bradshaw " Prime Minister Douglas said the date also kicks off a number of activities to mark the 90th anniversary of the birth of Bradshaw, who was born in 1916.
"The year of activities will include the erection of a Monument in his birth village of St Paul's and the transformation of his home at Fortlands, Basseterre, "Bradshaw's House" into a Museum that will display his Papers, his collection of Art and Artifacts that tell the full story of his achievements from a simple and humble life of sacrifice, commitment, dedication and hard work that is a powerful message to the youths of this fair land of beauty, our proud Federation of St. Kitts and Nevis," said Prime Minister Douglas.
Robert Llewellyn Bradshaw was born at St. Paul's Village, St. Kitts on the 16th September 1916. His parents were Mary Jane Francis and William Bradshaw. He attended the St. Paul's Primary School and reached top class, graduating with the standard VII Certificate.
His first employment was an apprentice in the machine shop of the St. Kilts Sugar factory in 1932. Later he was one of the hundreds of workers who staged a walk out from the sugar factory following a wage dispute with management.
When he and several other workers were refused re-employment, the St. Kitts-Nevis Trades and Labour Union was formed and Mr. Bradshaw became a member of the original Executive Committee. In 1945, he took part in the establishment of the Caribbean Congress of Labour and was elected its first Assistant Secretary.
In 1956, with the advent of the ministerial system of government, Mr. Bradshaw was appointed Minister of Trade & Production. In 1958, he was elected to the legislature of the new West Indies Federation and became the only Federal Minister of Finance. When the Federation was dissolved in 1962, he returned home and reoccupied a seat in the local legislature. After the general elections in July 1966, he was sworn in as Chief Minister. On the 27th February 1967, he became the first Premier of the Associated State of St. Kitts-Nevis and Anguilla.
In January 1975, Premier Bradshaw's government took possession, by law, of all the estate lands in St. Kitts and in December 1976, his government successfully negotiated the take-over of the St. Kitts Basseterre Sugar Factory.
~~Adz:Right~~Premier Bradshaw had long been an advocate of independence for the State of St. Kitts-Nevis and Anguilla. When his Labour Party won all of the seats in St. Kitts in December 1975 with a mandate to take the State into Independence, he conducted independence talks with the United Kingdom Government in London in 1976 and 1977. Premier Bradshaw died on the 23rd May 1978.
