THE BELMANNA RIOTS A Proclamation by Lt. Gov. R.W. Harley Extract from the Tobago Gazette - Friday May 12th 1876 Whereas certain Acts of Incendiarism having taken place in the Windward District of this Island and great resistance having been offered to the arrest of the alleged incendiaries……………………….. And whereas a certain police officer has been killed and others have been dangerously wounded in endeavouring to execute the Warrants for the arrest of the said incendiaries and whereas many persons in the said District have been guilty of serious breaches of the Peace and have used and are still using threats towards the property and persons of Her Majesty's well disposed subjects…………………… I

DO HEREBY DESIRE IT TO BE MADE KNOWN TO ALL - Persons who have been guilty of the said acts and also of any breach of the Peace will be speedily punished with the utmost severity of the law.
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Subsequently, fourty persons were indicted for murder with 16 of them being sentenced to death, later commuted to penal servitude except 2 who were later reprieved. (Slaves were expensive assets). Some historians say that the main body of the revolt was Barbadian immigrant labourers employed on Roxborough estate, while others claim the overseers were Barbadian and harsh disciplinarians. One thing that's certain is the leader, a black woman known as 'Ti Piggi' led the protest and was shot dead by Corporal Belmanna, which act resulted in his own death by the protestors. Proclamation reproduced kind courtesy of La Magdalena by David Phillips - Avl. from Island Investments 639 9901