The contribution of Sir

National Library of museum of the Royal Society of Arts and Agriculture, lo­ cated at the south-east corner of Harbour and Orange Streets had been handed over to the Anthony Musgrave Government, when that So­ ciety had become extinct. These relics were housed at , (site of the Above the staircase le!'ding Date Tree Hall, by F. J. DVQUESNAY present Institute), but on the from the Natural History esta ':llishment of the Institute of Jamaica in 1879, by a spe­ Museum to the Lecture in 1828, he was the third son the injured member finally cial law. the premises, toge­ Musgrave, M.D., ot ana Art Galleries of the of Anthony healed. ther with the collection of the Island of . books, historic, natural history, I n s t i t u t e of Jamaica, The accident, however, was to and geological specimens were In 1850, young Musgrave became leave an indelible mark on hangs an oil painting of handed over to the new or­ Private Secretary to the Gov­ Musgrave, for the injured leg Sir Anthony Musgrave by ganization. ernor of the . left him a partial cripple, and the Hon. John Collier. but a year later he went to much of his later years were An inscription beneath it, England and entered at the marked by pain. He was sent Over-worked Inner Temple to study for the to Australia, but shortly after tells us that the portrait bar. His father's death in An­ was offered the governorship Thus was our present Institute was placed in the rooms tigua interrupted his career, of Jamaica. He accepted the for he immediately set sail post, no dou':>t glad to be once born, which today with many of the Institute as a expansive and further plans for the West Indies after re­ more posted to the familiar both in the grateful memorial of his ceiving the news. There he zone of his earlier years. Some for development Ja-. city and country parts con­ acted as Treasurer Account­ time before his arrival in beneficient administration. 24 , 1877, templated for the future, ant for about a year, r�turn­ maica, on August th he houses, amongst its most valu­ ing to London to resume his married again-this time to Either Sir Anthony looked older the able relics, a unique c:>llect1on studies in 1853. daughter of David Dudley than his years, or else the Field of New York. U.S.A., of We&t Indian literature. artist managed to convey an Jeannie Luicinda by name. His It is said that Sir Anthony felt aged impression on his can­ .Administrator family. however, did not ar­ • that his best and most satisfy­ vas, for the portrait is unde- rive with him, but joined him . . ing work was done in Jamai­ niably that of what one would . . in the autumn of that year. le rsumg his stud.les. he collS'ider a rather elderly look- Wh1 ; pu � � ca. But like so many others ing I wa persua e by a fnend to man; yet Sir Anthony was h . dedicated to duty, his health I encer t e ClVrl Servrce, and to oarely sixty years old at the � � 1 Im•lroveinent failed through overwork and apply for he pos of Coloma! he left the Island in April, time of his death. m ' Secretary Antigua. He de- 1883, despite the many peti­ During his six years sojourn In The features, however. as they cided to do so, and obtained tions made to the Secretary the Island, he worked tire­ confront us from the can vas, the post with apparent little of State by the Jamaicans to lessly and with great sincerity are full of gentleness and an difficulty, spurred no doubt, by have his administration in the for the improvement of Ja­ overall benevolenc_e, gentle­ the high regard with which island prolonged. maica, particularly in the ness is particularly centred in his family name was held in 1854 fields of the Arts and Educa­ In the eyes of the subject, that Island. In he mar- , his next assign­ and tion. He was also Instrumental the work itself is of extreme­ r i e d Christiana Eliza':leth, ment, his health broke down ly in establishing the . electric high artistic standard. daughter of the Ron. Sir Wil- completely, but he recovered telegraph, and coastal steam­ Sir AnthGny Musnave was born liam Bryan of Antigua; b'ut and paid a short visit to Ja­ the marriage was of short du- shlp service. maica in 1886. Back in Queens­ l'ation, for Christiana died in land, and approaching his six­ Under his aministration the 1859. tieth birthday. he wrote to the Government purchased the Secretary of State for permis· 1860, railway for the Jamaica Rail In Musgrave was appoint­ ­ sion to retire and return to ed Administrator of the tiny way Company at a cost of England. That letter, however, £93,932, and extended the line; island of Nevis, but two years remained uncompleted, for it later he was made Lieutenant­ the Island's Botanical Depart­ was discovered half-written on Governor of St. Vincent. Here ment was re-organized, provi­ his desk after his sudden his administration was marked sion for the preservation of death on October 9, 1888 the Island Records was intro­ by much trouble, but he un­ when, in the words of hiS duced, and the Jamaica Schol­ ravelled the problems so suc­ wife: "after five hours of al­ arship awarded. cessfully, that his name came ternate pain and swoon he to the attention of the Duke passed from this life". of Manchester, who was Sec­ Musgrave founded the Institute 1889 retary of State for the Colon­ of Jamaica on the lines of the In the Rev. John Radcliffe, 1864, ies, and in Musgrave South Australian Institute, its Rector of the Scots Kirk, who was given considerable pro­ primary purpose ·being the was a member o:f the Board of motion and assigned to New­ fostering and encouragement Governors of the Institute of foundland. Later he· became in all branches of Art, Scien·ce Jamaica, proposed the P.stab­ Governor of , and Literature. lishment of the Musgrave and here he fractured his leg; :Medal as a lasting 1873 the tribute and complications developed, ·but In the articles in old memorial to Sir Anthony. These medals are now ?e­ bestowed as a reward for ac­ complishments in the fields of Science, Literature and Art: the ,gold medal for excellence· the silver f o r sustained achievement by promotion, and the bronze. for individ­ ual performance.

Lady Musgrave's name b. per­ petuated hy the Lady Musgrave Road, and until quite recently, by the Lady Musgrave Wo­ men's Self Help Soelety, founded in 1879 to develop local Industries, and provide employment by self-help for The Daily Gleaner, October 1, 1965. p. 3. poor eraftswomen. This Insti­ tution which did much valu­ able wor.k In the past, has now unfortunately gone into extinc­ tion.