Commander Carlyon Wilfroy Bellairs (R.N.) Christie Lovat, Vijayata Patel & Danielle J. Donnelly

Bellairs, the Naval Commander existing naval devices, which were subsequently adopted by the navy.

Carlyon Wilfroy Bellairs was born March 15th 1871, the third son of

Lieutenant General Sir William Bellairs (d. 1913) and Blanche St-John Moschzisker. His father, Sir William

Bellairs was a career soldier; much- decorated and knighted for distinguished military service overseas.

Although we know little about Sir William, he was certainly a man proud of his son’s work. Several letters from Sir William enthusiastically praised his son as “adding to the illustrious HMS Active (1897) www.battleshipscruisers.co.uk. Bellairs name”. The opinion of his father meant a lot to the young Bellairs, While in command of the HMS Active as he retained these letters in his (pictured above), Bellairs recorded his personal files throughout his life. first visit to Barbados; arriving in port at 10:30 in the morning of March 1st, 1890. There are no records of Bellairs’ personal opinion of the island at this time, but we can only assume he was impressed, as he would later chose to

settle on the island with his wife.

Bellairs, the Journalist and Politician

Commander Bellairs retired from the Navy in 1902, to pursue a second career in journalism and politics. Many Commander Bellairs Parents years later Bellairs continued to recount the exploits of his naval years fondly… Bellairs was educated as a naval “I may have forgotten some of my cadet, first at school, then in the navy. navigation and seamanship, still I have On January 15th, 1884 (at age 13) he an old affection for the sea service, and boarded the H.M.S. Britannia. Bellairs I know what the comradeship of the sea proved himself to be an able seaman. He service is like. They are the best rose quickly through the ranks to comrades in the world.” Bellairs Lieutenant (1888) and Commander. He continued to follow the events of the invented several improvements on Navy during his journalistic years, and it featured as a prominent topic in his military background like C.W. Bellairs, political life. daughter of the late Colonel H.L. Pierson of Laurence, Long Island. Bellairs entered politics as Liberal Perhaps this mutual understanding of MP for Kings’ Lynn in 1906. He was military life helped the two live in his element as a parliamentarian in harmoniously. pre-war Britain, penning many scathing articles on Britain’s unpreparedness for During the time between their an upcoming war with Germany or marriage (July 8th, 1911) and Bellairs’ France and trying to push Britain to next stint in parliament, the couple strengthen her neglected Navy. Perhaps spent several years as members of the the lack of action from his political Lansdowne club in Barbados. The party caused Bellairs to lose faith in the Bellairs’ continued visits to the Liberals, because in 1909 he defected to Caribbean island showed the the Conservative party. appreciation they shared for the island.

Bellairs during his early years as a member of parliament. Commander Bellairs and his wife Charlotte. [Image: Lafayette].

He was voted best dressed by his In 1913, Bellairs returned to politics. peers, a newspaper article from the time He served as a member on the London said, “Commander Bellairs remains one County Council until 1915, when the of the most striking personalities. Tall, next parliamentary elections were held. with iron grey hair, beautifully brushed, At this point, Bellairs was elected to he wears a monocle with distinction, represent the Maidstone Borough for the and what is more, apparently with Conservative Unionist Party. During comfort, and he talks in an attractive these years before and during WWI, voice, with a suggestion of a languid Bellairs’ past experience as a naval drawl in it. But he can be incisive too.” officer was once again a great asset to his political and journalistic career. At the In 1910, Bellairs took a break from end of WWI, Bellairs was elected MP for political life to nurture a new Kent (Unionist Party), and represented relationship with Charlotte Pierson. this constituency until his retirement Charlotte was an American from a in 1931, although in 1922 he switched back to the Conservative Party when the soaked with the tears of an unhappy, Unionists disbanded. oppressed people in the shackles of slavery”. During his remaining time in Bellairs also anticipated the strife parliament, Bellairs often lectured to caused by Jewish settlements in the senior officers at the College Middle East. For example, he and was president of the Poetry Society. commented venomously on what he He received several honours. These viewed as an imminent war promoted in included the Silver Medal, from the Britain’s old Palestine mandate by the Society of the Arts, and the offer of a failure of the British and Americans to baronetcy in 1927 (which he respectfully ensure equal rights to both Palestinians declined). and Jews. He wrote, “There is no democracy or liberty about it but just Bellairs, Promoter of Human Rights frank blackmail.”

During his later years in parliament Bellairs spoke strongly against as a Conservative, Bellairs spoke out organized religion, an uncommon thing strongly on many human rights issues, for a political figure at the time. For which ironically would have branded example, he repeatedly criticized the him a progressive liberal by modern superfluous wealth amassed by the Pope standards. During 1918, Bellairs and clergymen at the expense of their expressed his adamant support for the flock. Of this, he wrote, “The religion of Woman’s Suffrage Bill (he referred to materialism is the only one really suited this as the Woman’s Emancipation to man”. Bill), citing how bravely women had stepped up during the First World War to support the country. In one article, he wrote admiringly, “Women are doing much themselves to shake men out of apathy into cooperative effort, so as to build a better world and a better Commonwealth.” After the Suffrage Bill was passed, Bellairs continued to actively support womens’ rights in

Britain and abroad, and would eventually bequeath his considerable estate to a women’s educational institution. Commander Carlyon Bellairs (1922) during his prosperous He detested slavery and denounced political years. [Image: Bassano, National Portrait Gallery, the purchase of timber by the British London]. Empire from the Soviet Union, where Bellairs also felt that the education prisoners of war and peasants (driven system at that time was not up to par, and into slavery through excessive taxes) wrote, “Education in its present stages, were used to cut and process the both at home and abroad, has lumber. He wrote “...the timber from disappointed us all.” Soviet Russia is red with the blood and He was also in favour of divorce, buildings. There were also crops of when the situation warranted it. He felt sugar cane, cassava, bananas, guavas, that divorce shouldn’t be such a taboo in limes, coconuts, and a few head of society, and that it could be better for the poultry and dairy cows. Today, the parents as well as the children. He wrote, Bellairs Research Institute lands are …“Separation indeed is a duty to considerably smaller, following sale of themselves as well as the general some land to a neighbouring resort (The wellbeing. To be with quarrelling Coral Reef Club). Although Seabourne parents is a most unfavorable House still stands, other structures on environment for children.” the property were replaced by dormitories and research facilities. Although Bellairs retired prior to There is now little evidence of the crops World War II, he continued to follow and livestock once present on this the military news closely. He was property although c o c o n u t s a r e particularly disturbed by the concept of s t i l l collected from the coconut trees. nuclear weapons, and their use in a civilian setting. In his words, “It was a ghastly mistake to use atom bombs against Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Even if we allow that the war was not already won by the operation, there should have been a prior attempt to make the Japanese understand the situation...” Ever the optimist, he later predicted that the existence of nuclear technology would both put an end to superfluous wars between nations, and provide cheap electricity to the poor. Seabourne House seen from the beach (1962) [Image: The McGill Archives]. Bellairs, in Retirement Unfortunately, only a year after the Bellairs and his wife bought a 5- happily married couple moved into acre property on the oceanfront in Seabourne House, Charlotte passed away Barbados in 1936. They promptly built (1939). Bellairs chose to stay in the a house on the property and moved home they built together for the there permanently in 1938. This remainder of his life. Although he often residence, known as Seabourne House, wrote to , and continued an remains on the Bellairs Research interest in military events, both in Institute property today. However, there England and overseas, there are no was a considerable difference between records of him returning to his homeland. the property donated by Bellairs, and the Bellairs Research Institute as it The Bequest of the Bellairs’ Estate exists today. In 1951, when Bellairs first contacted the University, his estate In 1951, Bellairs began his quest to consisted of Seabourne House, three bequeath his property to a women’s smaller houses, and several small out- college as a memorial to his wife. Initially, it was his desire to donate the of the functions and conditions he property to Wellesley College of Boston, had originally intended for Wellesley a women’s liberal arts college. It was College. He also bequeathed his his idea to have the property used as a considerable collection of personal health and rest resort for staff, to help manuscripts, books, and political build relations between the college and writings to the Royal Victoria College, the West Indies. along with a stipend of 400£ for a young female student to build her future career on the information he had collected over his lifetime. In 1954, James F. Cyril traveled down to Barbados and officially opened the Bellairs Research Institute. Happily, Bellairs lived long enough to see the creation of the educational memorial he made to the memory of his wife Charlotte. He died in 1955.

Bellairs in his later years In 1951, Bellairs came across the “Royal Commission on National Development in the Arts, Letters and Sciences” (otherwise known as the report of the Massey Commission), and became enamored with the idea of promoting Canadian culture. He almost The elderly Bellairs, at Seaborne house (seated back right) immediately contacted the Right Honourable Charles Vincent Massey Bellairs’ Legacy (the Governor General of Canada at the time), and requested that Mr. Massey Bellairs’ accomplishments were direct him towards a suitable women’s many, throughout a long and eventful college in Canada to receive his life. In the British Navy, he contributed property. Mr. Massey recommended naval inventions and books of military that Bellairs consider the Royal Victoria strategy. As politician and journalist, College for Women in Montreal. At the he was a strong human rights advocate. time, this was the women’s College of A dedicated husband, and educational McGill University. Bellairs was philanthropist, he donated his property enthusiastic about the idea, and as a tribute to his wife Charlotte, for the immediately contacted the then cause of education in Canada. Several Principal of McGill University, James generations of researchers and students F. Cyril. Through a series of letters, it have now benefited from this bequest. was eventually decided that Bellairs Bellairs was, in every sense, an would donate his property to the Royal exemplary model of “Mastery for Victoria College for women, to serve all Service.” Authors’ Comments assistant, has helped to discover more information and pictures from the Professor Danielle J. Donnelly is the Bellairs’ archive. McGill Director of the Barbados Interdisciplinary Tropical Studies Bellairs Research Institute (BITS) program. This is a joint activity between McGill University and The The Bellairs Research Institute has University of the West Indies (UWI). seen considerable research and teaching The program was initiated in 2009. “As since this property was donated to the students and staff arrived at Bellairs Royal Victoria College of Women in Research Institute, they had no idea the 1950s. Every year, groups of who Bellairs was, and there were few in students occupy the residences built in Barbados who could contribute much the 1960s to replace the various information about the original owner of outbuildings on the property. Visiting this property”. researchers and professors live at In 2009, Prof. Donnelly sent Seaborne House; one apartment upstairs undergraduate student Ms. Christie and the main house, with Lovat on a mission to the McGill accommodation for about six, Library’s Rare Books and Special downstairs. More are accommodated Collections (RBSC) to see what could upstairs of the Brace Building, rebuilt in be found of Bellair’s papers. There were 2008, with a library, offices, and two dozens of cardboard boxes of jumbled large classrooms. writings. By luck, and with great For over 20 years, groups of 5 – 25 excitement, Christie found Bellairs’ students in the Barbados Fall Study will! Prof. Donnelly was fascinated to Semester (BFSS) have enjoyed the learn that Bellairs had left £400 sterling campus on the beach every fall. For the to have his papers organized after his past 7 years, another cohort of up to 20 death (by a female library student!) students in the BITS program have While his papers had been transferred to joined UWI students for a summer of Montreal, they had never been sorted. project work and experiential studies. Much of this material was mildewed, Every winter for many years, McGill and some had been discarded over the and international mathematicians have years. The tropics had not been good for congregated at the Bellairs Research this paper collection! Nevertheless, Institute for week-long workshops. Christie kept exploring and a picture of Geography, Biology, and other Bellair’s life began to emerge. Profs departments at McGill run annual Donnelly and Virr (Head and Curator of workshops of varying duration. Manuscripts, RBSC) requested that the Bellairs sincerely felt that students McGill Principal of the time (Heather educated in the temperate world could Monroe Blum) support a female vastly benefit from exposure to the summer student to put the collection in tropics. He would have enjoyed the order, with Prof. Virr to supervise. This knowledge that so many students have allowance was quickly granted. Once benefited, and continue to benefit, from this treasure trove was catalogued, his wonderful gift. This campus is a exploration of these papers was greatly fitting tribute indeed to his much loved facilitated. Ms. Vijayeta Patel, BITS wife, Charlotte Bellairs!