Two Great Leaders...

Havana, June 1981: Dr. Fidel Castro, Dick Francis.
The two Great Leaders have enjoyed a special relationship for many years.

Did you know?

The renowned sociologist, philosopher, cultural theorist and political commentator Hector Berry-Smith (1929-1984) had strong connections with Tamba-Tamba.
His mother, Hester Berry, was one of the Berry's of Tamba- Tamba. His father, Collin Scott Smith was a South African sea captain.
Hector was born in Cape Town and after studying at Cambridge he settled in London and Paris.
He visited the island on a number of occasions in the 1950's.
Hector Berry-Smith was one of only a few European based political commentators to write at length about The Revolution, and his work on the US Blockade of 1983- Simulacra of Oppression- The Blockade as Absurdist Theatre is considered a classic.

Heroes of The Revolution

Natalie Victoria Berry - 'The Fearless Girl Soldier'.

In an era when female freedom fighters often grabbed the headlines and the imagination of the public (Ulrike Meinhoff, Leila Khaled), Tamba- Tamba had Natalie Victoria Berry.

Natalie Victoria was a very promising scholar and a keen student of revolutionary politics, joining the forces of Dick Francis at a very young age. She was a great advocate of direct action and welcomed the Revolution as an opportunity to exact revenge on the military oppressors.

Following the Revolution she was engaged in diplomatic work for The People's Council, travelling to Brazil, Cuba and Vietnam.

She disappeared whilst visiting The Soviet Union, and is believed to still be living and working in Russia.

The Great War

In 1914 news still took about three weeks to reach Tamba - Tamba from either Europe or the United States.
Clifton Gates officially received the news that Britain had declared war on Germany (4th August) on September 2nd.
An extraordinary meeting of the Council was held.
The possibility of Tamba- Tamba declaring war on Germany was discussed.
Sir Hugo Gates spoke of the strong ties that existed between Tamba-Tamba and the British Empire, even after 60 years of independence.
Clifton Gates pointed out that the United States was maintaining neutrality. He was increasingly enamoured with the USA. On a practical note, he pointed out that Germany was an emerging naval power and that a declaration of war might invite irresistable hostility from the Germans.
Leading citizen, Jeremiah Cox took the stance that Tamba- Tamba should not concern itself with power struggles in Europe. He accepted the concerns that the island was dependent on its trade links with Britain.
The following  resolutions were passed.

1. Tamba- Tamba would remain neutral.
2. The harbour at Palmerston would formally be placed at the disposal of the British Navy (Clifton Gates wrote to First Lord of the Admiralty Winston Churchill to this effect, but no reply is recorded).
3. Any Tamba- Tambaman wishing to join the armed forces of the British Empire was free to do so.
4. Any Tamba- Tambaman wishing to join the armed forces of Germany, Austria- Hungary or their allies would be considered to have surrendered his citizenship of Tamba- Tamba.
5. A civil defence militia with the sole aim of repelling invasion would be formed. This would include a patrol boat which would cover the entire Hargreaves Archipelago.

 

Sir Hugo Gates (seated left) with a Militia patrol, 1915. Harry Roy stands directly behind him.

 Militia men at their post at Palmerston Quays, 1915.

The island did suffer some hardship in the early stages of the war as the regular shipping route to England was interrupted by German activity.
The Militia was operational from October 1914- December 1918.
The patrol sloop Brougham Kakoy  carried out almost continuous patrols of the archipelago for the duration of hostilities but never made contact with any enemy vessel.

A Remarkable Young Man...

A Remarkable young man...
Leon Trotsky records his impression of  Thomas Paine Cox in his diary, November 1917.

We managed again to get a lift out to Smolny with some heavily armed sailors in a commandeered car. The English reporter, Tom Cox was there, tirelessly badgering the restless sentries in his faltering Russian.
 from Ten Days That Shook The World- John Reed.

Thomas Paine Cox (1887- 1920)

Thomas Paine Cox first came to the public eye as a fourteen year old schoolboy selected to play cricket for Tamba- Tamba against the MCC.

He was a good scholar, and Clifton Gates  Kakoy funded his education. In preference to an English public school.In September 1904, Tom was sent to Morristown School in New Jersey to prepare to go to Harvard in the fall of 1906 he entered Harvard College.Cox graduated from Harvard College in 1910, and that summer he set out to see more of the world, funded still by Clifton Gates, visiting England, France, and Spain before returning  to America the following spring. he the embarked on a  career in journalism.

In the autumn of 1913 Cox went to Mexico to report on the Revolution,spending four months with the army of Pancho Villa.

In August, 1914, Cox set sail for Europe again. He reported widely on the Great War.

By now his interest in Radical Politics was firmly established, and in 1917 he was in Petrograd for the March Revolution.

Staying on in Russia Cox was an eyewitness to the momentous events of November 1917. He was as close to Lenin, Trotsky, Sverdlov and the other principles as any non Russian.

He published a number of pamphlets in the United States and Britain championing the Bolshevik cause.

Returning to Russia in 1920 Cox travelled south with Frunze's forces as they took on Makhno's anarchists in the Ukraine . En route he met Jaroslav Hasek In Samara.
Privately, Cox felt more affinity with Makhno than he did with the Bolsheviks.

Sadly during the expedition Cox contracted typhus, and died in Tsaritsyn.

Clifton Gates

Young Clifton c 1870

Clifton Gates Sleight was born at Tamba- Tamba in 1860, the son of Brougham Sleight and Lady Margaret.
As his mother died when he was just a few months old Clifton Gates was sent to live with relatives in England.
He was a good scholar, a progressive thinker, who modelled himself on his hero, Prince Albert.
Clifton Gates was something of a celebrity at Oxford, where he wore elaborate military uniforms and styled himself Heir Apparent to the Rajah of Tamba- Tamba. He visited the island on alternate years and returned permanently in 1895, having revitalised his father's remaining English estates through the mechanisation of agriculture and the wool industry.
During the last four years of his father's life, during which the Old Kakoy was showing increasing signs of senility, Clifton Gates became more actively involved in the running of the island.
Clifton Gates found the Council obsequious and shambolic. And he told them so.
He wanted a body of men to help him to govern the island and to ensure that his rule was fair. He brought in his cousin, The Hon. Sir Hugo Gates, who had some diplomatic experience in the Colonies, to support him in the administration of the state.

Clifton Gates, Oxford 1882

Clifton Gates' tenure as Kakoy coincided with one of the most progressive periods in history, and at this time Tamba- Tamba did indeed see many technological leaps forward, including the first automobile, the first aeroplane to land on the island and the introduction of mechanised industry.

The House of May 15th

The House of May 15th on Dick Francis Avenue, Palmerston West. This is the administrative centre of The People's Republic of Tamba - Tamba.
Built in 1800 by a team led by the Berrys employing labour from the garrison, the house was designed for Governor Bentall by the London architect John Nash. Due to structural problems there was a major overhaul in 1850, influenced by the style of Andrew Jackson Downing.
The residence of the Governors, when Sir Brougham Sleight instituted the Kakoy Dynasty in 1854 he designated this the Kakoy's Palace.
Melvin Marylebone, being largely absent from the island, allowed Major Ambrose (de facto 'ruler' ) to move into the 'big house'.
The house was the focus of intense fighting during the Revolution.
Since The Revolution the house has served as an administrative centre, although the Peoples Council have office accommodation elsewhere in Palmerston all important meetings and diplomatic business are carried out here. Dick Francis now divides his time between the bungalow in the grounds and his small-holding at Cox Plantation.

The Kakoy Dynasty: The White Rajahs of Tamba- Tamba.

Sir Brougham Sleight may have become the First Kakoy (he was sometimes referred to as White Rajah) as the result of a ruse by John Cox to ensure that the islanders were able to be self- governing. However, the Kakoy Dynasty effectively ruled Tamba- Tamba for 125 years, actually growing in strength and influence at the expense of the Council.

Sir Brougham Sleight (1799-1899) assumed the title Brougham Kakoy in 1854. Brougham was more interested in status rather than actual power.  During the early years of his reign the islanders were self governing and Brougham Kakoy lived out the fantasy life of an avuncular country squire.















Clifton Gates Kakoy ( 1860-1915) held the Kakoyship from 1899- 1915. Brougham's only son. He idolised Prince Albert.

Harry Royston Kakoy (1890- 1930) son of Clifton Gates,  known fondly as the Mad Kakoy. An admirer of Lenin and keen chimney sweep, he ruled for an interesting 15 years (1915-1930)

George Wilmslow Kakoy ( 1900- 1965) when Harry Roy the Mad died without issue the position of Kakoy passed to his cousin, Mr George Wilmslow, who had previously owned a Wireless shop in Wimbourne Minster. George Wilmslow Kakoy reigned from 1931- 1965. He styled himself a 'man of the people' and was very down to earth if somewhat patronizing in his dealings with the islanders. During his reign he was a notorious sexual adventurer. George Wilmslow was responsible for the appointment of Major Ambrose and the formation of the Tamba- Tamba Militia.

Melvin Marylebone Kakoy
(1935- 1977) Known as The Playboy. Educated at Eton and Cambridge, a former Guards officer and motor racing driver.Hardly bothered to visit Tamba- Tamba during his Kakoyship (1965-1977), using it only as another exotic location for his exuberant parties. He began to 'develop' the island in the late 1960's for his own financial gain, sowing the seeds of the Revolution. In his absence Major Ambrose's influence grew strong.

To Tam Kakoy (1940-) The Playboy Kakoy had many illegitimate heirs, and following much legal wrangling his unpopular half- brother assumed the Kakoyship on his death. This was in itself an unpopular  move as To Tam was half Kuiper's Islander . He was deposed by the Revolution and now lives in Reading.

The First Five Leading Citizens (1777-1860)

The earliest settlers (ie: the mutineers) lived to a form of proto communism. As we have seen, Thomas Cock was the first chairman of The Council. Theoretically Leading Citizens were elected ( in practice they were unopposed proposals) and recallable and rules were approved by committees. Although the office was open to challenge, Cock fulfilled the role to everyone's satisfaction until his untimely death in 1791.


Rowley Rowley (1755- 1800) was viewed as Cock's natural successor, and again enjoyed an unchallenged tenure as the island's Leading Citizen. He was put into the limelight briefly by the crisis of 1794-5, but displayed impressive diplomacy and articulacy during the British takeover and the Slave Revolt.


On the death of Rowley it seemed natural that the senior surviving mutineer, Samuel Hooper, should become the chairman of the Council. Hooper, who was born in Lowestoft in about 1745, was, by his own reckoning, uncomfortable in the company of others and particularly nervous around the 'officer class'. He was a man of few words, and was more concerned with developing his little fishing industry from the settlement of Hooper's Point.

After six months as Leading Citizen Hooper asked to be excused of his duties, saying he was getting too old and that someone else would represent the people better. Hooper returned to his boats and the longevity that all members of his family enjoy, passing away in 1830.


Following Hooper's resignation Tamba- Tamba chose its first homegrown Leading Citizen. Again, the selection was unopposed. Renton Lazenby Cock (1780- 1840) was the eldest son of Cock and a Wessel's island girl who Cock had renamed Eliza.


The dynastic feel of the first citizenship was cemented when the islanders unanimously chose John Cock (1810-1860) as his late father's replacement. It was John who changed the family name to Cox. John Cock enjoyed a very good relationship with Governor Brougham Sleight and, as we have seen, played a significant role in the development of the Kakoyship. He managed to safeguard the liberties of the islanders whilst also encouraging Sir Brougham's eccentric regal ambitions. Contemporary observers were impressed by Cox's tact and artfulness, which allowed Brougham Kakoy to feel that he truly was the lord of Tamba- Tamba whilst having very little influence on the day to day affairs of the island.

As is so often the case following the death of John Cox, who had been an accomplished and artful (if Machiavellian) leader, there was no one of his calibre to fill the vacancy.

Life on the island went on, but the last four decades of the 19th century were anything but an era of progress on Tamba- Tamba.The position of Leading Citizen became less relevant to the political life of the island.The Council became increasingly insignificant and Brougham Kakoy accrued more influence whilst hardly noticing, so engrossed was he in his regal fantasies.

Brougham Kakoy

Brougham Kakoy, a flattering portrait by John Jackson Stock.

Until the reports Duke Of Newcastle's speech in The House Of Commons in October 1853 reached the island no one at Tamba- Tamba had been aware of the existence of The Colonies and Dominions Act of 1851.
Apparently Sir Brougham Sleight had mislaid the official communications amongst other documents relating to the withdrawal of the garrison.
Now he was placed in the rather embarrassed position of finding out about the developments through copies of The Times that arrived with the mail packet of December 1853.
Sir Brougham confided in John Cox and they composed a letter seeking clarification under the pretence that it was to satisfy some local political matter.
In April 1854 Brougham Sleight received the following- an outline of The Colonies and Dominions Act, a letter from thanking him for his service to the crown and dissolving the position of the Governor of Tamba- Tamba and his later office of Her Majesty's Monitor of Tamba- Tamba. He was to receive a pension of 100 gns a year for life.
Following lengthy consultations with John Cox*, Brougham Sleight addressed the Council.
He announced that he was now the ruler of Tamba- Tamba. He was assuming the title of Brougham Kakoy (a misunderstanding of the Wessel's island term for 'ruler').
He stated that whilst Tamba- Tamba was no longer tied to the British Empire in any formal way, that he wished to retain a degree of loyalty and friendship with the British.
He spoke of how his 19 years on the island had made him feel more of a Tamba-Tambaman than an Englishman.
The meeting went on for the best part of 24 hours-
John Cox spoke in favour of Brougham assuming the leadership of the community; allowing Brougham to stay on as the leader of Tamba- Tamba would, he said, illustrate the sense of liberty and fair play on which the first settlers prided themselves.
There were no real implications for the islanders. They were assured that Brougham would not levy any taxes, he would not assume ownership of any of the common land on the island. Former Crown possessions would return to common ownership.
John Cox proposed that whilst retaining his seat on the Council, Brougham should not have to trouble himself with the day to day business of the island, but that he should be cast in a more advisory role. Any resolutions passed by the Council would have to be approved by Brougham.
On May the first 1854 Brougham Kakoy addressed the populace at Cocktown Square, and a new era in the island's history began.

* We will never know for certain the nature of these discussions, but tradition within the Cox family, and letters written by Lady Margaret Sleight, suggest that it was John Cox who pressed Brougham into assuming the role of island premier and John Cox who invented the position of Kakoy.

We asked leading Tamba- Tamba historian Gregory Rowley of PROTT Academy for his views on the subject:

Gregory Rowley

Prott: So Greg, what contemporary evidence can we draw on to shed some light on the origins of the Kakoyship?
GR: Well, not much , really. Only the official Council records remain, and of course, they contain essentially what Cox wanted people to believe.
Prott: But it's much more than speculation, isn't it? the idea that Cox engineered the Kakoyship?
GR: Oh, yes. If we consider what we know about Cox and what we know about Brougham, that seems likely...Brougham was a reluctant leader, if you like. Tamba- Tamba suited him, because not much went on . Before independence, I mean. Not a dynamic man. For example, we know from the memoirs of Lutwidge Reynolds, when the decision was made to withdraw the garrison, what did Brougham want to do? He wanted to get out. That was his first reaction- he wasn't looking for power, he wanted to save himself. If Brougham had harboured any ambitions to actually become the ruler of the island, here was his opportunity, but he didn't see it like that.
Prott: Whereas Cox?...
GR: Indeed. Here we have an ambitious man. Leading Citizen at 29, grandson of the leader of the first settlers. But look at the lengths he went to to curry favour with the English...
Prott: Changing the name ?
GR: That's just one example. Look at Palmerston- he was quite happy for the change of name there as well. It's almost like he wanted to break from the past. My theory, and I think that a close reading of the Council records of the time bears this out, is that Cox knew that he could only really rule the island if he used Brougham as a sort of a decoy.
Once the garrison was gone they could have got rid of Brougham, he only had a handful of staff... but it was Cox who made the case for keeping him on.
Again, after Brougham's position was completely undermined by The Colonies and Dominions Act of 1851, I mean, at this point he had no call whatsoever over the islanders, what does Cox do? He does his best to persuade the council that it is a good thing to allow this rather ineffectual man to assume control of the island. Or rather, to be perceived to be in control.
Prott: So Brougham was a puppet ruler?
GR: Exactly. Whilst Cox was alive anyway... You just take a look at all the Council records from the era from 1851- 1860. Anything that had any real impact on life on the island was proposed by Cox. Brougham's suggestions were acted upon only if they were relatively minor. Otherwise , and we have the records mind, otherwise we get Cox patiently explaining to the Council why they should not enact suggestions made by Brougham. Cox attitude to Brougham was extremely patronizing , but this was cleverly disguised.
Prott: So why did Brougham put up with it?
GR: Vanity. Vanity and fear perhaps. Cox was quite happy to tell the world that Brougham was in charge. Eventually Brougham believed in the imposture.
Prott: But ultimately Cox is largely overlooked whereas Brougham was the head of a dynasty that was in place for 125 years?
GR: (laughs) Often the way, isn't it? A charismatic and skillful politician such as Cox is a hard act to follow. After his death, things just drifted. It was as if he hadn't passed on the secret ingredient. So, effectively, we have forty years of nothing. Stagnation. And the next visionary, the next charismatic leader to come along? Not a Leading Citizen, not even a councillor. It was Clifton Gates. Clifton Gates was everything that Brougham was supposed to be. With Brougham it was all a front, but Clifton Gates was for real. He was paternalistic, but progressive. A man of his time, a natural leader. There was no one on the island to match him.
He really was the leader. He controlled the Council... But I'm getting ahead of myself here.
Prott: Thanks Greg. We'll be hearing more from Greg Rowley in the near future.

The San Luisitano Incident

In May 1852 a new settler arrived at Tamba- Tamba.
Herschel Sao Luisitano was a 50 year old speculator with a chequered history. Born in Lisbon, he had been known in Cape Verde, Angola , Paraguay and Rio De Janeiro.
Despite his lack of formal training, he had masqueraded with some success as a Doctor of Medicine. A scandal involving a 13 year old niece of Pedro II of Brazil obliged Sao Luisitano to flee from Rio.
He had heard sailors' tales of the earthly paradise of Wessel's island and fancied that he could make an easy fortune there whilst evading justice.
He established himself as a doctor and prospector on Wessel's Island in 1851, but his activities soon brought him into conflict with the King of Wessel's, Ptomuna.

Herschel Sao Luisitano

Governor Sir Brougham Sleight was uneasy at the appearance of 'San Luisitano' as he was invariably referred to. Seemingly affluent and well connected, he presented Sir Brougham with his plans.
He claimed that his expertise in geology led him to be certain that gold could be found on Tamba- Tamba. He and his men, he said, had great experience of prospecting. San Luisitano asserted that as the land on the island was held in common, that he had every right to 'stake a claim'. He challenged Sir Brougham to produce any legally valid document or deed which would prevent him from doing so.
San Luisitano and his men (numbering seven, they were a rag tag group of bandits, soldiers of fortune from Brazil) established a camp about one mile along the coast from Hooper's point. They enclosed an area of land of about 1 km² and began prospecting. The ruse was to create the impression that gold had been found and then sell portions of the land to those eager to join the gold rush.

John Cox addressed the Council and called for action. Whereas Tamba -Tamba had been synonymous with liberty for nearly 70 years, and all men were welcome in peace, he said that this development went against the spirit of their forefathers, and that the evils of private property and exploitation would not be tolerated.
One night in July 1852 a mob numbering fifty (and including members of Sir Brougham Sleight's staff) attacked San Luisitano's camp.
Shots were fired, the men were beaten and the huts and workings were torched.
San Luisitano and his men were bound and marched to their boat and ordered to leave the island immediately or face death.

Fleeing the island and eventually turning up in London early in 1853, San Luisitano appealed to the British Government for compensation. He attested that he had been 'ill used' on the orders of the Governor. He claimed that hundreds of pounds worth of valuable surveying equipment had been destroyed, and that a substantial amount of gold had also been seized by the mob.

When his complaint reached the Prime Minister The Earl of Aberdeen, he passed it on to the Secretary of State for War and the Colonies, the Duke of Newcastle. The Duke of Newcastle's response , which hardly caused a ripple in London, was to send shock waves through Cocktown and Tamba- Tamba.

The Duke of Newcastle

The Duke of Newcastle stated that her Majesty's government was not responsible for the actions of Sir Brougham Sleight. According to the Colonies and Dominions Act of 1851 Tamba- Tamba was no longer a British Colony.
Sir Brougham Sleight was in the employment of The Crown, but as he was effectively 'Her Majesty's Monitor', a rarely used designation for an independent citizen detailed to report to the Secretary of State for War and the Colonies on any irregular activity in potentially sensitive areas .
Tamba- Tamba, The Duke repeated for emphasis, was an independent state...

1851-1854

This period in the island's history can be viewed as a sort of interregnum.
As Governor Sir Brougham Sleight, it appeared, was the agent of the British Government and the representative Queen Victoria, notionally holding the prerogative powers of the monarch.
The true seat of power on Tamba- Tamba was The Council, under the leadership of Leading Citizen John Cox.
Cox believed that any attempt to overthrow Sir Brougham would bring the English back in force.
On the other hand, if the islanders indulged Sir Brougham in his grandiloquent fantasies , occasionally allowing him to enjoy some folly that would re-enforce his regal delusion , they could, in effect, be self governing in much the same fashion as their forefathers had been.

The Garrison Departs...

Marines on the Quay, May 15th 1851

Officers of HMS Miranda

By 1850 the garrison at Tamba- Tamba had become something of a joke in the British armed forces.
From the time of its establishment in 1795, no shot had ever been fired in anger, and the Slave Revolt of 1800 was the only time that the troops had had to impose any sort of authority over the islanders.
The pleasant climate, relative freedom from disease and regular contact with a number of Wessel's island women who had relocated to Cocktown made it something of a plum posting.

An Act of Parliament (13 & 14 Vict c.65) concerned with the restructuring of military services in the colonies led to the withdrawal of troops from several minor outposts of the Empire.
When Major Lutwidge Reynolds arrived at Tamba- Tamba in January 1851 in order to oversee the dissolution of the military presence, Sir Brougham Sleight was seized with panic. He had been governor for 16 years, and yet he was unsure of his relationship with the islanders. To what extent did the garrison prevent lawlessness? On what basis was he to assert his authority? Sir Brougham briefly considered leaving his post. He also considered travelling to London in person, but was dissuaded from doing so by Major Lutwidge Reynolds. He petitioned Prime Minister Lord John Russell and received a reassuring reply from Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, Viscount Palmerston.
It would be unwise, wrote Palmerston, for Her Majesty's representative to suggest to his charges through his actions that his authority rests entirely on the presence of a military force in their midst. Her Majesty's Government is bound to afford protection to our fellow subjects abroad and require you to reassure the people of Tamba (sic) that as the Roman, in days of old, held himself free from indignity, when he could say Civis Romanus sum; so also a British subject, in whatever land he may be, shall feel confident that the watchful eye and the strong arm of England, will protect him against injustice and wrong.

On May 15th 1851 Major Lutwidge Reynolds reviewed the party of 24 Royal Marines who constituted the last British military presence on Tamba- Tamba.
They marched to Cocktown Quay where they embarked on HMS Miranda.


John Cox suggested to the Council that Sir Brougham was a necessary burden in that his presence, albeit without any military back-up, still afforded Tamba- Tamba a degree of protection from harassment.
The Council agreed to pursue a policy of co operation with the Governor and his staff to ensure 'that the best interests of our people are served'.
Sir Brougham was always flattered by anything that hinted that the islanders viewed him as some sort of benevolent patriarch. John Cox went to great pains to reassure Sir Brougham that the islanders would not rebel as soon as the soldiers left. His plans were far more subtle than that...

The illustrations are by the celebrated Tamba- Tamba artist John Jackson Stock .
Source: Jasper Ridley, Lord Palmerston (London: Constable, 1970).

The Governors of Tamba- Tamba 1795-1854

Captain Maurice Bentall- (1770- 1840) Governor May 1795- Sept 1815.
Captain Bentall was born in Dunwich. He recieved the King's Commission in 1791. He was the commandant of Cocktown garrison. Cpt . Bentall's papers reveal that he initially thought that this would be a short term position. During the Napoleonic Wars he frequently expressed frustration at missing out on the action. He was concerned at times that he and his charges had been simply forgotten.
Bentall's calm handling of the Slave Revolt and his ambivalence over the islander's rejection of the church added to his popularity.
He developed a strong affection for Tamba- Tamba, and strove to protract his time in office by fabricating various projects that he said he must oversee to their conclusions.
The British Government briefly considered sending Napoleon into exile on Tamba- Tamba, but last minute doubts over the security of the island led to St Helena being chosen instead. This was a sad end to Bentall's time in office. He was transferred to Trinidad where his career continued without great event.


Admiral Lewis Hunt- (1754- 1816) Governor Sept 1815- Dec 1816. Hunt had served with little distinction in New South Wales under William Bligh. A martyr to his haemorrhoids and gout, Hunt succumbed to the Island Malaise epidemic of 1816.


Sir Harvey Graves (1777- 1840) Governor Jan. 1817- Dec 1834. The universally popular Sir Harvey Graves was Governor of Tamba- Tamba for 17 glorious years. He was looked upon by the islanders as an honorary Tamba- Tambaman. During his period in office the Council was virtually obsolete, although Graves was ready to consult them openly regarding matters that affected their welfare.



Sir Brougham Sleight (1799-1899) Governor Jan 1835 - May 1854 assumed the title Brougham Kakoy in May 1854. It was common knowledge that the bluff Dorset landowner Brougham Sleight had bought his position in the diplomatic service in order to escape his responsibilities on the death of his father. Sleight , however, proved himself to be something of a loose cannon in diplomatic circles, and consequently found himself dispatched to the remote and insignificant Tamba- Tamba.
Sleight seized upon the crisis of 1854 ( the San Luisitano incident) in order to make himself the de facto ruler of the island.

The Slave Revolt.

In 1799 Edmund Clifton Spence arrived on the island. He was a distinguished colonial civil servant appointed by the government to carry out an audit of the garrison.
Spence was a jovial fellow , very popular with the local children, and not at all aloof from the islanders. However, he was accompanied by his manservants, John, who had served him in Jamaica, Trinidad as well as in England, and Edgar, from Guyana.
John and Edgar were slaves (slavery in the British Empire was not abolished until 1808).
Bentall's servants were not slaves, so the presence of John and Edgar in a community built on libertarian principles was an unwelcome novelty.
By now a significant number of islander's were 'mulattoes' ( a term unknown before the Imperial era) or even pure Wessel's Islanders. They were perturbed by John and Edgar's situation.
There is no evidence that Spence mistreated either man. Nevertheless he had bought them.
In what little leisure time they had John and Edgar naturally sought the company of the islanders, and in doing so were exposed to their libertarian ideas.
Rowley Rowley, as a representative of the Council, approached Bentall and told him that the presence of slaves on the island was not welcome. Bentall, of course, was in no position to break with convention. As far as he was concerned Tamba- Tamba was subject to the laws of Great Britain.
On June 15th 1800 John and Edgar left the garrison under the cover of darkness. They made their way to Hooper's Point, from where Samuel Hooper took them by boat to the deserted island of Round Tamba.
On hearing of John and Edgar's disappearance Bentall called out the garrison. By noon on the 16th Cocktown was under military control and the citizens placed under curfew whilst a search for the missing men was conducted. All boats were impounded.
Rowley Rowley, the voice of the people, told Bentall that as far as he knew no islanders had been involved in the escape, but Bentall's suspicions could not be allayed.
Bentall maintained the curfew for a week, during which time he seriously considered keeping Rowley Rowley as a hostage until the runaways were located. he decided against this move though, knowing that his relationship with the islanders might be irreparably damaged by such a radical move.
Rowley, for his part, convinced Bentall that the men must have perished in an unsuccessful escape attempt. Hooper colluded in this. He fabricated a rumour that one of the jolly boats had been taken from Hooper's Point, leading Bentall to believe that John and Edgar must have left the island.
On 24th June Bentall addressed the population in Cocktown Square, saying that he had reason to believe that John and Edgar were lost at sea.
Following the lifting of the curfew Hooper rescued the beleaguered John and Edgar from Round Tamba and took them to Wessel's Island.
Bentall was pleased that he had avoided taking any punitive steps against the islanders, and encouraged the authorities to accept the 'failed escape' version of events.
Life on Tamba- Tamba returned to normal. The occasional trading journeys to Wessel's brought stories of Edgar's death from Island Malaise in 1801, and of John's prosperity, raising a large family. A number of his descendants returned to Tamba- Tamba years later.
The events of June were soon forgotten however, as in October 1800 Rowley Rowley died suddenly whilst sleeping with his mistress. He was 45 years old.

Religion?

Religious observance aboard the Dreadful and been in the hands of Captain Stokes. It would appear that Stokes viewed the compulsory services that he lead as just another burden of his office.
Of the men who settled on Tamba- Tamba one can only assume that none was particularly religious. Cock, of course, was an avowed atheist , but the complete lack of religious observance noted by Bentall on his arrival in 1795 cannot have been the result of Cock's influence alone.
In his log Lt. Dixon of The Mercury had noted that the islanders did not keep the Sabbath, a fact that also struck Bentall in his early dealings with them.
When invited by first the Masters of Mercury and Columbine to join them for services, the islanders tactfully declined.
When the garrison was established the matter became more pressing.
The padre, The Rev. Hawsley Rimmer, was confounded by the continuing absence of any islanders from his services.

The Rev. Hawsley Rimmer.

Rev. Rimmer decided that the island needed a church. Bentall agreed, and plans to establish St Mary's Cocktown were tabled. Citizen Rowley discussed it with the council. They didn't want a church. Bentall went ahead and had it built anyway, using labour from the garrison. On the first Sunday on which Rimmer went there to preach no islanders came.
Incensed Rimmer decided that 'if these godless ragamuffins will not come to the Lord, I shall take the Lord to them...'
When Rimmer went into the village in an attempt to return these lost sheep to the fold, he took the precaution of having an armed escort. The islanders resented this, and threatened to throw him off Hooper's Point anyway, armed escort or not.
An outraged Rimmer appealed to Bentall for a show of power in order to bring the islanders back into line.
Exercising the quiet restraint that typified his governorship (and some might say the whole relationship between Britain and Tamba- Tamba during the Imperial period) Bentall declined.
Hawsley Rimmer returned to England at the earliest opportunity. A replacement padre was sent for the garrison, but the islanders remained unmolested thereafter.

The Imperial Era- part the second.

Dixon and The Mercury remained at Tamba- Tamba whilst The Columbine, carrying the islanders' petitions and Dixon's report, returned to England.
Six months later the special committee commissioned by Pitt arrived at Tamba- Tamba aboard HMAV Dauntless.
Their remit was to assess the strategic value of Tamba- Tamba and also to survey the island's resources. This onerous task was undertaken by a team under the direction of the geologist Sir Surtees Gough, a fellow of the Royal Society.

Sir Surtees Gough

A garrison was established in Cocktown, manned by The Royal Marines. The Mercury was assigned to maintain British dominance throughout the archipelago.
Gough's work was completed in April 1795. He could find no natural resources that warranted further development on Tamba- Tamba, but from a military point of view it was decided to retain a British presence on the island.

Cpt Bentall

The Commandant of the garrison, Captain Maurice Bentall, effectively became the Governor of Tamba- Tamba.
Citizen Rowley Rowley was elected Peoples' Representative, and theoretically liaised between the islanders and the British Governors. In effect there was very little for them to talk about.

The Flag of Tamba- Tamba.

This is the present flag of the Peoples' Republic of Tamba- Tamba. It is known (rather misleadingly) as the Treeblu, Tamba- Tamba dialect for 'three blues' . The flag is said to represent the sky, the sea, and the ocean spray. The present configuration has been in use since 1984.

From 1979 to 1984 the Red Star was the official banner. This led to the USA blockade in 1983. According to President Reagan's autobiography The USA viewed the use of the Red Star as 'flagrantly provocative', and an indication that Tamba- Tamba would 'soon be a Soviet staging post in the strategically important Hargreaves Archipelago region...'
Leonid Brezhnev apparently issued assurances to Washington that not only did the Soviets not deem Tamba- Tamba to be of strategic importance, but that they were unaware of its existence! As unlikely as this seems, the archipelago is indeed absent from Soviet maps of that era. Eventually the tensions were resolved when Washington offered the People's Council economic development incentives to remove the star from the flag, a move that did not meet with universal approval until the US funded electrification programme was completed.


In the pre- revolutionary era Tamba- Tamba employed a succession of flags based on the White Ensign, which were often redesigned on the whim of the Kakoy ( see The Kakoy Dynasty). The example above dates from the 1950's and reflects George Kakoy's interest in Freemasonry . The ordinary islanders felt no affection towards such symbols, and the official flags were rarely flown outside of the Kakoy's estate.


In the earlier days of the Kakoy Dynasty the Brougham Kakoy wished to retain some association with Britain for reasons of security, and the White Ensign was flown.

During the Imperial Era (1794-1854) the Union Flag flew over Cocktown.
The original settlers used no flag.