Saint George, Antigua and Barbuda

From the earliest days of colonization, pre-Columbian peoples made extensive use of Winthorpe's Bay. There are patches of Archaic Age flakes and lithic debitage scattered over many kilometers of the waterfront, together with deposits of shellfish, which are the leftovers of prehistoric meals. In 1997, a shoreline archaeological survey was carried out. Three sites from the Ceramic Age were identified and examined during this search. One meter below the surface, Saladoid pottery was found in GE-06 (Winthorpe's West). But the site is essentially a post-Saladoid site. The second and biggest site is GE-01, a sizable post-Saladoid and Archaic munti-component site (Winthorpe's East). Here was found a lithic workshop, or flint processing facility. There were two archeological excavations in 1997 and 2002. Barnacle Point, and the Archaic sites, GE-9 and 10, were destroyed by land development in the summer of 2003. Studies in this field are ongoing.[1]

The parish of Saint George was created on 22 January 1725 after An Act for dividing the Parish of Saint Peter in the said Island; and for erecting a new Parish, to be called the Parish of Saint George passed the Assembly on 10 January 1725, and the Council on the same day. The parish was created due to the parish of Saint Peter being too large to support the parish of Saint George. The parish was governed by twelve vestry-men.[13]

During the times of slavery, Saint George was divided into twenty-two slave plantations.[14]

The United States sought to establish an Army Air Base at Coolidge, Saint George, and a Naval Air Station at Crabbs, Saint Peter. The U.S. flag was hoisted on 21 March 1941, even though the Antigua agreement was not signed until 28 May and the entire lease agreement not until 27 March 1941. Even earlier, on 4 February, work had started building the Naval Air Station, and on 17 March, a detachment of fifty Marines, the first American military personnel, arrived. On 13 May, construction on the bigger Army Air Base started.[15] The settlement of Winthorpes and the MacDonalds' estate house at High Point were included in the borders of the region selected for the Army base, which was primarily made up of canefield, scrub, and mango swamp.[16]

Construction on the base did not conclude until the spring of 1942, in part due to the lengthy process of relocating the village and its residents. However, both bases had started up immediately using makeshift facilities, with the first plane landing at Coolidge on 6 June 1941, and the first seaplane arriving at Crabbs, Saint Peter on 25 June. When the air bases diminished in importance, the army air base was converted into the Coolidge Airport, later renamed the V.C. Bird International Airport.[16]

Saint George is one of the most diverse parishes in the country. According to the 2011 census, nine ethnic groups were self-reported by parish residents. The ethnic groups chosen were African descendent (89.29 per cent), other mixed (5.15 per cent), mixed black/white (1.14 per cent), East Indian (1.01 per cent), Hispanic (0.97 per cent), white (0.97 per cent), other (0.68 per cent), dn/ns (0.42 per cent), and Syrian/Lebanese (0.37 per cent).[28]

According to the 2011 census, twenty-one country of birth groups were self-reported by parish residents. The country of birth groups chosen were born in Africa (0.19 per cent), other Latin or North American countries (0.17 per cent), Antigua and Barbuda (73.04 per cent), other Caribbean countries (1.22 per cent), Canada (0.50 per cent), other Asian countries (0.33 per cent), other European countries (0.20 per cent), Dominica (3.66 per cent), the Dominican Republic (0.96 per cent), Guyana (4.92 per cent), Jamaica (3.80 per cent), Montserrat (0.81 per cent), St. Kitts and Nevis (0.53 per cent), St. Lucia (1.54 per cent), St. Vincent and the Grenadines (0.74 per cent), Syria (0.04 per cent), Trinidad and Tobago (0.86 per cent), the United Kingdom (0.98 per cent), the United States (3.48 per cent), the United States Virgin Islands (0.53 per cent), and not stated (1.50 per cent).[29]

According to the 2011 census, sixteen religious groups were self-reported by parish residents. The major religious groups chosen were Adventists (12.02 per cent), Anglicans (23.20 per cent), Moravian (11.26 per cent), Pentecostalism (9.65 per cent), irreligion (4.48 per cent), and Rastafarianism (0.55 per cent).[30]

According to the 2011 census, there were 3,882 workers in the parish. 87.21 per cent of these workers had a fixed place of work outside of the home, 2.97 per cent worked from home, 7.03 per cent had no fixed place of work, and 2.78 per cent did not know or did not state.[31] 19.60 per cent of workers were paid government employees, 7.20 per cent of workers were paid statutory body employees, 54.93 per cent were paid private employees, 2.67 per cent were paid private home employees, 4.93 per cent were self-employed with paid employees, 8.86 per cent were self-employed without paid employees, 0.95 per cent had another worker status, and 0.85 per cent dn/ns.[32]

According to the 2011 census, there were 350 business owners living in the parish. 17.82 per cent made under EC$1,000 per month from their business, another 17.82 percent made $1,000 to $1,999 per month from their business, 21.15 per cent made $2,000 to $2,999 per month, 18.73 per cent made $3,000 to $4,999 per month, and 24.47 per cent made over $5,000.[33]

According to the 2011 census, 1.90 per cent of workers were paid a daily salary, 30.92 per cent of workers were paid a weekly salary, 21.59 per cent of workers were paid a fortnightly salary, 44.45 per cent of workers were paid a monthly salary, and 1.15 per cent of workers were paid at some other rate.[34]