Colonial Office and predecessors: Jamaica, Original Correspondence

IDENTITY STATEMENT AREA

Reference code(s): CO 137

Title: Colonial Office and predecessors: Jamaica, Original Correspondence

Date(s): 1689 - 1951

Level of description: Series

Extent and medium of the unit of description: 906 files and volumes

CONTEXT AREA

Name of creator(s):

Administrative/Biographical history: Norman Washington Manley (1893-1969). Lawyer and Politician. Founder of the People's National Party in 1938. Premier of Jamaica from 1954-1962.

Manley and the PNP supported the trade union movement, then led by Alexander Bustamante, while leading the demand for Universal Adult Suffrage. Together with Bustamante, their efforts resulted in the New Constitution of 1944 granting full Adult Suffrage.

Manley was a strong advocate of the Federation of the West Indies, established in 1958, but when Sir Alexander Bustamante declared that opposition Jamaica Labor Party would take Jamaica out of the Federation, Norman Manley called a referendum. The vote was decidedly against Jamaica's continued membership of the Federation. Norman Manley, after arranging Jamaica's orderly withdrawal from the union, set up a joint committee to decide on a constitution for separate independence for Jamaica. He himself chaired the committee and then led the team that negotiated independence from Britain.

The issue settled, he then lost the ensuing election to the JLP and gave his last years of service as Leader of the Opposition, establishing definitively the role of the parliamentary opposition in a developing nation.

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CONTENT AND STRUCTURE AREA

Scope and content: At subseries level within CO 137 are a number of records relating to Norman Washington Manley. See PRO Online Catalogue (PROCAT)

CO 137/827/1 Correspondence from various sources, addressed to the Prime Minister and the Secretary of State for the Colonies, offering suggestions and comments on the recent riots in Jamaica. Correspondents include the National Peace Council and the Jamaica Progressive League, and there is a letter signed by Mr Marcus Garvey, as well as a copy of a letter from Mr Norman Manley. 1938 May 09-1938 Sep 07

CO 137/834/7 Proposals for universal suffrage and constitutional changes. Includes a Memorandum on Constitutional Change for Jamaica, dated 9 February 1939 and signed by Mr Norman Manley, and detailed proposals from the Governor, with comments from the Colonial Office. 1939 Jan 03-1939 Aug 02

CO 137/835/2 Unemployment and labour problems.Includes discussion of the relief scheme and the role of the unions. Also includes copies of letters from Mr F A Norman, Labour Adviser, Mr Norman Manley and Mr Alexander Bustamante, and an article from The Daily Gleaner of 12 June 1939 reporting on Mr Norman's first public speech. 1939 May 17-1939 Aug 05

CO 137/849/3 Memorial from the Jamaica Imperial Association on the sale of Constant Spring Hotel.Includes a number of apppendices, one of which is a complete edition of the Jamaica Gazette, dated 21 November 1935, containing an advertisement by the Government for the sale of the hotel. 1941 Jan 04-1942 Jan 27

CO 137/849/7 Constitutional changes: proposals for the establishment of a General Purposes Committee to supersede the Finance Committee.Includes a memorandum on constitutional issues containing a signature of Mr Norman Manley, and internal memoranda commenting on the People's National Party (PNP). 1942 Feb 14-1943 Jan 06

CO 137/849/8 Announcement of constitutional changes by the Secretary of State in Command paper 76427, dated 10 February 1943.These changes include universal adult suffrage and the establishment of an elected House of Assembly. Contains reactions from the press and other sources; an edition of The Daily Gleaner of 24 February 1943, with the text of the announcement; a telegram from Sir Stafford Cripps to Mr Norman Manley urging the People's National Party (PNP) to accept the changes; and a memorandum on the Executive Committee, signed by Mr Norman Manley. 1943 Jan 28-1943 Feb 20

CO 137/850/4 Mr R M Kirkwood: visit to the UK, and comments in letters on the political and economic situation in Jamaica. Includes confidential comments on Mr Kirkwood and Mr Norman Manley by the Governor, a Security Department report on a meeting of the Universal Negro Improvement Association in Kingston, and correspondence from the West India Sugar Company. 1942 Jun 01-1943 Jun 16

CO 137/852/1 Memorials from the Bustamante Industrial Trade Union requesting the release from detention of Mr Alexander Bustamante, following his internment on 8 September 1940.Includes two memorials, dated 17 February 1941 and 3 May 1941 respectively, and signed by Mr Norman Manley among others. 1941 Jan 16-1941 Nov 03.

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Language/scripts of material: English

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DESCRIPTION CONTROL AREA

Recorder's note:

Rules or conventions: Compiled in compliance with General International Standard Archival Description, ISAD(G), second edition, 2000; National Council on Archives Rules for the Construction of Personal, Place and Corporate Names, 1997.

Date(s) of descriptions: January 2002

Interest: Caribbean

Specific group:

Subjects

Elections

Political history

Freedom of association

Trade unions

Resistance to oppression

Political movements

Independence

Constitutional history

Personal/Corporate names

Manley, Washington, Norman , 1893-1969

Bustamante, Alexander

Garvey, Marcus, Mosiah , 1887-1940

National Peace Council

Jamaica Progressive League

Jamaica Imperial Association

Universal Negro Improvement Association

Bustamante Industrial trade Union

West India Sugar Company

Places

Jamaica