George Augustus McIntosh
From: http://groups.msn.com/CrewSVGMizzJokes/georgemcintosh.msnw
George Augustus McIntosh was born in Kingstown of the 6 th of March 1886. He was the son of Donald McIntosh who came from Scotland and his mother Charlotte Glasgow. McIntosh’s mother was an Anglican and brought up her son in that faith ad at a very early age, McIntosh became an acolyte in the cathedral. He received elementary education at the Anglican School.
At the age for seventeen, McIntosh entered the dispensary attached to the Colonial hospital, (today known as the Milton Cato Memorial Hospital) to be trained as a pharmacist. His three years at the hospital brought him contact with many of the island’s disadvantaged people. He saw their poverty and degradation, and felt sorry for those who were writhing in pain.
On December 28 th , 1909 he received a certificate from the Governor of Grenada enabling him to practice as a chemist and druggist on that island. But Grenada was not his home so he returned to St. Vincent here he opened his own pharmacy. Once home, McIntosh took a keen interest in the political, economic and social affairs of this country. The lack of popular representation on the Legislative Council, coupled with poor social conditions which included among other things: poor housing, low wages, lack of proper medical care – were all factors that led to the strong conviction that McIntosh later displayed in his life.
McIntosh was one of the foundation members of the St. Vincent Representative Government Association which was officially formed on 25 th February, 1919 to champion the rights of coloured people, because at that time, they did not have the right to vote. In 1923 McIntosh became a member of the Kingstown Board for a considerable period, holding the chairmanship for the ten terms.
For years his drugstore was a sort of haven for the poor and sick. He often gave freely of his services and medicines. To them he was like a father, kind and sympathetic. As an officer of the Representative Government Association, and being deeply involved in the political issues of the day, it was not surprising that these poor neglected persons should turn to him in the events to follow.
On October 21 st , 1935 a riot broke out in Kingstown and spread to a few other areas of the island. The cause of the riots was partly due to an increase of import duty on basic necessities by the Legislative Council coupled with the low and improvised standard of living in the period of depression that followed World War I.
In early 1936, McIntosh along with other prominent men in the community founded the St. Vincent Workingmen’s Cooperative Association which was both a trade union and political party that later played a very effective role in the elections to follow. On Holy Thursday the following year (1937) the five seats contested by the Workingmen’s Association were won. In 1939 he started his fight against an Act which legally prohibited the Shaker Religion. When some forty Shakers were arrested and taken to courts in Barrouallie, McIntosh went down and asked if they were sure that this was the way they should serve God. They said “Yes”. Those forty people began to ‘shake’ in the Court House and were prepared to shake in prison. The case was dismissed.
On Friday 1 st , November 1963 McIntosh passed away after a brief illness, but ‘Dada Mac’ will continue to live on in the minds of those who still remember him as a patriot, young Vincentians ought to emulate.
George Augustus McIntosh was born in Kingstown of the 6 th of March 1886. He was the son of Donald McIntosh who came from Scotland and his mother Charlotte Glasgow. McIntosh’s mother was an Anglican and brought up her son in that faith ad at a very early age, McIntosh became an acolyte in the cathedral. He received elementary education at the Anglican School.
At the age for seventeen, McIntosh entered the dispensary attached to the Colonial hospital, (today known as the Milton Cato Memorial Hospital) to be trained as a pharmacist. His three years at the hospital brought him contact with many of the island’s disadvantaged people. He saw their poverty and degradation, and felt sorry for those who were writhing in pain.
On December 28 th , 1909 he received a certificate from the Governor of Grenada enabling him to practice as a chemist and druggist on that island. But Grenada was not his home so he returned to St. Vincent here he opened his own pharmacy. Once home, McIntosh took a keen interest in the political, economic and social affairs of this country. The lack of popular representation on the Legislative Council, coupled with poor social conditions which included among other things: poor housing, low wages, lack of proper medical care – were all factors that led to the strong conviction that McIntosh later displayed in his life.
McIntosh was one of the foundation members of the St. Vincent Representative Government Association which was officially formed on 25 th February, 1919 to champion the rights of coloured people, because at that time, they did not have the right to vote. In 1923 McIntosh became a member of the Kingstown Board for a considerable period, holding the chairmanship for the ten terms.
For years his drugstore was a sort of haven for the poor and sick. He often gave freely of his services and medicines. To them he was like a father, kind and sympathetic. As an officer of the Representative Government Association, and being deeply involved in the political issues of the day, it was not surprising that these poor neglected persons should turn to him in the events to follow.
On October 21 st , 1935 a riot broke out in Kingstown and spread to a few other areas of the island. The cause of the riots was partly due to an increase of import duty on basic necessities by the Legislative Council coupled with the low and improvised standard of living in the period of depression that followed World War I.
In early 1936, McIntosh along with other prominent men in the community founded the St. Vincent Workingmen’s Cooperative Association which was both a trade union and political party that later played a very effective role in the elections to follow. On Holy Thursday the following year (1937) the five seats contested by the Workingmen’s Association were won. In 1939 he started his fight against an Act which legally prohibited the Shaker Religion. When some forty Shakers were arrested and taken to courts in Barrouallie, McIntosh went down and asked if they were sure that this was the way they should serve God. They said “Yes”. Those forty people began to ‘shake’ in the Court House and were prepared to shake in prison. The case was dismissed.
On Friday 1 st , November 1963 McIntosh passed away after a brief illness, but ‘Dada Mac’ will continue to live on in the minds of those who still remember him as a patriot, young Vincentians ought to emulate.
posted by Karl Eklund at 7:32 PM
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