The Time Marcus Garvey And Norman Manley Came To Blows ...Well Almost
Most discussion around discourse among Jamaica’s national heroes whose life and work was throughout the 20th century usually entails Alexander Bustamante and Norman Washington Manley as their roles as president of Jamaican’s two main political parties in the 1940’s and beyond. However on this episode we will looked at a discourse that took place between Norman Manley and another national hero - Marcus Mosiah Garvey. Marcus Garvey, a then councillor in the Kingston and St. Andrew Corporation and Norman Manley, a then barrister who was developing a reputation as one of the best in the region, would go head to head in a discourse in the 1934. Still, even before that discourse, both men would meet before in a legal issue where apparently Garvey was married to two women at the same time. We begin this story there. Early Years
Marcus Garvey was born on August 17, 1887 in St. Ann, Jamaica. By the age of 14, his formal education ended and he became a printer’s apprentice. In the next following years, he became involve in union organising. A few years after that, Garvey travelled through Central America and made trips to Europe. During his travels, he started to ask himself, “Where is the black man's government?" "Where is his King and his kingdom?’ “Where is his President, his ambassador, his country, his men of big affairs?” Garvey went on to state, “ I could not find them, and then I declared, I will help to make them.” Thus by 1914, he would be back home and alongside Amy Ashwood, founded the United Negro Improvement Association (UNIA). Born in Portland, Jamaica on January 10, 1897, Amy Ashwood spent the early years of her childhood in Panama. She return to Jamaica for her secondary education and it was while in school, at the age of 17, that she met Garvey in July of 1914. After co-founding UNIA in that year, Ashwood went on to become the organisation first secretary and a member of the board of management. She was instrumental in organising the inaugural meeting at Collegiate Hall in Kingston and also helped to establish the Ladies auxiliary wing of the UNIA.They Called It Romance
Around this time, apparently Garvey started to court Ashwood. In his letters to her, Garvey referred to her as ‘My Josephine’ where he signed the letters, “Your devoted Napoleon, Marcus.” Soon after, the two secretly became engaged. However, Ashwood’s parents were against this union and by 1916, they arranged for her daughter to return to Panama. At this time in 1916, Garvey traveled to the US, primarily to fundraise for UNIA and it so happens that in September of 1918, he and Ashwood were reunited. Few months later in 1919, Ashwood became the general secretary of UNIA and one of the first directors of the Black Star Line - the shipping line created by UNIA. Then, according to historian Colin Grant in his book, “Negro With A Hat: The Rise and Fall of Marcus Garvey”, on October 14 of that year, a George Tyler entered Garvey’s Harlem office to apparently assassinated him. As the story goes, Tyler burst into Garvey’s office, demanding an audience. When Garvey went to investigate, apparently George opened fire resulting in Garvey been hit once in the scalp and twice in the leg. Still, it was Ashwood who intervened and shielded Garvey, thus preventing him from been further harm. George died a few days after this incident. Still, on December 25, 1919, a few days after the shooting incident and a long courtship, Garvey and Ashwood got married where Ashwood best friend, Amy Jacques, served as the main of honour. The couple then left for Canada soon after, to further promote the Black Star Line and have their honeymoon. Amy Jacques was also on this trip. Garvey, the Bigamist
Unfortunately, the marriage bliss did not last as long as the courtship. Less than three months after the wedding, the couple was at odds with each other. Garvey claimed his wife was dishonest and accuse of her infidelity while, Ashwood stated this was false as according to her during an interview with a Gleaner reporter - “Success had turned his head. He thought everybody wrong who didn’t agree with him” Ashwood further states, “I saw where he was wrong. Garvey’s idea of an African kingdom was a geographical blunder. There are too many tribes, each differing from the other that it is quite impossible to form them into a single people”. Their views on the direction of the movement in UNIA, would add to the strain in the couple’s relationship. Thus, beginning in 1920, Amy Ashwood brought forth legal actions for a divorce and subsequent alimony. In August of 1921, she left the United States to continue her sociological work but was back in the States by 1922, to begin her divorce proceedings from Garvey. However, at this time as Ashwood got ready to begin her divorce, unbeknownst to her, Garvey got married to Amy Jacques - Amy Ashwood best friend and maid of honour. According to Garvey however, he had divorced Ashwood. In 1926, Ashwood challenged the legitimacy of this divorce but on April 8 of that year, police raided her apartment at 3 am in the morning and found her in bed with a man named, Joseph Fraizer. Garvey, who was in an Atlanta prison at this time serving a five year sentence on charges of mail fraud, sued Ashwood for adultery while naming Frazier as a co-respondent. All at the same time, he was married to Amy Jacques while apparently still been married to Ashwood. The adultery charge began the 28th of April and according to Jackie Ranston in her book “Lawyer Manley: First Time Up”, this case “was said to be the most assuming to be tried in that court for some time”. Both Ashwood and Frazier was undressed and asleep in bed when they were found, but according to both person, they were working on a book. In Ranston’s book, it is detailed that when Garvey’s lawyers cross examined Frazier, he stated that while working with Ashwood on this book, she felt ill and he decided to stay the night to take care of her. This cause laughter in the courthouse. When Garvey’s lawyer, Mr. Kohn, asked Frazier if he had help any other married women with their books, while been undressed and in bed with them, Frazier named a Boston woman. Despite the drama of this case, both Ashwood and Garvey were found guilty of adultery but no legal conclusion was made for the legitimacy of Garvey’s and Ashwood’s divorce. When Garvey’s was deported from the States to Jamaica in 1927, Ashwood was asked about this in relation to her divorce, to which she stated: “My fight will have to be staged in the courts of Jamaica now. As soon as my lawyers notify me, I shall proceed to Jamaica and meet him face to face. I am his legitimate wife - he has never obtained a divorce from me”. The following year, Ashwood made legal proceedings against Garvey “as she contends that he is a bigamist and that she is his lawful wife”. It was around this time that Norman Manley, we will speak on him later, entered the Ashwood - Garvey’s orbit. Jackie Ranston’s made note in her book, that Manley’s opinion on this matter is as follows: “The law in Jamaica with regard to bigamy is framed on the provisions which exist in England and after providing that the offence is committed wherever the second marriage takes place contains a provision similar to the proviso in English Law exempting from the operation of the law all persons save British subjects… With regard to the question of instituting proceedings in divorce, I cannot advise without being more fully instructed on the facts. At the moment I can only say that the question of domicile will require careful consideration as well as the question of the delays which have occurred since the parties separated. It does not however appear likely that the proceedings in New York will in any way operate as a bar to the proceedings in Jamaica”. Did Garvey and Ashwood ever agreed upon if they were both divorced, we cannot say. Still, Ashwood went to on do worked throughout the diaspora which legate her as a profound feminist, playwright, lecturer and Pan-Africanist. Amy Jacques remained with Garvey and became a renowned journalist and activity. And then Garvey, after his deportation in Jamaica, continued his work with UNIA and then in 1929, formed the island’s first political party in 1929 - the People’s Political Party, PPP. In the early 1930’s, he became a councillor in the Kingston and St. Andrew Corporation, KSAC. While in this role at KSAC, a gas station dispute arose and the local government got involved. It’s during this dispute that Manley and Garvey came to a head. The Case of the Gas Station
In the 1930’s a business man by the name of George Penso decided to build a gas station at the corner of Old Hope Road and Oxford Road in the Kingston and St. Andrew Area. The issue however, was that the gas station was been built in a residential area. A resident of the area, Dr. D.W. Godfrey, lodge a petition to the Kingston and St. Andrew Corporation(KSAC), the local government agency responsible for developments in the area. Dr. Godfrey argued that the construction of the gas station would create “a disturbing element and reduce the value of his property in that neighbourhood.” In a 1935 article in the Daily Gleaner by Herbert G. DeLisser states, “But I, in common with the rest of the Gleaner personnel, believed that too many gasoline stations were being indiscriminately erected in the Municipal Area and that Dr. Godfrey had an excellent case.” Godfrey’s petition was then accepted by the KSAC and over the next few months, discussion would be had about granting approval for the development of Mr. Penso’s gas station. Then came the morning of May 7, 1934 - the final proceeding of the dispute.May 7, 1934, saw the largest ever crowd ever to attend a meeting of the Council of Kingston and St. Andrew Corporation, up to this point. All turned out to witness the decision to be if the gas station was going to be build. The Daily Gleaner coverage of the event states that it “had the quality of being highly dramatic and entertaining”. The event started around 11:30 am at the Old Wolmer’s Yard. In attendance was Dr. D.W.Godfrey and his legal advisor S.R. Braithwaite and Aston Simpson; and there was George Penso and his legal advisor Lewis Ashenehim. Then there were councillors of KSAC including Marcus Garvey and Barrister Braithwaite - just a day previously Garvey threatened to kick Braithwaite. Also in attendance was the mayor of Kingston and St. Andrew, His Worship, Hon. G. Seymour Seymour who hired the services of Manton and Hart law firm to mediate the dispute. This law firm then hired the services of Norman Manley who at thus time, was arguably one of the most well known and respected young barristers in Jamaica. Norman Manley, the Barrister
Norman Washington Manley was born in Manchester, Jamaica on July 4, 1893. Attending Beckford and Smith High (now St. Jago High) and Wolmer’s Boys School, it was at Jamaica College (JC) however, that Manley found his bearings. Believe us, Manley athletic exploits is important to this story. At JC, he competed in 17 events at the Boys Athletic Championships, now today known as Inter-Secondary School Boys & Girls Championships, commonly called Champs. Between 1910 and 1912, he took part in the Championships where he also played football and cricket and also boxed. In 1911, Manley set a Champs record of 10 seconds flat in the 100 yard dash, which was unmatched for 30 years before his son, Douglas, a student at Munro College, equalled the time in April 1941. To note, in that race, Douglas defeated Herb McKenley of Calabar High School, a future four time Olympic medalist and the only person to make the three sprint events finals, 100, 200 and 400 meters, at any Olympic Games. Norman Manley, after his making his reputation as an outstanding schoolboy athlete, won the 1914 Rhodes Scholarship where he left Jamaica the same year for Oxford University to study law. Still, World War II would break out and Manley paused his education to serve in the military alongside his brother Roy, who was later killed in action. For his service in the Great War, Manley was awarded a Military Medal (and yes, this time serve in the war, is important to the story). Manley resumed his study in 1919 and graduated with first class honours in Bachelors of Civil Law. He, then, won the Prizeman at Gray’s Inn and was called to the bar in April 2021 and in that same year he married his cousin, Enda Swithenbank. Manley returned home in Jamaica and throughout the 1920’s, made a reputation among the island’s legal community as a distinguished young barrister. In December 1922, a mere three months after his first case, he defeated arguably the most distinguished barrister of that time, J.A.G. Smith. It was a few years later however, when he defended a then 21 year old Louise Walker in the murder of her lover Steadman Case, that he was thrusted in the public sphere and soon after became one of the most sought after young barristers in the country. As mentioned above, it was in this same year, he gave his legal thoughts on the Ashwood-Garvey bigamy case. In November of 1925, Manley appeared on the behalf of the mayor and the KSAC at a Commission of Enquiry. A November 10, 1925, Gleaner article describe his performance as, “In Mr. N.W.Manley, we have a man and a lawyer of whom this country has every reason to be proud. He owes his position to his own unaided exertion; what he has obtained he has toiled for; his character has matched his intelligence, and both have been informed by a degree of modesty rarely found amongst the young men of any profession”. By the early 1930’s his reputation became unprecedented as one colonial secretary stated, “Whenever a man in this country gets into trouble he flies first to Mr. Manley, and if Mr. Manley is already retained, he next flies to Cuba”. By 1932, he was invited to be awarded as a King’s Counsel. Manley’s legal reputation and experience dealing with KSAC is important to this story as this is why Manton and Hart law firm retained Manley’s service to oversee this gas station dispute. But on that day, May 7, 1934, Manley’s experience as an athlete, war veteran nor his work as a barrister did not fazed Garvey, one bit. The Almost Fight
Now Garvey had somewhat of a conflict inside the KSAC. As stated above, just a day previously Garvey threatened to kick to kick another councillor, Barrister Braithwaite. As such, when the proceedings kicked off on May 7, at around 10 minutes to noon, Garvey interrupted the mayor, to clarify the stance of him been disqualified to vote as he allegedly had a conflict of interest with Mr. Penso - this has been brought up in previous meetings. Still, when one councillor, Councillor Chisholm double down on the Garvey’s relationship with Penso, Garvey responded: “I have been dealing with Mr. Penso for a number of years. If the Councillor is asking that so as to try and embarrass me, I can tell you that you cannot embarrassed my character. You have not enough intelligence to embarrass a man like me”
To this, Councillor Chisholm responded, “All right; you can’t kick me though”
The Mayor interjected however and stated:
“It has been brought to my attention, and I am advised Councillor Garvey, that you are not competent to sit and vote on this occasion, not on account of any matter that you have explained, but on another matter entirely. And that matter is in connection with the meeting at Old Wolmer's and at which you invited a mandate from the people to say whether you were to vote for the keeping of the gas station at the corner of Oxford and Old Hope roads. I am advised by counsel that that disqualifies you as showing bias in the matter”
Still, Garvey was not having this and stated:
“Well, I know the legal mind and I know there are always subterfuges to every instance or case cited. I am going to abide by your ruling, only I am going to differ from your Counsel who does not seem to know that an elected representative always possesses the right to consult the people who elected him on any matter and I am sorry for the legal intelligence”.
Up to this point, Norman Manley said nothing but immediately after Garvey express his disappointment in the intelligence of the counsel, Manley spoked up.
“Mr. Chairman, I attended here at your request because of the difficulties the Corporation has been in. But I am not going to remain here to listen to Councillor Garvey making his offensive remarks. He knows nothing at all about law”
Then Garvey interjected saying, “I know as much as you about this”
Mr. Manley then stated, “And I have not been invited here to listen to any impertinence from Mr. Garvey”
Garvey: “Neither from you too”
Manley: “I have given my opinion and he has not got the decency and intelligence”
Garvey: “You are most irresponsible”
Manley: “And you are a positive disgrace”
Garvey: “Look here Manley, I don’t care about you. You fellows seems to assume some right that is not justifiable in a social sense or otherwise. How could I be impertinent to you? What are you trying to bring to this community?”
And in the middle of this heated argument between the two men, the mayor tried to diffuse the atmosphere.
The Mayor: “I am not going to have this. Councillor Garvey all I said was what Counsel’s opinion was-”
Then Garvey interrupted by saying: “But how dare him call me impertinent Sir, when I have only exercised my right to say what I understand about the matter. You must be one of the socially drunk people who think that”
Manley: “Look here. You are a loud-voiced person and I am not going to answer you in any way. If you insist on being rude and impertinent-”
Garvey: “You are not physically well enough to be loud-voiced”
Manley: “Do you really think so? Then step outside”.
And just like that by drawing a line in the sand, Manley had enough and decided that he would indeed prove to Garvey that he is “physical well enough to be loud voiced”. However, Manley did not even get a chance to prove that for Garvey decided not to take up Manley’s offer, stating, “I would be sorry for what would happen to you”. Then the mayor himself decided to put an end to all of this.
The Mayor: “Let’s get on Councillor Garvey. You went out of your way to-”
To which Garvey clarify, “No Sir, it is he that went out of his way”
The Mayor: “No, because if you were satisfied with what I said and accepted my ruling everything would have been all right”
Garvey: “I could not be satisfied, because I know it is wrong”.
So as the Mayor and Garvey went back and forth, another councillor, Alderman Anderson had enoughAnderson: " I have not got any proper examination of the matter, Sir. This is not a Court. I want to hear you Mr. Mayor. I want to get through and go back to my Office".
And as history will have it, Garvey and Manley did not end up coming to blows, they did come close though. Matter of fact, for the rest of the council meeting, they avoid any interactions between each other. And speaking of the meeting, Penso walked out of the meeting where his lawyer, Mr. Ashenheim, made it clear that the his client would not be reapplying for a permit and KSAC was putting itself in legal troubles. This gave the impression that Penso would be going ahead with the building of the gas station. Still, in successive years, the debate on the gas station carried on and eventually the gas station was sold to a British based company. Later Years
As for Manley and Garvey, their paths crossed throughout the 1930’s. In his book, N.W.Manley and the Making of Modern Jamaica, historian and a former cabinet minister, Arnold Bertram stated, “On another occasion, Manley appeared for a comparatively poor lady who brought a case against him (Garvey), in relation to an article published in his weekly paper. Manley won the case and conceded that Garvey ‘made a brilliant closing address… He was witty and amusing and took every advantage open to a litigant who defends himself”. Bertram went on to state: “In the third case Manley successfully defended George Make, a former employee of the UNIA who brought an action against his erstwhile employer for outstanding wages”. Garvey continued his work with both UNIA and PPP. Still, facing tremendous issues with his health and finance and thus his influence on the electorate decline - he took little to no interest in the island’s 1935 election. Still, with 1935 election saw more black persons been elected to the Legislative Council and the formation of Rastafari around this time, Garvey’s life’s work was influencing a new era on the island. However, Garvey’s challenges on the island overwhelmed him and he decided upon a life of self-imposed exile in London. While in Europe, he stated to a colleague, “I left Jamaica a broken man; broken in spirit, broken in health and broken in pocket… I will never, never, never go back” He died soon after on June 10, 1940, from complications relation to having suffered two strokes. Due to WWII travel restrictions at the time, he was buried in London, until in November of 1964, his body was exhumed and brought back to Jamaica. He was buried in the National Heroes Park in Kingston where he became Jamaica’s first national hero. Still today, his legacy stands as one of the most profound black activist to ever exist. As for Manley, he went not to further established himself as a legal legend despite Garvey’s attacks on his intelligence. In later years, he became active in local politics. By the late 1930’s, he founded Jamaica Welfare Limited and became an outspoken supporter of the island’s birth control movement and workers’s strikes of the late 1930’s. In 1938, he was one of founding members and the first president of the People’s National Party, PNP. In fact, during the island’s first general election after adult suffrage was passed, Amy Jacques lend her support to Manley and the PNP by stating “she would be untrue to the memory go Marcus Garvey if she did not join the nationalist movement”. Then in February 1955, after 33 years of practising law, he became the island’s first Chief Minister. According to Manley, “I have spent my life on many cases and now I turn my back for good and all on that life and take into my hands the case of the people of Jamaica”. One of the instrumental persons in the establishing of the short-lived West Indian Federation, Manley held the post of Chief Minister of the Jamaica, until August 1962, when the island became independent from Britain. Having lost the general election back in April, he became the island’s first opposition minister after independence. He died in September of 1969 and almost a month later, like Garvey, became a national hero of Jamaica. As we near the end of the episode, one has to ask, “who would have won the fightback in 1934, if Garvey had actually took up Manley’s offer to step outside?” Well, we at The Yaad have our bets on Manley. As mentioned above, this man was a renowned student athlete in multiple disciplines and a war veteran. Then by all accounts of images of him during this time, he kept his athletic physique. So, in our opinion, Manley does seems “physically well enough to be loud-voiced” However, it would be very unrealistic of us, to think that Garvey and UNIA supporters, would stand back and watch Garvey been beaten by another man - a white passing man at that.