Bridgetown | |
|---|---|
Ghost town | |
  Bridgetown | |
| Coordinates: 17°02′24″N61°43′35″W / 17.04°N 61.726389°W | |
| Country | Antigua and Barbuda |
| Parish | Saint Philip |
| Division | Willoughby Bay |
| Population (1856) | |
| • Total | 47 |
Bridgetown, also known as Willoughby Bay, is a ghost town in Saint Philip, Antigua and Barbuda.
Bridgetown was located in the southeast of the island. [1] It was located on the coast of Willoughby Bay, on its north shore, where the high plateau of the southeastern peninsula of Antigua meets the sea.
Willoughby Bay is one of the natural ports of Antigua, protected by a reef bank with passage, but shallow and relatively poorly accessible, the terrain level is steep, the inner bay, the Christian Cove, is a more extensive wetland. An English trading post was created here c. 1675. [2] This post was protected by the eastern Fort William. [3] The Anglican Church, St. Philip's Rectory, the main church of the Parish of Saint Phillip, was located at the top of today's place of St. Phillip's. Politically, the area belonged to the Willoughby Bay Division of the island. [1]
The other ports, such as Falmouth, Parham or St. John's, quickly became much more important. Around 1750, Fort William was already in a desolate state after hurricane damage, and only occupied by two men. [3]
In 1820, the Methodists (today Methodist Church in the Caribbean and Americas), who had been proselytizing in Antigua since the 1760s and from 1812 ran a school in Bethesda village, founded a congregation with a chapel. [4]
Emancipation Day was observed with much fanfare on 1 August 1834. Coconut fronds were used to decorate the Wesleyan Chapel, and cakes and lemonade were served to the elderly and schoolchildren. The majority of the citizens attended church during the day, and in the evenings there were dances and celebrations. There was not a disturbance anywhere on the island. Following the holiday, laborers resumed their jobs on an equal basis and sugar cane production continued. [5]
After the abolition of slavery in 1834, a large part of the population moved to the free city of Freetown and also to Bethesda. The Methodists therefore moved their congregation to Bethesda in 1841 and also built a chapel in Freetown. [6]
During an earthquake in 1843, the settlement was largely destroyed, and the rest of the Black inhabitants migrated to Bethesda and Freetown. For a while, the Methodist pastor was still resident in Bridgetown until the new mission house in Freetown was completed in 1847. [7] In 1856, the place had only 17 buildings and 47 inhabitants. [8] In the course of the following years, the settlement was then completely abandoned.
Today, the Crossroads Centre is located here, an upscale drug rehabilitation center founded by musician Eric Clapton. [9] The ruins of Fort William are still there.
Antigua and Barbuda is a sovereign island country in the Caribbean. It lies at the conjuncture of the Caribbean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean in the Leeward Islands part of the Lesser Antilles.
St. John's is the capital and largest city of Antigua and Barbuda, part of the West Indies in the Caribbean Sea. With a population of 22,219, St. John's is the commercial centre of the nation and the chief port of the island of Antigua.
Saint Philip, officially the Parish of Saint Philip, is a civil parish of Antigua and Barbuda, on the easternmost portion of Antigua island. Its capital is the village of St. Philip's. Saint Philip borders Saint Peter and Saint Paul. Saint Philip faces the Atlantic Ocean. Saint Philip is surrounded by various islands and islets. It had a population of 3,347 in 2011, which makes it the least populous parish of Antigua and Barbuda.
Saint Mary, officially the Parish of Saint Mary, is a parish of Antigua and Barbuda on the island of Antigua. Saint Mary borders Saint John to the north, and Saint Paul to the east. Saint Mary is dominated by the Shekerley Mountains, and its northern border is largely defined by the mountains, and by Cooks Creek. The largest city in the parish is Bolans, home to the Jolly Harbour neighbourhood, and the parish church is located in Old Road. Saint Mary was created with the other five original parishes on 11 January 1692. It had a population of 7,341 in 2011, and 8,141 in 2018.
Saint Paul, officially the Parish of Saint Paul, is a parish of Antigua and Barbuda on the island of Antigua. Saint Paul borders Saint Peter and Saint John to the north, Saint Mary to the west, and Saint Philip to the east. Saint Paul is dominated by farmland in the north, with various creeks and Potworks Dam marking its northern border, and low-lying hills to the south, defining its western border with Saint Mary. The largest city fully within the parish is Liberta, the fourth largest city in the country. The parish capital, and the location of the parish church, is Falmouth. The main economic and tourism hub of the parish is English Harbour. Saint Paul was created with the other five original parishes on 11 January 1692. It had a population of 9,004 in 2018.
Saint Peter, officially the Parish of Saint Peter, is a parish of Antigua and Barbuda on the island of Antigua. Saint Peter borders Saint Paul to the south, Saint Philip to the east, and Saint George and Saint John to the west. Saint Peter is dominated by farmland, savanna, and undeveloped fields, and its borders are not well-defined. The largest city fully within the parish is Parham, which is also the capital. However, the portion of the city of All Saints in Saint Peter is significantly larger than Parham. Saint Peter was created with the other five original parishes on 11 January 1692. It had a population of 5,325 in 2011.
Antigua, also known as Waladli or Wadadli by the native population, is an island in the Lesser Antilles. It is one of the Leeward Islands in the Caribbean region and the most populous island of the country of Antigua and Barbuda. Antigua and Barbuda became an independent state within the Commonwealth of Nations on 1 November 1981.
All Saints is the second largest town in Antigua and Barbuda, with a population of 3,412. It is located in the middle of Antigua, at 17°3′N61°47′W. Just 5 miles NW of here is the capital, St. John's. It had a population of 3,900 in 2001.
Freetown, officially known as FreeTown, is a town in Antigua. It is located in the southeast of the island, on a peninsula between Willoughby Bay to the south and Nonsuch Bay to the north.
Bethesda is a township in Saint Paul Parish on the island of Antigua, in Antigua and Barbuda.
Potworks Dam is in central Antigua located close to Bethesda. One of the most significant water treatment facilities on the island is located on the southern shore at the Delapps Water Treatment Plant.
Freemans is a town located in Saint Peter Parish on the island of Antigua, in Antigua and Barbuda.
Rivington Unitarian Chapel is an active place of Unitarian worship in Rivington, Lancashire, England. It was founded in 1703, although its congregation dates to 1667. It is designated as a Grade II* listed building with some restoration in 1990, and hs ongoing preservation.
Bethesda Methodist Chapel is a disused Methodist chapel, in Hanley, Staffordshire, England. One of the largest Nonconformist chapels outside London, the building has been known as the "Cathedral of the Potteries", being "one of the largest and most ornate Methodist town chapels surviving in the UK".
Rev. Francis George Godson MBE was a Methodist minister from the village of Brailes in Warwickshire, and one of the early proponents of a retirement pension for the poor of Barbados.
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in the Lesser Antilles refers to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and its members in the Lesser Antilles. The Lesser Antilles is part of the Caribbean Area and is part of three missions. As of 2022, the LDS Church reported 9,959 members in 34 congregations in the Lesser Antilles.
Twenty Hill is a historic site and sparsely populated unincorporated area in southern Parham.
St. Phillip South is a parliamentary constituency in Saint Philip and Saint Paul, Antigua and Barbuda. It is composed of the villages of Mill Reef, Half Moon Bay, Montpelier, Freetown, St. Phillip's, Christian Hill, Bethesda, Lyons, and portions of Piccadilly.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link) und Walter Lawrence. "Bethesda" (Congregations). Methodist Church of Antigua & Barbuda. Archived from the original on 2014-03-20. Retrieved 2014-03-19. weitere Details auch History: Part 3 The work takes shape {{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link) und Walter Lawrence. "Bethesda" (Congregations). Methodist Church of Antigua & Barbuda. Archived from the original on 2014-03-20. Retrieved 2014-03-19. weitere Details auch History: Part 3 The work takes shape {{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link) und Walter Lawrence. "Bethesda" (Congregations). Methodist Church of Antigua & Barbuda. Archived from the original on 2014-03-20. Retrieved 2014-03-19. weitere Details auch History: Part 3 The work takes shape