Bermuda: "We Arrive" at Barr's Bay Park - Hamilton, Bermuda[

"We Arrive" at Barr's Bay Park

Hamilton, Bermuda

N 32° 17.467 W 064° 47.301

Short Description: 

The sculpture "We Arrive" at Barr's Bay Park near downtown Hamilton, Bermuda commemorates the historical events of 1856 that restored of the Civil Rights of 172 American slaves by the courts and people of Bermuda.

Long Description:

In 1835 a group of 172 slaves from America chose to gained their freedom on the shore of Barr's Bay Park. In 2010 a sculpture was unveiled to commemorate the event. A plaque on the retaining wall between Pitt's Bay Road and Barr's Bay Park has a plaque that describes the event. The plaque is inscribed:

THE BERMUDA DIASPORA HERITAGE TRAIL

{Globe With Bermuda Greatly Enlarged}

BERMUDA

OFFICIALLY DESIGNATED A UNESCO

SLAVE ROUTE PROJECT

Enterprise Landing Site Barr's Bay Park

In 1856 the American brig Enterprise was on its way from Alexandria,

Virginia to Charleston, South Carolina and was driven off course

by a violent storm and had to put into Bermuda for provisions

On board were 78 slaves due to be sold once the vessel

reached its destination.

But slavery was now illegal in Bermuda and the ship in violation of

island laws. the slaves were brought ashore at Barr's Bay Park which is

located in the City of Hamilton and taken before the Chief Magistrate

where they were given the opportunity to stay in Bermuda

and become free or continue with the ship and be sold.

all but one mother and her five children chose

to remain on the island.

"We Arrive" is a bronze sculpture created by Bermuda artist Chesley Trott in 2009. It is installed in Barr's Bay Park near downtown Hamilton. The sculpture depicts a group of five stylized former slaves arriving on the shore of Barr's Bay Park. The sculpture rests on a bronze plinth set on an irregular octagonal base made of brick and concrete. The sculpture commemorates an historical event which is explained in detail by a plaque at the base of the sculpture.

The plaque contains the coat-of-arms of the City of Hamilton and the following inscription:

"We Arrive" 

Less that one year after Bermuda's slaves won emancipation, in early

1835, the American Brigantine Enterprise having set sail from Virginia

was blown off course by a savage inter storm and forced to seek

refuge in this harbour. When safely moored, the brig was discovered to

hold a 'human cargo' of 78 slaves who, as a result of a Habeas Corpus

obtained by the islands' Black Friendly Societies, were offered their

freedom by the Bermuda Courts on February 18th 1835.

Local artist Chesley Trott was commissioned by The Corporation 

of Hamilton to create this sculpture, unveiled on the 175th Anniversary

of the historic day, to commemorate not only the freed 172 men, women 

and children who accepted Bermuda as their home, but a community

who offered this rare gift.

A smaller plaque at the base of the sculpture is inscribed:

"We Arrive"

Chesley Trott

b. Bermuda, 1930

Collection of the City of Hamilton